The Yale Undergraduate Sports Entertainment Society (YUSES) was founded in 2008 with the expressed goal of “discussing and exploring the intersection between the sports and entertainment industries.” Previously, Yale had no entity to address the needs of students interested in pursuing a career in sports entertainment, a multi-billion-dollar industry. But Mon., Apr. 12, marked a milestone for YUSES.

According to co-founder and current president Billy Blase, ES ’10, the organization has worked since its inception to bring world-renowned sportscaster Bob Costas to campus. All that hard work paid off this Monday when the familiar intonations of one of America’s foremost television personalities rang sonorously off the walls of Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona 114.

“It’s never a good idea to fake punt on fourth and 22,” Costas said, referring to the infamous coaching gaffe that precipitated Yale’s defeat in the 2009 Game. Simultaneously opening a still-fresh wound and ingratiating himself to a rapt audience, Costas smoothly displayed the wit and candor that have carried him to the pinnacle of American broadcasting. A winner of nearly 20 Emmy awards, the Syracuse University dropout is perhaps best known for his leading role in NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. On television, Costas appears perfectly coiffed and effortlessly poised in his delivery; his appearance and demeanor are no different in person. Nevertheless, a few well-placed expletives proved to the crowd that the seasoned announcer is far from an automaton.

“I try to specialize in good B.S.,” Costas said. He freely admitted that he finds obscure Olympic sports like Nordic combined skiing as unwatchable as his viewers do, but he tries his best not to show it. “Feigning interest is part of the job description, and I’m paid handsomely to do it,” he explained.

While Costas may have disappointed those who had never perceived even the slightest trace of deceit in his steady gaze, to me the frankness of his discourse evinced an approachability and lack of pretense not often found in today’s celebrities. He didn’t hesitate to criticize his longtime employer NBC for shying away from hard-hitting stories in the pursuit of fluffier, more heart-warming fare during the Olympics. More relevant, Costas confessed to having lost sleep over his decision not to bully former Major League Baseball slugger Mark McGwire into admitting that performance-enhancing drugs did indeed make him a better player.