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Longtime Cleveland Browns broadcaster Jim Donovan dies at 68

Jim Donovan was the radio play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Browns and a TV sports fixture for more than four decades.

CLEVELAND — Jim Donovan, the iconic Cleveland sportscaster who was a fixture at WKYC for 39 years and the Browns radio voice for 25 seasons, has passed away at the age of 68 after a long, heroic battle with cancer.

Jimmy is survived by his beloved wife Cheryl and daughter Meghan. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time.

“It’s hard to overstate Jimmy’s impact on all sports, all teams, all fans here in Northeast Ohio. His passion and love for the game was truly unique. We’ve all lost someone very special, and our thoughts and prayers stay with his wife Cheryl and daughter Meghan," said WKYC President and General Manager Micki Byrnes.

Jimmy retired as 3News sports and news anchor in June of this year after a remarkable tenure that started in 1985.

“It’s been an amazing run, and I am so thankful for the support from our viewers, Browns fans, my colleagues and all who have been a part of the journey. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Cheryl and my daughter, Meghan,” Jimmy said at the time of his retirement from WKYC.

RELATED: WATCH AGAIN: 'Celebrating a Legend,' a tribute to Jim Donovan as he retires from WKYC

He had plans to continue on as the “Voice of the Browns” and had called all three of the team’s preseason games before announcing his retirement from the radio booth prior to the start of the regular season in September due to his cancer returning “very aggressively.”

"Not a day has gone by when I haven't paused and been so proud to be "The Voice of the Browns," Jimmy in his heartfelt note to fans. "Cheryl (Jimmy's wife), Meghan (Jimmy's daughter) and I thank you for all the love, support and prayers during my rough patches. It's like having a huge family around us. And that's what makes the Cleveland Browns so special. You do."

On Saturday, Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam paid tribute to Jimmy. 

“This is an incredibly difficult day for us and the entire Cleveland Browns organization. We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jim Donovan. His impact as the Voice of the Browns for 25 years is immeasurable as he touched the lives of our fans each and every Sunday with his love for the Browns and his brilliance at his craft.”

“He will be greatly missed, but he cemented a legacy that will live on forever. The only thing that outweighed his love for this city and this team was the love he had for his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Cheryl, his daughter, Meghan, and everyone who was fortunate enough to call Jimmy family or friend.”

THE CAREER

James Francis Donovan III was born in Boston in 1956. He graduated from Boston University, where he worked alongside another future broadcasting legend, radio host Howard Stern. Jimmy worked his way up as a radio sports director at WJON in St. Cloud, Minn, before returning to New England to work at WVMT radio, WEZF-TV, and the Satellite New Channel, where he polished his skills as an anchor, reporter, and play-by-play announcer.

At the age of 29 in 1985, Jimmy arrived in Cleveland to become weekend sports anchor at WKYC. One year later, he became the lead sports anchor for 3News, holding that role until this past summer.

While becoming a fixture here in Cleveland, Jimmy began to receive national exposure starting in 1987, when he was tapped by NBC to handle play-by-play for NFL games. He would remain in that role through 1997, amid the television rights to AFC games being moved from NBC to CBS. In addition to his NFL work, Jimmy also handled the play-by-play for several events during NBC’s coverage of the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.

In 1999, the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL as an expansion franchise after the team moved to Baltimore four years earlier. Jimmy was tapped to serve as the team’s radio play-by-play announcer alongside color analyst Doug Dieken and sideline reporter Casey Coleman.

In Jimmy’s 25 seasons as the “Voice of the Browns,” the team only had four winning seasons and three playoff appearances. Throughout the numerous coaching changes, front office shakeups, and losing seasons, Jimmy was the one constant fans were always able to count on every Sunday. He loved being the radio play-by-play announcer of the Browns, and the fans loved him in return.

Throughout his time as the Browns radio voice, Jimmy provided excitement and context to some of the most memorable moments in the history of the franchise.

“Run William Run” – Jimmy’s epic call of William Green’s touchdown run in the 2002 regular season finale against the Atlanta Falcons, as the Browns went on to their first playoff appearance in the expansion era.

“Chubba Wubba Hubb” – Jimmy always referred to Browns running back Nick Chubb as “my adopted son.” He loved calling Chubb’s big moments, especially this 92-yard-touchdown run in 2018.

“The only thing that’s missing? All of you!” – During the COVID year of 2020, the Browns, like the rest of the NFL, played in front of limited crowds. One of my all-time favorite Jimmy calls was from that season, when the Browns clinched their first playoff berth in 18 years and he was thinking of the fans, first.

You can watch more highlights of Jimmy's spectacular play-by-play calls below.

While Jimmy was making his mark as the radio play-by-play announcer of the Browns, he continued to expand his role at WKYC. After the station acquired the local, over-the-air television rights to the Cleveland Indians, Jimmy served as play-by-play announcer from 2006–2008.  And then in 2012, he expanded his duties at WKYC, becoming the anchor of Channel 3's 7 p.m. newscast, while continuing his role as sports anchor.

Jimmy won many awards during his spectacular career, including multiple Emmys, the Cleveland Press Club All-Ohio Best Sportscaster, the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame and the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. This fall, he was inducted into the 2024 class of Cleveland Browns Legends and also the 2024 class of the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.

THE BATTLE

After being diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2000, Jimmy began a decade-long battle with the disease that ultimately resulted in a bone-marrow transplant in the summer of 2011. His donor was a Virginia corrections officer named Dallas Gentry, who was a perfect 10-point match to Jimmy.

Just three months after his transplant, Jimmy made his triumphant return to the Browns broadcast booth in time for the start of the season. It wasn't an easy road back. In addition to battling fevers, there was a diagnosis of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, on Jimmy's earlobe. Doctors performed surgery to remove the mole.

RELATED: 'A defiant opponent': Jim Donovan’s battle with cancer in his own words

During the next decade, Jimmy would closely monitor his condition.

On May 31, 2023, Jimmy announced that his leukemia had relapsed.

“The trouble started about a year and a half ago,” he explained during WKYC’s 7 p.m. show "I noticed something was amiss with my health. My concerns were confirmed to me and it was told to me that I had a relapse of leukemia."

Jimmy told viewers during the previous 18 months, he had been receiving treatment using various forms of chemotherapy, both intravenous and oral. "For the most part, they worked pretty well, but things change, and so we're going to have to go with a different treatment plan — a more aggressive treatment plan, which has already started," he added.

Following the Browns’ 2023 season opener on Sept. 11, 2023, Jimmy announced that he was taking a medical leave from his radio and television duties as part of the next step of his treatment. Just over two months later, he made his triumphant return to the booth and the anchor desk. As the Browns made their magical run to the playoffs, Jimmy was along for the ride. He was asked to “smash the guitar” to fire up the crowd before the Browns hosted Pittsburgh, and was given a game ball by head coach Kevin Stefanski after their win that afternoon.

As the Browns were preparing to play the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card game in January, Jimmy was asked to narrate a special hype video on the team’s social media platforms.

“Let the word go out to the NFL this postseason: Here come the Cleveland Browns – a tough, talented team that just won’t give up,” Jimmy said at the end of the video. “And I promise…I won’t either.”

He never broke that promise.

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