Legendary American sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel has died of cancer at the age of 78.
‘He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer,’ his wife, Marcy, and daughter, Michelle, said in a joint statement released by CBS Sports.
‘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.’
Gumbel spent the majority of his broadcasting career with CBS and primarily worked on the NFL and college basketball.
He became the first Black play-by-play announcer for a Super Bowl in 2001, when he was in the booth for the Baltimore Ravens’ victory over the New York Giants.
Legendary American sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel has died at the age of 78
Gumbel interviews Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones after their Super Bowl win in 1996
Gumbel was also one of the broadcast faces of the NCAA Tournament – college sport’s biggest annual event.
However, he missed an NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997 earlier this year due to ‘family health issues’.
Gumbel was tasked with reading where each of the NCAA Tournament teams fell in the bracket with his iconic style of reading the mascots first.
Gumbel would never call a blue blood the Duke Blue Devils. Instead, he’s always named them the Blue Devils of Duke.
Gumbel also served as an anchor on ‘SportsCenter’ when he worked at ESPN from 1979 to 1988. He also had a brief spell at NBC.
A CBS statement on Friday read: ‘The CBS Sports family is devastated by the passing of Greg Gumbel.
‘There has never been a finer gentleman in all of television. He was beloved and respected by those of us who had the honor to call him a friend and colleague.
Gumbel and Bill Raftery prior to a game between Duke and North Carolina State in 2016
Gumbel sits with Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis, who broadcast on CBS together for years
‘A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time.
‘He was a familiar and welcoming voice for fans across many sports, including the NFL and March Madness, highlighted by the Super Bowl and Final Four.
‘Greg broke barriers and set the standard for others to follow. It is an extremely sad day for all of us at CBS Sports and the entire sports community.
‘We will miss Greg dearly, and send our deepest condolences to his wife Marcy, daughter Michelle, and his entire family.’
