Longtime sportscaster Greg Gumbel, dubbed “broadcasting royalty,” has away following a fight with cancer, according to a statement released by his wife and daughter and shared with CBS Sports on X. He was 78 years old.
A statement said, “We share with great sadness the passing of our beloved father and husband, Greg Gumbel.” After a valiant fight with cancer, he died quietly in the company of many loved ones.
The Gumbels claim that Greg, who spent 25 years as a CBS Sports studio host and play-by-play commentator, including 5 Super Bowls and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, managed his illness with composure, dignity, and optimism.
“Everyone liked him,” broadcaster Bob Costas told Wolf Blitzer of CNN. He was always very good at what he did.
Greg Gumbel’s death has devastated CBS Sports, the company said.
No better gentleman has ever been on television. According to a statement from David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, “those of us who had the honor of calling him a friend and colleague loved and respected him.”
In a statement released on Friday, CBS Sports executive producer and executive vice president of production Harold Bryant called the late broadcaster a pioneer and role model, adding to the outpouring of support for Gumbel.
Being one of the few Black broadcasters covering elite sports, he broke down barriers. He established a high bar for others to meet. Bryant said he became one of the most renowned broadcasters in the profession because of his flawless job.
Greg was as seamless and reliable as possible whether he was interviewing top sportsmen, presenting a studio, or doing play-by-play. Greg cherished CBS, the Rolling Stones, and his family. He showed gratitude and respect to everyone. Bryant went on to say, “You will be missed, Greg.”
Former professional basketball player and CBS college basketball pundit Clark Kellogg commended Gumbel’s wisdom, professionalism, friendliness, goodness, humor, and partnership.
According to a statement from Kellogg, he was a model employee in terms of his character and the quality of his job.
In a statement, Jim Nantz, a sports commentator who had known Gumbel for almost 35 years, called the late host the most selfless broadcaster anyone in the business has ever encountered.
Nantz clarified that Greg Gumbel was broadcasting royalty.
Not a single person in the CBS Sports family doesn’t remember Greg favorably. He is someone I greatly admire and love, and I will really miss him. Nantz went on.
The Associated Press reports that Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 in March due to family health concerns.
In order to continue presenting college basketball while taking a sabbatical from NFL announcing, he negotiated an agreement with CBS last year, according to the Associated Press.
According to a CBS News biography, Gumbel was born in New Orleans on May 3, 1946, and grew up in Chicago.
According to his biography, Gumbel worked for CBS Sports from October 1989 to May 1994 before rejoining the network in January 1998 as a play-by-play commentator and host.
Gumbel initially departed CBS for NBC when the network stopped covering football in 1994, according to the Associated Press. He returned four years later when the contract was renewed.
Gumbel previously hosted Madison Square Garden Network programs for the NBA’s New York Knicks and the MLB’s New York Yankees, according to CBS.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, during his more than 50-year career, he hosted the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, hosted ESPN’s SportsCenter for more than five years, and hosted the CBS football program The NFL Today.
The three-time local Emmy Award winner co-anchored weekday morning CBS coverage of the 1992 Olympic Winter Games and was a CBS Sports primetime anchor for the 1994 Olympic Winter Games, according to CBS.
According to the Associated Press, Greg Gumbel, the older brother of host and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, was honored with the 2007 Pat Summerall Award for excellence in sports broadcasting.
According to the Associated Press, he served on the board of trustees for the March of Dimes for three decades and on the sports council for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for sixteen.
In 2022, Gumbel will commemorate his 50th year of broadcasting, according to CBS.
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