Chris Berman issued a statement on Friday, paying tribute his longtime friend and colleague Greg Gumbel, who passed away earlier in the day.
Berman joined ESPN in 1979, shortly after the network launched. In the network’s early days, he worked with Gumbel, who was an anchor and announcer at ESPN from 1981-86 before moving on to CBS.
On Friday, Berman remembered Gumbel, paying tribute to him for both his work and who he was as a person.
“Greg Gumbel was a tremendous professional and an even better person,” Berman said in a statement. “I was honored to share many SportsCenters with him back in the 80s, where I learned just by watching him. He had the trust of every viewer and the admiration of all his peers.”
ESPN’s Chris Berman remembers his friend and former @SportsCenter co-anchor Greg Gumbel. pic.twitter.com/pmaIlc2BdL
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) December 28, 2024
Berman was one of many people in the industry to honor Gumbel on Friday. During Friday night’s broadcast of the Holiday Bowl on Fox, play-by-play man Gus Johnson paid tribute to Gumbel. Studio host Mike Hill did the same during the halftime show.
Gus Johnson pays tribute to Greg Gumbel.
“In a career that spanned over 50 years, Greg broke barriers and set the standard for others to follow.”pic.twitter.com/47GfyCSMYv
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 28, 2024
Mike Hill on Greg Gumbel:
“Gumbel, the older brother of sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, was a pioneer in the business…announced Super Bowl 35 for CBS, becoming the first Black announcer in the US to call play-by-play for a major sports championship.”pic.twitter.com/M7qEJX3qgG
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 28, 2024
[ESPN PR on X]
