Bob Costas advocates for gun control after NFL Chiefs shooting

A Kansas City Chiefs fan holds a sign
A Kansas City Chiefs fan holds a sign during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012.
Colin E. Braley/ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- NBC broadcaster Bob Costas used his halftime segment on "Sunday Night Football" to advocate for gun control following the murder-suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, causing an immediate debate on social media.

In a segment about 90 seconds long, Costas paraphrased and quoted extensively from a piece by Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock.

After praising the column, Costas said: "In the coming days, Jovan Belcher's actions and their possible connection to football will be analyzed. Who knows? But here, wrote Jason Whitlock, is what I believe. If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today."

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