Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster who broke barriers during his career by calling some of the biggest sporting events, has died of cancer, according to a statement from his family released Friday by the network. He was 78 years old.
“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication spanning more than 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcasting industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten,” his wife Marcy Gumbel and daughter Michelle Gumbel said in a statement.
In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues.
Gumbel had been CBS’ studio host since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. Gumbel signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping down from his NFL announcing features.
In 2001, he announced Super Bowl 35 for CBS, becoming the first black announcer in the United States to call play-by-play for a major sports championship.
FILE – Dallas Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders, left, and running back Michael Irvin (88) share the Vince Lombardi Trophy as NBC commentator Greg Gumbel interviews the two after Super Bowl XXX in Tempe , in Arizona, Sunday January 28, 1996.
AP Photo/Ron Heflin, file
David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Gumbel as someone who broke barriers and set standards for others during his years as a voice for sports fans, including the NFL and March Madness.
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“A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time,” Berson said.
Gumbel worked at CBS twice, leaving the network for NBC after losing football in 1994 and returning when she regained the contract in 1998.
He hosted CBS’s coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during his four years 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 in football and basketball that he was best known and made the greatest impact. Gumbel hosted CBS’ NFL studio show, The NFL today from 1990 to 1993 and again in 2004-05.
Earlier this year, Gumbel recalled replacing Brent Musburger as host of The NFL today in 1990, describing him as intimidating and intimidating.
“The fact that I was able to sit in the same chair and do the same thing or try to do the same thing as him was an incredible honor,” he said.
Gumbel also called NFL games as the network’s primary play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowls 35 and 38. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005, leaving that role after the 2022 season.
“Like everyone who knew and loved him, I too am saddened by his death, but also very grateful to have known him in my life,” said Clark Kellogg, college basketball studio and game analyst of CBS Sports, in a press release. “What a gift to be touched by such a good man and partner.”
Gumbel was the older brother of NBC talk show host Bryant Gumbel. Today show and Real sport with Bryant Gumbel on HBO. Bryant Gumbel received a lifetime achievement award at the Sports Emmys in 2003.
Greg Gumbel grew up in Chicago and graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1967 with a degree in English. He intended to become an English teacher, but after his brother got into sports broadcasting, he auditioned at WMAQ-TV, an NBC affiliate in Chicago in 1973, according to the book. You are watching live! : How the NFL revolutionized sports broadcasting today. He was quickly offered a job as a weekend sports presenter.
“I’m a little surprised I got the job. I was certainly not a polite person,” he said in the book. “In my opinion, it took me a good year to start feeling comfortable in front of a camera. »
Gumbel has also worked for ESPN and the Madison Square Garden network.
James Brown, who currently hosts The NFL todaydescribed Gumbel on Friday as “Mr. Versatility and also very telegenic.”
“It was my pleasure to consider him as a friend and someone who could do whatever was assigned to him following a mission,” he added.
Gumbel has won local Emmy Awards during his long career and received the 2007 Pat Summerall Award for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting.
Outside of his career as a sportscaster, he was affiliated with the March of Dimes for three decades, including as a member of its board of directors. He also served as a member of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Athletic Council for 16 years.
–With files from Mike Sisak of the Associated Press
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