Columbus

The Weekly Dis

An East Side dive

Michael Arace

06 Dec 2025 — 9 min read

Huntington National Bank has loaned its Holiday Train to the Columbus Public Library through Jan. 6. It's on display at the Main Library's Grand Atrium, 96 S. Grant Ave. The library is offering visitors a free first hour of parking in its garage. If you have kids 10 and under, they will stare at this thing for longer than an hour, and then you'll gladly pay for more parking.

If you grew up in the Northeast when I did, you were aware of Marty Glickman, who was the radio voice of everything at one time or another – the New York Knicks, the New York Giants and the New York Rangers, just to name a few. Way back when, he did post-game shows for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees. He was everywhere. I remember him in the 1980s, when he called UConn football and basketball games and was the voice of Ivy League football on PBS.

Glickman is famous in another corner of history, as well. In 1936, when he was a member of the U.S. Olympic track team, he and Sam Stoller – American sprinters of Jewish descent – were pulled from the showcase 100-meter relay and replaced with Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe. Why? Glickman knew why, and he never hesitated to say it: The 1936 Berlin Olympics were Adolf Hitler's games, and U.S.O.C. president Avery Brundage did not want to embarrass the fuhrer by having two Jews winning gold medals on Nazi soil.

Captitulation suited Brundage, a noted anti-semite as well as an ardent Hitler fan boy. At a time when there was an international push to boycott the "Nazi Games" or the "Hitler Games," Brundage made sure that the U.S.O.C. voted to go to Berlin (and much of the rest of the world followed suit). Brundage appreciated a good dictator. Plus, his construction company was pushing to get the contract to build the German Embassy in Washington – which it did, indeed, secure. (Then came WWII.)

BRUNDAGE EXTOLS HITLER'S REGIME; At German Day Observance Here He Says 'We, Too, Must Stamp Out Communism.' 20,000 CHEER HIM WILDLY He Praises Olympic Spirit of Reich as Greatest Since Greek Era.

Headline from the New York Times, Oct. 5, 1939

The 1936 Berlin Olympics and the Controversy of U.S. Participation - Home Of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

National Park ServicePosted by: Mike Twardy

After Hitler’s Olympics, Brundage poured on the praise, revealing his alarmingly retrograde politics. “We can learn much from Germany,” he wrote. “We, too, if we wish to preserve our institutions, must stamp out communism. We, too, must take steps to arrest the decline of patriotism.” In his personal notes, he even concluded, “An intelligent, beneficent dictatorship is the most efficient form of government. Observe what happened in Germany for six or seven years in the 1930’s.”

--Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

Brundage, the darling of European aristocrats and international big money, went on to rule the International Olympic Committee with an iron fist from 1952-1972. Among other nicknames, he was known as "Slavery Avery" for his views on race. He was George Wallace without the apology.

I couldn't help but think of Brundage yesterday as Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, one of the most corrupt organizations on the face of the earth, presented the (newly invented) "FIFA Peace Prize" to the most corrupt U.S. president in history. Infantino invented the award for President Trump, and presented it to him personally. The ceremony had everything except a towel.

"In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, it’s fundamental to recognise the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace,” Gianni Infantino, resident of Fédération Internationale de Football Association, said in a statement. “Football stands for peace, and on behalf of the entire global football community, the FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World will recognise the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations.”

--Gianni Infantino

Of course, there is no exact corollary to Brundage/Hitler, but damn, Infantino/Trump has to be in the ballpark. It has to be in the infield.

Big congratulations to my fellow FIFA Peace Prize shortlist nominees: we are all, in some way, winners, and we can just focus on the hard work of talking about how much peace we accomplished in 2025 & how much we’re into the idea of peace, generally.
— Juan Martinez (@fulmerford.com) 2025-12-05T18:15:17.772Z

Nutmeg used to be a satire account
— Wes Burdine (@wesburdine.bsky.social) 2025-12-05T21:07:06.350Z

Brundage used to say there are no politics in the Olympic movement. (Harry Shearer: "It's a movement! And we all need one. ... every day!") Infantino says much the same thing. I don't have enough beer in my fridge right now.

