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Local sports icon Dan Cook diesWeb Posted: 07/03/2008 11:05 PM CDT
Dan Cook, a San Antonio legend whose career as a sports columnist and broadcaster spanned more than a half-century, died Thursday after a long illness. He was 81. Insightful, humorous, colorful and brutally honest, Cook spent 57 years in the newspaper business — 51 of those at the San Antonio Express-News — interviewing sports’ greatest legends, from Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey to Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Paul “Bear” Bryant and Tom Landry. Cook joined the Express-News on Aug. 14, 1952, as a copy editor and writer, and became an award-winning columnist and sports editor for the Evening News. He was executive sports editor of the Express-News from 1960-75, when he became a full-time columnist. In addition to print journalism, Cook worked as a sportscaster at KENS-TV for 44 years, from 1956-2000. It was there in 1978 that Cook uttered the famous phrase, “The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings,” which is listed in Bartlett’s “Familiar Quotations.” He later said he first used the phrase in a column about two years before.
The two jobs helped to create a macho, yet fatherly image that, coupled with his folksy, shoot-from-the-hip style, made him a South Texas institution. “When they write the final history of San Antonio newspapering, his name will be up at the top,” said Frank A. Bennack Jr., CEO of the Hearst Corp., vice chairman of the board of directors and chairman of the executive committee. Bennack was editor and publisher of the San Antonio Light from 1967-75, during an era when there were two daily newspapers in town. He said he made frequent efforts to recruit Cook from the Express-News because of the loyal following Cook enjoyed all across South Texas.“I finally had to buy the (Express-News) to get him,” Bennack quipped. “Readers loved him. Audiences loved him. He was the genuine article.” Former Express-News editor and publisher Charles Kilpatrick, who knew Cook for m ore than 50 years, said his good friend exuded authority.“People believed that if Dan Cook said it, it must be true,” Kilpatrick said. “And he wrote in such a way that everyone understood what he was talking about.” Cook’s pseudonymous Benjamin P. Broadhind character, a fast-talking, barroom bettor who served as Cook’s alter ego, became a reader favorite. Kilpatrick said Cook made Broadhind so lifelike, many people thought he was a real person. Cook’s opinions often would get him into trouble. He didn’t always say or write what was politically correct. As a result, especially in his early years at the paper, he often received hate mail accusing him of being a racist. Kilpatrick said he never tried to censor Cook, who came to represent the voice of the common man and average fan. And Cook wasn’t afraid to criticize. In a column during Roger Maris’ quest to break Babe Ruth’s home-run record in 1961, he ripped the New York Yankees slugger as “a brooding, immature crybaby who would have been run out of baseball by the sharp-tongued bench jockeys of Ruth’s day.” Cook had no explanation for his longevity. “I’ve never figured it out,” he once said. “All I know is I outworked a lot of people. I thought they’d fire me after about three years, and probably should have.” A book, “The Best of Dan Cook: Collected Columns from 1956 to 1990,” was published in 2001. The first printing of 5,280 copies sold out in less than a month. Cook’s work habits still are the stuff of legend around the Express-News Sports Department. Former sports editor Barry Robinson, now the newsroom’s director of administration and recruitment, was hired by Cook in July 1969. Then, Cook was writing six columns a week, delivering two sportscasts a day at KENS-TV (in those days the TV station was owned by the newspaper and KENS stood for Express-News Station) and doing two daily radio commentaries, in addition to his duties as sports editor. Robinson marveled at Cook’s output, calling it “nearly super human.” As for Cook’s popularity, Robinson had a simple explanation. “He was going to be the same around Darrell Royal as he was the beer vendor at the ballpark,” Robinson said, referring to the legendary former football coach of the Texas Longhorns. “Everybody loved Dan.” Cook had a chance to go to Chicago and be a syndicated columnist, Robinson recalls, but stayed because of the “love affair” he had with the public in San Antonio. “I think Dan knew it was a special relationship,” Robinson said, “one that could never happen anywhere else.” The stories about Cook — as well as Cook’s stories — are as legendary as the man himself. Blackie Sherrod, who retired in 2003 as sports columnist at the Dallas Morning News after 60 years in journalism, was perhaps Cook’s best friend in the business. He and Cook were part of a breed of sportswriter that lived for the big game and big event, then went to their favorite watering hole afterward to relive it all. They helped to form the “Geezers Club” that met once a year in Dallas and included such newspaper icons as Edwin Pope of the Miami Herald and Furman Bisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sherrod said Cook was always the life of the party and his keen wit never failed to make him laugh. One of his favorite Cook stories came when the two were covering the Kentucky Derby one year. He said prior to the race, a friend of theirs approached Cook, an avid bettor, and asked him about one of his daughters. She wanted to know where he planned to send her to college. “It all depends on who wins this race,” Cook said. Cook is survived by his wife, Katy; daughter Marie Gian and her husband, Mike, of Rockport; son Danny Cook and his wife, Laura, of San Antonio; daughter Alice Ann Ashton and her fiancé, Doug Beauchamp, of San Antonio; and three grandchildren, Brad Gian, Dani Parker and Britney Ashton.
