bob costas returns to host nbcs primetime winter olympics olympicscostas returns as anchor for olympic broadcast 17 2014creditnbc olympics via associated pressafter being sidelined for six days by an eye infection bob costas reintroduced himself as nbcs primetime winter olympics host by saying from sochi russia im bob costas sitting in for matt lauer and meredith vieiralauer a cohost of today nbcs morning show and vieira a special correspondent for the show filled in for costas from tuesday to sundaycostas had hosted 157 consecutive primetime olympic programs dating to 1992 until viral conjunctivitis infected his left eye and then his right the eyes reddened and swelled his vision became blurry and they were increasingly sensitive to lightat first the hope was that it was a bacterial infection he said monday during a conference call with reporters not that you ever want to get one but if youre going to have an infection the bacterial infection would have had a shorter coursethe virus meant that the symptoms the worst being the blurred vision and light sensitivity faded more slowly he spent the first three days of his absence primarily in a darkened roomcostas said he thought there was only a small chance that he would not return at alli always thought it was likely that i would be back he said i was hoping to be back on the weekend i always thought it was likely not certain that id be back todaythe condition of his eyes was much discussed particularly on social media with twitter accounts set up largely to poke fun at costas you know i think it would have been water cooler talk no matter who the host of the olympics was at any time because its such a front and center position he said if the same thing had happened to jim mckay in 1984 people would have talked about it its just that the internet didnt exist then and there werent as many cable television outlets