Jim Nantz

For the ex-NFL fullback, see Jim Nance.
Jim Nantz

Jim Nantz by set of The NFL Today, 2001.
Born James William Nantz, III
(1959-05-17) May 17, 1959
Charlotte, North Carolina

Sports commentary career

Genre(s) Play-by-play
Sports NFL
College basketball
PGA Tour

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 announcer on CBS's top play-by-play team since 2004.

Biography

Early life

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nantz grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana[1] and Colts Neck Township, New Jersey[2] and Marlboro Township, New Jersey,[3] where he attended Marlboro High School.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

Before CBS Sports

Nantz started as an anchor and sportscaster for KHOU Houston in the early 80s and then became a weekend sports anchor on KSL-TV in Salt Lake City (1982-1985) where he called BYU football games along with Steve Young and Utah Jazz games along with Hot Rod Hundley.[7][8]

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 teamed with Billy Packer to call the NCAA Final Four men's basketball finals from 1991 until 2008. From 2008–2013, Clark Kellogg had been his analyst. From 2010–13, Nantz and Kellogg have been joined during the Final Four by Steve Kerr of TNT Sports. From 2013-14, Greg Anthony partnered with Nantz. Following Anthony's suspension, Bill Raftery was selected to replace him and is Nantz's new partner.[9]

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, Kevin Harlan, 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's 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.

In 2014 Nantz and broadcast partner Phil Simms called Thursday Night Football games in a deal with CBS and the NFL Network. Tracy Wolfson was the sideline reporter for the Thursday games along with the Sunday games on 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 + 15 and season 9, episode 24). 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.

Since 2009, Nantz has guest commentated on the final round of The Open Championship for the BBC.

Nantz teamed with Gary McCord to provide extensive commentary in the 1990s PC golf game Jack Nicklaus 6 - Golden Bear Challenge, and his commentary is featured in the Golden Tee golf arcade game series.

From 2012 until 2016 (when they were replaced with Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis), Nantz, along with Phil Simms, provided commentary for the Madden NFL series. In 2013, Nantz appeared in Papa John's Pizza ad with Peyton Manning quarterback of the Denver Broncos and founder John Schnatter. During Super Bowl XLVII, Joe Flacco unknowingly hit Nantz with the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the presentation, but Nantz simply brushed it off.

Career timeline

Awards

Nantz won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play in both 2008 and 2009.[10]

Nantz has been honored with the NSSA's National Sportscaster of the Year award five times (1998, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009).[11] In 2011, Nantz was named as a recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[12]

Nantz received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Houston in 2001. He also is one of the youngest recipients of the Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy award for broadcasting.

Nantz was awarded the Ambassador Award of Excellence by the LA Sports & Entertainment Commission in 2012 for his involvement in the community.[13]

Broadcasting partners

Personal

Nantz's first book, Always By My Side – A Father’s Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other, was released in May 2008. Nantz tells personal stories from football, basketball, and golf, and how he has met people along the way who remind him of the virtues his father instilled in him. The foreword to the book was written by one of his father figures, friend and frequent golf partner, former President George H.W. Bush. Nantz’s father, Jim Nantz Jr., died in 2008 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease; he was treated at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. In January 2011, Jim Nantz and The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas launched the Nantz National Alzheimer Center. The mission of the Center is to improve care and treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research and the investigation of its causes, including the role of concussions and other past neurological trauma.

Nantz was married to Ann-Lorraine "Lorrie" Carlsen Nantz for 26 years before divorcing in 2009. The couple lived in Westport, Connecticut and had one child, daughter Caroline.[14]

In November 2009, Jim Nantz was ordered to pay his ex-wife $916,000 a year in child support and alimony. Nantz acknowledged dating a 29-year-old woman before the divorce was final, although the judge concluded the marriage deteriorated years earlier and "this remote event in no way contributed to the breakdown of the marriage." Nantz earns $7 million a year.[15]

On June 9, 2012, Nantz married Courtney Richards in a ceremony at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California.[16] On March 14, 2014 Nantz and his wife welcomed a baby girl.[17]The couple welcomed their second child, a boy, named Jameson, on February 1, 2016. [18]

Winemaking

Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley produced for Nantz's The Calling label.

