Plenty aspects of Super Bowl 58 looked familiar. The Chiefs defeated the 49ers for a championship. Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP. Kyle Shanahan blew a double-digit lead.
Brand new, however, was the setting. Las Vegas had never hosted a Super Bowl before this season, setting up a week of endless gambling puns leading up to the big game.
The combination of a new location and the brilliance of Jim Nantz, who called the game for CBS alongside Tony Romo, naturally created something special on Sunday night.
Nantz dropped in a few gambling references throughout the game, including a line about how 19 is "usually a winning hand in this town" when the Chiefs and 49ers were tied at 19, but he saved the best for last.
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Jim Nantz's 'Jackpot' call on Super Bowl-winning TD
"Jackpot, Kansas City!" Nantz exclaimed when Mahomes hit Mecole Hardman for the championship-winning touchdown, seamlessly dropping in one last reference to the host city.
THE CHIEFS ARE BACK-TO-BACK SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/ZzfhTyUXg9
— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2024
While Nantz has had his share of iconic calls over the years, he can't take all the credit for this one. Nantz slyly borrowed broadcast legend Brent Musberger's signature touchdown call from his time as the Raiders' play-by-play man.
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"Jackpot, baby!" Musberger would say when the Raiders scored a touchdown after their move to Las Vegas. The iconic broadcaster served as the team's play-by-play man from 2018-21 after retiring from a long career that included NCAA football and basketball.
Brent Musburger's fantastic call of the game-winning touchdown pass from Carr to Ruggs, on the Raiders Radio Network. 😂#RaiderNation #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/PcRTDIXIYF
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) December 7, 2020
Musberger has a few claims to fame with his one-liners. "You are looking live" is most often associated with Musberger, who made a habit of starting some of his biggest broadcasts with the phrase, and the 84-year-old is also credited with popularizing the term "March Madness" to describe the NCAA Tournament.
"Jackpot, Kansas City" is now etched in football history as one of many iconic calls by Nantz, but Musberger served as the inspiration behind the line that will forever overlay the play that completed the Chiefs' quest for a dynasty.
