By Miguel Mike Medina
Greg Gumbel, a longtime sportscaster who called NFL games on CBS for decades and served as the network’s March Madness host, passed away at age 78.
Gumbel battled cancer, and his fight with this disease played a factor in why he missed last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Gumbel is one of the best sports broadcasters of his generation. He’s the older brother of former “TODAY” co-host Bryant Gumbel. Greg has a distinctive voice when calling games, whether it’s basketball or football.
Gumbel began working at CBS Sports in 1989. He spent decades there, serving two stints (1988-93, 1998-2024).
Before coming back to CBS, Gumbel spent a short stint at NBC. One of the memorable calls of Gumbel’s time at NBC went during the 1997 Western Conference Finals between the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets.
Eddie Johnson’s buzzer-beater in Game 4 and John Stockton’s buzzer-beater to send the Jazz to the NBA Finals were outstanding because he didn’t have to say much. It was his raw emotion in the game’s action that we won’t forget. Gumbel brought excitement like a true fan when he calls play-by-play games.
At CBS, one of his best moments came during the 2012 Divisional Playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium. Joe Flacco’s Hail Mary throw to Jacoby Jones was the biggest play of the game, and Gumbel called that moment exceptionally well. It was a stunning play, and he described its impact perfectly.
“How does that happen in the Denver secondary?” It’s a perfect line by Gumbel.
Gumbel and Phil Simms were a great duo on CBS. From 1998 through 2003, they worked so well together that they were the No. 1 broadcast team during that era.
For years, Gumbel called two Super Bowls in his career and hosted the NCAA “March Madness” tournament.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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