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==WKYC TV-3==
==WKYC TV-3==
Jim Graner succeeded [[Bob Neal (Cleveland sportscaster)|Bob Neal]] as the daily evening [[Sports commentator|sports anchor]] for [[WKYC|KYW TV-3]] (later WKYC) — [[Cleveland]]'s [[NBC]] [[Network affiliate|affiliate]] — beginning in 1957,<ref name="Feran TV Memories Raincoat"/><ref name="Early WKYC"/> working alongside the likes of [[Weather forecasting|weathermen]] [[Joe Finan]],<ref name="Feran TV Memories Raincoat"/> [[Dick Goddard]]<ref name="WKYC History PDF"/> and [[Wally Kinnan]].<ref name="WKYC History PDF"/><ref name="Glad You Asked"/> Graner was known for his "dry wit" and "unflappable" personality, to the point where his fellow broadcasters would often attempt to shake his on-air persona.<ref name="Feran TV Memories Monkey"/> During one such instance, weatherman Joe Finan placed a woman wearing a raincoat in front of Graner during one of their nightly broadcasts. As soon as Graner began, the woman took off the raincoat and revealed that she was wearing nothing underneath: "&nbsp;'I had the [[Cleveland Browns|Browns]] playing the [[Cleveland Indians|Indians]],' Graner quipped later."<ref name="Feran TV Memories Raincoat"/> Joking aside, Jim Graner was considered "dignified, low-key... the thinking fan's broadcaster."<ref name="Feran TV Memories Stability"/> The "silver-haired" and "gentleman" sportscaster with "[[matinee idol]] looks" also hosted his own summer series, ''Golf with the Pros.''<ref name="Early WKYC"/>
Jim Graner served as the daily evening [[Sports commentator|sports anchor]] for [[WKYC|KYW TV-3]] (later WKYC) — [[Cleveland]]'s [[NBC]] [[Network affiliate|affiliate]] — beginning in 1957,<ref name="Early WKYC"/> working alongside the likes of [[Weather forecasting|weathermen]] [[Joe Finan]],<ref name="Feran TV Memories Raincoat"/> [[Dick Goddard]]<ref name="WKYC History PDF"/> and [[Wally Kinnan]];<ref name="WKYC History PDF"/><ref name="Glad You Asked"/> occasionally, he would also fill in for fellow sportscaster [[Bob Neal (Cleveland sportscaster)|Bob Neal]].<ref name="Feran TV Memories Raincoat"/>
Graner was known for his "dry wit" and "unflappable" personality, to the point where his fellow broadcasters would often attempt to shake his on-air persona.<ref name="Feran TV Memories Monkey"/> During one such instance, weatherman Joe Finan placed a woman wearing a raincoat in front of Graner during one of their nightly broadcasts. As soon as Graner began, the woman took off the raincoat and revealed that she was wearing nothing underneath: "&nbsp;'I had the [[Cleveland Browns|Browns]] playing the [[Cleveland Indians|Indians]],' Graner quipped later."<ref name="Feran TV Memories Raincoat"/> Joking aside, Jim Graner was considered "dignified, low-key... the thinking fan's broadcaster."<ref name="Feran TV Memories Stability"/> The "silver-haired" and "gentleman" sportscaster with "[[matinee idol]] looks" also hosted his own summer series, ''Golf with the Pros.''<ref name="Early WKYC"/>


