Legendary Sportscaster Greg Gumbel Passes Away At Age 78
The sports world is mourning today after the passing of legendary sportscaster Greg Gumbel. His iconic voice became a staple of many sports, including the NFL and the NCAA Tournament for men’s college basketball. Last season, he missed March Madness due to health issues. It was revealed he was fighting cancer, and thoughts and prayers went to him and his family. On Friday, the family announced Gumbel had passed away at age 78.
Greg Gumbel Passes Away
Greg Gumbel spent over 50 years in sports broadcasting. He broke barriers in the booth when he called Super Bowl XXXV, becoming the first Black announcer to call a major championship in the United States. His wife and daughter released a joint statement on his passing.
“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.”
Before he was with CBS Sports, Greg Gumbel worked at ESPN. He became an anchor on “SportsCenter” in 1981 and continued to contribute to the worldwide leader in sports until 1986. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro released this statement after his passing.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Greg Gumbel’s passing. Greg was a highly accomplished and pioneering figure in sports broadcasting who brought instant credibility to ESPN in the early years of the network as both a SportsCenter anchor and as a key on-air contributor to our initial NBA coverage in the 1980s.
“We send out deepest condolences to the Gumbel family and to Greg’s many colleagues and friends, including his CBS Sports family.”
After his time at ESPN, he became a staple of CBS and hosted some of the biggest sports events in the world.
Legacy
Greg Gumbel hosted many of the Olympic Games in the 1990s and dabbled in Major League Baseball and figure skating as well. He is best known for being the host of “The NFL Today” and also calling games for CBS. In addition to Super Bowl XXXV, he was also the lead play-by-play announcer for Super Bowl XXXV and XXXVIII. On top of this, Gumbel also hosted the men’s college basketball tournament. Many people have fond memories of Gumbel’s voice calling out the teams on Selection Sunday. Throughout the tournament, he would update fans on what was going on in other games.
Outside of sportscasting, Greg Gumbel was involved with the March of Dimes and the Sports Council for St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. He won many awards for his broadcasting and work outside of the booth. He will be missed in the sports world. Many fans of all sports have fond memories of listening to his voice while watching games.
