It's been an interesting couple days for Bob Costas. He got an eye infection that he had to explain to 20 million viewers on the opening night of Olympic coverage. He got to interview President Barack Obama for the Opening Ceremonies. He even said the words "Pussy Riot."
Costas is also under fire in some corners for showing too much reverence to Russian czar president Vladimir Putin. During the first night of Olympic coverage, Costas delivered a brief essay on Putin and his shadow hovering over the Sochi Games. He credited Putin for agreeing to a deal with Syria to stop a US military strike and being an integral part of the Iranian nuclear talks. Also, Costas cited a Forbes list that placed Putin as the world's most powerful person over Barack Obama.
To be fair to Costas, he also gave voice to the LGBT issues and other major problems in Russia at the start of NBC's telecast. However, critics are latching onto the essay as turning a blind eye to Putin's oppressive side. One of those critics is Senator John McCain.
In an interview on Fox News, McCain crushed Costas for his Putin comments.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=pn5bSZOeS9k
“I thought that Bob Costas ought to stick to sports because he obviously didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.”
"Mr. Costas giving him this kind of credit borders on ludicrous."
"I've admired Bob Costas' knowledge of sports… I watch his programs quite often. But on this one, Bob, stick to the hockey games, will you?"
Costas isn't really a hockey guy, but the point remains the same. There's been speculation over whether Costas would land an interview with Putin at some point during the Games. If that interview does happen, the microscope placed over it will have increased greatly.
