Greg Gumbel, a sportscaster for 50 years, has died at the age of 78

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Longtime CBS Sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel reportedly died on Friday, December 27 at the age of 78 CBS News. His wife and daughter, Marcy and Michelle Grumbel, confirmed in a statement to the station that he died of complications from cancer, writing: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband and father, Greg Gumbel. After a courageous battle with cancer, he passed away peacefully and surrounded by much love. “Greg approached his illness the way you would expect him to: with stoicism, grace and positivity.” Over the course of his more than 50-year career in sports broadcasting, he has worked for ESPN, NBC Sports and CBS Sports, the latter being his longest broadcast house, having worked there continuously since 1998 until his health-related break from March Madness earlier this year. David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, remembered the network in announcing the news on Friday, writing: “Greg was a superb broadcaster and gifted storyteller and led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time.” He was a familiar one 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.

One of Gumbel’s biggest influences in American sports was his work at the Super Bowl; Since the 1990s, he has served as host for almost every aspect of the big game, from the pre-game show to a play-by-play broadcast of the actual game. Gumbel was also the first African-American announcer of a major sports championship when he called the Super Bowl in 2001. However, football and the NFL were not his only broadcasting specialties. He was an announcer for the NCAA Basketball League and the Winter and Summer Olympics in the 1990s.