Bryant Gumbel Biography
Bryant Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster best known for co-hosting NBC’s Today morning news program for 15 years.
How old is Bryant Gumbel? – Age
He is 73 years old as of 29 September 2021. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. His real name is Bryant Charles Gumbel.
What is Bryant Gumbel’s Brother? – Family
He is the son of city clerk Rhea Alice (née LeCesne) and judges Richard Dunbar Gumbel. His surname is derived from his great-great-grandfather, a German-Jewish emigrant from Albisheim. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel. He was raised Catholic and attended and graduated from De La Salle Institute in Chicago while growing up on the city’s South Side; his family had moved north when he was a child. He earned a degree in Russian history from Bates College in 1970. He joined Black Sports Magazine as editor in 1971 and left the following year. In October 1972, he began his television career as a sportscaster for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.
Who is Bryant Gumbel’s Wife? – Marriage
Gumbel has been married twice. He together with his wife, June, raised two children in semi-rural Waccabuc, north of New York City. He divorced her in 2001 to marry Hilary Quinlan.
How much is Greg Gumbel paid? – Salary
He earns an annual salary of $6 Million.
Bryant Gumbel Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $25 Million.
Bryant Gumbel Face Surgery – Weight Loss
He lost 55 pounds in seven months after stepping on the scale and discovering he weighed 240 pounds. He underwent surgery in October 2009 to remove a malignant tumor near one of his lungs.
Bryant Gumbel Today
Gumbel began his relationship with Today as the program’s chief sports reporter, contributing twice-weekly features, including a regular series called “Sportsman of the Week.” NBC announced in 1981 that Tom Brokaw would leave Today to anchor NBC Nightly News beginning in the spring of 1982. Gumbel was a last-minute replacement for Today co-anchor Jane Pauley in August 1981. Gumbel and Pauley had a difficult first two years as Today anchors. During the summer of 1983, Good Morning America maintained its ratings lead over Today.
In the fall of 1984, NBC took Today on the road, sending Gumbel to the Soviet Union for an unprecedented series of live broadcasts from Moscow. Between 1984 and 1989, there were remote broadcasts from Vietnam, Vatican City, Europe, South America, and much of the United States. Gumbel also complained that Gene Shalit’s movie reviews were frequently late and that his interviews were subpar. During this time period, Today fell to second place in the ratings due to negative publicity surrounding Norville’s replacement of Pauley and Gumbal’s feud with Scott.
Bryant Gumbel NBC
Gumbel was already a local evening news sports anchor for KNBC in Los Angeles when NBC Sports hired him in the fall of 1975 as co-host of its National Football League pre-game show GrandStand with Jack Buck. He hosted a variety of sporting events for NBC from 1975 to 1982, including Major League Baseball, college basketball, and the National Football League. He returned to sportscasting for NBC in 1988, hosting prime-time coverage of the Summer Olympics in Seoul and the PGA Tour in 1990. During his time at NBC Sports, one of Gumbel’s most memorable moments occurred when he was on-site for the “Epic in Miami” NFL playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins.
Bryant Gumbel NFL Network
Gumbel, along with Cris Collinsworth and Dick Vermeil, were announced as commentators for NFL Network’s new NFL game package in April 2006. In his career, he had never called play-by-play for a live sporting event, unlike his brother Greg. His status was called into question prior to his first game commentary for the network after he sparked controversy in his closing remarks on his HBO program on August 15, 2006, in which he criticized NFL Players Association head Gene Upshaw and outgoing NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. He later reconciled with the NFL and continued to work as a play-by-play announcer for the NFL Network. On December 29, 2007, he had a sort of reunion with the Patriots.
He had a sort of reunion on December 29, 2007, when he called the Patriots-Giants game on the NFL Network, CBS, and NBC. This is the first three-network simulcast NFL game, and he has worked for all three networks at some point in his career. He also had a strong interest in NFL films. Gumbel’s performance was criticized throughout his tenure due to his voice and a perceived lack of knowledge about the game. Gumbel retired as a play-by-play announcer in April 2008, just before the start of the 2008 NFL season. Bob Papa would take his place on NFL Network telecasts.