I'd like to talk about the USMNT's World Cup draw, but I just can't. Maybe, not for another four years.

Instead, let's talk about ...

Olympic jerseys

Host Italy has yet to reveal their uniform design for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. (Neither has Elvis Merzlikins' Latvia.)

Sweden went a bit off-grid with a much darker blue, and Canada went with a black Maple Leaf. I'm tossing them.

The U.S. went with classic, 1960 Squaw Valley throwbacks. Top marks here.

My favorites: 1. USA, 2. Finland, 3. Chechia, 4. Switzerland.

Your comments/rankings are welcome below.

Posts

I usually post M-W-F early a.m. for paid subscribers and send out free The Dis on Saturday. This week, there were five posts plus free The Dis. Had some things on my mind. Have a nice day.

Monday

This is a tough one.

Wednesday

Rounding up some suspects. A couple days after I wrote this, I spoke with a source that said, "You know, there are a lot of great coaches in Scandinavia. Like Jesper Sorensen."

The Vancouver Whitecaps, coached by Sorensen, will meet the Inter Miami CFs in the MLS Cup final today (Saturday) at 2:30 p.m. (free on Apple TV, also available on FOX networks). Everyone in North America is rooting for Canada's team, because we all hate the CFs.

Keith Naas is working on a list of potential Scandinavians to add to the list of prospective Columbus coaches. You know he is. Stay tuned.

Thursday

This was bothering me.

Nancy finally got around to saluting the fans (after he thanked Dee and Jimmy) via social media Friday afternoon:

Thank you Columbus @ColumbusCrew #crew96 pic.twitter.com/lH6SgY0bmz
— Wilfried NANCY (@wilfriednancy) December 5, 2025

Friday

Crew GM Issa Tall talks coaching search and roster decisions.

And we check in with the Blue Jackets, who had some tough sledding in November.

Strip-mall fare: Stav's Diner

A clean, well-lighted place

Clockwise from top left: Stav's classic strip-mall facade; Stav, his own self; lunch menu; patty melt; working the flat top; club sandwich with fries; breakfast menu (also available at lunch).

Last week, I sent some love to Lois Mann's Restaurant, a South Side staple for decades. It's a place where, the slower you drive by it and look at the joint, the more you don't want to go in. DO GO IN! You'll either make a point to go back or, at the very least, you'll be glad for the singular experience. There's nothing quite like it.

This week, EP (Executive Producer) Tim and I began our surveil of our favorite East Side strip mall haunts. First up is Stav's Diner 2932 E. Broad St. Like Lois Mann's, Stav's is reviewed very highly by the restaurantariat. It's open Tuesday-Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Stav's has been in business for 10 years and it's still going strong. I've been there a dozen times over the past decade and it hasn't changed a bit – it's spotless, the food is straight-up solid (if standard) fare and the service is tremendous. It's a go-to place because it never lets you down. It's an old-school Greek diner (go ahead and get a gyro, if you like) with an extensive menu, but breakfast is king.

Yesterday, I order a club sandwich because, well, I wanted a gottdam club sandwich. After I was served, I noticed on the "Specials" whiteboard was Challah French toast with two eggs and meat for $14.95. And, gottdam, I shouldn't have ordered the club.

Stav's is one of those places where you don't mind, at all, eating at the counter. It's not a big space (around 35-40 seats) and it can be slammed at times, but that is a testament to its solidity.

Thanks for reading. If you're enjoying what you see and you are of a mind, click on the link below and leave a tip. If you've yet to subscribe, consider making a small hop over a paywall. It'll help keep local, independent media disrespected. You can follow me @MichaelArace1.bsky.social. Have a nice day.