Jim Nantz’s advice on losing his father will bring tears to your eyes

ESPN’s Kevin Clark shared earlier this week that he lost his father.

“Jim was an old-school newspaper man, a legendary UCF history professor, an all-time football guy and a Hall of Fame grandpa (and a big bum),” he wrote. in a moving tribute on Twitter. “Together we conquered every hockey practice, Magic game and WWF Raw taping in Florida. God loved us. Call your dad.”

Clark is one of the brightest and most inquisitive minds in the NFL media landscape; in recent years he has moved away from a writer in bell on his ESPN show. And this week, on the eve of his father’s death, he did an interview with CBS golf and football legend Jim Nantz — who calls both golf and football for CBS — because, he said, “my father would have wanted me to go on.”

Nantz was determined to help Clark continue as well. He researched Jim Clark in an attempt to engage with Kevin on the subject. And so their conversation drifted from football to fathers. (It’s worth your time and you can find it here.) After their formal conversation ended, Clark added, Nantz continued to speak.

“I can’t put into words how special and meaningful it was,” Clark said.

Clark, understandably sensitive about mixing his father’s death with his content world, initially told his producers not to make any cuts to Nantz’s social media talking about grief. But then, he said, “how many people got to this part, I changed my mind.”

What he ended up posting — Nantz about losing his father, facing decisions without him and getting meaningful advice from Arnold Palmer — is CBS legend at his best. Here’s the clip, which I’ve transcribed below.

Jim Nantz on Kevin Clark on Arnold Palmer’s fatherly wisdom:

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received came from Arnold Palmer, at a time like this. My father wasn’t dead yet, but he was failing and I was facing some pretty big career decisions.

In fact, it was the opportunity to switch to the news and leave the childhood dream. That’s all I ever wanted to do is work for CBS Sports, but now I had an opportunity to work for CBS News and leave that behind.

And it was a huge opportunity, financially and beyond. But that was not what I had in my heart. And I was saddened because my father was not able to consult me ​​about it. He was deep into his battle with Alzheimer’s.

But there has been some attention for this decision in the media. And I ended up saying, ‘I’m not getting the money. This is not the driver for me. I am, I have the job I always wanted. I’m staying with the sport.’

So right after that, I mean maybe two weeks after that decision hit the press, I saw Arnold at Augusta. It is one of his last times as a competitor. He was on the green, and he looked, he saw me, and he said, ‘Hey, come here.’

And I had been the beneficiary of a wonderful friendship with Arnold. It was so profound that one day I actually did his eulogy – I was one of him laudatory at his funeral. So anyway, he came and said, ‘How did you make this decision? How did you come to her?’

And I told him it was difficult. He said, “Why was it difficult?” And I said, ‘Because my father wasn’t there to be able to speak.’

He says: ‘No, you don’t understand. Your father made that decision with you.’

I said, “How is that?”

He said: ‘He was talking all the time. You just didn’t get it. He was right here.’

“And Arnold had big hands, like baseball mitts, and he reached (Nantz touches his chest) and almost knocked me over. He proceeded to hit me right here in the heart.

He says, ‘Jim, he was right here. He is here. He will always be here. You were listening to him and made this decision in cooperation with your father. Never forget, as long as you are alive and facing moments in your life, you don’t know what to do. Just remember, it’s right here.’

This is the best advice I can give you. As you move forward, your career is magical, wildly successful. It will only get bigger. So many roads to conquer and great things to go there and achieve. He will still be there. Just like Arnold said.

Thanks Kevin and Jim, for sharing the moment. And spare a thought for Jim Clark, who looks like it was the best.