NEW YORK — Bob Costas has signed a contributor deal with CNN to offer commentary on the intersection between sports and news. 

There’s plenty to talk about, with the return of professional sports following the coronavirus lockdown, the involvement of athletes in social justice protests, and the Washington football team ditching its nickname. 

Costas left NBC Sports after 40 years, but one relationship there led to his new gig at CNN.

The news network’s top executive, Jeff Zucker, began his media career as a researcher at the 1988 Olympics for NBC, where one job was to fetch coffee for Costas.