If it’s there’s a nationally televised sporting event that has nothing to do with politics, it must mean it’s time for Bob Costas to find some liberal angle to preen about.

And that’s what happened during NBC’s coverage of the Kentucky Derby, when the network saw fit to air portions of an interview between Costas and nationally respected race horse trainer Steve Asmussen about an undercover animal rights investigation that horses are abused in Asmussen’s stables: treated with performance enhancing drugs or subjected to electric shocks to make them run faster.

“That is not true,” Asmussen told Costas. “That is absolutely ridiculous.”

Twitter users agreed.

Costas seems to make a point of pontificating, and that pontificating has a lefty bent — like that that half-time rant about gun control during a “Sunday Night Football” broadcast in 2012. So bringing up nuts like the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals during Derby coverage fits right in.

And everyone’s tired of it.

(Be warned: Some tweet language is pretty strong.)

Leave it to Bob Costas to put in a segment about PETA during the Kentucky Derby coverage.

— John (@Johncf01) May 3, 2014

It’s not a horse race without sanctimony from Bob Costas backed by PETA’s lunatic propaganda. Thanks, @NBCSports.

— Anthony Bialy (@AnthonyBialy) May 3, 2014

I was going to take bets on how long it’d take for Costas to inject his lefty lunacy. Then I remembered he took PETA seriously. #KyDerby

— Bossypants Tiger (@Leishac) May 3, 2014

It’s bad enough that sports guys like Costas can’t seem to resist pretending that they’re actually journalists. It’s worse that they seem to think what the mainstream media practices in the Obama Era is journalism, too.

So he trots out a lefty favorite like PETA as a “serious” source.

Twitter users and Derby watchers weren’t buying that either.

Nice job citing PETA as experts on animal cruelty, Bob Costas. They do kill 95% of dogs and cats in their care, so they’d know. #DerbyDay

— cGe (@chelseagrunwald) May 3, 2014

Dear Bob Costas, PETA are ecoterrorists. Kindly fuck yourself.

— S.M (@redsteeze) May 3, 2014

But regardless of the source, most people just want Costas and his ilk to get it through their heads that this is a sports event. Even if anyone wanted to hear the message the progressives are pushing, Derby Day isn’t the time and Churchill Downs isn’t the place.

Before the #KentuckyDerby gets underway, here’s Bob Costas with his thoughts on raising the minimum wage. @NBCSports

— Chris Stigall (@ChrisStigall) May 3, 2014

And we’ll be right back with some thoughts from Bob Costas on a pressing societal issue. Stay tuned!

— Sam Hartle (@Sam_Hartle) May 3, 2014

What’s amazing is there are a lot of very smart business people with a very large amount of money riding on the making events like the Derby as enjoyable — and profitable — for all concerned.

It might gratify the egos of people like Costas, but it can’t be good for the bottom line in the long run.

No matter who wins the Kentucky Derby, we all lose because we have to watch Bob Costas.

— Matthew (@Matthops82) May 3, 2014

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Joe Saunders

Joe Saunders, a 25-year newspaper veteran, is a staff writer and editor for BizPac Review who lives in Tallahassee and covers capital and Florida politics. Email Joe at [email protected].

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