Jim Nantz Shares Incredible, Fatherly Advice He Received From Arnold Palmer

ESPN’s Kevin Clark was signaling his podcast this week, This Is Football, pinch a dense heart. 

His father, Jim, had conscionable passed away. However, Kevin Clark decided to still grounds his play section because “my dada would want maine to support going.”

Who was his impermanent this week? Jim Nantz, CBS Sports’s lead play-by-play sound for nan NFL and nan PGA Tour. 

Nantz, of course, ever seems to person nan cleanable words, and that was evident erstwhile nan 2 discussed nan effect their fathers had connected their lives. 

During nan interview, Nantz shared a rubbing communicative from different begetter fig successful his life, Arnold Palmer (Nantz delivered a eulogy astatine Palmer's ceremonial successful 2016). The 66-year-old recalled really galore years ago, he was contemplating a profession move, and a fewer weeks later, Palmer had proposal that Nantz still carries to this day. 

Below is simply a transcript of Nantz’s story: 

​​One of nan champion pieces of proposal I ever sewage came from Arnold Palmer, successful a infinitesimal for illustration this. My dada had not passed yet, but he was failing, and I was facing immoderate alternatively ample profession decisions.

Actually, it was nan opportunity to move complete to news and time off nan boyhood dream. This is each I ever wanted to do is activity for CBS Sports, but now I had an opportunity to activity for CBS News and time off this behind.

And it was a large opportunity, financially and beyond. But that wasn’t what was successful my heart. And I grieved because my dada wasn’t tin of being capable to consult maine connected this. He was heavy down nan roadworthy connected pinch his conflict pinch Alzheimer’s.

But location was immoderate attraction astir this determination successful nan media. And I ended up saying, ‘I’m not taking nan money. That’s not nan driver for me. I person nan occupation I ever wanted. I’m staying pinch sports.’

So, soon thereafter, I mean possibly 2 weeks aft that determination had played retired successful nan press, I saw Arnold astatine Augusta. It’s 1 of his past times arsenic a competitor. He was connected nan putting green, and he looked over, he saw maine and he said, ‘Hey, travel complete here.’

And I had been nan beneficiary of a awesome relationship pinch Arnold. It was truthful heavy that really 1 time I did his eulogy—I was 1 of his eulogists astatine his funeral. So anyway, he came complete and he walked maine through, ‘How travel you made this decision? How did you travel to it?’

And I told him it was hard. He said, ‘Why was it hard?’ And I said, ‘Because my dada wasn’t location to beryllium capable to talk it through.’

He says, ‘No, you don’t understand. Your dada made that determination pinch you.’

I said, ‘How’s that?’

He said, ‘He was talking nan full time. You conscionable didn’t recognize it. He was correct here.’

‘And Arnold had large hands, for illustration shot mitts, and he reached [Nantz touches his chest] and almost knocked maine over. He kept hitting maine correct present successful nan heart.

He says, ‘Jim, he was correct here. He’s correct here. He’s ever gonna beryllium correct here. You were listening to him and you made that determination successful performance pinch your father. Don’t ever forget, for arsenic agelong arsenic you’re live and you look moments successful your lifetime, you don’t cognize what to do. Just remember, It’s correct here.’

That’s nan champion proposal I tin show you. As you march on, your profession is magical, hugely successful. It’s only gonna get bigger. So galore roads to conquer and awesome things to spell retired location and achieve. He’s still gonna beryllium correct there. Just for illustration Arnold said.