sochi olympics 2014

Bob Costas’s Olympic Eye Infection Got Much Worse

Photo: NBC

On night five of NBC’s Olympic coverage, it was hard to turn away — not from the many athletic highlights, but from the spreading eye infection of Bob Costas. It’s getting really bad. Costas started the games down one eye and now it’s both, leaving him looking like a sick puppy or a 16-year-old stoner. Do they not have Visine in Russia? (Update: Costas will sit out tonight to heal. See below.)

What they do have is vodka. In a late-night segment with Mary Carillo, she welcomed the “Hoda and Kathie Lee portion of the evening.”

I’m not really that much of a vodka guy,” Costas admitted. “I’m looking at it this way, though: My eyes can’t get any redder, no matter what I do. All right! Here we go. Down the hatch.”

Tomorrow morning,” he said, “I’ll be lying on a curb in Minsk.” Maybe some fresh air would be good for him.

Update: Costas is getting the night off. Matt Lauer will fill in.

Reluctantly, I was trying to throw a complete game here, but I think we’re going to have to go to the bullpen, and I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but you’re Mariano Rivera, at least tonight,” Costas said Tuesday morning. “Let’s hope it’s only tonight. I’m walking around, I might as well be playing ‘Marco Polo.’ I have no idea where I am.”

Bob Costas’s Eye Infection Got Much Worse