EP 063: Bob Costas, NBC Sports

Nelwater Sports Demo Service

Episode 63 of the podcast is with someone who needs no introduction. I’m joined by Bob Costas of NBC Sports. We touch on many sportscasting topics including:

• How a friend from Syracuse helped him land his first position as the voice of the Spirits of St. Louis, an ABA team, at the legendary St. Louis station KMOX.
• The creative way he put together a demo to catch the attention of management at KMOX.
• He shares stories from the freewheeling and short lived ABA.
• How he rubbed a few of his co-workers the wrong way early in his career with his lack of punctuality.
• How going nuts on a buzzer beater for the Spirits helped him to nail big moments for the rest of his career.
• Getting the opportunity to be the Olympic host.
• Learning how to be a successful studio host.
• What he means when he says the key to being a sportscaster is being both well prepared and simultaneously spontaneous.
• Mixing political storylines eloquently into a broadcast.
• Adding humor and self deprecation into a broadcast.
• The difference between a good and great broadcaster.
• Why an appearance on David Letterman is his favorite pop culture crossover moment.
• Who are the best contacts to make to advance in your career.
• Balancing an NBA Finals broadcast with the OJ Simpson white Bronco chase.
• Why OJ Simpson tried to call him from the back of the Bronco and what he would have said if he had answered the call.
• The one event that he’s never broadcast that he wishes he could.
• What does he listen to when he critiques his own tape.
• Why we won’t ever see a sportscaster as revered as Vin Scully ever again.
• Why having pink eye in front of the entire world was his biggest broadcast horror story.
•  The reason he felt he needed to fight through his illness and miss as few days as possible.
• Meeting Mike Tirico as a college student when he became the first Bob Costas Scholarship winner at the Newhouse School.
• Why giving back to young broadcasters is important to him

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