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Bob Costas was Tirico’s predecessor in the prime-time hosting role, filling it a record 11 times. He began his career at KMOX in 1974, having been hired by Robert Hyland Jr., and said Rob loves to hear about his grandfather — especially vignettes that capture him in a light outside his stoic public persona.
“He revels in me telling him stories about his grandfather, any stories that pop that bubble,” Costas said, chuckling.
Costas no longer is with NBC but during his long tenure he sometimes worked with the younger Hyland, primarily on horse racing telecasts. That includes the Kentucky Derby, a massive production that Hyland oversees.
“It is a four-hour telecast for a 2-minute race,” Costas said of a show in which problems or breaking news can alter the plotted course. “There is a lot to cover around that huge, sprawling Churchill Downs. He never got frantic, he was always calm. He always had his wits about him.”
That approach will well serve Hyland and the others running this year’s unusual coverage, Costas said, given the unprecedented circumstances. No fans will be in the stands and there is a huge local opposition to the Games even being held because of surges there in coronavirus cases.
“I think he will do a tremendous job under very difficult circumstances,” Costas said. “I have great confidence in his command but also his demeanor. I have a high regard for Rob.”
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Originally Appeared Here