The sports world received some deeply upsetting news on Friday when reports emerged that legendary broadcaster Greg Gumbel had passed away at age 78.
Gumbel will best be remembered for his decades-long career with CBS where he contributed heavily across the network’s sports coverage, most notably with the NFL and the men’s college basketball tournament. On Sunday, his former colleagues on The NFL Today spoke about his legacy after a touching tribute package highlighted his illustrious career.
“The NFL Today” airs a touching tribute to Greg Gumbel pic.twitter.com/CJSTByo9kr
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“He lit up every room he walked into,” Bill Cowher said of Gumbel. “He made you feel special. There was something about that little sly little grin he had about him that he could make you feel you were something different. And he made you feel like you were better than you really were. While he will be missed, his spirit will live with everyone he touched. Greg Gumbel was a special man.”
“Yeah, he was,” Nate Burleson concurred. “A legendary career on camera, but it was who he was off camera, will help define him for people that don’t know him personally.” Burleson referred to Gumbel as a “father figure” while sharing an anecdote about texts he’d receive from him after personal and professional accomplishments.
“There’s no question that universally, the remarks about Greg Gumbel have been spot on,” The NFL Today host James Brown concluded. “One of the best talents of any generation. And excellence was his calling card on any platform he graced. Our colleague Seth Davis closed his tribute on Greg by saying, ‘May his memory be a blessing.’ Well, there is a maxim that states it definitively and aptly about Greg. ‘The memory of a just is blessed.'”
[The NFL Today]
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.