SI

Jim Nantz Handles Disruption By Protesters At Travelers Championship Like A Pro

CBS’ Jim Nantz treated viewers like adults during wild scene at golf tournament.

Jimmy Traina

Mar 31, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz reacts during a practice session the day before the Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz reacts during a practice session the day before the Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

1. Outside of Kevin Harlan, any time anyone runs on the field of play or disrupts a game or sporting event, the play-by-play person usually gets all high and mighty and talks about how the network refuses to show the dopes. Then there’s usually a tired discussion of how dumb it is to run onto a field because you end up in jail and paying fines.

When protesters interrupted the Travelers Championship at the 18th hole on Sunday, CBS’ Jim Nantz did something rare. He told viewers exactly what was happening and shared all the details with viewers.

“We’ve got a whole group of protesters here,” said Nantz. “They’ve been tackled on the ground, on the green. Police have responded quickly. I see four protesters who have been handcuffed. They just came flying down the hill out of the gallery.”

Nantz later added that it was five protesters and that there was some red and white powder scattered about the green.

CBS, to its credit, showed the protesters running on the course from a wide angle, which is a fine compromise if you don’t want to show them close up and give them the air time and attention they crave.

Of course, CBS had to mute the crowd chanting “A—holes, a—holes, a---holes” at the protesters, WWE style, which was a shame.

Nantz, analyst Trevor Immelman and sideline reporter Amanda Balionis, treated viewers like adults, stuck to giving information and describing the scene and didn’t act personally offended that a sporting event was interrupted. Well done all around.

The only person who handled a protest situation better than Nantz this weekend was Jerry Seinfeld.

2. What an eventful night at Wrigley Field on Sunday.

• Dave Matthews attended the game. ESPN cameras were able to find a fan in the stands wearing a Dave Matthews shirt, which made for an amusing side-by-side shot.

• Mets third baseman Mark Vientos almost took out a bunch of birds with a ground ball.

  • And then Mets closer Edwin Diaz got ejected for too much sticky stuff on his hand.

3. Shaq isn’t letting the expected end of Inside the NBA get him down.


The Diesel played DJ at a concert at Progressive Field after Saturday’s Blue Jays-Guardians game.

4. Tough break for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. He walked in a Vogue fashion show in Paris, but nobody told him the back of his jacket had a hole in it.

5. This was a sweet moment from Alex Bregman’s postgame interview with reporters, which was interrupted by the third baseman’s son, who just wanted to get to the batting cage.

6. The latest SI Media With Jimmy Traina dropped Thursday and it’s the 500th episode of the podcast. The show features three segments.

First up is an interview with Derek Jeter, who discusses going into broadcasting, why he has no interest in doing games, the scariest moment of his career, what John Sterling meant to him, joining social media, and much more.

Following Jeter, Richard Deitsch, who started the SI Media Podcast, joins me for a conversation about the world of podcasting and the latest sports media news.

The episode closes with my weekly “Traina Thoughts featuring Sal Licata from WFAN and SNY. This week’s topics include Sal being embroiled in a controversy with Grimace, Bill Belichick allegedly dating a 24-year-old, Twitter no longer making "likes" public and more.

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina below or on Apple and Spotify.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of Karate Kid’s release in movie theaters.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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