A little TRUTH from the late, great GEORGE CARLIN...
Shaq Attacks Kobe: You Ruined My Marriage!
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So Dawn Murphy announces on our air that she will be pulling for
RUSSIA over the United States in
this Summer's Beijing Olympics.
Chris Duel, Emmitt Smith, Jason Minnix - April 3, 2008
Should Becky Hammon play for RUSSIA in the Olympics?
WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon will play for Russia at the
Beijing Olympics.
Hammon said Tuesday in a phone interview with the AP that she signed with the Russian national team Monday, about two weeks after getting her Russian passport. The 31-year-old point guard for San Antonio Silver Stars also plays professionally in Russia. But she is not among the pool of 29 U.S. players hoping to make the 12-player Olympic roster. "I'm going where they really want me and where I have an opportunity to win a medal," said Hammon, a nine-year WNBA veteran. The South Dakota native also signed a three-year extension with the Russian pro team CSKA. She said she began the passport application process last year - her first with CSKA. Many WNBA stars who play overseas have a second passport - Diana Taurasi has an Italian passport; Sue Bird has an Israeli one - so they're not counted as Americans on the team's roster. The 5-foot-6 Hammon averaged 18.8 points and 5.0 assists last season for the Silver Stars. She said she will head to Russia in late July after the WNBA shuts its season down for the Olympics. The USA and Russia may not meet during the Olympics, but the teams play Aug. 4 in the FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament, a tuneup for Beijing. "It might be a little awkward at first," Hammon said. "But when the ball goes up, you just play the game." Hammon said she struggled to come to the decision to play for Russia as she ran hundreds of scenarios through her mind, like marching under the Russian flag in the parade of nations during opening ceremonies. But she became more comfortable with the idea after extensive conversations with her parents, Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes and her agent, Mike Cound. Cound said under the rules of the Russian pro league Hammon was eligible for an international passport and to become a naturalized citizen. And since she had not played for the USA, or any other country, in a major FIBA-sanctioned international competition, she is able to play for Russia in the Olympics. "If I thought there was any indication that I could play with USA Basketball, I probably wouldn't have done it," she said. "I feel good (about the decision). If you had asked me a couple of months ago I would have had mixed emotions. "But my options were to sit on my couch and watch the Olympics, or play in the Olympics. It made it an easy decision."
Jason Minnix, Priest Holmes, Dawn Murphy, Chris - April 8, 2008
Chris, David Robinson, Jason Minnix - April 3, 2008 E-Mail Feedback on the Becky Hammon controversy... FROM MONICA:
Hi this is Monica and just wanted to
follow up some of what went on yesterday.
