MINNEAPOLIS _ On Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium, Jim Nantz called his 29th Final Four for CBS, a record among broadcasters that doesn't figure to be matched any time soon.
Nantz has been with CBS since 1985 and has become the voice of sports broadcasting in America. He has covered every major sporting event, including being the lead broadcaster for five Super Bowls, most recently for the Patriots' 13-3 victory over the Los?Angeles Rams in Atlanta in February.
He is perhaps best known as the voice of the Masters, a position he has held since 1986, and an event he will call again next week in Augusta, Ga.
Nantz said there are some similarities between major sporting events such as the Final Four, Super Bowl and the Masters, but definite differences, too.
"First off, they are all a rush," he said. "The difference to me boils down to preparation. The Super Bowl is the biggest event in America, the biggest event in television. The preparation and all of the behind-the-scenes detail is immense. The Final Four is just a fraction behind that in terms of the preparation."
When it comes to the Masters, he said that event holds a different kind of spot in his career.
"The Masters runs deep in my heart; it's a love affair that I've had since I was a little boy with that tournament, that club," Nantz said. "The Masters is poetry to me. The other two are a different approach, a different vibe and a different demand. There's time to make sure my analyst is starring, my Tony Romo and Bill Raftery and Grant Hill, (and I'm) being a good setup guy."