Both his colleagues and viewers were shocked and saddened by his early death in 1976.<ref name="Feran TV Memories Stability"/> His absence was felt for years to come: Channel 3 sports became a "musical chair" over the next decade, as at least six replacements came and went until another "Jim" — [[Jim Donovan (sportscaster)|Jim Donovan]], who joined the station in 1985<ref name="Donovan Bio"/> — finally took over.<ref name="Feran TV Memories Stability"/>
Both his colleagues and viewers were shocked and saddened by his early death in 1976.<ref name="Feran TV Memories Stability"/> His absence was felt for years to come: Channel 3 sports became a "musical chair" over the next decade, as at least six replacements came and went until another "Jim" — [[Jim Donovan (sportscaster)|Jim Donovan]], who joined the station in 1985<ref name="Donovan Bio"/> — finally took over.<ref name="Feran TV Memories Stability"/>
Line 78: Line 80:
<ref name="Glad You Asked">{{cite news|author=Dolgan, Bob|date=November 10, 1995|title=Glad You Asked|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer (newspaper)|The Plain Dealer]]|publisher=The Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=8D - Sports|quote=The nightly anchors were Jim Graner on [[WKYC|Channel 3]], [[Ken Coleman]] on [[WEWS-TV|Channel 5]] and John Fitzgerald on [[WJW (TV)|Channel 8]].}}</ref>
<ref name="Glad You Asked">{{cite news|author=Dolgan, Bob|date=November 10, 1995|title=Glad You Asked|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer (newspaper)|The Plain Dealer]]|publisher=The Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=8D - Sports|quote=The nightly anchors were Jim Graner on [[WKYC|Channel 3]], [[Ken Coleman]] on [[WEWS-TV|Channel 5]] and John Fitzgerald on [[WJW (TV)|Channel 8]].}}</ref>
<ref name="Feran TV Memories Monkey">[[#Feran|Feran]], p. 144. "318. Monkeying Around: Hoping to shake the famed imperturbability of [[Sports commentator|sportscaster]] Jim Graner, a [[WKYC|TV-3]] news anchor led into his sportscast by reading, in wedding announcement style, a story about a zoo mating a male and female gorilla - and then asked, 'What tune did they play for the wedding march, Jim?' Without hesitation, Graner replied, 'That's easy - Gorilla My Dreams'&nbsp;"</ref>
<ref name="Feran TV Memories Monkey">[[#Feran|Feran]], p. 144. "318. Monkeying Around: Hoping to shake the famed imperturbability of [[Sports commentator|sportscaster]] Jim Graner, a [[WKYC|TV-3]] news anchor led into his sportscast by reading, in wedding announcement style, a story about a zoo mating a male and female gorilla - and then asked, 'What tune did they play for the wedding march, Jim?' Without hesitation, Graner replied, 'That's easy - Gorilla My Dreams'&nbsp;"</ref>
