Costas Battles On: Says Trayvon Martin Would Be Alive Were George Zimmerman Unarmed

In follow-up interviews, says ‘reasonable people’ agree on need for more gun control

Bob Costas addresses 'mistake' and gun control (USA Today)

NBC Sports anchor Bob Costas says it was a "mistake" to mention gun control on air Sunday in discussing the murder-suicide committed by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher because his choice of words "left it open for too much miscommunication."

Costas, who appeared on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday, has been criticized in some quarters for his choice of words about the tragedy during his halftime segment of the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

Costas, during that halftime, quoted Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock and said, "If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.''

The 90-second clip led to viral YouTube videos and blog posts with angry comments demanding Costas be fired from NBC. Costas addressed those comments in talking Tuesday to Patrick, who hosts the studio show for Sunday Night Football on NBC.

"Sometimes the quality of those who oppose you speaks for itself," Costas said. "I was told — I didn't see it — that someone compared (the halftime segment) to blatantly racist comments. This is simply a case of people who don't agree with this or they don't agree with what people think I was saying.

"Leave me out of it. Can you imagine that being said about anyone? Let's fire everyone we disagree with. It's absurd."

Costas felt he didn't "hijack" an NFL game by using his platform to provide his thoughts.

"If someone writes something that people disagree with, no matter how well it was written, if the topic is emotional, people are apt to be described as a screed," Costas told Patrick. "Someone (who) disagrees will characterize it as a rant."

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