Greg Gumbel steps away from NFL duties at CBS

Posted by Mike Florio on March 15, 2023, 1:01 PM EDT
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Greg Gumbel, a broadcasting legend who has been involved in NFL telecasts for decades, is staying at CBS but exiting the network’s NFL coverage.

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that Gumbel has signed an extension with CBS, but that he will step down as a play-by-play announcer for NFL games.

At CBS, he hosted The NFL Today from 1990 through 1993. He then joined NBC after CBS lost the NFC package to Fox. In 1998, Gumbel returned to CBS, after it acquired the AFC package from NBC.

Gumbel worked with Phil Simms as lead play-by-play announcer at CBS from 1998 through 2003. He returned to studio hosting in 2004 and 2005, and he has been calling NFL games with CBS every year since 2006.

Along the way, he called two Super Bowls (XXXV and XXXVIII).

Greg Gumbel, 76, is the older brother of Bryant Gumbel.

Last year, Greg Gumbel had some candid thoughts regarding the money being given to NFL broadcasters.

“I’ve never felt in my entire life there is an announcer who can bring someone to the TV set to watch a game that that viewer wasn’t already going to watch,” he told Jimmy Traina of SI.com. “And I believe the only thing a broadcaster can do is chase people away. . . . I won’t name them — but there are three or four announcers, ‘Oh, I’m really interested in watching, oops, nope, click, gone. I truly believe that. I don’t think that someone is tuning in just to hear a particular person call a football game.”

Congratulations to Greg Gumbel on a great run as one of the voices of pro football, for more than 30 years.

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26 responses to “Greg Gumbel steps away from NFL duties at CBS”

  1. Greg Gumbel is 76? How the heck old am I? {…starts doing the math…} Oh, crap.

  9. I have never watched or not watched a game of any kind because of an announcer..I even watched annoying Howard Cossell back in the day (Google him young guys)
    Personally I always thought Gumbel was pretty weak in the booth, but maybe that was because they always handed him the worst game of the week to announce.

  10. On the flip side, people will definitely listen to/watch baseball for a particular announcer……..

  11. Another good one gone. Stuck with these knobs today trying to make a name in 1 year

  13. He looks and sounds pretty good for 76. They will replace him with some boring dude that nobody knows or remembers.

  14. He was spot on. No announcer will get me to watch any event – but they can sure as hell get me to turn the channel! That I even commented on this is more attention than deserved.

  15. He is very good at his job he will be missed by many. A-rod not so much.

  16. Wow. Surprising. He’s one of the greats (and his attitude about the importance of announcers is spot-on, not to mention refreshing).

  17. Greg dropping truth bombs. Me and the boys are constantly referring to getting the C or D squad commentators. The mute button stays loose on those days.

  18. I always felt like Greg humble made the game more enjoyable to watch. I think he had a way of creating excitement when it may not actually be there; but in the way he called the play, the moment or game seemed bigger than it may have actually been. There are very few announcers I watch/listen to that can do that, so it will be a loss.

  19. They weren’t at the level of Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth or Pat Summerall and John Madden, but Greg Gumble and Phil Simms were very good, and gave me much pleasure. I always enjoyed Gumbel’s mellow voice and demeanor, and he had a great way of humorously chiding Simms – I respect Simms to this day as a game analyst whose enthusiasm for the games he was broadcasting was unparalleled, and who never lazily phoned it in. I continued to enjoy Gumbel with subsequent analysts – certainly grateful to get a Gumbel/Trent Green game over CBS’ “top” pair. Only the best to Greg Gumbel moving forward!

  21. Howard Cosell was annoying as all get out, but the controversies made for filler, and he did give us Monday Night Highlights of games played earlier in the weekend. We got to see highlights from games we could never before get to see. There was no cable TV or satellite, no Sunday Ticket, no Youtube, no other source a fan could tap into to get visuals on other games. It just did not exist. If it was not the early or late game on Sunday, you weren’t going to see it. Any of it. So those highlights were a huge attraction. It was often the only glimpse I got of my favorite team in action. Cosell’s delivery style added flair and excitement to the highlights as well. It was love/hate with Cosell, which was probably good for his career. Thanks for the memories. RIP Howard. His son Greg Cosell does a lot of NFL films stuff, draft stuff, and positional analysis etc. He’s pretty good. Much lower key than his Dad was. Humble. Dad was always selling, and didn’t have a humble bone in his body lol.

    My Favorite sports announcer was probably Brent Musberger during the golden days of the NBA in the 80’s, particularly for the playoffs and those Beast of The East playoff series between the Celtics, Sixers, Bulls, Pistons, and to a lesser extent Bucks and Pacers, and ultimately the Lakers…or the Rockets in the Championship, if the Lakers chose not to show up. I can still hear the theme music in my head. Search “NBA on CBS 1982-1989 Theme Montage” on Youtube for the music and some still shots. Good times.

  22. xpensivewino says:
    March 15, 2023 at 1:28 pm
    “On the flip side, people will definitely listen to/watch baseball for a particular announcer……..”—
    –
    –
    Yup, Hawk Harrelson or Vin Scully in particular.

  23. 76?! Man, I didn’t see that one coming -lol. To his credit, he sounds the same as he did in his early broadcast days. Well done, sir.

    I’ve always liked Greg Gumbel doing play-by-play. Wasn’t over the top and gave just enough to a big play to compliment the action; like a verbal explanation point. And when he says people don’t tune in for the announcers, he’s right. (Maybe Summerall/Madden was the exception) That being said, when you see/hear who’s calling the game, like Gumbel, you settle in because you know you’re going to hear one of the best to do it.

  24. I can’t be the only person with a dumbfounded look on their face when they read Gumbel’s age. 76?!?!?! He’s as sharp as ever, and wise enough to know the true role of a play-by-play guy.

  25. The word ‘legend’ gets over used. I don’t think many people consider Greg Gumbel to be in the legendary category of broadcasters. Very good, yes. But there are only a handful of true legends.

  26. I found Greg better in the studio where his calm demeanor just made that part of the show easy to watch. I found him a little bland for play-by-play but he just wasn’t the rah rah kind of guy and you can’t fake that. Personally, I like a little more enthusiasm and emotion in the booth.
    Having said the above, congrats to Greg on a long career and congrats for carrying yourself with class.

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