Thursday, October 11, 2012

Beano Cook 1931-2012

http://sportsmediajournal.com/ Sad news in the sports media world as ESPN reports today the passing of former college football analyst Beano Cook. Cook passed away in his sleep overnight in Pittsburgh. He was 81. Cook appeared on ESPN as a college football studio analyst since 1985. In addition to college football programming, SportsCenter and ESPNEWS on television, Cook was a fixture as a guest on ESPN Radio and had a popular podcast on ESPN.com. Cook also worked for CBS Sports from 1977-82. From 1974-77, he worked as sportswriter for the St. Petersburg Times, the director of public relations for the Miami Dolphins, public relations director for Mutual Radio Network, and toured with VISTA. From 1966-74, Cook served as ABC Sports NCAA press director. “He was one of a kind,” said George Bodenheimer, ESPN executive chairman. “There never was and never will be another Beano. His combination of humor, passion, love of college football and his engaging personality left an indelible mark on the sport and touched anyone who knew him.” Beano was famous for many of his quotes on the air. From ESPN PR, here are some of them: I’d like to do the last scoreboard show and then go. I don’t want to die in the middle of the football season. I have to know who’s No. 1 in the last polls. (1988) The three things that mean the most to me in life are my parents, Casablanca and college football – not necessarily in that order. (1987) You only have to bat a thousand in two things – flying and heart transplants. Everything else you can go four for five. (1988) You’ll never have a 16-team playoff in college football. The most that could happen would be four teams in the next century. But after that, I’m dead, so who cares? (1992) Colleges spend more money on the promotion of the Heisman than the Pentagon spends on toilets. (1990) Argentina invaded the Falklands because they had ESPN and the Argentines wanted to get the late scores. (1986) ESPN is like your family, it’s always there. The networks are like your mother-in-law. They are there on the weekends. (1988) When they list the great thinks of the 20th Century, they’ll say, penicillin, Sophia Loren, jet travel and ESPN. (1992) Known for his fear of flying, he would often point out that the first word you see at an airport is “terminal.” Here is a video posted today by ESPN looking back at the “Wit and Wisdom of Beano Cook”

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