Gumbel Leaving The NFL Network

Friday, April 11, 2008


Just wanted to pass along this press release and give a hearty hallelujah....Gumbel is leaving the NFL-N....

Bryant Gumbel has decided to give up his duties as the play-by-play voice for the NFL Network’s eight-game package of NFL games, NFL Network announced today. Gumbel served as the play-by-play announcer for NFL Network’s Thursday and Saturday Night Football games for the past two seasons.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to call NFL Network games the past two years, which was a new experience for me,” said Gumbel. “But we've agreed that we'd all be better served going in different directions. There are a lot of talented people at NFL Network. I thank them, I wish them well, and I have no doubt that they will be very successful going forward.”

Gumbel, who has won multiple Emmy awards throughout his distinguished career, teamed with Cris Collinsworth the past two seasons on the NFL Network games. NFL Network will begin a search for a new play-by-play announcer to work alongside Collinsworth immediately.
Don't have time (vacation and all) to add much but thank god. More thoughts and analysis when I get back in town next week. And for those of you who had Friday evening in the "When will AA post while on Vacation poll"....you can collect your winnings below.
(Source: NFL-N PR)

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 5:14 PM

29 Comments:

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TJX said...
Apr 11, 2008, 5:30:00 PM  

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST NEWS I'VE HEARD ALL YEAR... PERHAPS THIS DECADE.

Bill said...
Apr 11, 2008, 5:37:00 PM  

Cool. Now if I ever get NFL Network on cable, I won't have to listen to him.

Anonymous said...
Apr 11, 2008, 6:01:00 PM  

They need to hire Tom Hammond.

TJX said...
Apr 11, 2008, 6:02:00 PM  

That job was made for Dick Enberg. Tom Hammond is no Dick Enberg - let's all be real.

Anonymous said...
Apr 11, 2008, 6:11:00 PM  

If they want to get someone good, who knows the game of football, they need to coax Wayne Larrivee out of Green Bay. There's no one better.

Apr 11, 2008, 6:26:00 PM  

Hire Pat Summerall!

Anonymous said...
Apr 11, 2008, 6:27:00 PM  

Thank Goodness!!!! I can football again without hitting the mute button!!!

Christine G said...
Apr 11, 2008, 7:29:00 PM  

Two words: Mike Patrick.

That is all.

JamesCraven said...
Apr 11, 2008, 7:33:00 PM  

Thank Goodness!!!! I can watch football again without hitting the mute button!

Christine G said...
Apr 11, 2008, 7:36:00 PM  

Hammond
Larrivee
Summerall
Patrick

or a man who has been broadcasting for over 50 yrs AND still knows where he is (most of the time)

Mr. Dick Enberg.

Welcome to the NFL Network - OH MY

Anonymous said...
Apr 11, 2008, 8:54:00 PM  

To quote Fred Flintstone - YABBA-DABBA-DOO!!! I don't have to worry about Bryant Gumbone calling Thursday or Saturday night games this season.

Being a Packers fan who lives in Canada, I enjoy listening to Wayne Larrivee calling games thanks to Sirius' NFL broadcasts. He does Westwood One NFL games as well and he's a great basketball announcer. I would enjoy late season games on NFL Network (TSN in Canada) with Wayne calling games but can he tolerate Collinsworth?

Anonymous said...
Apr 11, 2008, 9:24:00 PM  

I won't rest until Kornheiser leaves MNF, but I still welcome this news. Hopefully Tom Hammond can avoid another awful Notre Dame season to do more games on NFLN.

Anonymous said...
Apr 11, 2008, 10:22:00 PM  

Gus Johnson anyone?

TJX said...
Apr 11, 2008, 10:43:00 PM  

Gus is great at hoops. His style would work well.
As a fan of NFL and Red Sox and a radio Host, last year was rough, to say the least! Gumbel and Geffner. Ouch!
These iconic broadcasters(Verne, Dick, et al) are all still quite good..but one has to wonder just how much help they ACTUALLY get thru the earpiece.

Monty said...
Apr 11, 2008, 11:00:00 PM  

@ss & monty:

That'd make too much sense; Matt Vasgersian would get a call from the NFL-N before Gus. My vote goes for Dave Sims, btw, but I won't argue against Gus.

Apr 11, 2008, 11:02:00 PM  

What? No love for Mike Patrick?

JamesCraven said...
Apr 11, 2008, 11:35:00 PM  

@jamescraven:

Mike Patrick is content staring at Stacey Dales in the pre-game production meetings & having Dickie V dry hump his leg after every Duke victory.

Apr 11, 2008, 11:49:00 PM  

NOT PAT SUMMERALL

Anonymous said...
Apr 12, 2008, 12:12:00 AM  

Here's hoping that NFL Network doesn't give Chris Collinsworth a shot in the play-by-play booth with either Brian Billick or Deion Sanders as an analyst. They have been known to take chances on crap.

Anonymous said...
Apr 12, 2008, 12:44:00 AM  

Please, God! Not Mike Patrick.

Dick Enberg

I say bring back Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshire. With Phylis George, or Jane Kennedy.


Or how about Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy?

But please, for the love of God. Not Mike Patrick.

Unknown said...
Apr 12, 2008, 1:34:00 AM  

Criqui sounds good to me. He's underused by CBS.

So long Gumbel. And don't come back.

Anonymous said...
Apr 12, 2008, 9:21:00 AM  

My best guess would be Bob Papa. He was the lead play-by-play guy for NFL Europa last year (on NFL Network) and called the Insight Bowl for the NFL Network so this could be his chance if he wants an NFL job. Heck, he even did some Arena football games when the AFL was on NBC. It seems like he's done every brand of football but the NFL.

I could also see them going with Tom Hammond. Anyone else and I'll be surprised.

Anonymous said...
Apr 12, 2008, 8:13:00 PM  

Here is your inside scoop of who will be the next NFLN announcer ...

It's me, Mr. Goodell. I will be calling the action. I feel that I have a lot of qualifications. For one I, like Bryant Gumble, no absolutely nothing about football. And two, my dad was a senator. If those qualifications don't smack you in the face, nothing will.

Mr. Goodell said...
Apr 12, 2008, 9:14:00 PM  

THANK GOD!!! There are miracles in this universe aren't there!!!

Anonymous said...
Apr 13, 2008, 6:31:00 PM  

Who listened to the Cowboys - Packers game on NFL network last season? Anyone have a count on how many times he said that the WRONG team had the ball? Had to have been at least 5.

And yes - Wayne MF'ing Larrivee would be perfect for this - as long as he continues to call Packer games on a regular basis...

Tepid Epics said...
Apr 14, 2008, 2:15:00 PM  

Wayne Larivee would be perfect for these games. We miss him so much calling Bears games. Thankfully we still have him town calling Bulls games on WGN. But with the TNT package on Thursdays with limited other games, the odds would be slim he would have any conflicts there.
I think he's one of the top non-major network announcers in the country!

Anonymous said...
Apr 16, 2008, 12:29:00 AM  

here's the obvious call team,Mike Patrick,Paul Maquire and Joe Theisman,it's the only choice.They can put them in there with Collinsworth.Mike Patrick can be the voice of reason and the other three can verbally duke it out,it would be very entertaining to watch.

Anonymous said...
Apr 26, 2008, 4:46:00 PM  

How can someone enjoy listening to Mike Patrick? I can't stand him. I think Dick Enberg would be great. Or maybe they could get Marv Albert

Anonymous said...
Jun 26, 2008, 5:28:00 PM  

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