"Irv Brown is every bit as important as the Broncos, Nuggets, and Rockies," Altitude Sports host Vic Lombardi said. "He is, and will always be, the king of Denver sports".

Lombardi is one of many sports fans who paid their respects to Brown this weekend. The legendary announcer died yesterday at the age of 83 after battling cancer.

Brown was a Denver native who became synonymous with sports on the Front Range. After high school, he played baseball and basketball at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and later coached baseball at Arvada West High School, the University of Colorado, and Metro State College of Denver. Brown was also a college basketball referee who officiated the Final Four six times.

But he is best known for his radio and television career which spanned four decades. His long-running show with co-host Joe Williams, Irv and Joe, was one of the top-rated sports talk shows in the country. He also provided color commentary for Denver Nuggets games on Denver's KWGN-TV and was an analyst for ESPN. Brown called the first college football game on the fledgling cable network.

 

 

 

 

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