Hank Goldberg, Former ESPN NFL Reporter and Sports Handicapper, Dies at Age 82

Hank Goldberg, a longtime horse racing analyst and NFL reporter for ESPN, died Monday at age 82, his family confirmed to ESPN. Goldberg had suffered from chronic kidney disease.

Known as "Hammering Hank," he began his career in sports radio in Miami in the 1970s before becoming the Dolphins' radio color analyst from 1978 to 1992. He then hosted a sports talk radio show at WQAM in Miami from 1993 to 2009.

Goldberg embarked on his 21-year career with ESPN in 1993, appearing on NFL Countdown and serving as a handicapping expert. The veteran broadcaster spent 17 seasons predicting NFL games for ESPN and was .500 or better in 15 of those seasons.

In addition to his NFL work, Goldberg contributed to ESPN's horse racing coverage, analyzing Triple Crown races on SportsCenter. According to Todd Dewey of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he fell in love with horse racing when he was 17.

More recently, Goldberg appeared on ESPN's Daily Wager sports betting show. He also worked for CBS Sports and analyzed the Belmont Stakes last month.