Jim Donovan, TV sports anchor, dies of cancer at 68

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Jim Donovan, nan beloved power play-by-play announcer for nan Cleveland Browns and a TV sports fixture for much than 4 decades, died Saturday. He was 68.

Donovan retired from his broadcast profession earlier this twelvemonth and stepped distant from his game-day duties pinch nan squad earlier this play while battling cancer. Donovan announced his status from WKYC connected May 30 and worked his last broadcast arsenic a sports anchor connected June 10. He had called Cleveland's games since nan team's description rebirth successful 1999.

"This is an incredibly difficult time for america and nan full Cleveland Browns organization," Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said successful a statement. "His effect arsenic nan Voice of nan Browns for 25 years is immeasurable arsenic he touched nan lives of our fans each and each Sunday pinch his emotion for nan Browns and his brilliance astatine his craft.

"He will beryllium greatly missed, but he cemented a bequest that will unrecorded connected forever. The only point that outweighed his emotion for this metropolis and this squad was nan emotion he had for his family. Our thoughts and prayers are pinch his wife, Cheryl, his daughter, Meghan, and everyone who was fortunate capable to telephone Jimmy family aliases friend."

A Boston autochthonal known to everyone arsenic "Jimmy," Donovan endeared himself to Cleveland fans pinch his passion, consciousness of joke and professionalism. He was a stickler for detail, spending countless hours preparing for crippled broadcasts.

Donovan had precocious been inducted into nan Browns' Legends Club and nan Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. He had been excessively sick to be nan events.

When he was forced to measurement down successful August, Donovan wrote a missive to Browns fans expressing his gratitude for their support.

"I person called Browns games for 25 years. Not a time has gone by erstwhile I haven't paused and been truthful proud to beryllium 'The Voice of nan Browns,'" he wrote. "Cheryl, Meghan and I convey you for each nan love, support and prayers during my unsmooth patches. It's for illustration having a immense family astir us. And that's what makes nan Cleveland Browns truthful special. You do."

Donovan had to measurement distant arsenic sports head astatine WKYC-TV past autumn for respective months to acquisition curen for leukemia. He returned to nan broadcast booth successful clip to telephone nan team's late-season tally to nan playoffs.

Donovan was first diagnosed pinch chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a strain of nan illness that starts successful achromatic humor cells and affects bony marrow, successful 2000. He underwent a bony marrow room successful 2011.

A postgraduate of Boston University, Donovan sewage to Cleveland successful 1985. Along pinch doing section reporting of nan city's 3 master sports franchises, Donovan besides had respective nationalist web assignments and was portion of NBC's sum squad astatine nan 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.