A friend called me Thursday morning and told me to turn on the Charlie Brennan Show on KMOX, a station I haven’t listened to since parting ways with it almost a decade ago. But my friend told me the guest was a broadcaster who I respect enormously, Bob Costas, so I tuned in.
Costas did almost all of the talking as he answered critics who haven’t liked it when he has broached subjects other than the play-by-play of the sporting event he was covering, such as guns, steroid use, or the name of Washington’s NFL team.
In addressing these matters, Costas has always made level-headed points, never allowing himself to become the issue. Similarly, in discussing them Thursday morning, Costas was thoughtful, taking his time to explain how he’s only discussed those issues when they intersected with sports and deserved to be commented upon.
I was struck by how different Costas sounded than almost everyone else currently working in talk radio or television. His pace was calm, never manic. He used the language well, and got his points across fully. His words were meant to inform, not incite. It was a reminder that Costas is in a broadcaster’s league of his own.
I’ve embedded the audio so you can hear it yourself. I suggest you don’t start at the very beginning. Instead, click forward to about 36 minutes in and listen from there…