Bob Costas wows students in return to Syracuse

Even at a school like the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, it’s not typical to have a living legend, let alone an alumnus living legend, speak. However, to start Orange Central Weekend, the iconic sports broadcaster Bob Costas spoke in front of a fervent crowd full of eagerness, passion and admiration to hear the always honest and authentic 1974 graduate.

Throughout the two-hour event, Costas dazzled the mostly youthful crowd with wisdom and experience beyond anyone’s comprehension, citing persistence, authenticity and integrity as keys to his marvelous success.

The event commenced by displaying some of Costas’s best, most authentic moments, highlighting his comfort when asking uncomfortable questions, the thoughts some of us may be thinking but are not confident enough to express out loud.

“If I were not genuinely interested in the games, and not capable of presenting them with the drama, and the theater, the excitement and the shared experience, then I never would have gotten the platform,” Costas said about the initial presentation that portrayed him as a person of strong agency and integrity.

His avid love of seeing a game-winning buzzer-beater, a last-second goal and a walk-off home run are what make his statements that much more meaningful.

Without his pure love and joy for sports, there wouldn’t be his iconic remembering of Muhammed Ali after he passed or any of his essays that were about more than just sports.

When talking about the late, great baseball broadcaster Vin Scully, Costas described him as “assiduously non-political.” He recalled moments such as Scully calling the game where Hank Aaron, a black player, broke the home run record originally held by Babe Ruth, a white player, while playing in front of a Southern Atlanta Braves crowd. Scully amplified the moment by choosing his spots, making his statements on the social climate that much more impactful.

For the entire two hours, people were actively attentive and engaged at levels only a person of his stature could warrant. Whether he was marveling at recently graduated Newhouse alum Noah Eagle being such a great broadcaster at the age of 25, or giving detailed answers to questions from curious students, Costas commanded everyone’s attention, just like he did for many years while on the NBC broadcast for his Sunday Night Football Essays.

Photo by Theoplis Stewart II

Costas takes a selfie with students after discussing various aspects of sports media.