Greg Gumbel
Encyclopedia
Greg Gumbel is an American
television
sportscaster
. He is best known for his various assignments on the CBS
network (most notably, the National Football League
and NCAA
basketball
). The brother of news and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel
, he became the first African American
announcer to call play-by-play of a major sports championship in the United States
when he announced Super Bowl XXXV
for the CBS
network in 2001. He is of Creole
ancestry.
, the first child of parents Richard Gumbel, a judge and Rhea Alice LeCesne. Before becoming a broadcaster, Gumbel graduated with a B.A. degree in English from Loras College
in Dubuque, Iowa
where he also played on the baseball team. He also has two sisters Renee Gumbel–Farrahi and Rhonda Robertson.
informed him that a Chicago TV station (WMAQ-TV
) was auditioning for a sports announcer. At the time, Greg was selling hospital supplies in Detroit
. He ultimately got the job and worked there for seven years. The sportscaster he replaced, Dennis Swanson, went on to become president of ABC Sports
.
Prior to his rising to prominence at CBS, Gumbel worked for MSG
, ESPN
, and WFAN
radio in New York City
. At ESPN
, he anchored SportsCenter
and did play-by-play for early NBA games on the network. On MSG, Gumbel served as a backup announcer for Marv Albert
on New York Knicks
broadcasts as well as providing coverage for college basketball. When MSG signed a huge contract to broadcast New York Yankees
games in 1989, Gumbel served as host of the pregame and postgame shows. In addition to his MSG duties, he was the host of the first radio morning show on radio station WFAN.
career began with part-time work as an NFL
announcer in 1988
. Also in 1989, Gumbel began announcing college basketball
as well. He became host of The NFL Today
(alongside Terry Bradshaw
) for the 1990
to 1993 seasons
. He also anchored CBS' coverage of Major League Baseball, college football
, and CBS' coverage
for the Daytona 500
.
Besides his hosting duties, Gumbel provided play-by-play for the NBA, Major League Baseball including the 1993 American League Championship Series
(alongside Jim Kaat
), and College World Series
baseball.
He was the prime time
anchor for the 1994 Winter Olympic Games
from Lillehammer, Norway and co-anchor for the weekday morning broadcasts of the 1992 Winter Olympics
from Albertville, France.
in 1994 following CBS' losses of the NFL and Major League Baseball. While at NBC, Gumbel hosted NBC's coverage of the 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
. He also did play-by-play for the Major League Baseball National League Division Series
and National League Championship Series
(on both occasions, teaming with Joe Morgan
), did play-by-play for The NBA on NBC, hosted NBC's daytime coverage of the 1996 Summer Olympics
from Atlanta, Georgia
, hosted the 1995 World Championships of Figure Skating
and served as the studio host for The NFL on NBC
.
to return to CBS. His first major assignment was to serve as studio host for the network's coverage of college basketball, including the NCAA men's basketball tournament
, something he continues to do to this day.
As CBS had just acquired the rights to NBC's previous NFL package, Gumbel joined the broadcast team as lead announcer with fellow NBC alum Phil Simms
as his color man. Gumbel was The NFL on CBS
lead announcer between 1998
and 2003
, calling Super Bowls XXXV
and XXXVIII
during that time period. For the 2004 NFL season
, Gumbel traded positions with Jim Nantz
as host of The NFL Today while Nantz would take over as lead announcer. At the end of the 2005 NFL season
, Gumbel was replaced as studio host of the The NFL Today
pre-game show by James Brown
. Gumbel returned to the broadcast booth as the #2 play-by-play man, replacing Dick Enberg
, alongside color man Dan Dierdorf
.
, on the basis that he disagreed with Thomas' positions on political issues. He has regularly appeared on Howard Stern
's radio show. Along similar lines, Gumbel said of Rush Limbaugh
, "I find him someone whose words and opinions I can do without."
and Al Michaels
respectively). He hosted Super Bowls XXVI
, XXX
and XXXII
before calling Super Bowls XXXV
and XXXVIII
. Jim Nantz became the fourth man to do so after he called Super Bowl XLI
for CBS.
During his tenure as the chief anchor of The NFL Today
he served alongside co-anchors Dan Marino
, Shannon Sharpe
, and Boomer Esiason
. The group was known to call him by his nickname "Gumby."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. He is best known for his various assignments on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network (most notably, the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and NCAA
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
). The brother of news and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
, he became the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
announcer to call play-by-play of a major sports championship in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when he announced Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
for the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network in 2001. He is of Creole
Louisiana Creole people
Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...
ancestry.
