Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! — Bob Costas Episode

Date: September 13, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal
Guest Announcer: Rhymefest (filling in for Bill Kurtis)
Special Guest: Bob Costas
Panelists: Emmy Blotnick, Brian Babylon, Peter Grosz

Episode Overview

This jam-packed episode of NPR's beloved news quiz blends the show's signature quick wit, irreverent panel discussions, and live audience energy with the sporting gravitas of legendary broadcaster Bob Costas. Rhymefest lends his unique voice as guest announcer, joining Peter Sagal and regular panelists in quizzing both listeners and each other on the quirks of the week's news, pop culture, and more. Celebrity guest Bob Costas brings behind-the-scenes broadcast tales and faces the panel's own quiz game.

Key Segments & Discussion Highlights

1. Show Opening & Introductions

[00:19–03:33]

• Rhymefest (Dr. Che Raphaest Smith) steps in as announcer, banters about his unconventional career moves, and is humorously "welcomed" to public radio's modest glories.
• Peter Sagal introduces the panel:
  • Emmy Blotnick (comedian/trivia host),
  • Brian Babylon (comedian/producer),
  • Peter Grosz (actor and writer).

Quote:
"Yeah, I'm working my way through." – Rhymefest on joining public radio (01:30)

2. Panelist Quiz: “Who’s Rhymefest?” – This Week in the News

[03:33–09:23]

• Pharmaceutical Ads Ban: Trump administration seeks to reinstate restrictions on pharmaceutical ads.
  Discussion Points:

  • Loss of bizarre TV ads and their cultural influence.
  • Panel jokes about actors in such commercials.

  Quote:
  "Now I’ll never find out what Skyrizi is. This week President Trump directed the government to reinstitute a 1990s era policy that would sharply restrict pharmaceutical ads. Now, I have moderate to severe sadness about this news." - Peter Sagal (04:10)

• First Millennial Saint: Carlo Acutis becomes the first millennial canonized by the Catholic Church (he spread faith via early-2000s-era Internet).
  Discussion Points:

  • Jokes about generational recognition (Gen X left out again).
  • Humor about "God’s influencer" helping saints with tech issues.

  Quote:
  "Carlo, can you type this email for me? My stigmata are acting up again." – Peter Sagal (07:49)

• Pets & Privacy: The Atlantic published an argument for giving pets, especially dogs, more privacy.
  Discussion Points:

  • Panel jokes about the true reasons pets want privacy.
  • Skepticism about “dog experts.”

3. News Oddities: Mascots, Inheritances, and More

[09:58–18:54]

• NY State’s Anti-Phone Mascot:

  • Frankie Focus, a giant green furry mascot, is introduced to help convince NY students to put down their phones.

  Panel joke:
  "I thought Frankie Focus was an Adderall dealer." – Brian Babylon (11:34)

• Bluff the Listener – Unusual Inheritances

  • Three stories:
    • (True) Brazilian billionaire leaves entire fortune to soccer star Neymar, whom he’s never met.
    • NYC woman inherits noisy parrots from her hated neighbor.
    • Vermont man leaves fortune to “Earth” and requests remains in active volcano.

  Guest's correct guess: Neymar inheritance story.
  Expert validation:
  “I would say this is pretty random. Most people are not just leaving it to like a sports [star].” – Rosanna Roizen, estate lawyer (19:00s)

4. Not My Job: Interview and Quiz with Bob Costas

[21:18–31:04]

Bob Costas: Legendary Broadcaster, Storyteller

• Shares his unlikely journey from aspiring athlete (“Didn’t fail, but not good enough to make the team”) to sportscasting powerhouse.

• Emphasizes that broadcasting must be learned by doing, not just in classrooms:

  • “The only way you actually learn to be a broadcaster is by doing it…find out if you have a knack, then work on that knack as you move along.” (22:39)

• Classic On-Air Gaffe:

  • Recalls telling millions live, “The last thing he wants to see is a repeat of Friday night’s blow.”
  • Station manager’s verdict: “Don’t ever let this happen again. I certainly will try not to.” (25:33)

• Weirdest Olympic Sports to Cover:

  • Curling: "Think about getting a gold medal for an activity in which you can drink beer while doing it." (25:55)
  • Race walking: likens it to “…a contest to see who can whisper the loudest.” Prompted angry letters from the “small but intense” race-walking community.