<ref name="Feran TV Memories Raincoat">[[#Feran|Feran]], p. 89. "198. News Flash: In 1958 on [[WKYC|TV-3]], Jim Graner substituted for Bob Neal as [[Sports commentator|sportscaster]], joining anchor Pete French and weatherman [[Joe Finan]]. Finan promised to rattle the famously unflappable Graner, and arranged for a woman in a raincoat to stand in front of him. Fifteen seconds into the sports cast, she opened the coat - it was all she wore. 'I had the [[Cleveland Indians|Indians]] playing the [[Cleveland Browns|Browns]],' Graner quipped later."</ref>
<ref name="Feran TV Memories Raincoat">[[#Feran|Feran]], p. 89. "198. News Flash: In 1958 on [[WKYC|TV-3]], Jim Graner substituted for [[Bob Neal (Cleveland sportscaster)|Bob Neal]] as [[Sports commentator|sportscaster]], joining anchor Pete French and weatherman [[Joe Finan]]. Finan promised to rattle the famously unflappable Graner, and arranged for a woman in a raincoat to stand in front of him. Fifteen seconds into the sports cast, she opened the coat - it was all she wore. 'I had the [[Cleveland Indians|Indians]] playing the [[Cleveland Browns|Browns]],' Graner quipped later."</ref>
<ref name="Donovan Bio">{{cite web|date=2010|title=Jim Donovan - Channel 3 Weeknight Sports Anchor|url=http://www.wkyc.com/company/bios/donovan.aspx|work=[[WKYC|WKYC.com]]|publisher=WKYC-TV, Inc|accessdate=August 29, 2010|quote=He joined Channel 3 in March of 1985 as weekend sports anchor.}}</ref>
<ref name="Donovan Bio">{{cite web|date=2010|title=Jim Donovan - Channel 3 Weeknight Sports Anchor|url=http://www.wkyc.com/company/bios/donovan.aspx|work=[[WKYC|WKYC.com]]|publisher=WKYC-TV, Inc|accessdate=August 29, 2010|quote=He joined Channel 3 in March of 1985 as weekend sports anchor.}}</ref>
<ref name="Feran TV Memories Stability">[[#Feran|Feran]], p. 114. "259. Sports anchor: Dignified, low-key, and unflappable, silver-haired Jim Graner was the thinking fan's [[Sports commentator|sportscaster]] and a figure of stability on [[WKYC|TV-3]] starting in the late 1950s. Colleagues and viewers grieved when he faltered from effects of a brain tumor that would claim his life in 1976, and Channel 3 faltered with him. Its sports slot became a musical chair for more than a decade, filled by John Henk, Joe Pellegrino, Tom Ryther, Paul Rutigliano, Jim Mueller, and Wayland Boot, among others, until [[Jim Donovan (sportscaster)|Jim Donovan]] settled in for a long run."</ref>
<ref name="Feran TV Memories Stability">[[#Feran|Feran]], p. 114. "259. Sports anchor: Dignified, low-key, and unflappable, silver-haired Jim Graner was the thinking fan's [[Sports commentator|sportscaster]] and a figure of stability on [[WKYC|TV-3]] starting in the late 1950s. Colleagues and viewers grieved when he faltered from effects of a brain tumor that would claim his life in 1976, and Channel 3 faltered with him. Its sports slot became a musical chair for more than a decade, filled by John Henk, Joe Pellegrino, Tom Ryther, Paul Rutigliano, Jim Mueller, and Wayland Boot, among others, until [[Jim Donovan (sportscaster)|Jim Donovan]] settled in for a long run."</ref>

