In 2005, for the first time, FOG awarded a “Man of the Year” recipient. According to Sal Cimbolo, President of FOG, “We realized that there were special Friends who had been helping us over the years, by introducing us to new individual contributors, by making contacts with prize donors, and by generously devoting their time to support today’s youth. We wanted to begin recognizing their valuable contributions to the organization, so we created the “Man of the Year” award to honor these outstanding individuals on the day of our annual charity golf tournament.”
2011: Jim Nantz
Lead Play-by-Play Announcer: NFL on CBS
Play-By-Play Broadcaster
College Basketball; Golf
Jim Nantz book excerpt; Always By My Side
Jim Nantz, the 2008 Emmy Award winner for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Play-by-Play” and five-time National Sportscaster of the Year, has covered virtually every sport for the CBS Television Network since joining it in 1985. This year marks Nantz’s 25th year covering the NCAA Men’s Division I National Championship. He took over as lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball in 1990 where he was teamed with Billy Packer until 2008.
In 2009, Clark Kellogg joined Nantz mid-court to call the action of the regular-season and NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship games. Nantz has called the play-by-play on more network broadcasts of the Final Four and Championship game than any other announcer in the tournament’s history.
From 1986 to 1990, he served as host of CBS’s coverage of the NCAA tournament and Final Four. Nantz has been the lead play-by-play voice for THE NFL ON CBS since 2004, teaming up with lead analyst Phil Simms on the Network’s number one NFL announce team. For six years (1998-2003) he anchored the Network’s NFL pre-game studio show, THE NFL TODAY. On May 3, 2010, Nantz will be honored by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association with the 2009 National Sportscaster of the Year award. This marks the fifth time overall and third consecutive year, having also won it in 2008 and 2007, in addition to 2005 and 1998.
With this fifth honor, Nantz will have won this prestigious award more times than any other CBS sportscaster. Nantz also was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as the youngest recipient of the Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2002. In a 63-day span in 2007, starting with his play-by-play call of Super Bowl XLI on February 4, Nantz became the first commentator in history to complete a rare broadcasting triple – calling the Super Bowl, NCAA Men’s Final Four and the Masters®.
He will again repeat this rare broadcasting three-feat this year beginning with his call of Super Bowl XLIV on February 7. Nantz’s other extensive credits include serving as host of THE SUPER BOWL TODAY, CBS Sports’ Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XXXVIII pre-game shows; lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball, including the Final Four and Championship game; anchor of CBS’s golf coverage, including the Masters and the PGA Championship; and primetime host of CBS Sports’ coverage of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games.
In 2008, Nantz co-authored with Eli Spielman the New York Times bestseller, Always By My Side. The book climbed to No. 3 on the New York Times list making it the highest ranking achieved that year by a sports book. Always By My Side spent seven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Nantz told his personal stories from football, basketball and golf and how he met people along the way who reminded him of the virtues his father instilled in him. The foreword to the book was written by one of his father figures and dear friend, former President George H.W. Bush. The paperback edition of Always By My Side was released on May 5, 2009 – updated and expanded, including a new afterword. For Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Nantz was the Host and Chairman of the first-ever Super Bowl Opening Ceremony and concert spectacular: Super Bowl XXXVIII: A Houston Salute.
Nantz created and organized the event with former President George Bush, the chairman of the event. Along with former President Bush, and 41 of Houston’s sports legends, they welcomed the Super Bowl to the city by officially kicking off Super Bowl week. Nantz began his tenure at CBS Sports as host of the Network’s college football studio show (1985-88). He was lead play-by-play announcer for CBS’s coverage of college football (1989-90) and went on to cover the NFL in 1991.
By 1993, he was calling play-by-play for the Network’s second-team coverage of THE NFL ON CBS and all regular-season and post-season broadcasts. He returned as the lead voice of college football in 1996, calling the National Championship Games for the 1996 and 1997 seasons (Fiesta Bowl; Nebraska vs. Florida and Orange Bowl; Tennessee vs. Nebraska, respectively).
In 1997, he returned to the studio to anchor COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY. His lead role in college football has included coverage of the Orange, Cotton, Fiesta, Sun, Gator and Blockbuster Bowls. Nantz joined the CBS Sports golf team in 1985. He became the anchor of the Network’s golf coverage in April 1994 and was partnered with Ken Venturi (FOG’s 2010 Man of the Year) until June 2002, and Lanny Wadkins until 2006, before Nick Faldo assumed the lead analyst role in 2007. Nantz has hosted CBS Sports’ coverage of the Masters® since 1988 and the PGA Championship since 1991, and served as anchor of the biennial Presidents Cup in 1994 and 1996.