Early years
Gumbel was born in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, the first child of parents Richard Gumbel, a judge and Rhea Alice LeCesne. Before becoming a broadcaster, Gumbel graduated with a B.A. degree in English from Loras College
Loras College
Loras College is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,700 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
in Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
where he also played on the baseball team. He also has two sisters Renee Gumbel–Farrahi and Rhonda Robertson.
Career
In 1973, Greg's brother Bryant GumbelBryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
informed him that a Chicago TV station (WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Chicago, Illinois. WMAQ-TV's main studios and offices are located within the NBC Tower in the Streeterville neighborhood, with an auxiliary street-level studio on the Magnificent Mile at 401...
) was auditioning for a sports announcer. At the time, Greg was selling hospital supplies in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. He ultimately got the job and worked there for seven years. The sportscaster he replaced, Dennis Swanson, went on to become president of ABC Sports
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
.
Prior to his rising to prominence at CBS, Gumbel worked for MSG
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, and WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
radio in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. At ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, he anchored SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
and did play-by-play for early NBA games on the network. On MSG, Gumbel served as a backup announcer for Marv Albert
Marv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
on New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
broadcasts as well as providing coverage for college basketball. When MSG signed a huge contract to broadcast New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
games in 1989, Gumbel served as host of the pregame and postgame shows. In addition to his MSG duties, he was the host of the first radio morning show on radio station WFAN.
First CBS stint
Gumbel's CBSCBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
career began with part-time work as an NFL
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
announcer in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
. Also in 1989, Gumbel began announcing college basketball
College Basketball on CBS
College Basketball on CBS presented by State Farm is a presentation of men's NCAA Division I basketball games on CBS...
as well. He became host of The NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
(alongside Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
) for the 1990
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
to 1993 seasons
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
. He also anchored CBS' coverage of Major League Baseball, college football
SEC on CBS
The SEC on CBS is a presentation of the college football television package owned by CBS Sports...
, and CBS' coverage
NASCAR on CBS
NASCAR on CBS was a series of NASCAR races airing on CBS Sports from 1960-2000.-Races covered by CBS:*Jiffy Lube Miami 300*Michigan 400...
for the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
.
Besides his hosting duties, Gumbel provided play-by-play for the NBA, Major League Baseball including the 1993 American League Championship Series
1993 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 5, 1993 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, IllinoisThe ALCS opened at Comiskey Park with a battle of aces, as Toronto threw Juan Guzmán against Chicago's Jack McDowell, the eventual 1993 American League Cy Young Award winner...
(alongside Jim Kaat
Jim Kaat
James Lee "Jim" Kaat , nicknamed "Kitty", is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins , Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , and St...
), and College World Series
College World Series on CBS
From 1988-2002, CBS Sports televised a portion of the annual College World Series. From 1988-1990, CBS only televised the championship game. From 1991 until the end of their coverage in 2002, CBS televised one game on the first Saturday of the World Series besides the championship game.-Format...
baseball.
He was the prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
anchor for the 1994 Winter Olympic Games
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
from Lillehammer, Norway and co-anchor for the weekday morning broadcasts of the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
from Albertville, France.
NBC Sports
Gumbel moved to NBCNBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
in 1994 following CBS' losses of the NFL and Major League Baseball. While at NBC, Gumbel hosted NBC's coverage of the 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 65th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
. He also did play-by-play for the Major League Baseball National League Division Series
1995 National League Division Series
-Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 3:Coors Field in Denver, ColoradoGame 1 was a match-up between aces: Greg Maddux for the Atlanta Braves and Kevin Ritz for the Colorado Rockies. Ritz and Maddux worked their way out of minor trouble early on, but, in the top of the third,...
and National League Championship Series
1995 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 1995 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe opening game of the 1995 NLCS would be well-pitched and decided in extra innings. The only run allowed by Tom Glavine, who would go seven innings, came on a Ron Gant single following a Barry Larkin triple in the fourth...
(on both occasions, teaming with Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
), did play-by-play for The NBA on NBC, hosted NBC's daytime coverage of the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
from Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, hosted the 1995 World Championships of Figure Skating
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
and served as the studio host for The NFL on NBC
The NFL on NBC Pregame Show
The NBC television network's pregame/studio coverage for their National Football League coverage has had a rather inconsistent history in comparison to The NFL Today on CBS and Fox NFL Sunday on the Fox Broadcasting Company...
.
