European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Greg Gumbe bundles up for Norway by Steve Zipay new Day baseball boys corps. Nil stats.  Gumbel loves them. Grew up wit them. Loves them almost As much As hanging out with his Louisiana buddy. Terry Bradshaw or watching mystery Sci ence theater 3000, the Cable television show where wisecracking robots comment on bad movies. But the numbers that Gumbel has followed the most in the last few weeks have been the daily temperatures in Lillehammer Norway where he s Host ing lbs prime time coverage of the Winter olym pics. Minus 10. Minus 13. Sprinkle in a gust of wind plenty of darkness and 3v5 feet of Snow and you have a recipe to make Gumbel shiver even in new York. I m not a Winter sports participant Gumbel said before flying to Norway and i can t say that i was a Winter olympics fan until Albertville in 1992. Once i got there i was thrilled to death. It la be Fine he said sounding a lot like a paratrooper giving himself a Pep talk before stepping out the cargo door at 10,000 feet. Hey i figure i la be in the studio from noon until Between 2 and 4 in the morning the Friendly Gumbel whose irreverent sense of humor and penchant for seeing life s Little ironies rarely make it onto the air says hockey is the one so called Winter sport that i be had an affection for. I d just As soon watch a hockey game on television As anything. Of course my thought would have been to mount the goalie on the  seriously Gumbel admits that while not an avid Follower of events such As luge and Alpine skiing in Albertville where he co hosted lbs weekday morning broadcasts i came to appreciate them. The kinds of things you see up close can t compare to anything else in  so Why was the 47-year-old Gumbel the son of a Chicago magistrate who grew up idolizing Luis Aparicio chosen As lbs front Man for the Winter games previous prime time hosts including his younger brother Bryant and Tim Mccarver and Paula Zahn took big hits from critics. We Learned an important lesson in Albertville said Mark Harrington lbs vice president for olym pics coverage. We really thought we needed two hosts because we were going to be in everybody s living room for three hours a night. Instead we found that what we needed to do was just set the scene and get right out to the  Rick Gentile lbs sports vice president of production echoes that sentiment. Greg is comfortable on the air an easy look and listen and a Good traffic cop All the qualities you re looking for in that role. And he has a genuine appreciation for  Gumbel downplays the Praise. Look i think you have to be the genial Host you have to Welcome peo ple make them feel comfortable and thank them for coming. I probably oversimplify it but it does t take a Genius to do  Gumbel disdains ties when away from the camera. One Day recently while at lbs Midtown new York offices for his weekly study session with olympic re searchers he wore jeans a casual shirt a Brown leather baseball jacket and a Jacksonville jaguars Cap. He stopped to Tell a Story about an episode of soap on comedy Central and confided that if i had one wish when i was younger it would pc been to be a rolling  of All the . Athletes Gumbel has a special Lik ing for skier Picabo Street because of her Back ground she had an upbringing in a hippie com Mune her parents were part of a farmhouse Community she did t have a name until she was 2. If you re a child of the 60s, you Kinda grow up think cd Greg Gumbel the brother of Bryant and Host of the nil today has risen to olympian Heights at lbs. Ing that s  Gumbel certainly matured in that rebellious Era. He was born in new Orleans in 1946, and his family moved to the South Side of Chicago when he was in the fourth Grade. The Gumbel lived in Hyde Park a Catholic Middle class neighbourhood. Greg loved the White sox Bryant the cubs. As altar boys the Brothers served 9 . Mass at St. Thomas the apostle which was attended by White sox who stayed at the nearby Del Prado hotel. At the communion rail you d have Al Lopez Dick Donovan Bob Shaw Tony Cuccinello. I d. Stand there transfixed until the priest would go a Rump huh and i d jump Greg recalled. In de la Salle High school we were both pretty quiet but Bryant was More outgoing i did t come out of the Shell until  when the Shell broke it did t just crack it shattered. My dad Richard was a strict disciplinarian who died before he Ever saw me or Bryant on the air Gumbel said. Actually he did see me on to in Grant Park in the anti War protest during the demo cratic convention in 1968.1 was running from the police. I used to go into court and watch him Send people to jail for a lot less than i did. But when i would Start to get out of hand he would walk me through Cook county  at tiny Loras College in Dubuque Iowa where he graduated As an English major his anti War senti ment continued. He went through nine physicals passed six flunked three in a 5 i year Battle with the selective service and to this Day makes no attempt to hide his contempt for politicians especially former president Nixon. Two years ago pro Ducer Eric Mann wanted Nixon on As a guest on nil today Gumbel said. I said if you do i m not doing the show. I will not talk to him i was cheering for the blood clot. I had six fraternity Broth ers two teammates and several other friends who never come Back from Vietnam. People say would you Ever do what Bryant does talk to those idiots every Day of your life Are you kidding me no Way. Aden Specter or Jesse Helms Why would you Ever want to spend 30 seconds of your life talking to them the fools of the  after College Gumbel sold ads for a Chicago continued on Page 23 Page 22 sunday february 13, 1934