Hank Goldberg obit

ESPN NFL reporter and handicapping expert Hank Goldberg dies at 82

 

 He was not on the list.

 

Hank Goldberg, who worked at ESPN as an NFL reporter and handicapping expert for two decades, died Monday on his 82nd birthday, his family confirmed.

Goldberg had been in treatment for chronic kidney disease in recent years.

Known as Hammering Hank, Goldberg was .500 or better in 15 of 17 NFL seasons while predicting games at ESPN. He made appearances on NFL Countdown and ESPN Radio and contributed to the network's thoroughbred racing coverage.

Goldberg had also been a contributor on ESPN's Daily Wager throughout the sports betting show's existence, doing weekly hits during the NFL season and occasional appearances around the Triple Crown races. His last appearance on ESPN was in May, when he did a phone interview from the Kentucky Derby.

"Hank was a bigger part of ESPN's soul than anyone will ever know," said longtime ESPN anchor Chris Berman. "His information made us smarter. His insight made us wiser. His friendship made us better people. Rest in peace Hammer, and thank you from all of us."

Art Manteris, a recently retired, longtime Las Vegas bookmaker, spent his 40-year career trying to fight off wise guys, but quickly learned to respect Goldberg. The two struck up a friendship that lasted over three decades.

They enjoyed a meal together last week, a pastrami on rye from Weiss Deli, one of Goldberg's favorite Las Vegas spots, Manteris said.

"I can assure you, he was no phony," Manteris told ESPN of Goldberg's handicapping prowess. "The Hammer always put his money where his mouth was, and that immediately earned him a high level of respect with me. As a longtime Las Vegas bookmaker, there were few opinions I valued more than Hank's on the NFL."

Goldberg was also a longtime fixture in Miami, serving as a local radio and TV host for more than 25 years and working as a Dolphins radio analyst. He began his career in the 1970s as an assistant to handicapper Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder.

Goldberg relocated to Miami in 1966. He first worked in advertising, as well as in the public relations department of the Miami Dolphins. He was subsequently invited by Jimmy Snyder during the mid-1970s to be his ghostwriter for his nationally-syndicated column. He also put together subject matter for Snyder's contributions to The NFL Today, with the assistance of Al Davis.

After working under Snyder for four years, Goldberg became the Dolphins radio color commentator in 1978. He also took over as sports talk show host with WIOD that same year after being recommended to the position by Larry King, who departed from both posts in order to start the Larry King Show. Goldberg subsequently joined WTVJ as a sports commentator in 1983. During this time, he gained the monikers of "The Hammer" and "Hammerin’ Hank" because he would bang a gavel on the desk when he argued with his co-host. He simultaneously held the aforementioned three positions until 1992, when he was dismissed from WIOD for publicly disregarding his program director's instructions. He consequently joined WQAM – a rival station that was floundering at the time – and ultimately surpassed WIOD in the ratings. He started working for ESPN the following year, shortly after ESPN2 and ESPN Radio were launched. He appeared on NFL Countdown to provide handicapping analysis for NFL games, and collaborated with Tony Bruno and Keith Olbermann three times a week for the latter.

Goldberg worked at WQAM until December 31, 2007, when his contract expired. He had earlier rejected an offer for a new contract that would have resulted in a 60 percent salary reduction. He moved to Las Vegas in July 2018, two months after the US Supreme Court struck down the federal law that criminalized sports betting. He went on to work for CBS Sports HQ and CBS SportsLine.com, in addition to ESPN's Daily Wager. He made his final appearance on ESPN in May 2022, when he was interviewed over the phone from the Kentucky Derby. He published his final picks one month later for the Belmont Stakes

ESPN's David Purdum contributed to this report.