Sportscaster Bob Costas joins Bill Maher to discuss the future of football and the controversy over player protests of the national anthem. Costas starts out his appearance on Friday's Real Time by calling people who wish politics to remain out of sports a bunch of "mouthbreathers."





MAHER: It's so funny because whenever you're here I always say, 'Bob's here and we're going to talk about sports issues because there are these big sports issues, but he is so much more than just sports.' And then I look at the issues and I'm going, 'Yeah, but sports somehow gets to all the big issues that really are bubbling up in our society.'



COSTAS: It often intersects. Despite the mouthbreathers who say, 'Leave it all out of sports, I just tuned in to hear there is a groundball to shortstop.' Fine.







MAHER: Wow. Don't call them mouthbreathers, Bob. They're your bread and butter.



COSTAS: I've been told. I've made that mistake before.

Roger Goodell of NFL just put out a statement trying to justify the total disrespect certain players show to our country.Tell them to stand! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

Costas offered a solution that would make standing for the national anthem more "palatable" for players, conservatives and liberals alike: recognize the ideals the flag represents."I think the possible reason is that they recognize that there is some complexity in this that the anthem doesn't just represent the nations' flaws or it doesn't just represent the military or the police, as admirable as most policemen are, even given the rogue cops, and as admirable as the sacrifice of military is," Costas told Maher."It represents the nations' ideals as well," Costas said of the flag and anthem. "That's what makes this a little bit complicated. If I owned a team, which I don't, but if I owned a team I would have the PA guys say, 'Please stand for our national anthem in recognition of the ideals it represents. That would then encompass conservative, liberal and everyone in between and I think it would make it more palatable."