Football commentator Cook dies at 81

Beano Cook, the college football commentator with an encyclopedic knowledge of the sport he dearly loved, has died. The 81-year-old Boston native had worked for ESPN since 1986 and was the sports information director at his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, from 1956 to 1966. The school announced Thursday that Cook (pictured right) had died in his sleep. Cook was a diabetic and his health had been failing recently. Born Carroll H. Cook, he grew up in Pittsburgh before graduating from the university in 1954, and was known for his love of the college game and, in particular, championing the cause of northeastern teams including Penn State and Pitt before either school was a nationally known power. – Associated Press