Over the course of three years, Bob Cook churned out 154 Kick Out the Sports! columns for Flak Magazine. The column's run came to an end Jan. 30, 2006, with a "guest column" by author James Frey. Cook continues to write for Flak, but the bulk of his sports writing these days can be found at MSNBC.com.
For links to Bob's writing on MSNBC.com, see this page, which we'll endeavor to keep up to date to the best of our ability.
Archived Kick Out the Sports! columns
All columns by Bob Cook, except where noted
Also: Hear Bob Cook on NPR
The Good, the Bad, and the Bowls | 01.30.06
KoTS makes a surprise comeback to bust out a complete run-down of this year's post-season bowl games.
Time's Up | 01.30.06
After three years and more than 150 columns, Kick Out the Sports hangs up its whistle.
Push for Polynesians | 01.24.06
Black coaching candidates aren't the only victims of the NFL's and NCAA's reluctance to hire nonwhite football coaches.
Indy Rock | 01.16.06
Kiss frontman Gene Simmons' ideas to save the Indy Racing League.
Deflating the Draft Dreams | 01.02.06
The woeful Houston Texans better not expect probable first pick Reggie Bush to turn everything around for them.
A Man's Salon | 12.26.05Sport Clips: A hair salon in which "metrosexual" is a four-letter word.
Jammy Juju | 12.19.05
The Indianapolis Colts blow their shot at an undefeated season thanks to the curse of Cook.
The Overwhelmed Sports Fan's Guide to College Bowls | 12.12.05
The skinny on who to pick in this year's enormous slate of bowl games. Yes, even the Fort Worth Bowl.
US out of MLB | 12.05.05
Hey, Congressman! Leave my sports alone!
The Not Quite Way Back Machine | 11.28.05
Recalling a time when the NBA lacked a 3-point line but Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was still old.
The Wrath of The Reverend | 11.21.05
Meditations on God, football and the gap between NCAA Divisions I-A and I-AA.
Middle-Market TV Reporter's Guide to Creative Grandstanding | 11.14.05
The definitive guide to grandstanding at the college football press conference.
Hot Lesbo Action | 11.08.05
The NFL saves itself from embarrassing scandals by coming up with a scandal no straight man can resist.
Sabermetric Spazz-out | 10.31.05
The World Series victory of the White Sox and the firing of Los Angeles Dodgers manager Paul DePodesta have baseball's nerds in a tizzy.
Retro Draft Suit Night | 10.24.05
An idea that will appeal both to NBA Commissioner David Stern, who wants his players to dress fancier, and NBA players, who love to sport vintage duds.
Interpreting the Dance | 10.17.05
There's more to NFL players' touchdown celbrations than meets the eye.
Public Intoxication | 10.10.05
The days when a professional athlete could get shitfaced without the whole world knowing have ended, thanks to the Internet.
Money Helix | 10.03.05
If the Chicago Bulls have their way, analysis of a promising young player's A/T ratio will give way to analysis of his G, A, T and C.
Mascot Throwdown | 09.26.05
Battles over ethnic mascots are becoming as time-honored and traditional as the mascots themselves.
White Sox Whiteout | 09.19.05
The Chicago White Sox are on the verge of a historic collapse, yet few outside of the Windy City seem to be paying attention.
A Field Guide to Youth Sports Coaches | 09.12.05
Six types of coaches have ruined sports for many an impressionable young American.
Super No More | 09.05.05
For all the destruction Hurricane Katrina has wrought, it is the sight of a destroyed Superdome that most signifies the perhaps permanent destruction of New Orleans.
Celebrity Fandom | 08.29.05
Sports franchises dream of devotees like Nick Lachey, who's been a Cincinnati superfan through thick and thin.
Not About Terrell | 08.22.05
Terrell Owens? Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver who works out in his driveway and doesn't think he gets paid enough? Nope, never heard of him.
