FILE – Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun and Butler head coach Brad Stevens ( Greg Gumbel (left) watches a conversation with Mr. Gumbel (right). (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Harry Golden Associated Press
Greg Gumbel, the longtime CBS sportscaster who broke barriers by hosting some of the biggest sporting events during his career, has died of cancer, according to a family statement released Friday by the network. , he was 78 years old.
“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication for more than 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcasting industry, and his iconic voice will never be forgotten.” Gumbel and his daughter Michelle Gumbel said in a statement.
In March, Gumbel missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997, citing family health issues.
Gumbel had been a studio host for CBS since 1998, when he returned to CBS from NBC. Gumbel signed a contract extension with CBS last year that allows him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping away from NFL announcing duties.
In 2001, he announced Super Bowl XXXV on CBS, becoming the first black announcer in the United States to provide play-by-play for a major sports championship.
David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, said Gumbel has been a fan advocate in sports such as the NFL and March Madness, breaking down barriers and inspiring others. He was described as someone who set standards.
“A great broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers in history,” said Berson.
Gumbel was with CBS twice, leaving the network when NBC lost football in 1994 and returning when he regained his contract in 1998.
Sean McManus said of all the moves he’s made during his nearly 27-1/2 years leading CBS Sports, one of the things he’s most proud of was bringing Gumbel back.
“Not only did he take our NFL and NCAA coverage to a new level, but his kindness, generosity, sense of humor, and unselfishness were second to none. “Everyone, from the researchers to the engineers to the executives, made me feel like my best friend,” said McManus, who stepped down as chairman of CBS Sports in April. “His love for his family was always the foundation of his life. There will be no more Greg Gumbel, and our industry and this world will be a sadder place without him.”
Gumbel hosted CBS’ coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during his four-year run broadcasting the national pastime. In 1995, he hosted the World Figure Skating Championships, and the following year he hosted NBC’s daytime coverage of the Atlanta Summer Olympics.
But it was football and basketball that he was best known for and made his biggest impact. Gumbel hosted CBS’ NFL studio show “The NFL Today” from 1990 to 1993 and from 2004 to 2005.
Earlier this year, Gumbel recalled replacing Brent Musburger as host of “NFL Today” in 1990 and said it was intimidating and daunting.
“It was an incredible honor for me to be able to sit in the same chair and do the same things or try to do the same things as him,” he said.
Gumbel also called NFL games as the network’s lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XXXVIII. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005 and left the position after the 2022 season.
“Like everyone who knew and loved him, I am saddened by his passing,” CBS Sports college basketball game and studio analyst Clark Kellogg said in a statement. , I am so grateful to have known him while he was alive.” “What a gift to be touched by such an amazing man and partner.”
Gumbel was the older brother of Bryant Gumbel, host of NBC’s “Today” show and HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.” Bryant Gumbel received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sports Emmy Awards in 2003.
Greg Gumbel grew up in Chicago and graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1967 with a degree in English. According to the book “You Are Looking Live!: How The NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting,” he had plans to become an English teacher, but his older brother became interested in sportscasting, so he joined Chicago’s NBC in 1973. He reportedly auditioned for affiliated station WMAQ-TV. ” He was immediately offered a position as a weekend sports anchor.
“I was a little surprised that I got the job. I was certainly not a sophisticated person,” he said in the book. “By my own calculations, I think it took me quite a few years to feel comfortable in front of the camera.”
Gumbel also worked for ESPN and the Madison Square Garden network.
James Brown, current host of “The NFL Today,” described Gumbel on Friday as “Mr. It’s versatile and also very telegenic. ”
“I was happy to call him a friend and someone who could do anything the mission called for,” he added.
Gumbel won local Emmy Awards during his long career and in 2007 received the Pat Summerall Award for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting.
Outside of his broadcasting career, he was affiliated with the March of Dimes for 30 years, including as a member of the March of Dimes Board of Trustees. He also served on the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Sports Council for 16 years.
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Associated Press writer Mike Sisak and sportswriter Joe Reedy contributed to this report.