Revision as of 22:11, 16 November 2010

Jim Graner
Born
James R. Graner

(1919-02-21)February 21, 1919
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJanuary 15, 1976(1976-01-15) (aged 56)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Cause of deathMalignant brain tumor[1]
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)TV sports anchor
Radio color commentator
Employer(s)1957-1975: WKYC TV-3[2]
1968-1975: WHK 1420 AM[1][3]
1963-1967: WERE 1300 AM[3]
1956-1960: WGAR 1220 AM[3]
1955: WTAM 1100 AM[3]
SpouseMargaret Graner
ChildrenLouis Graner[4]

Jim Graner (February 21, 1919 - January 15, 1976) was the weeknight sports anchor for Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC TV-3 beginning in 1957, and also the color commentator for the Cleveland Browns radio network — twice — most notably alongside Cleveland sportscaster Gib Shanley. He served in both capacities for nearly twenty years until brain cancer took his life in 1976.

Early life

Graner was born in Akron, Ohio, but grew up in its neighboring suburb of Stow.[1] After graduating from Stow High School in 1937,[5] he attended Ohio Wesleyan University, but left after two years to work at a Cleveland railroad office.[1] Graner also served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and upon his return, went into broadcasting as a radio announcer.[1] He later married, and had a son, Lou.

WKYC TV-3

Jim Graner served as the daily evening sports anchor for KYW TV-3 (later WKYC) — Cleveland's NBC affiliate — beginning in 1957,[2] working alongside the likes of weathermen Joe Finan,[6] Dick Goddard[7] and Wally Kinnan;[7][8] occasionally, he would also fill in for fellow sportscaster Bob Neal.[6]

Graner was known for his "dry wit" and "unflappable" personality, to the point where his fellow broadcasters would often attempt to shake his on-air persona.[9] During one such instance, weatherman Joe Finan placed a woman wearing a raincoat in front of Graner during one of their nightly broadcasts. As soon as Graner began, the woman took off the raincoat and revealed that she was wearing nothing underneath: " 'I had the Browns playing the Indians,' Graner quipped later."[6] Joking aside, Jim Graner was considered "dignified, low-key... the thinking fan's broadcaster."[10] The "silver-haired" and "gentleman" sportscaster with "matinee idol looks" also hosted his own summer series, Golf with the Pros.[2]

Both his colleagues and viewers were shocked and saddened by his early death in 1976.[10] His absence was felt for years to come: Channel 3 sports became a "musical chair" over the next decade, as at least six replacements came and went until another "Jim" — Jim Donovan, who joined the station in 1985[11] — finally took over.[10]

Cleveland Browns radio career

Graner first served as color commentator for the Cleveland Browns from 1955-1960, working for radio stations WTAM 1100 AM and WGAR 1220 AM alongside Bill McColgan.[3] He is best remembered, however, for his work alongside Cleveland play-by-play announcer Gib Shanley:[12] the two paired-up as the voices of the Browns radio network from 1963-1974, working for stations WERE 1300 AM, and later WHK 1420 AM.[3][12] Among their highlights: coverage of the 1964 NFL Championship Game, the last major title won by a professional sports team in Cleveland.[13] Immediately following Cleveland's upset victory over the Baltimore Colts at Municipal Stadium, Graner was the man on the field who interviewed franchise owner Art Modell (who, ironically, later moved the team to Baltimore in 1995 — much to the ire of Cleveland Browns fans).[2][14]

Jim Graner is still considered among the greats of Cleveland sports radio.[12][15] In his memoir, former Cleveland Brown legend Lou Groza lists Graner first among his favorite Cleveland broadcasters.[16] Dick Lebeau — currently the defensive coordinator for the Browns' archrival, the Pittsburgh Steelers — fondly recalls listening to Graner on the radio during his youth in Ohio.[17]

Death

Graner became ill in the spring of 1975; surgery was performed to remove a brain tumor.[18] He was healthy enough to return for radio commentary during six summer exhibition games of the Cleveland Browns, but was unable to continue on through the regular season.[1] By December of that year he had been readmitted to the Cleveland Clinic Hospital.[18] He then fell into a coma and died on January 15, 1976.[1]

The Jim Graner Memorial Pro-Am Golf Tournament was named in his honor; the first of these annual events was held in June 1976 at the Tanglewood Country Club of Chagrin Falls, Ohio and was attended by Cleveland native Bob Hope, among other "well known entertainers."[19] Soon the tournament moved to Graner's hometown of Stow, Ohio, and from then on was held at the Silver Lake Country Club.[20]

References

  • Feran, Tom (1999). Cleveland TV Memories. Cleveland, Ohio: Gray & Co. ISBN 978-1-88622-832-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Castiglione, Joe (2004). Broadcast Rites and Sites: I Saw It on the Radio with the Boston Red Sox. Lanham, Maryland: Taylor Trade Pub. ISBN 978-1-58979-081-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Groza, Lou (1996). The Toe: The Lou Groza Story. Cleveland, Ohio: Gray & Co. ISBN 978-1-88622-880-1.


