"I have to tell you — 39 years? I did not think I would last 39 days when I first came here."
Those were the words of Jim Donovan Monday night as he reflected on his tenure at WKYC Studios that, indeed, lasted nearly four decades. Today marked his final broadcast at the station, as he has decided to retire from his nightly TV sports anchor role.
Jimmy's career at 3News ended with a special one-hour broadcast entitled "Celebrating a Legend," with colleagues from past and present sharing stories and tributes to both the journalist and the man. After he addressed the audience for the last time, he was surrounded by his wife Cheryl, his daughter Meghan, and dozens more ready to send him off in style.
Why did Jimmy think he wouldn't last this long? Strange as it may seem now, at the age of just 29 back in 1985, he says he was "intimidated by the job."
"I had to wonder, 'Was I going to be able to do this?'" he recalled. "But this television station really has given me just an incredible opportunity to do so many things, and I just went for it all the time."
And go for it he did, not just anchoring and reporting on sports for 3News, but also calling NFL games on NBC along with covering the Olympics and the 1994 World Cup. He has also anchored our "Front Row" 7 p.m. newscast since 2012, and was even on the mic for some Cleveland Indians games from 2006-08.
"It's just been an incredibly lucky town for me, to be with you (the viewers) for as long as we've been together," he said. "I really loved it, and I love the television station. It's a great place, and it always has been a great place."
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