Jim Nantz Is The Latest Announcer To Suggest A Fourth Down Spike

Monday, November 10, 2008


There is a widespread problem in announcing booths during Football games this year, and that's announcers calling for the oh-so-clever "fourth down spike" at the end of games. It's already been seen from the likes of Pam Ward, and more recently Andre Ware also made the gaffe.

Now it seems that NFL announcers are slipping up as well. Well just one announcer in, Jim Nantz. During the final drive of the game, Ben Roethlisberger was leading the Steelers down the field when a penalty and a sack, caused the Steelers to use their final timeout to setup a play for a 3rd and 21 play with :28 left on the clock. The next play was a dump over the middle to Mewelde Moore and the running back just wouldn't go down, so they could get barely get the 4th down play off as time ran out. As the Steelers were running up to the line Nantz and partner Phil Simms had this hilarious exchange....



The part that cracked me up so much was Phil Simms losing his mind as Nantz begged for a spike on 4th down, even after the analyst said what the down was out loud. I know it's a simple mistake, but it's been happening a heck of a lot in Football as of late. If Jim Nantz is getting the "4th Down Spike" jitters.....it could be contagious and much worse than we thought!

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 10:05 AM

20 Comments:

Let me get this straight? You said it was a simple mistake on Nantz's part, but never said anything of Ward other than a link to the newspaper writer's article on how good she is!


Even as a man I'm getting tired of you just defending us instead of women who try their hardest in the booth.


But I guess thats what happens when the blog sucks now that the writer is a big shot.

Anonymous said...
Nov 10, 2008, 10:32:00 AM  

the writer is a big shot? how?
i don't even know who the writer is or her name. not a big shot in my world.

Anonymous said...
Nov 10, 2008, 10:40:00 AM  

I wish that the Steelers would have spiked it on 4th down that way everyone would have booed but Nantz who would have been sitting there knowing that they made the right decision eventhough the game was over. Because Jim Nantz knows all. Hello, friends!

GMoney said...
Nov 10, 2008, 10:47:00 AM  

Am I the only person to remember that Frank Reich actually did this while quarterback of the Lions during a playoff game with the Buccaneers in 1997?

Craig Barker said...
Nov 10, 2008, 11:08:00 AM  

I'll help defend you AA from your arch-nemesis (as if you needed defense from this goon, but I like showing him off because it's so easy) While often boring, Jim Nantz does not often make mistakes like this. However, in the case of Pam Ward, she is known for making really stupid mistakes in her broadcasts. It can be said that it is more forgivable when an announcer not known for making mistakes makes one than when an announcer who constantly gaffes makes one. If you're human, even if you're really good at what you do, you're going to make mistakes (i.e. Jim Nantz, known for putting viewers to sleep, not mistakes). But if you constantly gaffe like Pam Ward does week after week after week after week, it's a sign that you shouldn't be there (i.e. Pam Ward) Here's another huge Pam Ward gaffe...

http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/06/breaking-news-pam-ward-still-has-no.html

And now, I'll finish this conversation....

AA Hates ESPN: That doesn't matter. AA was nicer to Jim Nantz. He is misogynistic. He is sexist. Hell, he should be arrested for such bigotry. Fuck this site and this once great blog.

Me: Well if AA is so misogynistic and can't stand women in the broadcast booth and thinks women are only good for eye candy on the sidelines, then why doesn't he criticize Doris Burke?

AA Hates ESPN: Fuck you, JFein, go fuck yourself, and fuck this site and this once great blog (as if to say, "I'm never coming back", yet he comes back the next day or the next time he feels AA is misogynistic, or he is in the mood to troll, or wants to comment as his alter ego, swearing man).

Justin F. said...
Nov 10, 2008, 11:24:00 AM  

@ Craig: I couldn't find the video, but according to Wiki he did. That game, according to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, was Barry Sanders' last game, as well.

Justin F. said...
Nov 10, 2008, 11:35:00 AM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nov 10, 2008, 11:48:00 AM  

I did not make the original comment in this thread and, in fact, don't necessarily agree with it. Somebody has stolen my identity! While I think AA is making a mountain out of a molehill with these 4th down spike mistakes, I recognize the fact that a site called Awful Announcing will highlight errors like these. And while I think AA piles on Pam Ward...and is unfair to many female announcers and reporters, when these announcers make these kinds of mistakes, I expect them to be highlighted.

