Bob Smizik is Pittsburgh born and raised. He graduated from Peabody High School and the University of Pittsburgh, with a degree in education.

He dabbled in post-graduate work at Duquesne. After four years of teaching in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, he was offered the job of covering high school sports at the Pittsburgh Press.

He did that for two years, followed by one year on the Penguins beat, six years covering the Pirates and five years following Pitt football and basketball. He was promoted to columnist in 1983. He joined the Post-Gazette in 1993.

He has covered 18 World Series, about 10 Super Bowls, 10 Final Fours, two Stanley Cup finals, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, the Indianapolis 500, the U.S Open in both golf and tennis, a Muhammad Ali heavyweight championship fight, Roberto Clemente's 3000th hit, every major bowl game and many of the minor ones, the 1984 Olympics and the Maulers.