Michael Johnson and Carl Lewis are two of the biggest names in track and field, right? But what really made them so famous? Of course, their incredible talent helped, but there’s more to it. Johnson, with his Superman nickname, didn’t just dominate the sprints, he smashed records, like that insane 200m-400m double at the 1996 Olympics. And now, he’s running Grand Slam Track. Then there’s Carl Lewis, with King Carl who won nine Olympic gold medals during the 1980s and ’90s and is now one of the best coaches. But here’s the question: Was it all just about their talent that made them famous? Probably not. It was Greg Gumbel!

This was the man, Greg Gumbel, who ushered into the spotlight sports icons such as Michael Johnson, and Carl Lewis among others. Unfortunately, he died this year on December 27 at the age of 78 years. For many years, Gumbel served CBS Sports as the anchorman and the football expert, reporting on NFL, college basketball, NBA, Winter Olympics, NASCAR, and others. His was an incredible journey for any young man looking to enter the profession of sports broadcasting, he did it and he did it in style, always welcome on the screen.

But you might be wondering, how did Gumbel get so connected to big names like Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson? Well, here’s the thing: Gumbel’s big moment came during the 1996 Olympics.

In 1996 for instance, NBC was the only network airing the Olympics in the United States, and with Gumbel, it became the center of the experience of these moments. During the daytime, he anchored the coverage for NBC and assisted in building stars from athletes such as Carl Lewis who triumphed in both the long jump and wrapped up his last Olympic games, and Michael Johnson the swift runner who clinched both the 200m and the 400m gold medal in the same Games.

Gumbel’s voice was omnipresent that year, and he transformed those tremendous accomplishments into those unparalleled narratives. If you were watching the ‘96 Olympics, you were listening to Gumbel, and one must say he helped make those athletes what they are today. But how did he pass away?

Greg Gumbel revolutionized sports broadcasting

Greg Gumbel, doesn’t this name just take you back to so many iconic sports moments? For more than 50 years, he was that voice people could rely on, from The NFL Today to Super Bowls and the Olympic Games. Do you think it is possible to picture sports broadcasting without him? He first began in 1967, right after his graduation from Loras College, and went on to retire from NFL coverage in 2022. But he didn’t stop there; he was still hosting college basketball until just this year!

Even before he started featuring on CBS, Greg was with the Madison Square Garden Network, calling Knicks and Yankees games. That is where he won local Emmys and then moved to the CBS network where he was EVERYWHERE, hosting The NFL Today, reporting the Olympics, doing the baseball games, and essentially becoming the first man to host, and also do play-by-play for a Super Bowl. Playing schedules also include College World Series and NCAA basketball tournaments. Who else do you know who becomes involved in so many activities and excels in all of them as this broadcaster did?

But here’s the thing: Greg was not all sports. He contributed largely to the March of Dimes as well as St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and this just proved how much of a heart he had. Sadly, Greg passed away on Friday after a battle with cancer. Rest in peace, Greg. You’ll be missed, but never forgotten.