Anonymous said...
Nov 10, 2008, 11:49:00 AM  

Damn, dude. That's terrible. Get a Blogger account (or something similar) so that there's no confusion if it's you or not making these comments.

Nov 10, 2008, 11:59:00 AM  

nantz is terrible and adds nothing to the broadcast. hes a fucking joke. but most of them are.

Anonymous said...
Nov 10, 2008, 12:01:00 PM  

That Wiki Entry is Wrong about Barry Sanders, his last game was Week 17 of the 1998 Regular Season against the Baltimore Ravens....just saying.

Anonymous said...
Nov 10, 2008, 12:08:00 PM  

Hey, aa hates espn, on behalf of everyone else who posts here...

SHUT...THE FUCK...UP!

And while you're at it, go back to that bridge near the Three Billy Goats Gruff, ya fucktarded troll!

JamesCraven said...
Nov 10, 2008, 12:32:00 PM  

@ anon @ 12:08: Sigh...that's what I get for trusting wikipedia's entry on Frank Reich...

Justin F. said...
Nov 10, 2008, 12:49:00 PM  

In fairness to Nantz, I made the same mistake while watching the game because I had lost track of how much yardage was required for a first down and I felt for sure he had gotten like 15 yards. That said, I was watching the game while editing a term paper and wasn't being paid to watch and commentate.

Anonymous said...
Nov 10, 2008, 1:18:00 PM  

aahates espn, have you ever heard of freecreditreport.com? In all seriousness, this is the only stupid thing I've ever heard Nantz say on the air. Everyone makes mistakes but Pam Ward makes them incessantly which is why they're called the Pammie Awards. In any case, Gus Johnson was in his full element in the final minute of the Chiefs-Chargers game.

Brad James said...
Nov 10, 2008, 2:08:00 PM  

Anonymous at Nov 10, 2008 12:01:00 PM: So Jim Nantz is doing a good job? last time i checked people turned on sports to see the game not listen to announcers. to me announcers are like referees, if i walk away at the end of the game without remembering anything about the announcer then he did a good job. id rather have nantz sit back and just say and The guard dribbles up the court, pass it to the center, and the center with the lay-in to take a 6 points lead, instead of Dickie-V's AND THE GUARD COMES UP! HE PASSES IT O BABY THAT WAS A GREAT PASS, O AND THE CENTER DUNKS IT IN, THAT WAS A PTPER EFFORT THERE BABY!!!!

about the whole pam ward/ nantz thing, i agree with you when i first read i was like o here it comes nantz is gonna get ripped, but instead i read o no it was just a simple mistake. I think personally that women shouldnt be in the booth, i know that it sounds sexist, but i never heard of a good female announcer, id rather just have the men sit back and tell me the game, instead of listening to the women. if i here a good women announcer, then i might change my mind, but until then im gonna just keep thinking that women dont belong in the booth

Anonymous said...
Nov 10, 2008, 3:18:00 PM  

"You gotta make sure, it's fourth down, so you gotta line up and throw it in the endzone." - Phil Simms
"I'd just get up there and spike it real fast." - Jim Nantz
"No you can't it's 4th down." - Phil Simms

Aw man, this one's actually funnier than Pammy's. When I saw it live, I didn't catch Simms' saying it was 4th down before Nantz suggested the spike. Wow. And Simms seemed legitly pissed at Nantz for saying that.

Justin F. said...
Nov 10, 2008, 3:53:00 PM  

As a reward for this honorary Pammy, Nantz/Simms get to call Chargers-Steelers next Sunday. NYC and most of the country will be stuck with that game instead of seeing the 9-0 Titans.

"The NFL on CBS" is forcing people to watch the the Steelers in the same way "MLB on Fox" forces the country to watch the godawful Mets, spendthrift Yankees and cursed Cubs.

Anonymous said...
Nov 10, 2008, 3:53:00 PM  

And then there was Nantz trying to justify his gaffe (which in turn made him look really stupid).

"Roethlisberger looked for a minute like..." - Jim Nantz
"No, he didn't" - Phil Simms

Hilarious!

How do you delete comments with the new comment layout? Ever since the icons next to our name disappered (the ones indicating whether we were anons, bloggers, etc.) the trash cans disappeared in the lower left corner.

Justin F. said...
Nov 10, 2008, 4:00:00 PM  

i like your blog ....

bollywood girls said...
Jan 17, 2009, 6:29:00 AM  

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