Saying “it’s time”, 93.7 The Fan’s Ron Cook has announced his retirement.
Cook has been with The Fan since its inception and has been a writer in the Pittsburgh area for decades.
“It’s been a blast with you guys,” Cook said, adding that while it’s what he wants to do, it “rips my heart out” that he is retiring.
This year will mark 14 years since the debut of The Fan.
"From the first day 93.7 The Fan signed on the air, Ron brought instant credibility to the station with, not only with reputation as one of the top columnists in the market, but also a trusted voice that sports fans wanted to hear from. That is a rare combination and, to this day, we are fortunate that Ron was here with us from the beginning," said Audacy Pittsburgh Senior Vice President and Market Manager Michael Spacciapolli.
Before 93.7 The Fan, Cook hosted “Sports Saturday” on KDKA Radio from 1993 through 2002.
Starting at the Beaver County Times, Cook went onto the Pittsburgh Press and then in the late 1980s went on to the Post-Gazette. His first column appeared in 1990.
Cook has impacted the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and all local sports since the 1970s.
He's been there for Super Bowls, NLCS', all Stanley Cup Finals, but he tells special guest Mike "Doc" Emerick that the 2013 was the greatest Pittsburgh sports event he's ever attended.
He will move to Fort Meyers, Florida, saying he fell in love with the area covering Pirates Spring Training as a senior in high school.
His co-host Joe Starkey talked about the lasting impact that Cook will have on Pittsburgh sports.
Cook first was teamed with Vinnie Richichi, followed by current PM Team host Andrew Fillipponi and currently Joe Starkey.
Cook says he will miss the people the most, his co-workers, friends, listeners and readers.
His final column in the Post-Gazette will appear on Sunday.
While we are sad to see him leave, we are thankful the hours of entertainment Cook provided to our listeners.
Not many people have the longevity of Cook, a true Pittsburgh sports icon.
