Beano Cook
The gravelly-voiced, opinionated historian who became the heart and curmudgeonly soul of ESPN's early college football coverage for a generation of fans.
1931–2012 (age 81)·American journalist·Birthday: September 1·The Silent Generation
Biography
Beano Cook didn't play the game, but he became one of its essential characters. A Pittsburgh native through and through, he brought a historian's depth and a fan's unabashed passion to his role as ESPN's college football oracle. His career began in sports information at his alma mater, but he found his true calling as a television commentator, where his sharp wit, deep knowledge, and unapologetic predictions—often spectacularly wrong—made him a beloved fixture. Cook championed the sport's traditions and pageantry in an era of rapid change, his voice a familiar, cranky comfort each Saturday. He was less a analyst of X's and O's and more a storyteller of the game's lore, connecting past legends to present stars. For over two decades, he served as the conscience and comic relief of ESPN's coverage, an institution who insisted that college football was more than a game; it was a ongoing American saga.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Beano was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Beano Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Beano's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2012Died at 81
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Served as the primary college football historian and commentator for ESPN, shaping the network's voice for the sport from its early days.
- Worked as the Sports Information Director at the University of Pittsburgh, where he famously promoted Heisman Trophy candidate Tony Dorsett.
- His distinctive personality and commentary made him a featured speaker at countless college football banquets and events across the country.
- Received the Dick McCann Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame for distinguished journalism in 1989.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Beano' was given to him as a child in Pittsburgh because he spilled baked beans on his shirt.
He once predicted that Notre Dame quarterback Ron Powlus would win the Heisman Trophy twice; Powlus never won it.
Cook served in the U.S. Army and wrote for Stars and Stripes newspaper during his military service.
He was a close friend and confidant of legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant.
“The NFL is like a Chevrolet. College football is like a religion.”
