Bob Costas Told Coach Cal That OJ Simpson Tried To Call Costas In The Middle Of The Bronco Chase But An Engineer Hung Up On Him
(Starts around the 46 minute mark)
Holy shit, I've never heard this story before because as Costas says he hasn't really told this story before. Costas was calling the goddamn NBA Finals and OJ is calling him from the Ford Bronco. If it wasn't for the engineer hanging up on OJ we would have had an all-time TV moment. I'm talking one of the biggest TV moments in the history of the TV. Imagine this, but you have Costas on the phone telling OJ to put the gun down
Imagine being the engineer that hung up on OJ too? You can't just hang up on him right then and there. You have to run that to someone, get a second person on the line to make the call. That's the last mistake I'd want to make. Let someone else take the fall if they think it's a prank call.
That June 17, 1994 is still just such an unbelievable day. I know there's been a 30 for 30 and shit on it, but that's a doc and specifically this NBA Finals game with the chase that I will watch every single day. I'm so fascinated by it, especially when you hear stories like this. Did OJ try calling someone else? How did Costas really feel towards the engineer that hung up on him?
Also just imagine 1994. I remember watching this game, I was on top of the world. Stupid young me thought the Knicks were going to be awesome forever. But there was no Internet or anything like that and we all would have remembered watching Costas talk to OJ. That shit would be all over the place. The talk at the pool the next day with your friends would have been unreal.
Bonus bet story (around 18 minute mark)
Bob Costas going back and adding Kirby to his son's name is such an underrated story. I love that he actually went back and did it too. A ton of credit to Costas for that. It's so easy to lie to Kirby Puckett and say your wife refused to do it. He'd understand. But nope, Costas was peer pressured after the article about it and did it. That's how you pay up a bet. I also love random ass bets like that. I prefer bets that are based on something like that and made in weird scenarios. I have a lifetime bet with a buddy about whether or not Eli gets in the Hall of Fame that was made in 2007 and written on a napkin. It's my favorite bet ever.