I didn't get a chance to to respond to all the questions asked. 1. What would I tell Pat Tillmans family. - I would tell them thank you and that their son died so people like Becky have the choice and freedom to pursue their dreams even if those dreams take them beyond our border. 2. What do you tell your kids. You point to #25 and tell them...see that girl...all her life she has been told you can't succeed. You are too short, too slow and not good enough but she has never let that stop her and has worked hard to prove everyone wrong. She has taken what she was given and made the most of each opportunity. So when someone tells you you can't don't let that stop you. You also said your Taliban remarks were tongue and cheek...well you guys reach a lot of people out there and to compare an athlete...any athlete to a terriost orgainzation that is responible for the deaths of thouands of Americans is not only ridiculas but irresponsible. Olympics aside this IS a basketball you are talking about. You also brought up Becky being selfish and making this about her. Do you realize how many times you said the words I don't like this and it makes ME uncomfortbale? How selfish is that? Who are any of us to tell a person that is following the rules set up that they shouldn't do something because it makes ME unhappy? Who is really being selfish? I find it ironic how many people are saying I would NEVER do that and yet will never be in a position to have to make that choice. It's easy to sit back and say that when you have no chance of ever being in that position. I don't know about Tim Duncans situation but he chose to play for the US and I for one am thankful for that. BUT according to the FIBA rules he was able to do that because he NEVER represented the Virgin Islands in a FIBA sanctioned international game just like Becky has never been asked to represent the US in a FIBA sanctioned game. That is the only reason she is eligable to play of Russia. The facts are the selections are made by the a commitee that hand picks those athletes that come with a pedigree. If you look at the players selected all come from BIG name schools or are being selected in the case of Loree Moore because their GM..that same GM that traded Becky to SASS is on the selection committe. In the case of Kara Lawson....her college coach was Pat Summitt of Tenn..also on the selection committe. I bring those two up becuase it's that same position Becky would have been up for and unlike either of them Becky can play the 1 or 2 guard position. I respect your position and the position of those like yours but it's hard to respect they way you went about bringing it to the audience yesterday. Sincerely, Monica
FROM LINDA E. For Becky Hammon to be catching any kind of heat for choosing to live out her dream is ridiculous. She is an athlete that will be playing a SPORT for Russia. Have you forgotten that Hakeem Olajuwon played for Team USA after becoming a citizen? And yes you can bring up how Oh he lived here and still does, is Becky going to move to Russia? Its a ridiculous argument, the fact still remains he was a foreign man playing for THE DREAM TEAM.... and everyone loved it because he was one of the best. Fact is Team USA has blown Becky Hammon off. How does Becky Hammon, the WNBA's MVP Runner up last season, an ALLSTAR, and one of the best in the WNBA not make Team USA??? Its politics. So since Team USA wont let Becky live out her dream she has had to pursue it where it is embraced. People are so quick to say "OH MY GOD why would she play for Russia!!!" But they dont take the time to sit back research her career and stats and ask why she isnt on Team USA. You act like this was an easy decision for her to make. Do you think she would turn down Team USA to play for Russia?? Never. But the fact is that Team USA has favorites and Becky isnt one of them. Most people that listen to sports radio are men that could give a sh*t less about female athletes and most likely know nothing about Becky Hammon and what she has been through to get to where she is now. So for those men to complain and bitch about how she is a traitor and that hate that she is doing it and it is unpatriotic is BS. Those same men were probably cheering when Hakeem was scoring points for the USA... a non-american player representing the USA. If we are going to turn this into patriotic propoganda then all players that have foreign passports in order to get more playing time in other countries need to be ridiculed, all players that are not americans that have played for Team USA need to be ridiculed and the fans that cheered them on are hypocrites. If its Team USA keep it that way. As you see Tim Duncan, who could have played for the Virgin Islands, & Hakeem were quick to jump on Team USA and they welcomed them, as did America. What is the difference? Why cant an AMERICAN woman pursue her dream where she is welcomed to do so when America wont let her pursue it here? There is no difference between Becky, Hakeem, or Duncan. It is all the same situation. It is the opportunity of a lifetime and a dream for so many athletes since they were young. And is JR Holden getting any heat for playing for Russia? I mean this is a guy who couldnt make an NBA squad and has went to Russia for success and no one seems to care one way or another. So everyone can sit back on their couches during the Olympics and either bitch about how "unpatriotic" she is or they can wake up to reality and be patriotic themselves and say "Damn that american girl is playing well for the Russians." I know I will be pulling for Becky to do well and get the entire experience of the Olympics and hopefully placing somewhere in the medals.
Linda E.
