BRYANT GUMBEL Biography - People in the News and Media

 
 

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BRYANT GUMBEL

Name: Bryant Gumbel                                                                     
Born: 29 September 1948 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.                                   
                                                                                       
Bryant Charles Gumbel (born September 29, 1948), is an American television             
personality for news and sports programs. He is best known for his 15 years as         
co-presenter of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of veteran             
sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel.                                                         
                                                                                       
Gumbel was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the second child of parents Richard         
Gumbel and Rhea Alice LeCesne, and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is of Creole         
descent. He attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where he played football         
and baseball and is a member of the class of 1970. He was a history major and           
wrote sports columns for the school newspaper, The Bates Student.                       
                                                                                       
Gumbel earned a liberal arts degree from Bates College and has honorary                 
doctorates from Bates, Xavier University, College of the Holy Cross, Providence         
College and Clark Atlanta University.                                                   
                                                                                       
Gumbel began his television career in October 1972, when he was made a                 
sportscaster for KNBC-TV out of Los Angeles.                                           
                                                                                       
Gumbel impressed and surprised NBC with his likable on-air presence and well-spoken,   
articulate commentary. He was hired by NBC Sports in the fall of 1975 as co-host       
of its National Football League pre-game show GrandStand with Jack Buck.               
                                                                                       
From 1975 until January 1982 (when he left to do The Today Show) Gumbel hosted         
numerous sporting events for NBC including Major League Baseball, NCAA                 
basketball and the National Football League. Gumbel returned to sportscasting           
for NBC when he hosted the prime time coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics from         
Seoul and the PGA Tour in 1990.                                                         
                                                                                       
One of Gumbel's more memorable moments during his time at NBC Sports occurred in       
1982, when he was on site for the now legendary "Epic in Miami" NFL playoff game       
between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins. At the end of the game,             
Gumbel told the viewing audience "If you didn't like this football game then you       
didn't like football!"