Tesh and Costas Call a Truce

Bob Costas — one of the most eloquent broadcasters of our time — is eating his words. The multiple Emmy winner says he regrets panning John Tesh's performance as host of the gymnastics competition at the 1996 Olympics.

In Playboy's October issue, Costas said: "I think most reasonable people would say the gymnastics coverage during the last Olympics was at times beyond parody... John Tesh is a nice man. And I applaud him for his TV and musical endeavors. He is a talented guy. But, oh man, those gymnastics."

Upon instant replay, Costas admits his comments crossed the line. "I'm a guy with a point of view, and I'm not afraid to express it, but I'm not the sort of guy who takes personal shots at other people, and I felt bad about that," the longtime NBC sports announcer tells TV Guide Online. "Regardless of whether John's approach would be the approach I would prefer or not, I have no desire to hurt his feelings, and I wrote him a note of apology."

Lucky for Costas, Tesh isn't the sort of guy who holds a grudge. "I have no hard feelings whatsoever toward Bob," the former Entertainment Tonight talking head tells TV Guide Online. "In fact, he did not have to send me an apology, but it was very much appreciated."

Still, Tesh — whose latest album, Pure Orchestra, arrived in stores last week — knows a way that they can put the unfortunate incident behind them, but good. Deadpans the New Age guru: "We can settle it with a showdown on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch."