Denver, CO
Larry Zimmer dies: Colorado broadcasting legend, longtime voice of the Broncos was 88
Colorado Sports Hall of Famer and longtime Denver Broncos broadcaster Larry Zimmer died Saturday at the age of 88.
Zimmer had been hospitalized for the week-plus preceding his death, according to a news release from the University of Colorado.
Zimmer’s broadcasting career spanned seven decades. He called Broncos games over the course of 26 years for KOA, first as a color commentator and then as the play-by-play man from 1990 to ’96. He worked 536 Broncos games all told, including four Super Bowls. According to CU, he was involved in broadcasting 50 college football seasons, including 486 CU football games and 525 men’s basketball games.
As news of his death circulated, tributes poured in from across the state.
Current voice of the Broncos Dave Logan told The Post on Sunday he may never have applied for the opening at KOA had Zimmer, handling play-by-play at the time, not called and encouraged him to.
It was part of a decades-long relationship between Logan and Zimmer. Logan, like so many Coloradans, grew up listening to Zimmer on the radio. Then he played at CU and got to know Zimmer before eventually working with him on Broncos broadcasts in the 1990s.
“He was just an excellent broadcaster and even a better person,” said Logan, who visited Zimmer last week and added, “he was sharp as a tack right to the end. He had not lost any of his cognitive abilities. We were talking about games that we did back in the early 1990s and his memory was absolutely fantastic. Just a wonderful person and sad that this day finally arrived.”
Zimmer graduated from the University of Missouri in 1957 and then served two years of active duty in the United States Army.
Zimmer began his work in broadcasting calling high school and Mizzou games before moving to Michigan in the mid-60s and then eventually to Denver to begin working at KOA in 1971.
From there, he cemented himself as a central part of the state’s sports fabric over decades of work.
“There are so many people, myself included, who grew really familiar with Larry’s voice,” Logan said. “It can jog a memory. It’s like hearing your favorite song. You hear that song and it takes you to a certain moment of your life. Play-by-play voices on radio can have a similar effect on people. I distinctly remember listening to Larry and Bob (Martin) driving home from the AFC Championship game at Mile High when the Broncos beat the Raiders and were going to their first Super Bowl. When I would hear those two, it just brings up just great memories.
“Then having a chance to work with him was just really special to me.”
KOA Broncos sideline reporter Susie Wargin said she’d spent part of Sunday corresponding with several other women in the broadcasting industry and marveling at the impact Zimmer had on their respective careers, whether because he hired them at KOA or simply through is support.
“He just championed women in our industry, especially local women, and it was so cool,” Wargin told The Post. “Here’s this iconic guy that is always super supportive. His wife, Brigette, would always give her support, too, and say, ‘Susie, you do a great job at this and at this.’ They just couldn’t have been more positive at all times in anything we were trying to do. That’s just so special.
“When he said things to you, it was genuine. If Larry’s saying it, there’s validity to it.”
Zimmer was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and the CU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012, in addition to the Broadcast Professionals of Colorado Hall of Fame in 2009. Zimmer also served on the Broncos’ Ring of Fame committee for more than 30 years.
“A CU institution,” Buffaloes athletic director Rick George said in a statement. “His voice was synonymous with our athletic program and he was most beloved by our coaches, players and fans. Whether it was calling games on KOA or serving as a master of ceremonies for many of our functions, Larry Zimmer was CU.
“He is truly a part of our overall athletic history. We will miss him Zimm and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Zimmer is survived by his wife of 51 years, Brigitte, son Lawrence III (Linda), daughter Tracey Robb (J.C.) and granddaughter Shannon Robb.
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Denver, CO
Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/17-12/21 – 303 Magazine
Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver
Cost: Price varies
The Lowdown:
Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.
Denver, CO
Denver airport delays, crashes, broken windows, downed power lines: What to know about Colorado’s windy Wednesday
Hurricane-force winds in Colorado on Wednesday had a major impact across the Denver metro area, Front Range, and foothills. It’s a First Alert Weather Day because of the dangerous conditions.