Scrounging for Respectability | 08.15.05
Mediocre college sports programs play the name game in the search for respectability, but often find a coach with a recognizable name isn't enough to win.
Bowling's Valley | 08.08.05
In the face of souped-up equipment and social change, bowling has fallen far from its heyday as a working-class sport with wide appeal.
Holy Hardball | 08.01.05
Minor-league baseball teams are learning that nothing puts fans in the seats as well as Jesus does.
The Houses that Lazy Built | 07.25.05
As the concrete, much-maligned cookie-cutter baseball stadiums are dynamited into dust, they're being replaced by something straight off the assembly line.
A Chicken, a Surgeon, a Coach, a Plaintiff, a Groundskeeper | 07.18.05
From the world's most famous mascot to a man whose surgery has become baseball's fountain of youth, here are five who should get into baseball's Hall of Fame despite not having made their mark as players.
Tamed in Tampa | 07.11.05
Once famed for his base-throwing tantrums, Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella is a beaten man nowadays.
Royals on the Ropes | 07.04.05
It'll take more than budget busting to save the Kansas City Royals.
Elegantly Wasted: Team Demolition Derby | 06.27.05
NASCAR meets football meets pro wrestling.
"We Can Handle Boos" | 06.20.05 The US Grand Prix's grand meltdown.
Superdads! | 06.13.05
Guys who coach their son's Little League team and nearly come to blows with opposing coaches and referees have nothing on these five sports superdads.
George Mikan: 1924-2005 | 06.06.05
As Elvis set the rules for rock 'n' roll, George Mikan literally set many of the rules of basketball.
The Lady and the Track | 05.27.05
The buzz surrounding highly touted female Indy 500 racer Danica Patrick is an indication both of how far Indy-car racing has come and how much it has waned.
Big Player | 05.23.05
With the retirement of the Indiana Pacers' Reggie Miller, TV's newest ultimate clutch player may not even be an athlete.
MVP Mystery | 05.16.05
A workmanlike, unspectacular NBA veteran's fifth-place finish on one voter's MVP ballot is cause for a bit of head scratching.
Recipe for Confrontation | 05.09.05
The locker room pressure cooker serves up some spicy spats.
The Danger Zone | 05.02.05
An impending surgery spawns an obsession with groin injuries.
35 Years of "Monday Night Football" | 04.25.05
Though it's a bit dusty, the former feather in the NFL's cap has done its share of dipping and soaring.
Remembering Reggie | 04.18.05
The retiring Reggie Miller's evolution from so-called Hollywood hotshot to Hoosier hero was a storied one, filled with 3-pointers, floaters and, yes, flops.
Side Splitting | 04.11.05
Side-by-side ads and programming are great for televised sporting events such as IndyCar racing. But what happens when the technology is used for ... EEEEEVILLLLLLL?
Free Pass | 04.04.05
Fans are more than willing to overlook baseball's sins... so long as they can get tickets.
United They Stand | 03.28.05
Fans of Manchester United, the world's most profitable soccer club ever, thumb their noses at a takeover bid by money-minded US billionaire Malcolm Glazer. By Louis Cooke
(Nearly) Silent E | 03.21.05
Like a pitcher taking his hacks in the National League, the entertainment division of ESPN is bound to come up with a couple of hits after a string of horrible whiffs.
New Kids on the Block | 03.14.05
Oakland may not win a game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. But the school hopes its brief appearance will put an end to people who think the school is in California rather than Michigan.
High School Segregation | 03.07.05
The possibly of a racially motivated realignment of a high school athletic conference has politicians, civil rights leaders and advocates of common decency in an uproar.
Sports Spoofery | 02.28.05
A field guide to fake sports news.
Tattletales | 02.21.05
Like Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," Jose Canseco's tell-all book landed the baseball player-cum-author in hot water because he really did tell all.
Citizen Gannon | 02.14.05
One shadowy reporter. A thousand media conspiracies.
Organization Men | 02.07.05
It takes more than great players and a genius coach to be able to raise those championship banners.
