Sports broadcaster Amanda Balionis has expressed admiration for CBS Sports colleague Jim Nantz, recognizing him as an unsung hero and her own inspiration in the world of broadcasting.

She respects Nantz for his indelible mark on the industry, especially highlighting his leadership role in CBS’s Masters Tournament telecasts since 1989despite their shared expertise covering PGA Tour, college football, and NFL games.

Nantz, 65, is celebrated not only for his enduring contributions to golf coverage, but also for lending his iconic voice to NFL, NCAA Division I men’s basketball, and NBA events, consolidating his reputation as a legendary sports broadcaster.

Balionis, following in his wide-ranging footsteps, did not hold back her praise in a recent interview with Links, labeling Nantz as incomparable in the profession.

“Jim Nantz is number one,” Balionis emphatically stated. “I don’t think he could ever get enough credit for his talent. His memory knows no bounds; he recalls things in the moment in the most accurate way from 20 years ago that will put your jaw on the floor.”

The bond between Nantz and Balionis goes beyond being colleagues; each mirrors the other’s versatility in seamlessly transitioning across sports coverage.

She continued, “But it’s not just what he does on camera; it’s the way he carries himself as a person. He takes so much time to support and be an advocate for the people around him, and that’s what I want to be remembered for, too.”

No caption

Amanda Balionis paid her own tribute ( 

Image:

(Image: Facebook))

Despite receiving accolades from CBS Sports’ own Amanda Balionis, not everyone is enamored with Nantz. Earlier this year, the venerated sports commentator drew criticism from LIV Golf’s Jerry Foltz for remarks made during the Masters tournament broadcast that seemed to endorse the PGA Tour.

Ex-golfer and now broadcaster Foltz aired his grievances on the Fairway to Heaven Podcast regarding Nantzs commentary, which highlighted the fact that the leading quintet at Augusta National were all aligned with the PGA Tour. This act was perceived by Foltz as a passive-aggressive slight against the rival LIV Golf league.

Lamenting the incident on the podcast, Foltz said, “It was sad to me to see what Jim Nantz did as the players walked to the 16th tee.

“A legendary broadcaster who’s going to probably go down as one of the best ever tarnished his own career with something as petty as pointing out that the top five on the leaderboard that they were showing were all PGA Tour players.”