ESPN sportscaster John Saunders, who has hosted “The Sports Reporters” for the last 15 years, has died, the network announced. He was 61.
Saunders joined ESPN in 1986. He did play-by-play on various sports, hosted NHL Stanley Cup Final coverage and World Series coverage and hosted studio shows for baseball, college football and college basketball.
A cause of death was not announced.
Saunders was also a founding member of the board of directors for The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a charity started by the network after former college basketball coach and ESPN announcer Jim Valvano died of cancer in 1993.
Saunders was born in Ontario, Canada, and played hockey at Western Michigan University from 1974-76.
He lived in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, with his wife, Wanda. They had two daughters.
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He was one of the few professional good ones at ESPN. R.I.P., John; and peace to your family and friends.
I enjoyed his commentary and demeanor on air. He left us too soon and will be missed.
He appeared to be a nice guy…
Just learned he was a born up north, so thus be becomes great name to throw out in the game Dead or Canadian?
I assume this was Hillary’s doing too?