Nantz also handled the play-by-play for regular- and post-season coverage of THE NBA ON CBS from 1986 to 1989. Nantz’s myriad assignments for CBS Sports include play-by-play at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships for nine years overall, co-hosting the weekend daytime coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games and coverage of NCAA track and field, skiing, speed skating, baseball, swimming and diving, gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Festival and Pan American Games and even polo.
He also served as host of the Network’s coverage of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1994, 1995, 2000 and 2001. In addition, he had a prominent role in Kevin Costner’s 1996 hit movie “Tin Cup.” In 2005, Nantz established his own production company, Jim Nantz Productions. As executive producer, Nantz’s company annually produces a Masters Sunday special and to date, the following specials have aired: JIM NANTZ REMEMBERS AUGUSTA: THE 1986 MASTERS (2006); JIM NANTZ REMEMBERS AUGUSTA: THE 1960 MASTERS (2007); JIM NANTZ REMEMBERS AUGUSTA: THE 1978 MASTERS (2008); and JIM NANTZ REMEMBERS AUGUSTA: SEVE AT THE MASTERS (2009).
THE 1960 MASTERS special made television history by showcasing a sporting event that originally aired live in black and white was re-broadcast in color. This special was nominated for a 2007 George Wensel Technical Achievement Sports Emmy Award. Nantz was graduated in 1981 with a degree in radio/television from the University of Houston, where he was recruited as a member of the golf team.
He received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from his alma mater in May 2001 in recognition of his contributions to his profession and to the university. While a student at Houston, he held a variety of broadcasting jobs, which led to positions at the city’s CBS stations KHOU-TV and KTRH Radio. Before joining CBS Sports, Nantz was an anchor at KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, then a CBS affiliate. While at KSL, he also broadcast Utah Jazz basketball games and did play-by-play with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young for BYU football games, including the 1984 National Championship year. He was born May 17, 1959, in Charlotte, N.C., and grew up in Colts Neck, N.J.
2010: Ken Venturi
Ken has been a long time FOG supporter annually acting as Master of Ceremonies for FOG’s highly acclaimed Tournament Day Noon Golf Clinic. Last year he had the pleasure of introducing Annika Sorenstam at FOG’s Dinner and Awards ceremony then conducting a highly entertaining interview with one of the greatest woman golfers of all time. Although Ken had a brilliant amateur career nearly winning the 1956 Masters and a stellar career on the PGA Tour highlighted by his 1964 US Open victory and 1964 PGA Player of the Year award, he is best known for his 35 year run as CBS golf color commentator. The San Francisco native who was a prized pupil of Byron Nelson pupil received the sporting world’s highest honor when he was chosen Sport Illustrated magazine’s Sportsman of the Year in 1964. As one of golf’s greatest ambassadors, Ken has played a vital role in bringing golf into America’s living rooms and we celebrate that along with his wonderful efforts in making FOG the finest one day tournament of its kind in the USA.
2009: Peter Ueberroth
Peter has been a long time supporter of Friends of Golf and was a Board Member in its formative years. Peter’s extremely public career has many highlights including his stewardship of the highly acclaimed and financially successful 1984 Los Angeles Olympics that earned him Time Magazine’s Man of the Year. Born in Evanston, Illinois and graduating from San Jose State, Peter founded First Travel Group in 1962 and sold it to the Carlson Travel Group 18 years later. Following his stint as President of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, he became Major League Baseball’s sixth commissioner and later served as Chairman of the United States Olympic Committee.
In July, 1999, Peter successfully orchestrated the purchase of the Pebble Beach Company and has served as owner and Co-Chairman. He has sat on a number of boards for both non-profit and for-profit, is currently Chairman of the Board of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles and is a recipient of the Olympic Order-Gold from the International Olympic Committee.
2008: Gregory W. “Greg” Penske
Penske, a longtime supporter of FOG’s fundraising efforts, is the President of Penske Motor Group, the 12th largest retail automotive group in the country, whose flagship store, Longo Toyota, is the world’s largest dealership. He is also a Managing Director of Transportation Resource Partners, Penske Corporation’s private equity business that specializes in opportunities for growth within the transportation industry.
Penske is a graduate of Cornell University and he and his wife Patricia live in Los Angeles with their three children.
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2007: Richard “Digger” Phelps
Digger Phelps is best known for winning close to 400 games as head basketball coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1971-1991.
Digger began his illustrious coaching career as an assistant at Rider College, where he also played. From there, his career took him to the University of Pennsylvania before landing his first head coaching job at Fordham University and leading them to a 26-3 record during his first year.
Since leaving coaching, Digger has turned to announcing and has performed color commentary and studio analyst jobs for ESPN. Born on July 4, 1941 as Richard Phelps, Digger was given the nickname due to his father owning a funeral service. We welcome Digger even though we won’t mention one of his most famous achievements since the story also involves one of our local schools.
2006: Coach John Wooden
Coach John Wooden
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2005: Martin J. “Hoot” McInerney
