Nantz/Buck-Home/Away-Earlier/Later Conference Title Game Notes

I doubt you will find this anywhere else. Additionally, it is likely not many would care regarding that or these notes. However, here they are.

Joe Buck is in his 20th season as the Fox Network lead football announcer (he also just completed his 26th in baseball, at least in football he works the whole season) while Jim Nantz is in his 18th in that capacity at CBS.

In what will be Nantz’s 18th AFC Title tilt, home team Kansas City (Chiefs) are a touchdown favorite in the earlier title game vs the Cincinnati Bengals. If, as most expect, (beware when that is the case!), K.C. prevails, it would give the home team an 8th straight earlier/Nantz title game victory, after New England won at (15-1) Pittsburgh,, as a slight fave, in Nantz’ first AFC title game in ’04.

(13-4) records come up twice for home teams in these, beyond esoteric Nantz/Buck notes. First with home teams as (7-1) in earlier Nantz title games, add their (6-3) record in late ones and that yields (yield-Nantz-good record-chalk of home and hedge funds, but I fear regarding the far from sure market stuff, I have) a (13-4) mark for home teams in Nantz title games.

Home teams are (6-3) in previous later Buck title games, the 10th Sunday, a redux of the San Francisco “Niners” rout home win vs the Rams in the ’89 NFC title game, the only previous ‘offs clash between this week’s opponents. In fact there have been more (3) Supes among the AFC/NFC semi-finalists than the paltry one ‘offs clash of any kind between this week’s opponents. (S.F. won Supes vs Cincy, 40 years ago in ’81 and a “no cover” job in ’88 with 9 points the total margin of victory. K.C. took S.F. in a Supe played less than 2 years ago in ’19).

Thus in previous Nantz earlier/Buck later, title games, the home team is (13-4) going into that configuration this week. A (5-5),(.500) record by home teams in the 10 Buck earlier title games leaves the home teams with a (24-12)/two thirds wins/(.667 win percentage) in the 36 (19 Buck and 17 Nantz) title tilts with those two.

Sorry, but without demeaning them, most things in life are relative and I prefer and profess that previous conference title tilt lead announcers Ray Scott, Curt Gowdy, Pat “Super” Summerall even the at times sappy with Merlin Olsen, Dick Enberg outdistance Nantz and Buck in Secretariat/1973 Belmont Stakes fashion. (e.g. by a great, great margin!!)