Bryant Gumbel

Bryant Gumbel Headshot

Sportcaster • Journalist

Birth Date: September 29, 1948

Age: 75 years old

Birth Place: New Orleans, Louisiana

Bryant Gumbel has been a well-spoken, good-looking TV personality in sports and news since he left his post editing "Black Sports" magazine in 1972 to become a sportscaster for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. His fluid style soon caught the eye of the brass in NY, and Gumbel was tapped by NBC Sports in 1975 to host the pre-game shows before NFL games. His rise was rapid and within a few years Gumbel had become the sole host or lead anchor on NBC's coverage of major league baseball, college basketball and NFL football games. In 1980, sports reporting for NBC's "Today" were added to his duties. By January 1982, he was the anchor of the entire "Today" program. Gumbel quickly proved foolish those pundits who thought a sportscaster could not adapt to news coverage. In 1984, he headed the "Today" team broadcasting live from Moscow, including interviews with Kremlin leaders. Both Gumbel and NBC News received much praise for the effort. Gumbel's identity as a sportscaster had been supplanted. He followed the Moscow trip with coups -- broadcasts from Cuba (including an interview with Fidel Castro), and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). He also began to host primetime documentaries and reality-based programs for NBC, including "The R.A.C.E." a two-hour quiz on racial attitudes in America.

In 1990, Gumbel was lured back to his sports roots as anchor of championship golf coverage on NBC, and in 1995, he began hosting "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" for HBO. His tenure on "Today" was not without its troubled moments and column coverage. A major brouhaha developed when an internal memo written by Gumbel to NBC brass suggesting changes in "Today" fell into the hands of the consumer press. As part of the memo, Gumbel suggested that weathercaster Willard Scott was not up to snuff for a news show which wanted to be taken seriously. Gumbel's criticisms of Scott were not intended for public consumption, but when they did become public, after several tense days, he apologized to Scott. Gumbel also was critical of the writing on "Today" and strove to make the show a news and not "personality-drive" program. Under his anchor watch, "Today" was either in first place in the early-morning Nielsens, or just a hair behind ABC's "Good Morning America," most often the former. After a 15 year tenure, Gumbel left "Today" on January 3, 1997. Later that year, he signed a lucrative contract with CBS and hosted "Public Eye with Bryant Gumbel," a newsmagazine that premiered in the fall of 1997.

Credits

Live with Kelly and MarkStream

Guest
Talk
2023

The Seth Davis Show

Guest
Show
2016

Macy's 90th Thanksgiving Day Parade Special

Guest
Show
2016

Brain Surgery Live with Mental Floss

Host
Show
2015

Best in Shelter With Jill Rappaport

Guest
Show
2015

The Rich Eisen Show

Guest
Show
2014

REAL Sports With Bryant Gumbel: Extras

Actor
Show
2014

Stadium Stories

Guest
Show
2013

Katie

Guest
Talk
2012

Finding Your RootsStream

Guest
Reality
2012

CBS This Morning

Guest
Show
2012

Tiger

Self
Movie
2012

LIVE with Kelly

Host
Show
2011

LIVE with Kelly

Host
Talk
2011

Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals

Actor
Show
2010

The National Health Test

Host
Show
2009

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

Guest
Talk
2009

Real Miracles

Host
Show
2009

Life on the Edge: A Global Crisis

Host
Show
2008

The National Health Test

Host
Show
2008

Who's Who of World Giving

Host
Show
2007

Life Below the Line: The World Poverty Crisis

Host
Show
2007

Miracles: Acts of God

Host
Show
2007

An American Thanksgiving

Host
Show
2006

The Roswell Crash: Startling New Evidence

Host
Show
2002

Live With Regis and Kelly

Host
Show
2001

SurvivorStream

Host
Reality
2000

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

CosbyStream

Guest Star
Series
1996

Arli$$Stream

Guest Star
Series
1996
62%

The Chris Rock ShowStream

Guest
Talk
1996

Real Sports with Bryant GumbelStream

Host
Series
1995

The NannyStream

Guest Star
Series
1993

SeinfeldStream

Guest Star
Himself
Series
1989
89%

Games People Play

Self
Show
1980

CBS News Sunday Morning

Guest
News
1979

Today

Guest
News
1952

News aboutBryant Gumbel