  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Jim Graner dies". Associated Press (AP) via The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. January 16, 1976. p. 1.
  2. ^ a b c d Lones, Tim (November 18, 2009). "Hello Cleveland: Early WKYC Days". ClevelandClassicMedia.blogspot.com. Blogger.com - Google. Retrieved August 26, 2010. Some more footage of Channel 3's 50th anniversary in 1998, including a tribute to the late Jim Graner, sports anchor at Channel 3 from 1957-75 and radio voice for the Browns.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "The voices of Browns games past". The Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. November 10, 2002. p. J6 - Sunday Arts. The Browns' primary radio announcing teams: 1955-60: Bill McColgan and Jim Graner... 1963-74: Gib Shanley and Jim Graner...
  4. ^ Huffman, Jennifer (December 2006). "Athletic Hall of Fame: Class of 2006" (PDF). SHS Alumni Association News. 1 (2). Stow High School Alumni Association. Retrieved August 25, 2010. ... Lou Graner (son of Jim Graner... deceased, former Browns sportscaster).
  5. ^ Stow-Munroe Falls High School 2005 Alumni Directory, Chesapeake, Virginia: B.C. Harris Publishing Company, Inc., 2005
  6. ^ a b c Feran, p. 89. "198. News Flash: In 1958 on TV-3, Jim Graner substituted for Bob Neal as sportscaster, joining anchor Pete French and weatherman Joe Finan. Finan promised to rattle the famously unflappable Graner, and arranged for a woman in a raincoat to stand in front of him. Fifteen seconds into the sports cast, she opened the coat - it was all she wore. 'I had the Indians playing the Browns,' Graner quipped later."
  7. ^ a b "History of WKYC-TV 1948-2010" (PDF). WKYC.com. WKYC-TV, Inc. 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2010. 1961: ... The news team consisted of anchors Carl Stern and Bud Dancy, weathercaster Dick Goddard and sports talent Jim Graner. ... 1969: 'Newsday 90' hits the airwaves with anchors Virgil Dominic, weatherman Wally Kinnan and Jim Graner on sports...
  8. ^ Dolgan, Bob (November 10, 1995). "Glad You Asked". The Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. 8D - Sports. The nightly anchors were Jim Graner on Channel 3, Ken Coleman on Channel 5 and John Fitzgerald on Channel 8.
  9. ^ Feran, p. 144. "318. Monkeying Around: Hoping to shake the famed imperturbability of sportscaster Jim Graner, a TV-3 news anchor led into his sportscast by reading, in wedding announcement style, a story about a zoo mating a male and female gorilla - and then asked, 'What tune did they play for the wedding march, Jim?' Without hesitation, Graner replied, 'That's easy - Gorilla My Dreams' "
  10. ^ a b c Feran, p. 114. "259. Sports anchor: Dignified, low-key, and unflappable, silver-haired Jim Graner was the thinking fan's sportscaster and a figure of stability on TV-3 starting in the late 1950s. Colleagues and viewers grieved when he faltered from effects of a brain tumor that would claim his life in 1976, and Channel 3 faltered with him. Its sports slot became a musical chair for more than a decade, filled by John Henk, Joe Pellegrino, Tom Ryther, Paul Rutigliano, Jim Mueller, and Wayland Boot, among others, until Jim Donovan settled in for a long run."
  11. ^ "Jim Donovan - Channel 3 Weeknight Sports Anchor". WKYC.com. WKYC-TV, Inc. 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010. He joined Channel 3 in March of 1985 as weekend sports anchor.
  12. ^ a b c "The radio stars". ClevelandBrowns.com. Cleveland Browns. December 8, 2006. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  13. ^ Peticca, Mike (September 12, 2004). "Gib Shanley's call". The Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. S27 - Browns 1964. Play-by-play man Gib Shanley and color commentator Jim Graner were the voices for WERE AM/1300 and the Browns radio network. Following are some of Shanley's calls when the 1964 Browns scored all of their points in the second half of their 27-0 championship victory over the Baltimore Colts. ... Caption: Gib Shanley and Jim Graner were the voices of the Browns for 12 years.
  14. ^ McCarty, James F. (November 9, 1995). "Daddy, What's a Brown? Fans' Children Lose Heritage of Love, If Not Always Pride". The Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. 1A - National.
