Jim Kelly (sportscaster) facts for kids

Jim Kelly is a famous American sportscaster. He is known for his exciting play-by-play announcing. He worked for major sports networks like ESPN and CBS Sports.

Starting Out in Sports

Jim Kelly was born in Toledo, Ohio. He went to the University of Toledo. There, he played ice hockey. He was even named "Rookie of the Year" in 1965.

That same year, Jim began his career. He started announcing hockey games for a radio station called WMHE-FM. From 1965 to 1970, he worked at different radio stations in Ohio. Later, from 1970 to 1974, he covered golf tournaments. His golf broadcasts were heard on big radio networks like Mutual and NBC Radio.

Jim Kelly at CBS

From 1974 to 1985, Jim Kelly worked for CBS and CBS Radio. He was a very busy announcer. He called many different sports.

Jim announced golf for the PGA Tour on CBS. He also covered football for the NFL on CBS. Basketball fans heard his voice during the NBA on CBS games. Besides these, he announced track and field, bowling, and horse racing.

He also hosted radio shows like Sports World Roundup. On TV, he hosted CBS Sports Saturday and CBS Sports Sunday. He was even a sports anchor for the CBS Morning News.

From 1978 to 1982, Jim also worked as a sports anchor for WCAU. He won an important award there. It was called an Eclipse Award in 1980. He won it for his great coverage of local horse racing.

Time at ESPN

After CBS, Jim Kelly joined ESPN. He worked there for a long time, from 1985 to 2002. At ESPN, he continued to cover many sports.

He announced golf and college football. He also covered horse racing and the NHL. Basketball fans heard him during college basketball games. He even covered the America's Cup sailing race, tennis, and bowling.

Jim won another award at ESPN. He received a CableAce Award. This was for his excellent coverage of the 1987 America's Cup.

Later Career

After leaving ESPN, Jim Kelly moved to CNBC. There, he continued to announce golf. He covered the Senior PGA Tour events.