Bob Costas vs. Vladimir Putin ... I know who I'm picking

Last night, when NBC decided to kill some time between slopestyle qualifying runs and team figure skating short programs in its day-before-the-Opening-Ceremonies Olympic coverage -- a time clearly chosen for maximum ratings value, no doubt -- by airing a piece and discussion about Russian President Vladimir Putin, I wrote this on the Twitter machine:

Now Costas is talking about Putin. How long before "STICK TO SPORTS!" #Olympics #Sochi2014
— LastHonestSportsFan (@LastHonestSport) February 7, 2014

 I was not disappointed. Interspersed among the comments about Costas' eye malady, were comments such as these:

Bob Costas should stick to sports, not geo-politics. I know it overlaps at the moment, but Nbc olympic coverage simply isn't the venue.
— Michael Plumb (@ThePlumbline89) February 7, 2014

Bob costas already talking politics during the olympics. They literally started like 5 minutes ago. #SochiProblems
— Colin Bowen (@CeeBeaux) February 7, 2014

Good start for NBC's Olympics coverage, though I wish they'd figure out that I don't care about Bob Costas's opinions on world politics.
— Eric Goodwin (@diagonalfish) February 7, 2014

Surprise, Surprise. Bob Costas gets into politics while covering a sporting event. Costas gonna be Costas
— Justin Niedermier (@J_Niedermier42) February 7, 2014

@NBCOlympics Focus on ATHLETES, not POLITICS! Tell Bob Costas to keep his damn opinions to himself. It's about the ATHLETES.
— Sara Foster (@msbsbl) February 7, 2014

Without a doubt, these are Putin's games, a personal showcase for a man who may not be a great friend to the democratic ideals our nation holds dear, as this piece by noted left-wing loon Sen. John McCain reminds us. And let us not forget, regardless of what you think of Edward Snowden, Putin is also letting someone the United States has charged with espionage live in Russia.

But this is the guy Bob Costas isn't allowed to talk about, because he has shown unacceptable signs of liberalism in the past.



Or is Putin OK because on top of everything else, he also appears to be a raging homophobe?

Bob Costas makes me sick with his pro-gay anti-gun pro-leftist agenda. Way to bring politics into the #Olympics2014 NBC sucks!
— MaximumFreedom (@LausDeo1791) February 7, 2014

At least someone gets it.

Here's some irony. All these right-wing folks on Twitter blasting Bob Costas's politics are basically defending Putin's Russia.
— Brooklyn Quarterly (@BklynQly) February 7, 2014