The tragic event sent shock waves throughout the sports community, especially Kansas City. Emotions were still running on level 10 as the Chiefs resumed business as usual and went head to head with the North Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. The Chief's beat the Panthers 27-21.
Apparently, this didn't sit well with NBC Sunday Night Football host Bob Costas.
From NY Daily News:
Bob Costas appeared to bring politics into the NFL broadcast booth on Sunday night, saying better gun control could have prevented the horrific murder-suicide committed by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher.
Costas delivered his nationally televised message by paraphrasing part of a column written by Jason Whitlock on FoxSports.com. In the column, Whitlock writes: "What I believe is, if he didn’t possess/own a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today."
Costas made the anti-gun statement during halftime of NBC's Sunday Night Football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
His words were viewed by some as political grandstanding.
"The Media Left at Halftime: Bob Costas pushing gun control, quoting...who else?..a sports writer on ridding the country of the 2nd Amendment," Lou Dobbs tweeted.
"Bob Costas, who’s gotten rich thanks in part to a sport that destroys men’s bodies and brains, gives us a little civics lecture," tweeted TV commentator Andy Levy.
Not all the reaction was negative. Journalist Steve Lepore tweeted, "Regardless of your opinion, it should be noted Costas came the closest of any NFL TV person to talking about this like an adult today."
Earlier Sunday, the Chiefs beat the Panthers, 27-21, one day after Belcher killed the mother of his 3-month-old daughter and then himself. Belcher, who was 25, shot himself in the head as Coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Scott Pioli watched outside the Chiefs' practice facility.
What are your thoughts.....
Firstly, should the Kansas City/Panthers game been cancelled?
Was there any merit to Bob Costas' statement?
Was his chosen time to express his thoughts an appropriate time and/or venue?
