DENVER — The Colorado sports world and the world of broadcasting have lost a legend. Larry Zimmer has died at 88.
Zimmer came to Colorado in 1971 as the “Voice of the Buffaloes” on KOA Radio. While he would call many different sporting events, it was his work calling games at the University of Colorado Boulder and in the booth for the Denver Broncos that most sports fans will remember him so fondly for.
The Broncos said Zimmer called more than 500 games between 1971 and 1996, including 20 playoff games and four Super Bowls. He served as a color commentator from 1971 to 1989, before taking over play-by-play duties from 1990 to 1996.
He called CU games for 42 seasons from 1971 through 2015.
He was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2010, and the CU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 for all that he did over his long career. He also served on the Broncos' Ring of Fame Committee for more than three decades.
Zimmer’s voice was the “sound of sports” in Colorado for decades. His play-by-play calls still bring chills to Broncos and Buffs fans.
The most important part of doing play-by-play is the ability to meet the moment, and over his many years behind the mic, Zimmer was always more than ready.
To those who knew him “off-mic,” Larry was an always generous man who loved the arts, skiing and his family.
So much of Colorado's rich sports history has been made all the more colorful because of Larry Zimmer.
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