Traina Thoughts: Bob Costas Doesn't Pull Punches In Explaining Super Bowl Decision
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1. Ever since the news broke that Bob Costas would not be part of NBC's coverage of Super Bowl LII, there has been speculation that he was left out because of comments he made about the NFL and concussions during a November panel discussion. Costas e-mailed Sports Business Journal yesterday to clarify thte situation.
“The decision was mutually agreeable, and not only do I not have a problem with it, I am actually happy about it,” he told SBJ. Costas added that it was better to leave the assignment to people more "enthusiastic" about the game.
He also added, "I have addressed the issue of football and its undeniable connection to brain trauma many times. Why? Because the evidence is overwhelming and the effects are often devastating. It’s the elephant in the stadium at every game whether others choose to acknowledge it or not. And it’s not going away."
Costas reiterated that he has publicly taken this stance many times in the past and these are not new feelings.
2. The Cavaliers have had a rough stretch on the court, but things have been much worse for them this season in the gambling world.
Cavs' 11-33-1 record against the spread is on pace to rank dead last among all 816 teams since 1990-91. https://t.co/QQ8lt3hy0l by @DougESPN
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) January 23, 2018
3. Things have gotten so grim for the Cavs, people are now putting together movie trailers that rival anything you see from Hollywood to mock what's happened to the organization over the past several months.
4. "Fake news" has hit the NFL. A Facebook page called Satire Daily that features fake reports from a fake TV station called "5 WFKE News," produced a "news" video in which they report the NFL has admitted to rigging games. Naturally, some people think it's real. As of this writing, it has 490,000 shares and 17 million views. While this is sad, the video is kind of awesome.
5. Die-hard Eagles fan, Mike Trout, may be one of the best baseball players in the world, but he's just like the Average Joe when it comes to the Super Bowl.
Mike Trout says he's undecided about going to the #SuperBowl. "It's up in the air because I like watching it on TV, watching the commercials."
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) January 23, 2018
6. If only.
7.RANDOM WRESTLING VIDEO OF THE DAY: Since this column leads with Bob Costas today, this seems appropriate.
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BONUS ITEM: Baseball Hall of Fame results will be announced tonight. If Barry Bonds doesn't get in, just shut down the stupid museum.