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Caryn Levy/PGA/Getty ImagesNBC announcer Bob Costas says he understands both sides of the Bears' decision to decline an interview for a piece on Jay Cutler.

NBC's Bob Costas joined "The Waddle & Silvy Show" to discuss the controversy created by the Bears refusing to NBC interview Jay Cutler, Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo in advance of Sunday night's game. Here is the transcript of Costas' remarks:

The way this usually happens is that a request for whatever interviews we'd like to put on the pregame show on Football Night in America goes through the PR department of the club. And then usually whoever is asked agrees, because it's a Sunday night, prime time thing.

In this case, I think the Bears calculated, and it's very understandable, that any reasonable questions that would be asked, that would be topical this week, can't have an especially positive spin on them. And I don't even think they’re running away from those questions. Those questions have been addressed and anything they say now is jus yak. So they might as well just let their play - at least they hope - let their play speak for them on Sunday. I think their response would have been the same had it been CBS, or FOX, or ESPN asking for the same interview, because the questions that have to be asked this week are fairly obvious.

[If the team were 6-3 or 7-2 would it have granted permission?] No doubt about it. There's no hard feelings on my part. I interviewed Jay Cutler earlier this year. I’ve seen him a couple of times. This is the third Bears game we’ve done. I have a cordial relationship with him. I don know him that well. Everybody thinks Lovie Smith is a terrific guy. No problem. There will be a time down the road when they feel more comfortable doing it. It's their prerogative. They made a decision I think we all understand. I just don't think it’s that big of a deal.

There's an argument to that effect, that says look, it's your obligation, if you’re a front-and-center person it's your obligation, at least in these prime time showcases. You may not be able to do it every regional telecast every Sunday afternoon 16 times a season, but in the prime time telecast or a postseason game for the network that -- as you say -- is paying hundreds of millions of dollars that you should sit down and do it. That's generally the understanding. But there is no contractual obligation for them to do it. So all we can try to do is persuade. I’m sure this won't be an ongoing thing. People can draw their own conclusions about what is says about the Bears or the people involved, but I can tell you very honestly, it's not a big deal to me.

There's an argument on either side. Look, it's not the most pleasant time to have to do an interview given the team's troubles, but you should do it simply because not doing it creates the kind of conversation we’re having now, creates the kind of stuff in the Chicago papers we've seen. It’s the less bitter pill just to go ahead and do the interview. Plus you can look at it as your obligation to the station carrying Sunday Night Football.

On the other hand, you can say look, it's all been said, there nothing more we can say. We know we've been bad. We know we have to play better. We prefer to let our play speak for us on Sunday night. I understand both arguments.