Hank Goldberg has died on his 82nd birthday.
The veteran broadcaster - who was best known for his longtime role as an ESPN NFL reporter and predicted game results as a handicapper - passed away on Monday (04.07.22) after a "long battle with kidney disease" and had reportedly undergone a leg amputation towards the end of 2021.
Sports journalist Todd Dewey tweeted: "Sad to report that longtime @espn horse racing analyst NFL reporter/prognosticator Hank "The Hammer" Goldberg @hammeringhankg died today on his 82nd birthday at his home in Las Vegas after a long battle with chronic kidney disease. Rest In Peace."
Hank - who was also known as The Hammer - spent more than a decade and a half working for ESPN on NFL Primetime while also discussing horse racing’s Triple Crown events on SportsCenter and in more recent years became an analyst for CBS.
According to ESPN, was .500 or better in 15 of 17 NFL seasons while predicting games and made his last appearance on the network back in May 2022 for a phone interview from the Kentucky Derby.
Close friend and retired bookmaker Art Manteris explained that when it comes to his handicapping, Hank was "no phony" and that there was "few opinions" he trusted more thank Hank's.
He said: "I can assure you, he was no phony. 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."