David Edwards 1987-2008
Former Madison football player paralyzed in 2003 dies at 20Web Posted: 02/28/2008
Bracing for the worst and praying for the best, the mother of paralyzed former Madison High School football player David Edwards reflected on her son's life as it flickered late Wednesday morning. "I don't know what the outcome of this will be, but if God takes my baby home, I'll be OK with that," Faye Stanton said. "He won't be in a wheelchair anymore and he'll be in heaven." Stanton paused briefly before continuing. "My human side, though, wants my baby back at home," she said. "And I don't care if he's in a wheelchair." Edwards, who had been in critical condition since slipping into a coma Monday night, died less than two hours later at Northeast Methodist Hospital. He would have turned 21 on Saturday. Edwards, a quadriplegic since he was injured while making a tackle in a 2003 playoff game, had battled pneumonia and other respiratory problems since the fall. He stopped breathing shortly after going to bed Monday night. His mother and a neighbor performed CPR on him before paramedics arrived at the family's Northeast Side home. The paramedics revived Edwards before transporting him to Northeast Methodist, but Stanton said the complications of the pneumonia were too much for her son to overcome. "David's at peace now," Stanton said. "He's not suffering anymore. He was a gift and an inspiration to everyone he touched. That's what he leaves us." Cedric Stanton remained with his stepson's body for nearly an hour before joining the group. "It's hard to say goodbye but I know he's in a better place," said Stanton, who married Faye when Edwards was 7. "He was a good young man." Madison football coach Jim Streety, who visited Edwards one last time Wednesday morning, maintained a close bond with the former standout defensive back and his family. Edwards is also survived by brothers Devin, 19, and Dhaylen, 1, and sisters Deira, 16; Deandra, 15; and Shyla, 1. "It's very hard," Devin said. "We're going to miss him a lot, but he left us a good example of how to live." Two of Edwards' former teammates, Tony Dillard and Richard Downs, arrived at the hospital minutes after he died. "It just hurts," said Dillard, who graduated from Madison in 2005. "He was doing so well. This caught everybody off guard. Even after he got hurt, he was the same old David. He never changed. He always had that big smile." Edwards, who played safety, was a junior when he severed his spinal cord while tackling Austin Westlake wide receiver Coy Aune on Nov. 15, 2003. Coy and his mother, Marci, drove from Austin on Tuesday to visit Edwards and lend support to his family. Marci Aune said she had painted a birthday poster for Edwards and planned to mail it Wednesday. Coy Aune, a senior at Texas, and Edwards became good friends and kept in touch in the years after that dark afternoon at Neptune Field in Austin. "It's sad for all of us who knew and loved David," Coy Aune said. "It's tough to deal with because we're going to miss him. I'm happy in a way, because he's running around and doing all the things he loved to do before he got hurt, but I'm losing a great friend." Aune, who went on to play football at UT, said Edwards was a role model throughout his struggle with paralysis. "After you saw the way he handled what he faced every day, it made your problems seem insignificant," Aune said. Edwards overcame the challenges of his life-altering injury to graduate with his class in spring 2005. He attended classes at San Antonio College last year before illness forced him to withdraw. Edwards' death was especially tough on Eddie Canales and his family. Canales co-founded Gridiron Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Organization in 2003 after his youngest son, Chris, suffered a paralyzing injury while playing for San Marcos Baptist Academy in 2001. Said Chris Canales: "The world lost a good man today. When I'm feeling down, I always think of David's smile. He will inspire me to go on and he never will be forgotten."
Charles Barkley Slams "Fake Christians" on CNN
Duel makes front page of Express-News!!! Watch Video Below...
Bill Taylor
VIDEO: KENS-5's Bill Taylor wins bet with Chris & Dawn after Cowboys lose They had to wear Bill's Giants gear all week Tony Romo Don't Worry, Be Happy Video
Tony Romo, you've had some trouble,
Chris, Debora Hanson, Kinky Friedman, Little Jewford on the movie set "Palo Pinto Gold" at Enchanted Springs Ranch
Kinky and Jewford
My Favorite Scene in Motion Picture History
From The New York Observer
December 15, 2007 My good friend Henry Iglesias died early this morning.I just received a phone call from his wife with the sad news. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year and underwent an operation that didn't get all of it. Henry was an outstanding singer, songwriter, musician. He was an even greater friend. His friendship and love were unconditional. When I was broke and homeless in Los Angeles in the early-90's, Henry took me in, gave me his couch and fed me. He continues to nourish me spiritually. My wife Beth and I had booked a flight to go see him the day after Christmas. Sadly, I'll never see him again - at least not in this world. His memorial service will be on December 30th, his birthday. While I grieve, I am also thankful for knowing such an amazing spirit and having such a true and rare friend. Henry, I miss you. I'm sure the Angels are partying with you in Heaven right now. Save a glass of The Golden Nectar of The Gods for me... I'll be there soon.
Here's a YouTube video of one of Henry's songs...
"If I Were An Angel" - Henry Iglesias |
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