Jim Nantz: Who Said What On Twitter?

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

America doesn't hate Jim Nantz, but Twitter does.

As long as he keeps it basic and focuses on the nuts and bolts, Nantz is an excellent play-by-play guy and anyone would love to have his job.

But when he tries to get cute, that's when his many critics grow fangs. The funny thing is, the times where he tries to go off-script are the times when he seems the most painfully rehearsed.

His "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Top Dog" and "Best In Show" lines only sounded scripted because, well, they were. And Twitter lit him up for it without hesitation. Here's a sampling:

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Predicting Jim Nantz's Horrible Call Tonight

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Remember when Connecticut won its last national championship in 2004? Emeka Okafor was the star of that Huskies team, and as the final seconds counted down and UConn had its win over Georgia Tech sealed, CBS play-by-play veteran Jim Nantz barked out "The mecca (see what he did there?) of college basketball is in Storrs, Connecticut."

And a few years earlier, when Mateen Cleaves and Michigan State won it all, Nantz tried a little "You can leave it to Cleaves" gag that was equally weak.

When it comes to the nuts and bolts of the job, Nantz is obviously a skilled broadcaster. But when he tries to venture out and do what he surely thinks is clever, that's when he gets in trouble. Just because a pun or any kind of word play is available, it doesn't mean you have to say it out loud.

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MORE: Complete NCAA Tournament Coverage

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So what do you think his call will be tonight? Here are a few guesses from the OGS Fortune-Telling team:

If Butler wins:

+ "The Butler Did It"
+ "Howard's End"
+ "Mack The Knife"

+ If Connecticut wins:

+ "Walker, Texas Champion"
+ "Walker This Way"
+ "Yes, U-Conn"

Share your guess with OGS.