NBC Sports announcer Bob Costas was a guest on "Larry
King Live" Saturday, and told King that as far as cable
outlets go, HBO "is a place where I think every broadcaster
or performer would like to be, because they do stuff of just
incredibly high quality." On HBO's "Real Sports" program:
"I think everyone with journalistic bent in sports would
love to be a part of that program." King asked Costas his
thoughts on the state of sports broadcasting today and if
anchors tried to be too funny. Costas: "Sports doesn't have
to be somber. ... I used to be referred to ... as
'irreverent.' I think the reason for that was that I was
willing, occasionally, to jab at the prevailing tone, to
counterpunch. Well, how do you counterpunch if the whole
tone is one of frat house frivolity?" Costas: "When I watch
ESPN or CNN, I see a lot of talented and likable men and
women on the air. But you can overplay any hand." On the
injections of humor: "I just wish that it was the spice
instead of the main course. ... What I do think is done too
much is these 30 or 45 second lead-ins to the Cavalier-Pacer
highlights, which is just an excuse for a guy to do his
sixth rate stand-up act, even though he's sitting down." On
Fox: "I don't even understand 'same game, Fox attitude.' Am
I supposed to think I didn't like baseball until the Fox
attitude came on? I don't get it" ("Larry King Live," 5/8).
