Always by My Side: A Father's Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other

In this sentimental look back, Nantz recounts his beloved father's descent into illness during his own rise to success in sports broadcasting. Nantz's early ambition was to announce sporting events, and he got his start by taking advantage of even the smallest opportunity; his first job was driving Houston Open announcers from the parking lot to the clubhouse. Meanwhile, his jolly, curious and encouraging father was fielding the first symptoms of Alzheimers; sadly, as Nance finds greater recognition within the industry, the man who inspired him becomes more distant. Nantz finds father figures in his friendships with George H.W. Bush and golfer/broadcaster Ken Venturi, and turns up charming stories of others he admires like Tony Dungy, Arnold Palmer and former college roommate Freddie Couples. Though it has a saccharine streak, Nantz's on-the-job memoir fulfills his old man's vision (""Good people with good stories... To him, that was what sports-and sportsmanship-were all about"") with a gentle, anecdote-heavy tour.