Rep. Peter King: US Sporting Events 'Going to Be Targets' for Terrorists

J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

With the nation focusing on Boston a year after the marathon was the subject of a bombing attack, chatter among terrorist groups continues to suggest a desire to strike high-profile sporting events in the United States, Rep. Peter King said.

"We always have to assume that major sporting events are going to be targets," King, R-N.Y., told me and ESPN's Andy Katz, in an interview for the new podcast series "Capital Games with Katz and Klein."

"Now we don't get that many specific threats against sporting events per se. But we know from listening to the chatter how terrorist want to attack iconic events. So whether it's a major Fourth of July celebration or the Super Bowl or the World Series, we assume that that is what they're targeting."

Listen To The Full Interview With Congressman King Along With The Rest Of The Podcast

Big outdoor events with access to the public - like the Boston Marathon - pose particular security challenges, said King, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee and chairman of the sub-committee on counterterrorism and intelligence.

"All we can do is try to minimize the chances for an attack and maximize the security to the extent that we can," he said. "But in the real world in which we live, it's a dangerous world. And you know the old saying is that we have to be right 100 percent of the time, the terrorists only have to be right once."

"Capital Games with Katz and Klein" is a part of a new podcast series, ESPN Perspectives, with original programming on issues impacting the sports world. The new program will explore the intersection of sports and politics, through interviews and analysis on hot-button topics.