Steve Walker's memory of KENS-5 Sportscaster Dan Cook

Dan Cook (photo)

former KENS-5 Sportscaster

Sports Icon Dan Cook is dead @ age 81. It is hard to believe he is gone. He will be sorely missed.

My own personal and professional encounter with Dan Cook thirty years ago in 1978 came when I was a part-time news guy @ KONO Radio. I worked from 6 p.m. to midnight, five days a week. It was my job then to interview newsmakers in San Antonio @ night, tape them and edit the sound bites for the morning drive time.

Mayor Lila Cockrell was the current mayor at the time and I called her and numerous other officials to get their take on the days news.

Dan Cook also served as the sports guy for KONO radio as well. Each night Mr. Cook would call in at a designated time and I would tape his sports casts to be replayed later in the evening and early drive time in the morning. Remember those were the days of reel to reel. The reports had to be transferred to cassettes so the D.J. (Rudy Rocha) or day newsman could insert them into the cassette players for future transmission.

Mr. Cook had his own recording studio in his house, and when he was ready he would give me the signal and count backwards from five and I would hit the play button and tape his sportscast.

In the six months I taped Mr. Cook, only once did he have to do a second take. He had it down to science, except the one time in question.

On that rare occasion, he was half way through his sportscast when the forces of gravity took over and he spilled his beer on his script as he was reading. Needless to say, it was a shock for me. Out of nowhere, he uttered an expletive and stopped recording.

Once he composed himself and wiped away the beer from his script, (his words) he did the second take perfectly. I only wish I had kept that tape for posterity's sake and fodder for a future radio blooper.

In 1982, I was hired @ KENS-5 as a weekend reporter and Summer fill-in for vacationing reporters. I was then able to work with him for another six months before I left for the valley in pursuit of a short-lived reporting career.

During my time @ KENS-5, I didn't see too much of him because of my schedule, but I did mention the blooper to him during that time. He was gracious and good natured about it. He did ask me if I kept the tape. God only knows, I wish I had. What a memory of a great Sportscaster. Dan Cook, we will miss you and look forward to seeing you when the fat lady sings!!

Steve Walker

Walker Report Publisher