The most obvious is that Sunday will mark the first time Nantz has called a Texans regular-season game at Reliant Stadium. He'll even be able to see his season ticket seats from the TV booth.

Second, Nantz will stay in town Monday to receive the President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush Community Impact Award from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes during a luncheon at the Houstonian Hotel.

Third, if you know Nantz, you know he dotes on dates. The Texans and Jets play Sept. 13, and a day later, Nantz will mark the beginning of his 25th year with CBS. He debuted on Sept. 14, 1985, as host of CBS' college football studio show.

And, since CBS has the Super Bowl this year, the road to the Super Bowl literally begins in Houston for Nantz, Phil Simms, producer Lance Barrow, the pride of Fort Worth and Abilene Christian University, and their production crew. So Nantz will celebrate the beginning of the road to Miami with a dinner with his colleagues tonight at Royal Oaks Country Club.

“To have the first Texans game and a gathering the next day that has a lot of meaning to me, I feel like I'm opening with a Super Bowl in a season that will end with a Super Bowl,” he said.

No home advantage

Nantz, of course, worked at Reliant Stadium during Super Bowl XXXVIII as host of CBS' pregame show and as organizer of the Houston Salute extravaganza that started the tradition of Super Bowl opening ceremonies.

Houston connections aside, he promises to call the game straight down the middle.

“I'll put that headset on and will be doing what I am trained to do, and that is tell stories about the event taking place in front of me,” he said. “I'm proud to be back in the city and calling a game involving the Texans, but there won't be anybody saying, ‘Gosh, did he just say ‘we'?' ”