The sentimentality of sports fans is one of the strangest aspects of the sports world. One of the stories in Monday night’s men’s title game was Jim Nantz. The voice of March Madness for literally as long as I can remember was broadcasting his last college basketball game in his hometown of Houston, signing off with his signature nod saying “Thanks for being my friend.”
As far as sentimental sports go, college hoops is pretty far out there. Every tournament ends with “One Shining Moment” and there are always 17 coaches who are the sons of coaches crying about the significance of their fathers. UConn coach Dan Hurley was no exception, but was able to hold back from self-deprecation when Nantz tried to tug on his heartstrings during the trophy presentation.
Maybe when (if) I become a father, I’ll know what it feels like to be labeled a bum, but as it is, those people aren’t for me, to put it mildly. So, since we agree on how black my heart is, let’s take an objective look at the Nantes signing to see if it was milked enough for internet hyperbole or shame.
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A little on the nose, but solid
Every time you tune in to a major CBS sporting event, whether it’s March Madness, the Masters, or the NFL, king quarter-zip there is “Hello Friends” to greet you. Broadcasters usually reserve the catchphrase for in-game action, like Mike Breen’s “Bang!” or “It’s a Man’s Jam” by Ian Eagle. The latter of the two will sound like the March Madness title games Eagle is set to take over the lead duties for Nantes.
However, for Jimmy Boy, Hello Friends is as unique as it is universal. It can and is used elsewhere, so as much as Nantes’ last game was, what I’m guessing is that it was pretty classic? Jim tried to deflect attention from his impending semi-retirement whenever Bill Rafferty or Grant Hill brought it up, and while there was ample opportunity to reflect on his career during the derailed affair, he remained unmoved until the very last moments.
Perhaps Nantz didn’t want to go on a victory lap because he was getting a finishing tour this entire tournament, even though, you know, he hadn’t retired. Maybe there’s no ego with Nantz and he really didn’t want it to be about him. The guy threw Tony Romo under the bus to keep up with his Sunday game preparation and as colleague Sam Fels said, Nantz is “as much of an ass as you’d probably assume he is.” So take what you feel comfortable with from it.
However, I’m not here to drop a hit piece on Nantz. He’s cool, and if you think we won’t see him again during March Madness, he’s part of the Capital One family. Charles Barkley welcomed him into a group like Vin Diesel assembled for movie stars Fast and gassy franchise, and we’ll definitely be seeing The Dance in the future if the 63-year-old is willing to hop and skip for our entertainment and a wheelbarrow full of money.
I have no worries about how Gimmotti will age in the booth next to Romo. The tandem got paid (not in tandem, but it would be funny if they negotiated as a duo).Step brothers”, and neither is going to leave that cushy job.
My issue is what does Nantz sign with when he fully retires? “Thank you for being my friend” is kind of silly the more I think about it. That assumes you have no friends, and I’m almost positive. Simple Jack thanks someone for being his friend. A tropical thunderstorm.
I think Nantz could use TYFBMF again if the time between goodbyes allows the first phrase to sink into our psyches, but as a writer, I hate using the same words twice, and as a cynic, I’m more inclined to I have no one to thank for that. being my friend
Does “Bye Friends” work? It’s simple, it’s all relevant, and, gosh, I don’t know why he didn’t use it other than wanting to save it for his final disposal.
So, with that being said, and since I don’t have a good way to end this all… bye friends.