SIX CLICKS

by Ted Bauer

Everyone catch the 4 x 100 relay last night? Amazing performance by the American men, right? But even though Michael Phelps' primal scream will be a lasting image of this Olympics, the real hero of the event was Jason Lezak; he swam the final leg and surpassed Alain Bernard (who previously said the French would "smash" the USA) to capture the gold in thrilling fashion. We don't know much about Lezak, so we're starting Six Clicks with him and seeing where we end up.

Jason Lezak:
He went to Irvine High School. Other notable alumni include a bunch of Olympians (e.g. Amanda Beard) and 1994 AL Rookie of the Year Bob Hamelin. What an obscure reference!

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Bob Hamelin:
While playing in the minors in 1999, Hamelin just walked up to his manager and said "I'm done," effectively ending his baseball career. The team? The Toledo Mud Hens.

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Toledo Mud Hens:
The Mud Hens are the favorite team of M*A*S*H character Max Klinger (not to be confused with our man of the same name) on the show, as Toledo native Jamie Farr played the character.

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Jamie Farr:
The guy just loves Toledo. In addition to his Mud Hens fandom, he speaks often of Tony Packo's Café.

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Tony Packo's Cafe:
Here's the official site. Some claim the place has "the most famous buns in the Midwest" (scandalous!) because when celebrities and politicians visit, they sign hot dog buns. For real. The first to ever do it? Burt Reynolds.

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Burt Reynolds:
While an all-star halfback at FSU, Reynolds was also a member of Phi Delta Theta. Check out this list of famous athletes in that fraternity. Our favorite: Detlef Schrempf.

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Detlef Schrempf:
Didn't think we could bring this back to the Olympics? You don't even know us. He's married to a former West German Olympian! (She was a hurdler.) By the way, you ever heard the song named after him by Band of Horses? Give it a whirl. Classic stuff. Hopefully someone writes a Jason Lezak song soon.

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