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Legendary Sportscaster Greg Gumbel Dies At 78

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Greg Gumbel, a veteran of CBS Sports who spent more than 50 years in sports broadcasting, passed away at the age of 78 on Friday after a battle with cancer.

“He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer,” his wife, Marcy Gumbel, and daughter, Michelle Gumbel, said in a joint statement released by CBS Sports. “Greg approached his illness like one would expect he would, with stoicism, grace and positivity.”

“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten.”

Gumbel covers the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Gumbel began his sports broadcasting career in the 1970’s after his brother, Bryant, informed him about a job opening at NBC’s O&O station in Chicago. He worked at the station for seven years before moving on to ESPN, where he hosted the network’s flagship SportsCenter program and called NBA games.

Gumbel later covered Yankees games for MSG network and hosted the first radio morning show on WFAN in New York City.

He eventually made his way to CBS Sports in 1988 as a part-time NFL announcer. Once again proving his vast utility, Gumbel soon branched out into college basketball coverage and hosted the wildly popular The NFL Today program.

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Throughout his 50-year career in the industry, Gumbel contributed to CBS broadcasts of Major League Baseball, college football, the NCAA Tournament, the Daytona 500, and the Pepsi 400. Gumbel briefly left CBS for a job with NBC Sports in 1994, though he eventually turned to the network and remained there throughout the remainder of his legendary career.

In 2001, Gumbel became the first black sportscaster to call “the big game” when he provided play-by-play commentary for Super Bowl XXXV.

“The CBS Sports family is devastated by the passing of Greg Gumbel. There has never been a finer gentleman in all of television. He was beloved and respected by those of us who had the honor to call him a friend and colleague,” David Berson, President & CEO of CBS Sports, said in response to Gumbel’s passing “A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time.”

Berson continued, “He was a familiar and welcoming voice for fans across many sports, including the NFL and March Madness, highlighted by the Super Bowl and Final Four. Greg broke barriers and set the standard for others to follow. It is an extremely sad day for all of us at CBS Sports and the entire sports community. We will miss Greg dearly, and send our deepest condolences to his wife Marcy, daughter Michelle, and his entire family.”

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