When you think of the ‘announcer jinx,’ you might not often think of it literally. Oftentimes, the announcer jinx refers to when a broadcaster says something, and then the opposite thing happens. But in the case of CBS‘ Jim Nantz, the fact that he’s calling a Minnesota Vikings game this weekend might be foreboding.
As the ‘Bring Me the Sports’ blog on Sports Illustrated pointed out, Nantz hasn’t called a Vikings victory in ten years. The last recorded victory for the Vikes with Nantz on the call came on September 29, 2013. Minnesota defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers that day out in London at the venerable Wembley Stadium. Since then, Nantz has called six Vikigns games. The team has lost them all.
One particularly hilarious note for Nantz and the Vikings’ beleaguered relationship? He called just two games last season for the Vikings on CBS. Last season, Minnesota won the NFC North with a 13-4 record. Two of their four losses came while Nantz was on the call. They were also hilariously lopsided, as Dallas defeated the Vikings 40-3. Then, later that season, the Packers defeated the Vikings 41-17 with Nantz and Tony Romo in the booth. So the Vikings were outscored by 61 points, with Nantz calling their games last year.
In total, when Jim Nantz has called a Vikings game since 2013, teams outscored Minnesota by a whopping 102 points (171 points allowed, 69 points scored).
Minnesota lived a really charmed life last season. They won numerous one-score games, but who knew that one of the team’s fatal flaws would be a commentator?! (Facetiously speaking, of course)
That definitely gives new meaning to the phrase “announcer jinx.” The Vikings play Patrick Mahones and the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday. They’ll need all the help they can get, as their defense has looked rough at times. And they will face the undisputed best quarterback in the league. Perhaps, though, the streak will be snapped in a reversal of fortune for both Nantz and the Vikings.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022