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50 Years of Power: Celebrating the Legendary Life of Greg Gumbel, a beloved voice in sports

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics
By Christopher Hove | Last updated Dec 30, 2024 3:54 PM ET

The sports world lost a major sports figure over the weekend. Greg Gumbel passed away on Friday, December 27th due to his battle with cancer. His family confirmed on Friday.
It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Greg Gumbel.

He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer. 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.
Greg’s memory will forever be treasured by his family, dearest friends, colleagues and all who loved him. — Marcy & Michelle Gumbel

Gumbel served as play-by-play announcer and studio host for CBS sports and previously worked several years for NBC sports. he also hosted many other events ranging from “The NFL today”, to multiple Super Bowls and Olympic Games. In 2022 Gumbel celebrated his 50th year of broadcasting.

Gumbel was born in New Orleans on May 3rd, 1946, and grew up in Chicago. he graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa in 1967. His younger brother Bryant Gumbel, also rose to fame in broadcasting as host of NBC’s “Today” show and “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” on HBO.

Greg Gumbel 50 years of broadcasting

Gumbel joined CBS Sports in 1989 after years of hosting and play by play duties for New York Knicks basketball and New York Yankees baseball for the Madsion Square Garden Network, as well as other MSGN programs, which earned him a local Emmy. He also worked for ESPN, WMAQ-TV Chicago, where he won two local Emmy’s, and WFAN Radio in New York City.

At CBS he hosted “The NFL Today”, the networks NFL pre-game, halftime and pregame studio show, from 1990-93 and 2004-05, Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, and Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
He served as primetime anchor of CBS Sports coverage of the 1994 Olympic Winter Games and as co-anchor of the network’s weekday morning broadcasts of the 1992 Olympic Winter Games.

He was also play-by-play announcer for regular-season and post-season Major League Baseball, host of the 1990 MLB All-Star Game, college football broadcasts for CBS Sports, and host and play-by-play announcer for the College World Series for several years.

One of Gumbel’s colleagues at CBS weighed in on his death. “He really was one of the greats. He just had a light touch, he had a wit about him, and everyone loved working with him,” said Lesley Visser, his longtime colleague at CBS Sports. “Greg had an innate dignity that he brought to the table,”

In 1994, Gumbel went to NBC Sports for four years, serving as the host of “The NFL on NBC” pre-game show and NBC’s Super Bowl pre-game shows in 1996 and 1998.

He hosted the pre-game show for the 1994 Major League All-Star Game and was play-by-play announcer on NBC’s “Baseball Night in America”. Gumbel also served as play-by play announcer for “The NBA on NBC” and hosted NBC’s daytime coverage of the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta.

Gumbel returned to CBS Sports in 1998 as host and play-by-play announcer for college basketball and “The NFL on CBS”, where he had six successful years with analyst Phil Simms. He called CBS’s coverage of Super Bowls XXXV and XXXVIII, at the time making him the first network broadcaster to call play-by-play and host a Super Bowl.

Gumbel hosted the “NFL Today” for two seasons before returning to the booth to team up with Dan Dierdorf for eight seasons, through 2013. He served as host of “Inside the NFL” on Showtime in 2014 alongside analysts Phil Simms, Boomer Esiason, Ed Reed, and Brandon Marshall. At CBS Gumbel also provided play-by-play for regular-season college basketball and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, NBA regular-season and playoff games and College World Series championship games.

Colleagues and Legends Mourn the Passing of Greg Gumbel

“The news that Greg Gumbel has passed is just heartbreaking,” sportscaster Ernie Johnson, host of “Inside the NBA,” wrote in a social media post. “Was an honor to share the March Madness desk with him. A pro’s pro and a gentleman of the highest order.”

Basketball icon Earvin “Magic” Johnson also paid tribute, writing in a post on X: “I’m saddened to hear about the passing of longtime and legendary broadcaster and friend Greg Gumbel. Greg was an African American pioneer.”

A Life Well-Lived: Greg Gumbel’s Enduring Impact Outside of Sports

Outside the studio, Gumbel was a longtime supporter of The March of Dimes. Serving two six-year terms as a member of The March of Dimes Board of Trustees and an additional 18 years as a member of the organizations National Board of Advisors. For 16 years, he was also a member of the Sports Council for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

He also served as member of the Board of Regents for his alma mater, Loras College, since 2009. In 2007 Gumbel was the recipient of the 2007 pat Summerall Award for excellence in sports broadcasting.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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