NFL Conference Championship Sunday: Blake Bortles' Date With Destiny

Nantz began as a golf announcer and it's obviously still the sport closest to his heart. In golf, unlike almost every other sport, fans root hard for the favorite or favorites to win and commentary is pretty sycophantic as a matter of course.

 

If the Super Bowl were a split-squad matchup between Jacksonville's A team and Jacksonville's B Team, it would still be the most watched television program this year by 50 million viewers

 

Proof positive this world needs a LOT fewer Cowboys and Steelers fans.

Jeez, those teams became "national" when I was 11 years old. And it's not like they've had 45 years of sustained championship material, either. As of two years ago the Cowboys were one victory ahead of the Jets since 2000.

 

The Cowboys and Steelers have lots of fans for the same reason people still watch NCIS -- older people get stuck in their ways.

 

Nantz's reputation of having a soft spot for the Patriots goes back well before this season and it is absolutely deserved. Not that it's a huge issue, but I think the Patriots fanboy thing is clouding your perceptions on this one.

 

Part of it is loyalty. People were drawn to those teams in the '70s and stayed with them.

The Cowboys also had that second run in the '90s. The Steelers didn't have that, though they have won two more Super Bowls and appeared in two others since the '70s, but they have been fairly consistent. I think since the '70s their longest streak of missing the playoffs is three years, maybe four. They may have had a huge gap between Super Bowl victories, but they are always hanging around in contention.

 

Well, you go to the Super Bowl with the matchups you have, not the ones you want. I assume NBC would prefer Vikings-Pats, for the ultra-easy defending champ dynasty versus plucky home town favorite hype angle.

 

Like I agreed with.
Just adding that it's not just a Patriots thing. He's a front-runner trying to get on the good side of the winners.
I think if we take away anything from Nantz it's that nobody really says "oh boy, so great Jim Nantz is calling my team's game today." CBS should replace him with Eagle or Kevin Harlan.

 

I know I am in the minority, but I think Nantz is very good on NFL, and especially since getting Romo, he's been energized. Just looking at the other network's A teams, I find him much better than Buck, McDonough or Michaels. Michaels is like my old cell phone battery before I replaced it. Just got less and less use out of it as it aged. Michael's nasally delivery and odd way of not matching his tone to the importance of the action on the field leaves me wanting.

As far as perceived Nantz bias - I watch the games, and I don't hear it. The Patriots win everything practically every year. Not sure what you are expecting - should he be ripping Brady a new one while he's holding up another Lombardi?