Sad news out of the world of fat guys and legendary pro football today, as Baltimore Colts great Art Donovan has passed away.
Donovan, 89, who died Sunday of a respiratory ailment at Stella Maris Hospice, played and talked a great game. He was a Hall of Fame defensive tackle for the Baltimore Colts and an engaging raconteur at banquets and on TV talk shows. His cherublike face, adenoidal voice and side-splitting tales of yore captivated generations of viewers who never saw Donovan collar a quarterback or take down a runner.
“Artie made a career out of telling people everything that he’d done right — and wrong — in football,” said Ordell Braase, his teammate on the field and in the broadcast studio. “The diversity of his appeal was amazing. Everyone wanted to hug ‘Fatso,’ from young girls to little old ladies.”
Donovan died just before 8 p.m., surrounded by 15 to 20 family members, said his daughter, Kelly Donovan-Mazzulli. (via Baltimore Sun)
That sounds like a pretty good way to go.
Donovan will be remembered as much for his presence off the field as his presence on it, from his 10 appearances on ‘Late Night With David Letterman’ to his infamous guest hosting gig at WWF’s King of the Ring ’94, where he incessantly wondered aloud how much the various wrestlers weighed and waxed poetic about Razor Ramon, a wrestler he barely understood.
If you haven’t ever experienced those moments, oh man, please scroll down a little and watch these videos. Art Donovan was the best, and will be missed.
