Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of former "Voice of the Browns" Jim Mueller as we mourn his passing
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 22, 2022
The great Jim Mueller has died, and I’m wondering what the Browns are going to do about it, if anything.
Mueller was a color analyst on Browns radio broadcasts for 21 years, from 1975-84 with play-by-play announcer Gib Shanley after taking over following the passing of Jim Graner, from 1985-93 with play-by-play man Nev Chandler and finally from 1994-95 with Casey Coleman. Doug Dieken also worked as an analyst with Mueller on the broadcasts from 1985-95.
As such, Mueller got to cover the most fun season in Browns history, with the 1980 Kardiac Kids, and the most fun era, during the heyday of the Bernie Kosar years from 1985-89.
When the games got close down the stretch in 1980, which they did almost every week, Shanley would famously say to his partner in the booth, “Buckle your seatbelt, Jim Mueller, here we go again!”
When Chandler, who did the games for nine seasons, passed away in 1994, the Browns did nothing to memorialize him in terms of a patch on their uniforms. Ditto for Shanley, who did Browns games for 24 years, when he passed away in 2008.
Now we have the passing of Mueller, and again, how about a “JM” patch with a Browns helmet emblem and/or a microphone emblem?
The Los Angeles Dodgers had a patch on their uniforms for Vin Scully less than two days after their radio broadcasting legend died recently. It was an outstanding touch.
It would be great if the Browns, in honoring their past, especially as it relates to Mueller, finally followed suit.
As an aside, the Browns did name the indoor practice field at team headquarters for Coleman when he passed in 2006.
Steve King
