Since he became the lead announcer for the NFL on CBS in 2004, Jim Nantz has had the opportunity to thrice pull off the rare sportscasting feat of calling the Super Bowl, NCAA Tournament and The Masters in the same calendar year.

This year, each event had its bizarre moments. The Super Bowl had the Louisiana Superdome blackout, the NCAA Tournament had Kevin Ware breaking his leg and there was the whole "should Tiger Woods be disqualified" story.

In an interview with Sports Business Journal's John Ourand, Nantz said that he wanted to jump out of the booth during the Super Bowl blackout and run down to the field so he could help CBS report on the situation, but instead he was told to remain where he was. Given CBS's immense struggles during that time, Nantz doing his best superhero impression and coming to the rescue of the bumbling coverage may have actually been a decent option. As strange as it sounds:

“I look back on it now and I just wish I could have helped out,” Nantz said. “There was nothing I could do.”

On the Kevin Ware injury, Nantz said that after seeing the horrific replay of the injury to the Louisville guard, he kept quiet for the next 10 minutes:

“I never felt any urge to open my mouth. I never felt compelled to try and add a narrative to it."

And for The Masters, Nantz said he was about to wrap up taping the Friday night highlights show when CBS learned that Tiger might be disqualified for a rules violation so a new program was produced for air.

Nantz said he had a feeling that based on the previous two events, The Masters would complete the bizarre triangle.

“I could feel it coming. I told people that something unusual was going to happen at the Masters,” Nantz said. “There was not a doubt in my mind, coming off the blackout and the Kevin Ware injury. … It was bound to happen.”

Now if he can predict how his wine will do in five years, we'll know that in addition to being one of the lead sportscasters of our generation, that Nantz is also a powerful psychic.

[Sports Business Journal]

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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