Gusts of over 100 mph — equivalent to a category 2 hurricane — were reported in some parts of the Front Range, and over 100,000 people were without power as of 7 p.m. On Berthoud Pass, between Empire and Winter Park, wind gusts reached at least 102 mph. They reached 97 mph at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Boulder County, 96 mph in Marshall, and 93 mph in West Arvada.
Several highways were closed, Denver International Airport saw dozens of delays, power lines and other property damage were reported, schools were closed, Denver’s holiday events were canceled, and thousands of homes and businesses were without power after Xcel’s Public Safety Power Shutoff and unplanned outages.
Power shutoff
Xcel Energy was implementing what it calls a Public Safety Shutoff, for only the second time ever in Colorado. An estimated 50,000 people across the Front Range were impacted, mostly in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties.
Restoration for some areas was expected to start around 6 p.m. Wednesday, but many customers told CBS News Colorado that Xcel told them it could be up to three days before their power is restored.
As a result, the Colorado Division of Emergency Management opened charging centers, shelters, and resource centers in the impacted areas.
Xcel said it shut off the power in these areas because of the combination of wind speeds and dry conditions that increase the chance of wildfires.
Once conditions improve, Xcel Energy Colorado President Robert Kenney said crews will begin inspecting lines to determine when power can be restored.
“Once the wind event stops, that does not mean your power will be immediately restored,” he said. “We have several hundred crew members that are already being pre-positioned, that are on standby, so that when the wind event does end, they will be able to immediately begin inspecting the lines. They have to visually inspect the lines for damage before restoring the power.”
Delayed flights
The Federal Aviation Administration called for a ground delay at Denver International Airport from 5 through 8 p.m., although that’s subject to change, based on evolving weather conditions.
As of about 6:30 p.m., 66 flights were delayed, and one was canceled.
Wind gusts were recorded at around 40 mph at the airport around 5 p.m.
School closures
Several school districts — including Jefferson County, Colorado’s second-largest — closed schools, and many also canceled after-school activities.
The University of Colorado cancelled classes, but the Buffs’ basketball game against Portland State is continuing, although fans are not allowed to attend.
Highway closures
Several highways in the foothills near Boulder, as well as in Northern Colorado up to the Wyoming state line, were closed. At least one crash also closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 on the Eastern Plains.
Those planned closures included:
- Highway 93 between Boulder and Arvada
- Highway 36 between Boulder and Lyons
- Highway 128 from Superior to Highway 93
- Highway 287 between Ted’s Place and the Wyoming border closed this afternoon, but has since reopened
Damage and other closures
Power lines were reported as having fallen across the Denver metro area, adding to the number of customers without power.
A number of local businesses were also forced to close — some out of caution, others due to a lack of power.
Car and structure windows were also broken by flying debris, like this car in Boulder, whose windows were shattered by small, flying rocks.
Despite losing power around 10 a.m., Ace Hardware in Golden remained open and kept busy, selling generators, flashlights, batteries, and tools and materials to prevent or fix damage.
Some business owners raised concerns about what a days-long outage could mean for their companies, products, and customers.
“We could lose everything,” DeAnn Wieber, owner of the Windy Saddle Cafe in Golden, said. “We could lose all our food, the time that it took to prepare everything, and we just don’t know. And there’s are a lot of businesses going through the same thing.”
Denver, CO
Canceled due to high winds: Wednesday’s drone show, holiday tree, Christkindlmarket
Downtown’s Mile High Drone Show, the Denver Christkindlmarket and access to the Mile High Tree have been canceled for Wednesday, Dec. 17, due to high winds, said producers at Visit Denver.
The city’s tourism arm on Wednesday morning decided to cancel the shows and outdoor holiday market for this evening “due to weather conditions,” as well as cut off access to the 110-foot LED icon known as the Mile High Tree, through which visitors can typically walk and snap selfies.
Denver is forecasted to endure wind gusts of up to 50 mph on Dec. 17, with gusts of up to 75 to 80mph possible in higher elevations. High winds, low humidity and the possibility of wildfire led Xcel Energy to cut power to more than 100,000 Front Range residents by Wednesday morning. Xcel Energy also sponsors the Mile High Tree.
Denver Christkindlmarket is scheduled to run through Dec. 23 at the Auraria Campus.
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