Minneapolis ? Bryant Gumbel was a household name on NBC’s “Today Show” long before Matt Lauer or Katie Couric. He covered the outbreak of the Persian Gulf War from Saudi Arabia, the reopening of the arms negotiations from Geneva and hosted the 1988 Olympics. His mantel includes awards that carry the names of Edward R. Murrow and George Foster Peabody – not to mention 19 Emmys.

At 58, Gumbel’s legacy in television appears secure. So why is he in television booths on Thursday and Saturday nights, describing games on the fledgling NFL Network?

“You know what? I’m not sure why I took it,” said Gumbel, who, with Cris Collinsworth, will call tonight’s Kansas City vs. Oakland game. “I think I took it because it fit perfectly with my schedule and my lifestyle. … There was no reason not to.”

Gumbel never has been uncomfortable saying what’s on his mind or being on the hot seat, but when he joined Collinsworth for their first game together, on Thanksgiving night in Kansas City, Gumbel realized he was outside his comfort zone.

Gumbel knows some reviews have been negative. “I’m very aware of it, I really am,” he said. “On the other hand, I’m also very aware that we live in an age when taking shots and being critical of people who are in the limelight is what it is. It’s the price of admission.”

And right now it sounds like that is a price Gumbel is willing to pay.