Sports announcer Greg Gumbel died Friday of cancer.
He was 78.
Gumbel’s family posted about his passing on X, formerly Twitter.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Greg Gumbel,” Gumbel’s wife Marcy and daughter Michelle posted.
“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,” the post continued. “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.”
Gumble, a longtime CBS sports broadcaster, had a historic career calling sports, Fox News reported.
Gumbel called the 2001 Super Bowl and in doing so, became the first African American to call a major sports championship.
Gumbel worked for MSG, ESPN and WFAN in New York. He also called New York Knicks and Yankees games.
He also hosted “SportsCenter.”
He also covered several Olympic Games. The last game he called was an NFL game in 2022.
He was the older brother of Bryant Gumbel.
Many people took to X to express their condolences.
I’m not sure there’s been a more pleasant and easy to listen to voice in the “host” role of an event/studio show than Greg Gumbel. An absolute pillar to CBS’ NFL/MarchMadness coverage for decades. One of those voices you lose but can’t replace.
— Nick Yeoman (@NYeoman) December 27, 2024
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