Shortly after Bob Costas finishes doing his part to help NBC produce 3600 hours of Olympics coverage in Beijing next month, he's expected to return to Syracuse to receive a special honor.
Costas will receive the 2008 National Citizen of the Year Award from Temple Adath Yeshurun in Syracuse. In a press release issued this week, dinner chairman Andrew S. Fox says the event is planned for Wednesday, September 24. A meet-and-greet session will be followed by a cocktail reception and dinner.
The press release cites Costas' achievements in sports broadcasting, including his 19 Emmy awards. It also mentions the sportscaster's ties to Syracuse: Costas was attending Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications when he got his first professional job -- with WSYR-TV (those call letters were assigned to channel 3 at the time) and WSYR Radio in 1973.
In addition to his many appearances on television, the weekend syndicated "Costas on the Radio" show has been airing on Galaxy's Utica-Rome network of AM sports stations. Collectively known as "The Game," they are WTLB/Utica (1310), WRNY/Rome (1350) and WIXT/Little Falls (1230).
The Temple Adath Yeshurun announcement did not mention ticket prices or reservation deadlines (and neither does the website), but interested parties can call (315) 445-0002.