Mid-Major League Love | 01.31.05
Kyle Whelliston and his Web site embrace college basketball programs who don't have a guaranteed date to the Big Dance.
The "Big Game" | 01.24.05
The game so big that advertisers dare not speak its name.
Brady vs. Manning | 01.17.05
Why "Brady vs. Manning" makes any other football argument look like Sunday brunch with Nelson Mandela.
Orb of Confusion | 01.10.05
It may look like a baseball, or a basketball, or a football. But it carries the power to turn ordinary men and women into drooling idiots.
Restroom Retro | 01.03.05
What makes a crumbling old stadium great? The experience of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your fellow man as you partake in a time-honored stadium ritual.
Bowled Over | 12.13.04
A guide to picking the winner of each of this year's college bowl games; yes, even the Evi.Net Houston Bowl.
Luck of the Irish | 12.06.04
In the world of Babe Ruth and the billy goat, only a curse can explain away Notre Dame's recent NCAA football woes.
Sports Guy, Bloody Sports Guy | 11.29.04
U2 has already stamped out the template for the rise, fall and rebirth of Bill "The Sports Guy" Simmons's incredible career.
Pacer Fans Pick Up the Pieces | 11.22.04
Ron-Ron's gone for the year, and maybe the Pacers' title hopes with him. Where do their fans go from here?
Alternate Reality | 11.15.04
NCAA President Myles Brand only scratched the surface when he called college sports "the original reality TV."
Bouncing Back | 11.08.04
If you're looking for help rebounding from the election, you'll find a shoulder to cry on in the nearest sports fan.
Pass Defense | 11.01.04
A former NFL field general tries his hand at the real thing.
The Mumbles | 10.25.04
Mumble mumble loser mumble mumble postgame mumble mumble interview mumble mumble (shifts uncomfortably).
Football to the People | 10.18.04
In a rare moment of democracy in action, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., brings football to the Upper Peninsula.
Breaking Through | 10.11.04
With a paucity of poker on TV, obscure "sports" line up for the shot to become the next big thing.
Race and Racing | 10.04.04
The National Association of Minority Race Fans says it hopes to force NASCAR to greet all fans with open arms. That much we know. Actually, that's about all we know.
Holiday Debate | 09.27.04
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Shawn Green's decision to sit out a game for Yom Kippur left the sports world grappling with faith.
Not Quite 2-for-1 | 09.20.04
Professional sports ticket deals fall short on the deal end of things.
Method to the Madness | 09.13.04
A New York Times reporter's recent book explores the origins of sports mania.
Knight TV | 09.06.04
A potential script for CBS' new sitcom based on the life of college basketball coach Bob Knight.
Broadway Joe | 08.30.04
Former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath went from being the guy every male baby boomer wanted to be to embarrassing himself during his own TV trainwreck moment.
Terror's Team? | 08.23.04
The Olympics have lost meaning in a world of stateless terrorism.
Concrete Chunks and Brickbats in the Windy City | 08.16.04
Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Cubs do battle as Chicago crumbles around them.
King of the Ring |
08.09.04
At first blush, you might not think Mike Tyson and Elvis Presley have much to do with one another. But their connection goes beyond Tyson having danced to the Jailhouse Rock.
ESPN Ennui |
08.02.04
As ESPN marks its 25th anniversary, hardcore sports fans find plenty of reasons not to lift their glasses in appreciation.
Roster Doctors |
07.26.04
Meet the sports video gaming world's data entry clerks.
NASCAR Salute |
07.19.04
NASCAR Nation's middle fingers agree. Tony Stewart is America's most hated professional athlete.
Dribbling for Their Supper |
07.12.04
No one can accuse NBA summer league ballers of not playing hard enough.
American Girl Place |
07.05.04
To experience a non-sports-fan's discombobulation at a sporting event, try taking a trip to American Girl Place.
