Jim Nantz

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Jim Nantz (born May 17, 1959 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is an American sportscaster.

Contents 1 Early life 1.1 Before CBS Sports 2 At CBS 2.1 The NFL on CBS 3 Personal 4 Quotes 5 References

[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.

[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 the CBS television network, 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.

Since CBS has the rights to Super Bowl XLI and Nantz is scheduled to be the #1 play-by-play man for The NFL on CBS in 2006, Nantz will join 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' most recent Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXXVIII.) Nantz is already 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.

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 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)

Yes you May. (2000 PGA Championship)

There it is -- as grand as it gets! (2001 Masters)

Is it his time?...Yes! (2004 Masters, as Phil Mickelson made the tournament-winning shot for his first major)

It started in March, ended in April, and belonged to May (2005 NCAA Tournament)

Gators... as good as it gets (2006 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

1. CBS Sports Team - CBS SportsLine.com JIM NANTZ Lead Play-by-Play Announcer: NFL on CBS

Preceded by: Greg Gumbel	The NFL Today host 1998-2003	Succeeded by: Greg Gumbel
Preceded by: Brent Musburger	Play-by-Play Announcer, NCAA Men's Final Four 1991-present	Succeeded by: incumbent