Jim Nantz • May/June 2011
In the June issue of Cigar Aficionado, we talk with Jim Nantz, the voice of March Madness, the Masters and the NFL, about his dream job as a sports commentator. Also, we profile South African golf star Nick Price, sports gambler Adam Meyers and Joel Surnow, the writer/producer of "24." Plus stories on the branded cigar lounge trend and the Cuban and Nicaraguan cigar festivals.
Features
The Voice of Sports
He’s known for his ability to spontaneously craft just the right phrase at the crucial moment. But when Tiger Woods won his first Masters Tournament in 1997, Nantz did something …
Gentleman Nick
In a barren porta-cabin not far from the 18th green at Royal Birkdale, Nick Price sat on a cheap folding chair as a group of somber journalists arrived, intending to gingerly ask …
Adam Meyer Shoots, Scores, Wins!
It is the final weekend of February and Adam Meyer is in the midst of his best quarter ever. Earlier this year he won almost $2.8 million on the Super Bowl. Now he is crushing the …
Will Business Jets Fly High Again?
When the heads of GM, Ford and Chrysler appeared before Congress in November 2008 asking for $25 billion in loans to keep their companies from sinking into bankruptcy, Representat…
Will the Saab Story Have a Happy Ending?
An eerie stillness pervades the massive factory. That's not the way it's supposed to be. Assembly plants are normally exercises in carefully controlled cacophony that operate one …
Cigars
Cuba’s Lavish Cigar Party
The Thirteenth Habanos Festival Featured the Debut of Several New Cigars
The Happy Outsider
Joel Surnow walks through the door and sits at a wooden table not far from a couple of guys playing backgammon. The sign outside says Old Oaks Cigar and Wine Company, and the mood …
Lounges of Distinction
The last time you were at your local cigar lounge, you may have noticed that all the previously unmarked ashtrays now say Diamond Crown. Or that the Montecristo logo seems to …
Ratings from this Issue
Up Front
Cigars: One of the Last Hopes to Preserve Real Friendships
The reality is that people don't talk to each other anymore, especially the younger generation. No face-to-face conversations, no sitting down for a cup of coffee, no pausing on a …
Out of the Humidor
Dear Marvin, This has been a very harsh winter in Southwestern Ontario, so a week-long getaway to Cuba in February with my wife and two young children was just what the doctor …
The Good Life
Motorola Atrix 4g
The next step in the evolution of cell phones into pocket-size computers has arrived with the Motorola Atrix 4G. This Android-based phone offers exceptional speed for portable …
Barbecue Rubs
It's hard to fathom why so many barbecue discussions start with the question: "What's the best sauce?" Sauce should be the last thing applied to your smoked meat. A better first …
Cigar Scissors
You can cut the head on a premium, handmade cigar with a number of blades: a guillotine, a punch, even your teeth or your fingernails if you're especially dexterous. But to make a …
High-Tech Golfwear
Tradition will always have its place in golf. But even as we honor the heritage of the game, one arena we're happy to see some updating in is apparel. The best new golf clothes …
Maserati Granturismo Convertible
It isn't easy to turn heads at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance—that celebration of the world's most desirable metal. But few cars have the visual stopping power of the new …
Forgo Powdered Mixers and Crushed Ice for a True Margarita
If you've ever bellied up to a beach bar at spring break and ordered one of those frozen concoctions from a Slushie machine to help you hang on, you may have thought you were …
Serious Fashion Watches
Fashion is no longer a dirty word in watchmaking; at least three serious makers are proof positive that transferring iconic apparel labels to ticking metal can be done in a way …
Callaway Razr Hawk & Taylormade R11
When I was a car-obsessed boy in the 1950s, each September brought growing excitement over the new models Detroit would introduce. Automakers would always manage something a …
Maharajas' Express
As the train pulled in to Agra, where we were to see the Taj Mahal, I looked out of the huge window in our compartment. Across the tracks, dozens of people gathered to stare. It …
Pizza School
Yeah, yeah, you love pizza. Sure, you make the “best pizza” at home. But you don’t. You haven’t been to pizza school, possibly the most fun you’ll ever have with dough and sauce. …