Stan Savran on lung cancer diagnosis: 'I plan to do what I do'

If you tuned in to Stan Savran’s midday sports talk show on ESPN Pittsburgh radio Tuesday, you would have heard a discussion of Sidney Crosby’s greatest goals as he closed in on 500.

Or you would have heard Savran discuss why he thinks NHL players should not be playing in the Winter Olympics or why the league should schedule fewer outdoor games.

In other words, it was the kind of “Savran on Sports” program one would normally expect to hear. But things aren’t exactly normal for Savran these days.

On Monday’s show, Savran, 74, revealed he is battling lung cancer.

He was diagnosed Jan. 18 and made the decision to begin chemotherapy treatments immediately. He undergoes chemo every three weeks and had his second treatment last Thursday.

“I won’t kid you, it’s rough,” Savran told the Tribune-Review. “I don’t feel great today. Imagine the worst flu you’ve ever had and then double it, and that’s what it feels like. I really have to try hard to eat. I have no appetite. You’re never quite totally normal. There’s always this feeling of slight queasiness. ”

Between his sports talk show, hosting the Penguins and Pirates pregame shows on AT&T SportsNet, hosting the postgame shows on the Steelers’ radio network and appearances on WDVE’s morning show, Savran might be the hardest-working sportscaster in Pittsburgh.

He says he has no plans to miss any workdays.

“I’ve already told the people in radio and TV, there’s no reason for me not to work,” said Savran, adding that he just doesn’t have time to be sick. “I don’t mean to be flippant. I don’t mean to disregard the severity of what I’ve got, but I plan on doing what I do, and there’s no reason that I can’t.”

Cancer runs in Savran’s family. His grandfather died of lung cancer and both of his parents died of cancer. His younger sister had a double mastectomy. Savran said he smoked cigarettes for 20 years, though he gave up the habit in 1989.

Savran arrived in Pittsburgh in 1976 when he started work on WWSW. In the nearly half-century that has followed, three generations of Steel City sports fans have grown up listening to him.

“WDVE Morning Show” host Randy Baumann praised Savran’s work ethic and credibility.

“He never falls for the tropes of lazy sports analysis and, while he can be bitingly critical, often to hilarious effect, he has a perspective not often seen in the world of sports talk, which is the ability to infuse nuance into the conversation,” Baumann said Wednesday. “His work ethic is insane. The guy works harder than anyone I know. He’ll do a post-game show after a Steelers night game and then get up at 8 a.m. and do an hour with us on DVE and not even bat an eyelash.”

WTAE-TV sports anchor Guy Junker, who has worked on television with Savran and is a regular on Savran’s noon talk show, said he wasn’t surprised to hear that Savran will continue working on a daily basis.

“Work for him is therapy, and it will help him get through it,” said Junker. “When we worked together at Fox Sports, he didn’t even use all of his vacation. His work ethic is second to nobody that I’ve ever worked with. If he was just sitting at home thinking about things, I think it would be worse.”

Savran had not planned to make his lung cancer diagnosis public, but, as word of his condition has leaked out, there has been an outpouring of support on social media from fans and colleagues .

“For those who don’t know, @StanLoveTheShow has been battling a cancer diagnosis. Please include him in your prayers as Lisa & I have been doing,” said longtime KDKA-TV sports anchor Bob Pompeani on Twitter. “Stan is one of the best people & an inspiration for so many in our business. Sets the standards very high. He will win this battle!”

Former WDVE disc jockey Sean McDowell tweeted: “We’re ALL behind you, Stan!”

Savran said he has been overwhelmed by the support.

“The response was astounding. I was just absolutely flabbergasted by the volume, the kindness, the messages from my colleagues — the writers and broadcasters — and just the fans overall, the listeners and viewers,” he said.

Baumann said the adulation is well deserved.

“It’s been a real thrill for me and everyone at DVE to become friends with Stan through the years,” Baumann said. “He’s truly one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic media personalities but has an enduring humility that’s remarkable. Stan is one in a million, and I love that Pittsburghers let him know how loved he is every chance they get.”

Bolstered by the support he has received, Savran remains optimistic that he will beat cancer.

“I feel very positive. It has not spread in the lung. They caught it very, very early, which is also good news,” said Savran. “I have the best doctors in the world at UPMC Hillman, and I have the greatest confidence in them. They feel very strongly that I will have a complete recovery.”