Bob Costas' “Not My Job” Quiz — All About the Emmy Awards

• Nails all three questions; the panel dubs this a “Costas.”

  Memorable quote:
  Host: “What should we call it when someone goes three for three?”
  Costas: “A Costas.” (31:03)

5. Listener Limerick Challenge & Audience Games

[39:02–43:24]

• Listener from Eugene, Oregon (archaeologist):

  • Gets all three limericks right:
    • Sneaking into hotel buffets without staying there (breakfast hack).
    • Moving away from wallets to just using phones.
    • Singles sheets at weddings—matchmaking guest info handouts.

  Laughter and playful banter throughout:

  • Panelists joke about Hampton Inn receptions and necessity of guest sheets at weddings.

6. Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank: Topical News Quiz

[44:40–50:10]

• Highlights include:
  • Quirky Studies: How your hug style reveals your personality (“An A-frame is a hug…” [35:06]).
  • Baseball’s 9-9-9 Challenge: 9 beers, 9 hot dogs, 9 innings.
  • Notable News:
    • Teacher sued after missing 16 years of work.
    • Perseverance rover finds evidence for life on Mars.
    • Drunk raccoon saved with CPR.
    • Canadian ticketed for driving Barbie Power Wheels car.
  • Scores: Peter Grosz wins with 16 points.

7. Closing Predictions & Memorable Quotes

[51:05–51:27]

• Panelists are asked: What will the last ever pharmacy ad on TV feature?
  • Brian Babylon: “Handmaid’s Plan B.”
  • Emmy Blotnick: “Skativan—it gives you the relaxed confidence to jazz skat.”
  • Peter Grosz: “Bone for Life. A pill you take just once that gives you an erection that never goes away for the rest of your life.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Rhymefest’s vocal acrobatics and wit as guest announcer: “Bill Curtis has big shoes to fill, but his stilettos look pretty good on me.” (00:19)

• Peter Sagal on pharma ad bans:
  “Now I’ll never find out what Skyrizi is.” (04:10)

• Bob Costas relishing his on-air blunder:
  “Coach Bob McKinnon, taking a time out here, wanting to take no chances because the last thing he wants to see is a repeat of Friday night’s blow. I actually said that.” (24:53)

• Bob Costas on Olympic foibles:
  “Curling…an Olympic gold medal for an activity in which you can drink beer while doing it.” (25:55)
  “Isn’t a competition to see who can walk the fastest a little bit like a contest to see who can whisper the loudest?” (26:47)

• Listener limerick winner (archeologist in Eugene):
  Archeologist reveals her wish to talk to Bill Kurtis, which draws gentle ribbing from everyone, including Rhymefest (“I came here to speak to Bill Kurtis too.”) [39:43]

• Game show banter:

  • “You people wouldn’t understand it because you’re emotional.” – Peter Sagal on hugging styles (35:09)
  • “Coming up, our panelists get their inheritance in our Bluff the Listener game.” – Peter Sagal (11:45)

Memorable Timestamps

• 04:10 – Big pharma ad ban discussion kicks off hilarity
• 07:49 – New millennial saint and Gen X jokes
• 11:03 – Introduction of Frankie Focus, the anti-phone mascot
• 21:18 – Bob Costas joins Peter for in-depth, humorous sports media conversation
• 24:53 – Costas’s infamous “Friday night’s blow” gaffe retold
• 25:55 – Curling and race walking recollections
• 31:03 – “A Costas”: what to call a perfect quiz round
• 39:02 – Listener archaeologist limerick challenge
• 44:40 – Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank begins
• 51:05 – Predictions for the last pharmaceutical TV ad

Recap & Tone

The episode delivers classic "Wait Wait" fare: zany real news, lightning-paced banter, and affectionate roasting among friends. Rhymefest’s style brings a lively freshness as guest announcer, while Bob Costas reveals the craft and absurdities behind decades of live sportscasting. Panel jokes are playful, quick, and clever, with a running theme of surreal news stories and generational humor.

For more, visit Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! on NPR.