'There is in fact a gun culture, no matter how you feel about the Second Amendment.' Costas offers wager to his gun critics

Sports broadcaster Bob Costas is not backing down in the face of criticism for his outspoken advocacy of gun control. In fact, he’s challenging his critics to a bet.

Costas was asked about the controversial political positions he has taken on the air, including gun control, in an interview with “Late Night” host Seth Meyers, and said it’s very much an issue in sports that deserves to be talked about.


“Here’s what I would say to anybody who any time they hear the word guns automatically goes off, like, ‘Oh, they’re going to repeal the Second Amendment,’” Costas said. “Let’s make a bet, you and me. Let’s say over the next five years we’ll do a Google search. We’ll have an independent party monitor it. You keep track of how many good and constructive things are associated with athletes having a gun, and I’ll keep track of all the tragedies and criminality and folly. And let’s see who comes out ahead or behind as the case may be.”

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Costas said regardless of Americans’ positions on gun control generally, it’s undeniable that sports has a “gun culture.”

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“There is in fact a gun culture, no matter how you feel about the Second Amendment or gun control, leave that aside. There is a gun culture in sports. Since I made that commentary in December of 2012, just since then, forget about the dozens if not hundreds of sorry incidents prior to,” there have been a number of incidents of athletes with weapons, Costas said, ticking off names.