RIP: Art Donovan
 

The first Colt to be elected to the Hall of Fame, and one of the great early ambassadors of the NFL passed away today at the age of 88.

Art Donovan, Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies at 88 - NFL.com

Always remember how awesome he was on Letterman, and he was one of my Dad's favorites when he was a Colt fan growing up in Baltimore.

His book, FATSO, is terrific.

In the late 80's I had to travel Baltimore frequently and usually stayed close to the then-new Inner Harbor. One night I found myself without dinner company, so I headed to the food court. There was Art Donovan doing a live sports show. So I bought crab cakes from Phillips and sat facing him for about two hours while he did his usual stories.

What a great night. I'll always remember him talking and eating his favorite vegetable -- cold cuts.

One of the great old characters of the game and a Baltimore favorite. RIP, Artie.