OFF THE TOP OF MY BALD HEAD
Barry Warner: A truly humbling interview with Jim Nantz of CBS
Mar 27, 2018, 6:47 am
UH alum Jim Nantz covered a variety of topics with Barry Warner. Rob Carr/Getty Images
Former Houstonian and now CBS lead announcer Jim Nantz and I have been friends since his freshman year at the University of Houston. On last Friday’s Reality Check Jim granted me an exclusive interview.
I started of asking about all of the behind the scenes preparation. ‘‘ In Charlotte last week, I did four games in one day noon-to midnight. That was followed by two games on Sunday. Six games in 48 hours. What the public does not see are the hours of preparation, the work behind the scenes, that’s the grind. You cannot worry about being live and focused on every syllable that leaves your lips. But that’s not a complaint, I love the process,” the man with the blazer told our listeners.
‘‘It’s part of what makes March Madness so special, trying to dig up stories no one has heard of before that may or may not make the telecast. The University of Maryland-Baltimore County biggest upset in college basketball history, beating Virginia 74-54, the first No. 16 seed ever to beat a No. 1 seed in the men's NCAA tournament. You can’t make up drama like this.’’
Has Nance ever seen anything like Sister Jean Schmidt? “No, what a special story that has turned out to be. I’ll be in San Antonio next week and so looking forward to meeting her.’’
A couple weeks ago, Nantz finally checked something off his bucket list when he did his first ever Cougar game. What was that like? “It was a real wish list for my career. When I was rooming with Freddy Couples and Blaine Mc Allister, masquerading as a golfer, coach Dave Williams knew I always wanted to be a broadcaster. So, he called the legendary Guy Lewis ,who pulled some strings. I became the Public-Address announcer for games at Hofheinz Pavilion, that led me to being the host of Lewis’ weekly television show on KPRC-TV, the NBC affiliate.
‘‘Several years later, with my former roommates, we endowed the first basketball scholarship to a UH player. This year it was Armani Brooks played on our scholarship. I got to call two of Kelvin Sampson’s exciting games in March and I’m thrilled the direction the program is going.”
I asked Nantz to relive the gut-wrenching 1983 NCAA championship game at the Pit in New Mexico where the Phi Slamma Jama team lost the heartbreaker final to Jim Valvano’s North Carolina State team.
“I did not have a ticket, but rode into the Pit on the team bus. I sat right next to the set where Brent Musburger was broadcasting. I literally was so close it was possible to reach under the table and tie his shoes. My next thought was how cool it would be to wear the blazer and broadcast the game. Three years later I sat in the set in Dallas wearing the blazer as the studio host.’’
In 1991, Nantz replaced Musburgur to become CBS' play by play voice. He is now broadcasting his 27th Final Four for CBS.
The only thing that has changed since first meeting Nantz is the size of his bank account, not his ego.
He does not forget his friends. Humility should be his middle name.
Originally, we were told by his assistant that Jim had only eight minutes for the segment. On his own volition, the interview lasted 12:30 and is available on last Friday's podcast/arena.com.
But there was one more pertinent question I thought our audience would enjoy. Since his first days at the network he has enjoyed a unique relationship with
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. What are some of the things he learned from the Duke legend?
‘‘When I’m around Coach K there is always something new to be learned. Yesterday he came over to talk about when he got hired. The all-time winningest coach in college basketball talked to me about the power of believing in someone — the gift it is.
“It was a faith and belief system instilled in him by then AD Tom Butters. It’s the power of believing in someone. And it is not something he uses lightly. Now, 1099 wins later at age 71, he talked about the power of believing in someone. What a gift that is!
"I got to thinking as I’ve gotten older about giving back to young, aspiring broadcasters. But here’s my point. It reminded me of when I was a young kid just starting out, the power of someone believing in you. That was you to me,’’ he stated.
“I met you and you believed in me and it made a huge difference. The power of someone believing in you – that was you believing in me. It made a huge impression in my life and career. It took someone like Coach K to put it in the right context. Yesterday, it was about the gift of believing in someone. And I thank you for that.’’
Talk about getting blindsided, this floored me. I was damn near speechless, gathering my senses to thank him.
Humility has never been a word to describe me over the years.
After that interview, I am truly humbled.
Chirp!
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
___________________________
*ChatGPT assisted.
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!