Butts in the Seats |
06.28.04
When it comes to drawing fans, the Chicago Cubs have a distinct advantage over the White Sox, their cross-town peers.
Whispering Salty Nothings |
06.21.04
The president of the University of Colorado reimagines the English language's most foul word as a "term of endearment."
A Mighty Wind |
06.14.04
Race has long been a sensitive issue in sports, but that doesn't stop its denizens from clumsily spouting off about it.
The Hard Pink Truth |
06.07.04
Desperate adults compensate for childhood inadequacies with grown-up dodgeball leagues. Yeah, OK, but what's with adult kickball?
Elgin's Absence |
05.31.04
A TV icon disappears from the screen without explanation.
Hoosiers Postscript |
05.24.04
A castmember's death echoes the tragedy implicit in the most classic of sports movies.
Hall of Fame Flicks |
05.17.04
Will Miracle, recently released on DVD, join movies such as Hoosiers and Bull Durham in the pantheon of great sports movies?
Headdress Hoo-hah |
05.10.04
Topics to avoid at your next social gathering: politics, religion, Chief Illiniwek.
Chatter Matters |
05.03.04
A little taunting never hurt anyone. Right belly itcher?
Tillman's Sacrifice |
04.26.04
Following last weekend's NFL draft did no disservice to the memory of former NFLer Pat Tillman, who died last week while serving in Afghanistan.
Thankless Job |
04.19.04
The world of the high-school sports reporter is a desolate one.
Stranger in a Familiar Land |
04.12.04
How to fix the mindbending rules variances between pickup basketball courts.
The Politics of Sport |
04.05.04
The bigwigs of professional sports may not be outspoken politicos, but they speak with their wallets.
MC5 Reunion |
03.29.04
Brothers and sisters, it's time to testify and I want to know: Are you ready to testify? Are you ready? I give you a testimonial! The MC, um...3. And two other guys.
Bluesleading |
03.22.04
What we talk about when we talk about cheerleaders.
Free-for-all |
03.15.04
Picking a winner in the NCAA men's basketball tournament has become more difficult than selling your house.
Marge Schott: 1928-2004 |
03.08.04
The late Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott's life was a lot like her controversial version of Adolf Hitler's.
Trouble in the Booth |
03.01.04
You can change a sports team's network, but anyone attempting to switch its voice should tread lightly.
Basketball's Grateful Dead |
02.23.04
How egotistical owner Mannie Jackson has saved the Harlem Globetrotters.
Milan's Metaphor |
02.16.04
The classic high-school basketball game that inspired the movie Hoosiers gets a second day in the sun.
May the Best Manager Win |
02.09.04
Super Bowl MVP and non-Pro Bowl participant Tom Brady is a great game manager, but don't call him a great quarterback.
Rounding the Bases |
02.02.04
Sports' 11 biggest horndogs.
Standing Pat |
01.26.04
Debating whether it's time to sell that New England Patriots stock.
HoopsJournal |
01.19.04
NBA.com is blazing a trail with its new blogs feature, but it's a pretty dull trail thus far.
Firing Squad |
01.12.04
If you're thinking about coaching an NFL team, there may already be a website out there dedicated to getting you fired.
Quittin' Time |
01.05.04
Washington Redskins coach Steve Spurrier's resignation reinforces the notion that college isn't necessarily the best preparation for life in the world of professionals.
A Curse in Every Pot |
12.29.03
Believers in the Heisman Curse might be surprised to learn of the "curse" of Mr. Football.
New Sheriff in Town |
12.22.03
The NCAA hasn't solved the problems of corruption and academic violations in
college sports. Time to bring in a new sheriff.
Flush with Poker | 12.15.03
Cable TV networks haven't been shy about busting out poker programs, but the game's untapped crossover potential means there are still a few aces to be played.
The Biggest Cheater Series | 12.08.03
Corrupt college football programs of the past and present vie for the ignoble title of the cheatinest of the cheatin' cheaters.
