Bob Costas' Son Says Someone Is Impersonating His Father On Twitter


Sports media nerds were briefly excited late Tuesday night by the emergence of a Twitter account claiming to be operated by Bob Costas, who up until this point has been smart enough not to join the platform. This was thrilling because the man is a titan in the industry and the type of writer/commentator who can excel on any platform. I personally raced to see if he'd be interested in discussing his craft on a podcast, attempting to find content under a new rock. And late at night too! The life of a blogger never stops.
But all that glitters is not gold. It seems this dastardly account is a not-so-clever fake, even though it has the world real in the name, which shouldn't be legal.
(also hedging my bets on the off chance he's undergone a complete personality change in the last 12 hours....) pic.twitter.com/l606fS2BIc
— Keith Costas (@keithcostas) December 9, 2020
the biggest giveaway was the underscore...he's an iPhone/iPad only kinda guy, very low shift key usage
— Keith Costas (@keithcostas) December 9, 2020
The Bob Costas Twitter account is fake, according to Sandy Montag, who is the real Bob Costas' agent.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) December 9, 2020
In the grand scheme of things, this isn't a huge problem. Yet minute by minute, more sports and defunct late-night variety show fans are welcoming the account in question to the online marketplace of ideas. They're all expecting Costas gems, clever turns of phrases and insightful send-ups of our current situation. And while those may be coming from the underscored, it seems they won't be accurate representations of what Costas actually thinks.
Consider this post a public service. A reminder to be skeptical, even on the most mundane things.