Current CBS career
Gumbel left NBC after the network broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIISuper Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
to return to CBS. His first major assignment was to serve as studio host for the network's coverage of college basketball, including the NCAA men's basketball tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, something he continues to do to this day.
As CBS had just acquired the rights to NBC's previous NFL package, Gumbel joined the broadcast team as lead announcer with fellow NBC alum Phil Simms
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
as his color man. Gumbel was The NFL on CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
lead announcer between 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
and 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, calling Super Bowls XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
and XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
during that time period. For the 2004 NFL season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, Gumbel traded positions with Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz
James William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
as host of The NFL Today while Nantz would take over as lead announcer. At the end of the 2005 NFL season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, Gumbel was replaced as studio host of the The NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
pre-game show by James Brown
James Brown (TV personality)
James Brown , commonly called "J.B.", is an American sports announcer known for being the host of The NFL Today on CBS and Inside the NFL on Showtime. He is the former host of the FOX network's NFL pregame show, Fox NFL Sunday.-Early life:Born on February 25, 1951 in Washington, D.C. to John and...
. Gumbel returned to the broadcast booth as the #2 play-by-play man, replacing Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
, alongside color man Dan Dierdorf
Dan Dierdorf
Daniel Lee "Dan" Dierdorf is a former American football player and current television sportscaster. He played 13 NFL seasons and has worked for ABC's Monday Night Football and CBS as a color commentator since retiring from football....
.
Personal
Greg, his wife Marcy, brother Bryant and their married daughter Michelle, all reside in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area.Politics
In 1999, Gumbel refused to attend a NASCAR banquet honoring Supreme Court Justice Clarence ThomasClarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court....
, on the basis that he disagreed with Thomas' positions on political issues. He has regularly appeared on Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
's radio show. Along similar lines, Gumbel said of Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, "I find him someone whose words and opinions I can do without."
Legacy
Gumbel is the third man to serve as both host and play-by-play announcer for Super Bowls (the first two were Dick EnbergDick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
and Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
respectively). He hosted Super Bowls XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
, XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
and XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
before calling Super Bowls XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
and XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
. Jim Nantz became the fourth man to do so after he called Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
for CBS.
During his tenure as the chief anchor of The NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
he served alongside co-anchors Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe is a former American Football tight end who played for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. Sharpe is known for his creative commentary and trash talking. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and inducted on August 6, 2011...
, and Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
. The group was known to call him by his nickname "Gumby."
Career timeline
- 1979-1988: ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
- Reporter, Anchor, Play-by-play - 1989: MSG NetworkMSG NetworkThe MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
- Play-by-play - 1989–1994: College Basketball on CBSCollege Basketball on CBSCollege Basketball on CBS presented by State Farm is a presentation of men's NCAA Division I basketball games on CBS...
- Play-by-play - 1990–1993; 2004-2005: The NFL TodayThe NFL TodayThe NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
- Studio host - 1991: Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
Television - Play-by-play - 1992-1993: Cleveland CavaliersCleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
Television - Play-by-Play - 1992: Winter Olympics1992 Winter OlympicsThe 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
- Weekend morning host - 1994: Winter Olympics1994 Winter OlympicsThe 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
- Primetime host - 1994: Major League Baseball All-Star Game1994 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 65th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
- Host - 1994–1995: MLB on NBC - #2 Play-by-play
- 1994–1998: NFL on NBCNFL on NBCNFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
- Studio host - 1994–1997: NBA on NBC - #2 Play-by-play
- 1995: World Figure Skating Championships1995 World Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe 1995 World Figure Skating Championships were the World Figure Skating Championships of the 1994-1995 season. Elite senior-level figure skaters from ISU Member Nations competed for the title of World Champion...
- Host - 1998–2004: NFL on CBSNFL on CBSThe NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
- Lead play-by-play - 1998–present: College Basketball on CBSCollege Basketball on CBSCollege Basketball on CBS presented by State Farm is a presentation of men's NCAA Division I basketball games on CBS...
- Studio host - 1990–1994; 2000–2002: College World Series on CBSCollege World Series on CBSFrom 1988-2002, CBS Sports televised a portion of the annual College World Series. From 1988-1990, CBS only televised the championship game. From 1991 until the end of their coverage in 2002, CBS televised one game on the first Saturday of the World Series besides the championship game.-Format...
- Play-by-play - 2002–2002; Gumbel 2 Gumbel - CO-star
- 2006–present: NFL on CBSNFL on CBSThe NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
- #2 Play-by-play