Bob Costas

Costas got himself noticed by the executives at CBS, as the broadcasting system was affiliated with KMOX. In 1976 he began doing freelance work for CBS, going on the air for basketball and football. In 1980, NBC took Costas on, where he again covered basketball and football, but truly longed to cover baseball. His life changed in many ways in the year of 1980, as it was also the year he met his wife, Randi. He was speaking to a classroom about broadcasting and ended up falling in love with the teacher. They eventually married in 1983. In 1983 he also began to work alongside Tony Kubek for the national baseball game of the week. Costas really admired Kubek, for his knowledge of the mechanics of the game. He shared with the Detroit News: "I lean toward anecdotes, interesting facts and statistics that illustrate a particular part of the game." Glad to be covering the game he loves, Costas admitted to USA Today, "Baseball is an ongoing love affair. All the other sports are one-night stands by comparison."

Not everyone likes Costas's style though. Many people tire of the endless facts he regurgitates during numerous broadcasts. Mike Weisman, an NBC producer, told Sports Illustrated, "I still think he is too talkative.… Instead of letting a thought sink in, he tends to hit the audience with another good point." Most people do embrace Costas's style, and the majority of his colleagues really admire his work. So much so, that in 1985 he was named the Sportscaster of the Year. Costas was honored to simply be nominated to run with some of his greatest idols, like Vin Scully and Dick Enberg. It was moments like that when he realized he was glad he stuck with his style, knowing it was different. Costas expressed to Sports Illustrated, "if you don't take a risk, you'll never be any good."