Jim Nantz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jim Nantz | |
|---|---|
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| Born | May 17, 1959 (age 47) Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Spouse | Lorrie |
James William "Jim" Nantz III (born May 17, 1959 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.
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[edit] Early life
Nantz grew up in Colts Neck, New Jersey and attended Marlboro High School where he was co-captain of the basketball team and co-captain and number one player on the golf team. He was a member of Bamm Hollow Country Club.
Nantz then went to the University of Houston in Texas, where he majored in broadcasting and played on the golf team, rooming with future professional golfers Fred Couples and Blaine McCallister. While in college he was a member of Zeta Beta Tau.
[edit] Before CBS Sports
After his 1981 graduation, Nantz broadcast for several local radio and television stations in Houston and Salt Lake City, then became a play-by-play announcer for the Brigham Young University football team and the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association.
[edit] At CBS
In 1985 Nantz was hired by CBS, for which he served as a play-by-play announcer and/or studio anchor for a number of events including the NFL, the NBA, college football and basketball, The Masters and PGA Championship golf tournaments, the U.S. Open (tennis) championship, and the Winter Olympic Games.
Nantz has teamed with Billy Packer to call the NCAA Final Four men's basketball finals continuously since 1991.
[edit] The NFL on CBS
After hosting CBS's pre-game program The NFL Today from 1998-2003, he became The NFL on CBS's top play-by-play announcer in 2004. That move sent Greg Gumbel to the studio, and Nantz to the stadium booth with Phil Simms.
On February 4, 2007, Nantz called the play-by-play of Super Bowl XLI. He joins Curt Gowdy and Dick Enberg as the only play-by-play announcers to ever call both a Super Bowl and a NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game. (Greg Gumbel called CBS' previous Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXXVIII.)
Nantz is also one of two men to host a Super Bowl, announce an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game, and host coverage of The Masters from Butler Cabin with Brent Musburger being the other. Musburger also accomplished all three feats with CBS.
[edit] Personal
Nantz received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the University of Houston in 2001. The veteran NCAA announcer is also one of the youngest recipients of the Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy award for broadcasting.
In a radio interview with KTCK The Ticket in Dallas, Nantz announced that he would like to announce 50 Masters before he retires.
Nantz is a frequent golf partner of former President George Herbert Walker Bush.
Nantz's commentary is featured in the Golden Tee Golf arcade game series.
Nantz lives with his wife, Lorrie, and daughter in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
[edit] Quotes
| “ | Hello, friends! (Nantz's usual opening line on broadcasts) | ” |
| “ | The Bear...has come out of hibernation. (final round of 1986 Masters, referring to Jack Nicklaus) | ” |
| “ | A win for the ages! (1997 Masters) | ” |
| “ | I don’t want to hear about bumpy greens, I don’t want to hear about six-hour rounds. This is the showpiece for the PGA Tour. Get out here and play. (prior to the final round at Pebble Beach, talking about the Tiger Woods no-show) | ” |
| “ | Just when everybody says you can't, you can, and U-CONN has won its first national title! (1999 NCAA Basketball Championship Game, Connecticut vs. Duke) | ” |
| “ | Yes you May. (2000 PGA Championship) | ” |
| “ | There it is -- as grand as it gets! (2001 Masters) | ” |
| “ | The mecca of college basketball is in Storrs, Connecticut! (2004 NCAA Tournament, as Emeka Okafor and the UCONN men joined the UCONN women as NCAA Champs) | ” |
| “ | Is it his time?...Yes! (2004 Masters, as Phil Mickelson made the tournament-winning shot for his first major) | ” |
| “ | Watch his life change right here. (2004 Masters, while watching Mickelson's reaction to his winning putt on videotape) | ” |
| “ | It started in March, ended in April, and belonged to May (2005 NCAA Tournament) | ” |
| “ | Gators... as good as it gets (2006 NCAA Tournament) | ” |
| “ | Florida takes its place in history, back-to-back and unforgettable! (2007 NCAA Tournament) | ” |
| “ | A tradition unlike any other, The Masters on CBS. (Used annually during promos for and coverage of the tournament, although not always by Nantz) | ” |
[edit] References
- CBS Sports Team - CBS SportsLine.com JIM NANTZ Lead Play-by-Play Announcer: NFL on CBS
- Jim Nantz named 2005 "National Sportscaster of the Year"
| Preceded by Brent Musburger |
Play-by-Play Announcer, NCAA Men's Final Four 1991-present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Greg Gumbel |
The NFL Today host 1998-2003 |
Succeeded by Greg Gumbel |
| Preceded by Greg Gumbel |
American television prime time anchor, Winter Olympic Games 1998 |
Succeeded by Bob Costas |
Categories: 1959 births | American sports announcers | Brigham Young Cougars football | Golf writers and broadcasters | Jewish American sportspeople | Living people | National Basketball Association broadcasters | People from New Jersey | University of Houston alumni | Utah Jazz | National Football League announcers | Utah media
