Bryant Gumbel to Receive Marist College Lifetime Excellence in Sports Communication Award
Emmy-winning broadcaster, HBO Real Sports host to be inaugural recipient at New York City ceremony
New York City (Sept. 10, 2015) – The Marist College Center for Sports Communication will present the inaugural Lifetime Excellence in Sports Communication Award to veteran broadcaster Bryant Gumbel at an October 15th dinner and ceremony at the New York Athletic Club in New York City. The award was established to recognize individuals who have exemplified excellence over time in the broadly defined field of sports communication, recognizing the social value and importance of sport and those that cover, analyze, narrate, and otherwise bring us our national pastimes. Bryant Gumbel
Gumbel has long been recognized for his groundbreaking and industry-defining work. For the past 20 years, he has hosted HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, a show that has earned 28 Emmy’s, a 2006 DuPont-Columbia University award for broadcast journalism, and a 2012 Peabody Award. Through Gumbel’s stewardship, the program has expertly examined the vast intersection of sport and the world around it, highlighting the joys, complexities, accomplishments, and injustices in and around the sports landscape. Gumbel has interviewed the most influential names in the sports world, from Muhamad Ali to Jack Nicklaus, and his work has both spurred change and encouraged humanity in the global industry of sport.
Many of Gumbel’s past and present colleagues and contemporaries will offer thoughts and stories throughout the evening, which will include video tributes covering some of Gumbel’s defining television moments. Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC, will serve as the evening’s master of ceremonies.
According to Marist College Center for Sports Communication director Keith Strudler, Gumbel was the obvious choice for this inaugural award.
"Bryant is unique in that he has both a remarkable media skill set and a profound sense of ethics and responsibility," said Strudler. "He’s done more than create an industry leading program – Bryant has truly defined a sports genre. He embodies what this award aspires to represent."
Beyond his work at HBO, Gumbel is widely known and respected for his time at NBC, including hosting the Today program for 15 years. Before joining the news division, Gumbel spent seven years with NBC Sports, hosting virtually all its primary programs and championship-event broadcasts.
Gumbel also worked at CBS News, where he hosted his own primetime program, Public Eye, as well as the network’s morning news program, The Early Show, before retiring from network television in 2002. His broadcast career began in October 1972, when he was named sportscaster for KNBC-TV Los Angeles.
Born in New Orleans and raised in Chicago, Gumbel graduated from Bates College and has received honorary doctorates from Bates, Xavier University in New Orleans, College of the Holy Cross, Providence College, and Clark Atlanta University. He serves on the boards of the United Way of New York City, Xavier, and his alma mater. Center for Sports Communication
A variety of corporate sponsorships as well as individual tickets are available. For more information, please call the Marist Office of College Advancement at (845) 575-3000, ext. 3264.
About the Marist College Center for Sports Communication
Founded in 2011, the Marist College Center for Sports Communication is a global leader in the study of and practice in sports communication, helping to prepare an enlightened and engaged group of future leaders in one of society’s most far-reaching disciplines. The center serves a variety of publics through the creation of important external partnerships, research and creative activity, production of professional sports media, presentations by leaders in the field, instruction and curricular development, and community service as relevant to the discipline.
Since its inception, the Marist College Center for Sports Communication has achieved national and international recognition of its activities, helping to extend the reputation of the College and providing unique educational experiences for Marist students. Marist student interns provide industry-standard support for the center’s work under the guidance of dedicated faculty, allowing students unparalleled opportunities and access. Some center successes include building and hosting a weekly sports show on an ESPN radio station, earning the distinction of academic partner to the industry-leading Sports PR Summit, partnering with the Marist Poll for sports themed research, and supporting the launch of a certificate in global sports communication at Marist’s campus in Florence, Italy.