Football Abstract | 12.01.03
A website called Football Outsiders shows sports number-crunching isn't just for baseball's sabermetricians.
That Extra Something | 11.24.03
The latest performance-enhancing drug scandals aren't worth spitting out your coffee over.
F Stop | 11.17.03
There's no surer sign your favorite NFL team's season has tanked than the arrival of the networks' F-team announcers.
Family Feud | 11.10.03
The follies of 77-year-old Penn State coach Joe Paterno have Nittany Lions faithful squabbling like children whose parents have passed their prime.
Mount Steinbrenner | 11.03.03
New York Yankee haters who delighted in watching the team's implosion on the field should gear up to watch another one off of it.
Hard Sell | 10.27.03
Why near-sighted, fat, balding baby boomers are to blame for one of the World Series' most bizarre ads.
The Agony of the Bleat | 10.20.03
The Cubs' "curse" is as overhullabalooed as the team itself.
College Basketball's Coming Out Party | 10.13.03
Not every college holds a midnight bash to introduce its team to the student body, but those that don't have missed a valuable point.
Skating While Rome Burns | 10.06.03
The numbers aren't adding up as the NHL prepares to open its final season under the current labor agreement.
Bittersweet Anonymity | 09.29.03
The 2003 Detroit Tigers' stirring escape from notoriety only makes them that much more forgettable.
Being Gay | 09.22.03
Some words of advice for all you violent, self-hating homophobes out there.
Letter Never Sent | 09.15.03
The NCAA takes a lot of heat for not steeping its athletes in the collegiate experience. But the athletes aren't the only ones missing out.
College Athlete Protection Program | 09.08.03
What to do about Maurice Clarett and the NFL's eligibility problem.
Chasing the "White Shadow" | 09.01.03
Why is it so hard to come up with a good TV drama about sports?
Chess Thumpin' | 08.25.03
The recruitment of grandmasters by a couple of recent collegiate-chess nobodies has the bluebloods boiling mad.
People Playing Games Playing People | 08.18.03
ESPN Gamer isn't just a website. It's a way of life.
Expanding a Fanbase | 08.11.03
With the hiring of Hispanic sportscasting giant Armando Quintero, the Indianapolis Colts charge into the NFL's hot new demographic.
No Strings Attached | 08.04.03
The strange symbiosis between professional athlete and stripper.
Bum Rushed | 07.28.03
What to expect of Rush Limbaugh, football commentator.
All That's Gold Doesn't Glitter | 07.21.03
Kobe Bryant's case shows that we shouldn't be surprised when seemingly nice people are accused of not-so-nice things.
Pray for Failure | 07.14.03
The rise of the Chicago Cubs is an assault on the American way of life.
Tchotchke Tribute | 07.07.03
Pro sports' quest for the next bobblehead.
Voodoo Hooponomics | 06.30.03
In the land of NBA free agency, one rusty, broken down oldster sparkles as brightly as any up-and-coming superstar.
Shallowness of the Money Pit | 06.23.03
The recent showdown between the Athletic Coast Conference and the Big East forgets the college sports money pit more resembles a divot.
Open-Mike Battle | 06.16.03
A chatroom shootout reveals friction in one of the nation's most respected sports departments.
The Roots of Hopelessness | 06.09.03
In his new book, Joe Queenan sheds light on what makes sports fans so loyal to doomed teams.
Dreams of Making it Big | 06.02.03
NFL owners are dying to get back into Los Angeles. But haven't they noticed that nearly every work of fiction about the city portrays it as a slimy wasteland of shattered dreams?
One Last Big Failure | 05.26.03
The Hollywood-type story of an aging athlete returning for One Last Big Job rarely has a Hollywood ending.
No Fart-joke Zone | 05.19.03
Male PGA golfers are dreading seeing Annika Sorenstam in the Colonial this week, but not for the reasons you might think.
