Jim Nantz

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Jim Nantz bigraphy, stories - Sports broadcaster

Jim Nantz : biography

May 17, 1959 –

James William "Jim" Nantz, III (born May 17, 1959) is an American sportscaster who has worked on telecasts of the National Football League (NFL), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men’s basketball and the PGA Tour for CBS Sports since the 1990s. He has been the NFL on CBS’s top play-by-play announcer since 2004.

Biography

Early life

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nantz grew up in New Orleans, LouisianaRadio Interview on The Don Geronimo Show. Aired January 30, 2012. and Marlboro, New Jersey, CBS Sports. Accessed April 4, 2008. "He was born May 17, 1959, in Charlotte, N.C., and grew up in Colts Neck, N.J." and attended Marlboro High School., accessed November 29, 2006. In high school, 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 Houston Cougars men’s golf team, rooming with future professional golfers Fred Couples and Blaine McCallister. It was during this time that Nantz got his first experience in sports broadcasting with the CBS Radio Network, transmitting taped interviews to Win Elliot for the latter’s Sports Central USA weekend reports.

Before CBS Sports

Nantz worked as an anchor and sportscaster for KSL TV in Salt Lake City.

At CBS

Nantz joined CBS in 1985, initially working as a studio host for the network’s college football and basketball coverage, and as an on-course reporter for PGA Tour golf, as well as calling NFL games on Westwood One (from 1988-1990, when he was moved to television, Nantz called Sunday Night Football games for what was then, CBS Radio Sports). Nantz has anchored CBS’ coverage of the Masters tournament since 1989. He has teamed with Billy Packer to call the NCAA Final Four men’s basketball finals from 1991 until 2008. Since the 2008-09 season, Clark Kellogg has been his analyst. Since 2010-11, Nantz and Kellogg have been joined during the Final Four by Steve Kerr of TNT Sports.Fine, Marshall, "The Voice of Sports", Cigar Aficionado, June 2011, pp. 62–76.

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. In 1993, Nantz had previously filled-in for his predecessor, Greg Gumbel as NFL Today host while Gumbel was away covering the American League Championship Series for CBS. Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts were the #2 team for much of the 1993 season. However, Nantz and Randy Cross would call the second round playoff game for CBS (Dallas vs. Green Bay) not called by Pat Summerall and John Madden. Meanwhile, Tim Ryan and Matt Millen were the #3 team for much of the 1993 season.

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 an NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game. (Greg Gumbel called CBS’ previous Super Bowls, Super Bowl XXXV and 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.

Media appearances

Nantz has appeared on episodes of The Price Is Right to present a Showcase prize that involves CBS Sports properties, one to attend the 2009 Final Four in Detroit and another in 2010 for Super Bowl XLIV (with Phil Simms), as part of changes to the long-time game show to use product placement models and CBS crossovers, including sports packages.

Nantz appeared as himself in the 1996 film Tin Cup, and has appeared in episodes of several television series including Arliss, Yes, Dear, Criminal Minds, and How I Met Your Mother (season 5, episode 14). He portrayed the announcer for the fictional baseball team in the short-lived series Clubhouse, and his voice can be heard in the 1998 film Scrapple.