In 2009, Nantz partnered with wine producer Peter Deutsch to launch a private wine label The Calling with its first vintage released in 2012. The wine's name is in reference to Nantz's calling of the Masters Tournament.[19]

Political Contributions

Nantz is a frequent political contributor, commonly supporting members of the Republican Party. In the past he has donated money to the campaigns of George W. Bush, Joe Lieberman, Lindsey Graham, and Fred Thompson. Most recently he has contributed the maximum amount allowed by law to support Jeb Bush's 2016 Presidential Campaign. [20][21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Radio Interview on The Don Geronimo Show. Aired January 30, 2012.
  2. ↑ CBS Sports Team: Jim Nantz, CBS Sports. Accessed April 4, 2008. "He was born May 17, 1959, in Charlotte, N.C., and grew up in Colts Neck, N.J."
  3. ↑ Craig, Jack. "CBS' Nantz a Smoothie from Start", Boston Globe, November 11, 1988. Accessed September 10, 2015. "'It took me one-tenth of a second to answer. My wife and I grew up in Marlboro, New Jersey. We were coming home,' he said. Three years later, Nantz and his wife are living in Westport, Conn."
  4. ↑ Cox Classic Headliners, accessed November 29, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Broadcaster Nantz in front row for sports history". Houston Chronicle. September 12, 2010.
  6. ↑ Sandomir, Richard. "Win Elliot, Who Broadcast Sports With Flair, Dies at 83", The New York Times, September 20, 1998.
  7. ↑ "Jim Nantz: CBS broadcaster on Peyton Manning in Denver and how to win the NCAA tournament". Denver Post. 15 March 2012. Out of college I worked at KSL in Salt Lake City, one of my assignments was BYU football play-by-play, back in the time when BYU was winning the national championship. I did those games with Steve Young in the booth.
  8. ↑ "Scott D. Pierce: Utah-BYU split hard for Nantz to fathom". Salt Lake Tribune. 8 June 2011. From 1982-85, he was the weekend sports anchor at Ch. 5; he did BYU football play-by-play alongside Steve Young; he did Jazz commentary alongside Hot Rod Hundley.
  9. ↑ Fine, Marshall, "The Voice of Sports", Cigar Aficionado, June 2011, pp. 62–76.
  10. ↑ "CBS Sports TV Team". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  11. ↑ http://www.nssafame.com/General/15266
  12. ↑ "Jim Nantz named Rozelle Award winner". July 6, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Sports commentator Jim Nantz to receive coveted award at LASEC Golf Classic".
  14. ↑ Connecticut Post, CBS sportscaster, wife testify in Bridgeport
  15. ↑ "Jim Nantz on the hook for $916,000 annually in divorce settlement". Chicago Sun Times. November 3, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Jim Nantz Is Getting Married At Pebble Beach Today". Deadspin. June 9, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  17. ↑ Brown, Larry (March 15, 2014). "Jim Nantz and wife Courtney have baby girl". Larry Brown Sports. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  18. ↑ http://nypost.com/2016/02/04/sons-birth-saves-jim-nantz-from-agonizing-super-bowl-decision/
  19. ↑ Jennifer Mayerle "Sports Commentator Jim Nantz has a second calling, wine" CBS Atlanta, April 11, 2013
  20. ↑ "FEC Individual Contribution Search". Federal Election Commission. United States Federal Election Commission. 2015-08-28. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  21. ↑ "REPORT FOR JEB 2016, INC.". docquery.fec.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-23.

External links

Media offices
Preceded by
Dick Stockton		 Studio Host, College Basketball on CBS
1986–1990 		Succeeded by
Pat O'Brien
Preceded by
Brent Musburger		 Play-by-play announcer, NCAA Men's Final Four
1991-present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Greg Gumbel		 American television prime time anchor, Winter Olympic Games
1998 		Succeeded by
Bob Costas
Preceded by
Greg Gumbel		 The NFL Today host
1998–2003 		Succeeded by
Greg Gumbel
Preceded by
Greg Gumbel		 Lead play-by-play announcer, The NFL on CBS
2004–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Greg Gumbel		 Super Bowl television play-by-play announcer (AFC package carrier)
2007-present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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