Burgos: More money, no problems for Jim Nantz

At least Jim Nantz can afford it.

This past Tuesday, Bridgeport Superior Court in Connecticut told CBS sportscaster Nantz that he must pay $916,000 annually in alimony and child support to his ex-wife, whom Nantz recently divorced after a 26-year marriage, CBS reported.

The payments will leave Nantz with about $6 million banked, because, after all, he makes $7 million a year to call golf, college basketball and the NFL for his network. His ex, Lorrie Nantz, will also get their six-bedroom, six-bathroom mansion in Connecticut. The couple has a 15-year-old daughter.

But this isn’t the story of a messy divorce, the fleeting nature of love or the sad tale of a child’s parents splitting up in the middle of her adolescence. No, this is about Jim Nantz’s finances: The man is an absolute baller. Let us not lose sight of such an important detail.

In return for traveling the country, having a front row seat for every major sporting event on the planet and, on occasion, announcing them, the man rakes in $7 million every year. And though Lorrie is getting their primary residence, Nantz won’t exactly be homeless — he was awarded the family’s home in Houston and a luxury condo in Park City, Utah.

He could always crash at his 29-year-old girlfriend’s house, too, whom he admittedly began dating just prior to his official divorce. His new honey was 3 at the time that he and Lorie were married. Nantz is 50.

So this is no cautionary tale, no warning that constant travel can kill a marriage. See, Nantz should be an influence to all of us. If we work hard enough — Nantz began his career in broadcasting at a Salt Lake City CBS affiliate — we can enjoy the luxurious lifestyle that is Nantz’s reality. And in this economy, with the job market so bleak, Nantz just gave us all a little bit of hope.

The funny thing is, I don’t know if I’m serious or not. $7 million is a lot of money. Who wouldn’t want to make that type of cash? Beyond some socialists I know, I can’t think of too many.

I mean, a lot of us grow up with grand dreams of being professional athletes, right? Nantz probably did too, which may be why he got into sports journalism in the first place. Chew on this: Of the two teams in this year’s World Series between the Yankees and Phillies, Nantz makes more money than 33 players on the teams’ regular season roster.

Nantz makes more than three times the mean salary of NFL quarterbacks. He makes $3 million more per year than the average NBA player and $5.5 million more than the average NHLer.

It begs the question: should Nantz, a sportscaster, really be making that much money? Is he that valuable an asset that he demands that kind of pay? Apparently so, and because of his divorce, now everybody knows.

I bet the next time you’re watching the Final Four or the Masters or a NFL game on CBS, and Nantz’s voice chimes in, you’ll think about how much dough he’s cashing in. Then you’ll look toward the playing field, court or course, and realize he’s richer than most of the people he’s talking about.

At that point, depending who you are, you may ask yourself one of two questions. You’ll think, “Why did I ever want to be a pro athlete? I might as well just call the games.”