The Weekly Dis
Wayne's world was a universe unto itself
Last week was tough. This week, another one of those people who make Columbus great, even though you might've never heard the name, passed from this earth.
I'm pouring out a 40 for Wayne Lewis, longtime co-owner of one of the city's most distinctive watering holes. Wayne's heart gave out Thursday. He used that heart well as anybody could for all of his 70 years.
If you've been to High-Beck Tavern at any point over the past 40-plus years, you likely were exposed to the Wayne Lewis Experience. It's one of those things that's difficult to define, but you know it when you feel it.
Wayne had a wicked wit – it was quick, too, and it lashed at fools, frauds and mean people. He was a color analyst in the game of life; he saw all of the wonder and missed none of the bullshit. His acts of generosity – he tended to favor the homeless, the forlorn and the bereft over other kinds – became too numerous for him to hide.
Man, he was funny. He didn't work blue, not to a large crowd, but he had a unique lack of filtration. Like, if it was a frigid night and some drunk on the way out fell down and pinned open the front door, it might be Wayne who yelled, "Hey, you on the floor, close that door! It's freaking cold!"
That's more an amalgam of one of the million High-Beck stories from over the years. It's not a quote from Wayne, who never used the word "freaking." But it has Wayne-ish ring to it. Unique lack of filtration.
One of Wayne's golfing buddies from the old, old days told me Wayne had this shirt he reserved for the golf course. It was a T-Shirt. The following was emblazoned on the front of it:
"I hit two good balls today. I stepped on a rake."
This sort of classic Wayne belies the fact that he had a leafy brain that was always awhirr. He had a firm grasp on the issues of the day, with hot takes at the ready. He had his own brand of political science. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He also had a Rolodex in his head, with cards for every customer, their families, and their pets. He was genuinely interested in all of them.
"Wayne was self-deprecating to a fault," said my buddy Jim Underwood, a friend of Wayne's for 50 years. "And he lived in the moment. I don't know if I've ever met anybody who was so live-in-the-moment."
Wood is one of the very few people who knew Wayne truly well. Likely, the man who knew Wayne best is his longtime business partner, Tom Maher, the nicest person in the world. What a pair.
Tommy is hurting right now. If you've ever been in the High-Beck, you might want to drop in and see if Tommy's around. It'll be good for Tommy. The stories will fly. You will leave smiling.
Just don't fall down in the doorway on your way out.
Posts
I always plan on writing columns that post on M-W-F for paid subscribers and The Weekly Dis, free for everyone, on Saturday mornings. And so I did this week.
Monday:
Daniel Gazdag was a high-visibility acquisition, something the Crew needed after the sudden transfer of star Cucho Hernandez last year. Gazdag scored but four goals and never really clicked in coach Wilfried Nancy's system. Under new coach Henrik Rydström, Gazdag is looking for a reversal of fortune.
Michael Arace
Wednesday:
Only the finest polyester.
From the official Crew press release:
The Crafted for Excellence Kit further strengthens the Crew’s hardworking identity through simplicity, clarity and purpose. Elegant and wearable, it allows the Club to continue to push forward and evolve while staying true to the Black & Gold’s ethos.
They're charging $160 to $190 for the authentics, depending on name/number customization.
Michael Arace
Friday:
Sometimes, Major League Soccer has interludes where the league doesn't register on the Stupidmeter. Then, there's another flare-up, like this one.
Michael Arace
Podcasts
Jody Shelley, an Original Jacket who rolled right into broadcasting – he has been the CBJ TV analyst for the past 12 years, and my, how time does fly – joined me for the latest episode of Cannon Balls. The Jackets hit the Olympic break on a heater. Jody thinks they will push their way into the playoffs. Check out our conversation at Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Morgan Hughes, who has for decades been involved in Crew supporter efforts, and who was the front face of the #SaveTheCrew movement, puts aside his ACES Radio alter-ego in the latest episode of The Crewcible. We delve into the training-camp issues of the day and also get into the Doyle stuff. Check out our conversation at Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
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An Afternoon of Love and Disrespect (Today!)
Top middle: Two of your three hosts, Natalie Darr, proprietor of RBar, and yours truly. Photo by your third host, Mrs. Arace. Bottom right: We're packed up and ready to go.
I did an AMA at r/TheMassive Tuesday.
I'm Mike Arace, Crew and Blue Jackets reporter from The Disrespected. AMA!
by u/yeahmorgan in TheMassive
In the middle of it, Healthy_Company_158 asked, "What is the event at the RBar?" To which I said:
It's something I have to try, for a number of reasons: To thank the friends and family who helped me get up and running; to tip the cap to the earliest paid subscribers (the first 100 can pick up T-Shirts at the RBar); to assemble Jackets and Crew fans for well-oiled conversations; to spread the word of my brand, and hopefully get a bump in subscribership. (Is "subscribership" a word?).
An Afternoon of Love and Disrespect is Saturday at RBar beginning at 2 p.m. We'll be buying a few drinks, raffling off some merch (proceeds to the travel fund) and, if possible, recording a podcast. Stop in and choke one down. Good conversation is one of the best things.
What is the event at the RBar? Truth is, I don't know. But we're about to find out.
The general idea is to get the generous people who support local, independent media together and have a few laughs. We're starting at 2, but come earlier if you wish.
The USA-Denmark hockey game comes on at 3:10 p.m. Stay and root for Greenland, if you like. It'll be the best place in Columbus to watch Olympic hockey, guaranteed, because RBar is the hockey bar in our city.
The thinking behind the timing of the event is to allow folks to stop by, join the conversation and buy numerous T-Shirts – and then head off into the city for an evening with their valentines.
Bring along a non-sub, and we'll work on converting them. Mrs. Arace is exceedingly charming.
I hope to see you there.
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Michael Arace
