Live your dream! 32 Final Fours. Being known as THE voice of March Madness for more than a generation. 36 years in total announcing men’s college basketball games on CBS. All because of a dream.
On April 2, 2023, Jim Nantz announced his last NCAA Men’s Championship game for CBS from Houston. The 32 years as the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS’s coverage of the men’s college basketball tournament made him a broadcasting legend, synonymous with NCAA March Madness.
Prior to Jim taking over those duties in 1991, the most Final Fours any TV analyst had been the lead play-by-play for was SIX! How did it happen? In a recent interview leading up to the announcing of his final NCAA Men’s basketball game Jim said, “That was what the goal was, to work for CBS.” A great start example on how to live your dream.
Master Key Experience Concepts
I wonder if Jim has heard about the Master Keys because he appears to have showcased many of the concepts throughout his college basketball broadcasting career. One of those concepts is visualizing a dream or goal.
“Then comes the process of visualization. You must see the picture more and more complete, see the detail, and as the details being to unfold the ways and means for bring it into manifestation will develop. One thing will lead to another. Thought will lead to action, action will develop methods, methods will develop friends, and friends will bring about circumstances, and finally, the third step or materialization will have been accomplished.”
Charles Haanel, The Master Key System, Part Seven
For Jim that vision and dream was being a broadcaster for CBS sports.
Another concept to live your dream revolves around forming good habits and doing the work.
“Good habits are the key to all success. … I will form good habits and become their slave.”
Og Mandino, “The Greatest Salesman,” Scroll 1
This is seen in the preparation that Jim did for any college basketball game he was announcing. Preparation that involved no shortcuts in preparing a game board prep sheet to reference during the game. Same effort, same work put into it every single time. Did you know he’s kept every single one of these “treasures”?
There are many other concepts of the Master Keys, the true guide to live your dream, that someone that has experienced success on Jim Nantz’s level utilize. A final one would be exemplifying Emerson’s Law of Giving. Two parts of how that law is translated in the Master Key Experience are:
“I promise to be a grateful receiver of the gifts that surround me, pausing often and noticing nature, kindnesses, smiles and compliments, which I gladly receive with a thank you.
I promise to give the hope for joy, affluence, kindness and love, consciously with every encounter regardless of the brevity.”
Gratitude helps you live your dream
Appreciation for the amazing opportunity to call 32 NCAAMB National Championship games, for those he worked with on the broadcasts, the players and coaches he interviewed and the fans who watched on television at home listening to his call of the game. All without expectation of reciprocity. Epitomized in his sign-off at the conclusion of announcing his final college basketball game.
“Thank you for being a friend.”
Perfect considering that he opens every broadcast he does, be it basketball, football or the Masters, with “Hello friends.”
College basketball was the vessel that allowed Jim Nantz to live out his dream when it came to announcing sports on a tournament stage that’s all about dreamers.
Are you focused on learning to live your dream, to live your true bliss? Discover some amazing tools that can help you both identify what your dream is (if you aren’t sure what it is) and ultimately achieve it through the Master Key Experience. Offered once a year, you can get on the early-bird notification list today. Do it now!
Great blog Brad. I’m not a basketball fan, but I can certainly appreciate the steps involved in Jim Nantz living his dream!