Ramon asked, and Stu delivers. Sadly, there is no longer an opportunity for a Hunt Down on Pimp C. He has checked out of this life and will no longer be choosing between paper or plastic. Soldier on, Bun B. Soldier on. Now, on to Lance Rentzel. Stu?

Name: Lance Rentzel

Claim to Fame, Minnesota: chosen by the Vikings in the second round of the 1965 NFL Draft, he spent two seasons with the Purple.  His name recently resurfaced when Aundrae Allison broke Rentzel’s team record for longest kickoff return for a touchdown.

Claim to Fame, Everywhere Else: had a nice run with the Ice Bowl-era Cowboys, but most of the noteworthy stuff took place off the field, which means it’s time for the return of…

Embarrassing Off-Field Incident®: was arrested for exposing himself to a 10-year-old girl in 1970, causing the Cowboys to cut ties with him.  This was not the first time he’d been busted for such a crime, having exposed himself to two girls in 1966.  This coincides with his time in Minnesota, but I’m unable to find anything in the Strib’s archives or on the Intarweb confirming that it took place here.

Rentzel would later write a book addressing these matters called When All the Laughter Died in Sorrow, which is available for 13 cents from Amazon.  In it, he blames his crimes on depression, an overprotective mother, George Orwell, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.  I’d say 13 cents sounds about right, though a relative bargain if you need a reason to think the Oklahoma football program is terrifying.

Glorious Randomness: if the above is neither glorious nor random enough for you, today is your lucky day.  Rentzel was married to C-list actress Joey Heatherton.  Before the marriage fell apart after Rentzel’s arrest, they appeared with host Don Knotts and Bobby Goldsboro on an episode of something called The Hollywood Palace.  He appeared in a skit and performed the song “Sunny.”  The description of his performance reads, “plays organ and sings.”  Sometimes, the jokes write themselves. Oh, and he also used to date Victoria Principal.  The more you know.

Talk Amongst Yourselves: the Proprietor has previously discussed how stories from the past would play in today’s supercharged media environment.  Try to imagine the media circus if this story broke tomorrow about a current NFL player:  Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless, the Fox News Channel, etc. Come to think of it, don’t imagine it.  It’s too early to start drinking heavily.

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