Greg Gumbel, former CBS Sports anchor and commentator, has died, his family announced Friday. He was 78.
Gumbel, who started at CBS in 1988, died “after a courageous battle with cancer,” his family said.
“Greg approached his illness as you would expect, with stoicism, grace and positivity,” the family statement said. “He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication for more than 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcasting industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten.”
Gumbel made history during the 2001 Super Bowl when he became the first black announcer to call the play-by-play of a major U.S. sports championship.
“My reaction is, on the one hand, that I am honored,” says Gumbel said in an interview at the time. “This is not something I set out to do. And on the other hand: why did it take so long?”
Gumbel, who has also called NBA and college basketball games, mentioned the same issues in basketball.
“Basketball is dominated by African Americans, but the number of African American announcers is way below par. Where are all the black faces? He asked in the 2001 Chicago Tribune interview.
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In 1973, Gumbel was working in Detroit selling hospital supplies when he heard that an NBC affiliate in Chicago, where he had grown up, was auditioning for new sports announcers. He landed the gig and began a lifelong career in sports broadcasting.
He went on to work at several stations before landing at CBS in 1988. After a brief stint at NBC starting in 1994, he moved back to CBS.
Gumbel attributed his friendly demeanor on air to his popularity with viewers.
“I don’t like people yelling at me on air,” he said in 2021 interview with Brian Lord. “I don’t like people who are distant and who… give you the impression that they know everything. And they kind of look at the camera and say, “Okay, sit down, kids, and I’m going to explain to you everything there is to know about this.” I don’t like those types of broadcasters, and I don’t think most people do.”
David Berson, the president and CEO of CBS Sports, called Gumbel a valued member of the network.
“There has never been a finer gentleman on all of television. He was loved and respected by those of us who had the honor of calling him a friend and colleague.” he said.
“Greg broke barriers and set the standard for others to follow,” Berson said.
Gumbel is survived by his wife Marcy and daughter Michelle. His younger brother, journalist Bryant Gumbel, was a longtime host of NBC’s “Today.”