Powder Puff Smackdown | 05.12.03
What we can glean from Glenbrook High School's very own Girls Gone Wild video.
Listen to the Fans | 05.05.03
The controversy surrounding two college coaches who engaged in extracurricular activities shows online fan dicussion boards have a place in this world, after all.
The Harsh World of Kindergarten Soccer | 04.28.03
Youth soccer: where 5-year-olds are introduced to the world and all its harshness.
Revenge via the NFL Draft | 04.21.03
If you were ever picked last for a sports team, the NFL draft will let you get even, sort of.
World-class Trash Talk | 04.14.03
Trash talkers of the world move over. There's a new sheriff in town.
Tough Acts to Follow | 04.07.03
Why some of the best-sounding jobs might not be worth taking.
Shock and Awe Through Coaching | 03.31.03
The Pentagon would have done well to look within the ranks of coaching before going to Iraq.
Sports in a Time of War | 03.24.03
Watching sports during a war is a perfectly normal and healthy thing to do.
The Road to the Foul Four | 03.17.03
The road to the Foul Four is paved with bad intentions.
Sports Teams Are for Chumps | 03.10.03
Having a sports franchise used to be a feather in a city's cap. Now it's a pain in the ass.
Who's Gay in Sports | 03.03.03
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello try to help us make sense of this whole gay athlete thing.
SI's Swimsuit Issue | 02.24.03
The creativity that used to go into the swimsuit issue has become as skimpy as the suits the models wear.
Kick Out the Sports, Motherfucker!!! Cleans Up Its Act | 02.17.03
But not before recounting seven of the most profane moments in sports. For the faint of heart, here's a clean version.
Michael Jordan's Farewell Tour | 02.10.03
Season 2 of Michael Jordan's farewell tour may be more memorable for its off-court highlights — ugly legal battles and a killer commercial — but that doesn't make His Grounded Airness any tougher to appreciate.
Fixing the All-Star Games | 02.03.03
The NBA, NHL and NFL's versions of the All-Star game are boring as hell. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Free the Boosters! | 01.27.03
College sports' big spendin', secret financiers weren't meant to be kept locked up.
Kick Out the Sports, Motherfucker!!!: An Introduction | 01.20.03
What this Bob Cook guy is all about.
Hear Bob Cook on NPR
Collegiate Chess | 03.30.04
The favorites in college chess' version of the Final Four are as disliked in the chess world as any outlaw basketball program.
Hoosiers Game to be Reshown | 02.18.04
Why the classic Milan-Muncie high school basketball game remains an American classic, 50 years later.
Pride of Football Ownership | 01.27.04
Maybe it's time to sell that New England Patriots stock.
New Sheriff in Town | 01.05.04
The NCAA hasn't solved the problems of corruption and academic violations in college sports. Time to bring in a new sheriff.
Hot Toys | 11.28.03
Toys from the 1980s are the hot item for Christmas, but really, are these worth inflicting on a new generation?
The Draw of Sports TV Ads | 11.20.03
It used to be that commercials during sports carried the subliminal message, "If you drink our beer, you'll get a lot of chicks." But not any more.
Limbaugh's Remarks | 10.02.03
Rush Limbaugh got into trouble not because he talked about race but because he related race to athletic ability.
College Athlete Protection Program | 09.10.03
What to do about Maurice Clarett and the NFL's eligibility problem.
People Playing Games Playing People | 08.27.03
ESPN Gamer isn't just a website. It's a way of life.
Tchotchke Tribute | 07.29.03
Pro sports' quest for the next bobblehead.
Dreams of Making it Big | 06.24.03
NFL owners are dying to get back into Los Angeles. But haven't they noticed that nearly every work of fiction about the city portrays it as a slimy wasteland of shattered dreams?
Indy 500 and 'Indiana,' | 05.23.03
Before the green flag at the Indy 500, right before "Gentlemen, start your engines," Jim Nabors will sing "Indiana," just as he has almost every year since 1972.