  15. ^ King, Steve (September 14, 2006). "Season Ticket Holders' Exclusive". ClevelandBrowns.com. Cleveland Browns. Retrieved August 25, 2010. ... Jim Graner, who was outstanding as a color analyst and a perfect complement to Shanley, would add his special touch to the broadcast.
    • Brown, Roger (January 7, 1996). "Electrifying History: Early Cleveland Television and Radio Led the Way Nationally with Innovative and Creative Uses of 'New' Media". The Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. 1J - Arts & Living. Throughout the change that has marked Cleveland television since the afternoon of Dec. 17, 1947, there has been one constant: the sheer wealth of distinctive local personalities whose images have glimmered - and made an impact - in countless Cleveland households. Just some of those personalities are ... Jim Graner...
    • Peticca, Mike (September 12, 2004). "Modell leaves fans in the dark". The Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. S27 - Browns 1964. Fans without a ticket for the Browns-Colts matchup did have options. They could listen to the legendary radio broadcast team of Gib Shanley and Jim Graner give their account of the action on WERE AM/1300 or...
    • Rogers, Tim (March 4, 2010). "Tom Glasenapp, St. Edward announcer". The Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. p. D8 - The Locker Room. Who are influences on your PA style? 'Keith Jackson, Gib Shanley and Jim Graner, and I loved the way Nev Chandler did Browns games.' 
    • Dyer, Bob (May 10, 1992). "Opposites Who Attract -- An Audience, That Is". Akron Beacon Journal. Beacon Journal Publishing Co. p. 5 - Beacon Magazine. A Cliff Notes biography of [Joe] Finan: ... First weatherman on an 11 p.m. news block in the history of Cleveland television, working at the old KYW (Channel 3) with people like Tom Field, Ken Coleman, Bob Neal and Jim Graner.
    • Castiglione, p. 17. "Our veteran sports director was a wonderful, classy guy named Jim Graner, who did color on the Browns football broadcasts on the radio."
  16. ^ Groza, p. 36. "Cleveland had some terrific broadcasters and sportswriters during my playing days — Jim Graner, Bob Neal, Whitey Lewis..."
  17. ^ Doerschuk, Steve (June 15th, 2010). "Cribbs believes LeBron will stay, but..." CantonRep.com. GateHouse Media, Inc. Retrieved August 25, 2010. Dick LeBeau, the Steelers' defensive coordinator, tells us he is from quite the family of Browns fans... LeBeau learned about the Browns via the dulcet tones of Bill McColgan and Jim Graner, the radio team back then. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ a b "Jim Graner Dies in Cleveland". United Press International (UPI) via The Coshocton Tribune. Gannett Company. January 17, 1976. p. 4.
  19. ^ Dawidziak, Mark (May 29, 2003). "For our favorite son Bob Hope, all roads lead back home to Ohio". Cleveland.com. Cleveland Live, LLC. Retrieved August 25, 2010. And in June, he played in the Jim Graner Pro-Am Gold Tournament at Tanglewood.
    • "Bob Hope will play golf at Tanglewood". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. May 26, 1976. p. E3 - Sports. Bob Hope is coming home to Cleveland to play in the Jim Graner Memorial Pro-Am... at Tanglewood Country Club Tuesday, June 22. ... He is planning to bring other well known entertainers with him.
  20. ^ Seaburn, John (May 3, 1985). "Amateur Golf Groups to Begin Tournaments". Akron Beacon Journal. Beacon Journal Publishing Co. p. C3 - Sports. The NOPGA Jim Graner Memorial will be held at Silver Lake Country Club in Stow Monday. Graner, a Cleveland television sportscaster at the time of his death several years ago, also served as a member of the NOPGA's board of directors. The NOPGA consists of golf and country club professionals and apprentices.
    • "Area golf teams are among the leaders in Graner Memorial". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. May 10, 1977. p. 15 - Sports. Area teams dominated the leader board in yesterday's Jim Graner memorial Golf Tournament played at Silver Lake Country Club outside of Akron. ... A field of 73 teams competed in yesterday's event, named after the former Cleveland radio and television sportscaster who died of cancer.
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