Bob Costas gives anti-gun speech on 'Sunday Night Football'

NBC sports anchor Bob Costas channeled his inner Edward R. Murrow and Howard Cosell during halftime of last night's Sunday Night Football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, calling for stricter gun control in the wake of Saturday's murder-suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher.

The 90-second segment, which quoted heavily from a column by FOX Sports columnist Jason Whitlock, ended with Costas making the following declaration:

'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.''

The statement elicited an understandable wave of responses from varying viewpoints, resulting in thousands of tweets on the editorial. Here are three in particular.

Via @TedNugent

# Bob Costas has clearly lost his mind. Inanimate objects are the problem not murderers. Brilliant

Via @bruce_arthur

One reason it was courageous. MT @JimmyTraina: Twitter searched Bob Costas's name to get info. People seem angry

Via @xmasape

On a special Sunday Night Football, Bob Costas discovers the true meaning of Christmas is lecturing people about the meaning of Christmas.

Did Costas overstep his bounds by using halftime of a nationally televised football game as a platform? This Hollywood Reporter piece from July referred to him as the "conscience of NBC Sports" and featured this telling quote from MLB Commissioner Bud Selig:

"I know that Bob can be controversial, and he's a man of very, very strong opinions. I've learned to live with that. It sure beats apathy."

There are plenty of people who seem to disagree with that this morning.