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Bernie Goldberg defends the NBC sports commentator over controversial comments on guns
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Thanks so listen Bill O'Reilly in the week days of Bernie segment tonight let's get right to the purveyor of Bernard Goldberg dot com -- joins us from Miami so -- Bob Kostis last night at halftime talking about the gun situation as -- relates -- Kansas City Chiefs guy.
What do you think.
Well like you I know Bob Costas he's a good friend of mine and he's a very thoughtful guy.
The first thing just to get it out of the way it was on for less than a minute and almost all of the time he spent quoting.
A very fine columnist out in Kansas City named Jason whitlock but as far as Bob himself is concerned I spoke to him today at -- And he told me.
That he in no way once and if he could even snapped his fingers and make it happen he wouldn't.
Repeal the Second Amendment because of abuse is that some people commit with guns.
In any more than he would repeal the First Amendment because some people say stupid things and hurtful things so that's not what it's about he told me he isn't.
He has no problem with people who have guns to protect their homes -- to go hunting.
He said that he thinks there should be reasonable.
Gun control so that people don't have can't go on line and build an arsenal of guns and put it in their basement but the most important thing he told me bill.
Is that he wasn't by and large talking about gun laws he was talking about a gun culture.
That creates an attitude he says didn't -- some young people.
Whereby.
More this is a quote more bad things happen with guns.
Then good things and this is my interpretation of precisely what he meant.
That's some people use guns to settle arguments some people use guns to to show that they demand respect.
Some people use guns because somebody looks at them funny.
But in no way he made clear does he want lost to abolish guns because of these abuses -- and I think.
He's been taken hits from people on the right today.
And I think people on the right.
Should be first and foremost.
In favor.
Agreeing with him on this attitude.
This this attitude dead as he said dead -- empathy and some people.
And has more bad things happening with guns then good things.
Deprived of mistake that costs -- made was he waded into a very emotional issue.
He used an emotional issue the murder of the woman in the suicide of the player.
And then the heat on put on top of that an emotional issue.
That people they hear what they want to hear Bernie and out.
People here they belong here -- I don't what they thought they heard from Bob Costas was that he wanted.
Law abiding citizens.
To either give up the guns have a harder time getting that.
If you've got to get into -- you -- do what I did -- top of the program give it three and a half minutes put forth some solutions.
And and and talk about and not emotional very clinical -- and even now I get I'm gonna you know August thousands of emails attacking me for what happen.
But I'm worried about.
I'm worried about this madness component and and and now want to talk to about this.
You have you did some reporting on the head injuries in the NFL and there have been many.
And just recently we had say -- in San Diego commit suicide -- we're -- commit suicide Chicago -- star.
And now we have this -- for the Kansas City Chiefs who goes -- Nobody does -- doesn't -- you snap.
I don't believe that there's a correlation between football and madness.
Do you.
I have spoken to the absolute foremost experts in this field.
And while I want to make clear I'm not talking about what was in Belcher -- -- the football player's head.
When he killed.
The woman and himself I don't know what was in his head then but I will tell you that the science is unequivocal on this.
That repeated hits to the head.
But if but not just concussions by the way but routine.
-- to the head that football players take.
All thin lead far more than in the general population lead to depression.
The early onset of dementia.
Alzheimer's.
And even Lou Gehrig's disease there is no question about I think.
And anybody who would deny that it's the roughest game in the world maybe with the exception of rugby.
And you if you were going to play it you -- taking a bodily risk every -- -- absolutely are right in your richly rewarded if you succeed.
And then there are guys like my friend Frank Gifford.
Who played many many years gotten a bunch of ten concussions but.
-- -- he's now been on elderly now but he's still in good shape so it's not a cause and effect this is absolutely going to happen.
But the culture of pro football now is so intense.
And these guys take a lot of substance whether they admitted they're not painkiller.
Is just to build your body -- and all of that.
That I'm just wondering whether this is -- really now off the chart high risk group for the madness component.
Well you can you can smoke and not necessarily get lung disease or cancer but you don't want to take that chance the CDC did the study.
This year I think I think it came out just fairly recently that said.
If you've been in the NFL for at least five years.
Is had a four times greater chance.
That you'll die of dementia.
You'll die of dementia.
Then if you did something else for a living -- is being an account -- being an anchorman or you know flying an airplane or anything so.
And statistically.
No it doesn't happen to everybody you can retire and be okay.
But by the same token it's going to happen to people.
Who have taken repeated hits to the head.
Far more often -- sometimes bad things happen -- -- them.
Far more often right wolf four times more -- this is a lot it's a long then people who didn't play football all right Bernie.
We appreciate you coming on as always reality.
