We all have our own weird quirks and moments of OCD, but longtime sports announcer Jim Nantz’s ridiculous obsession with burnt toast is one that I may never understand.
It’s not that Nantz’s request is that strange—who the hell doesn’t like a little smoky flavor to their bread in the morning?—it’s that he goes to great lengths to make sure that he gets his ideal toast anywhere he goes.
Talking to Golf Digest, Jim Nantz actually said he’s so particular that he carries around a photo to hand to servers while he’s eating out at restaurants, via FTW.USAToday:
“On the other hand, there’s a little Jack Nicholson in “Five Easy Pieces” in me. I’m a breakfast guy: three eggs scrambled, with bacon and wheat toast, burnt. The problem is, it never came back burnt. For years it would arrive limp and tan, which brought breakfast to a standstill when I sent the toast back. It was costing me 10 minutes a day, which, multiplied by six days a week, is four hours a month. That’s 48 hours—two full days—per year. My friends, time is currency. My wife, Courtney, got tired of hearing me complain about it. She found a photograph on the Internet of a kitchen toaster ejecting two slices of burnt toast. She minimized it, printed it out and had it laminated. She insisted I put it in my wallet. When I order, I present the photo to my server. I get some strange looks, but I can assure you, the toast now arrives black and scary, just the way I like it.”
While I can’t say for certain what photo Nantz’s wife printed out for him, this one is a good basis for how people might take their toast each morning.
This question has been bugging me. Which according to you is the most perfectly toasted slice? For me #13 pic.twitter.com/2tbYGiHn6Y
— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) February 28, 2016
Given the fact that Nantz is nerdy enough to calculate how much time he’s wasting per year on explaining his preferred toast is enough proof that no one gets between him and his perfect morning breakfast.