How much do Earthquakes forward Steven Lenhart and iconic professional wrestler Hulk Hogan have in common? Apparently, enough to warrant consideration of a Linkedin network request.
Laid-back,
beach-bum personalities, blond hairdos and killer mustaches aside,
SJEarthquakes.com presents the six degrees of separation between Lenhart
and the Hulkster:
1. Steven Lenhart → Brian Carroll
Earthquakes
forward Steven Lenhart was teammates with current Philadelphia Union
midfielder Brian Carroll while playing for the Columbus Crew from 2008
to 2010.
2. Brian Carroll → Ray Hudson
Prior to his
stint in Columbus, Carroll played five seasons for D.C. United. However, the connection we’re aiming for is former D.C. United
head coach Ray Hudson, the man who selected Carroll No. 11 overall in
the 2003 MLS SuperDraft.
3. Ray Hudson → Gordon Banks
Hudson
spent two years as the coach of D.C. United, 2002 and 2003 and was
probably more famously known for his colorful commentary than on-field
results. The Englishman famously said, “There’s a lot of talent on this
team, and I’m talking Anna Nicole Smith type of talent!” Prior to his
time as a coach, Hudson played for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers with
none other than legendary English goalkeeper Gordon Banks in the
1977-78.
4. Gordon Banks → Judi Dench
Banks won a World
Cup with England in 1966 and was named the second-best keeper of the
20th Century the International Federation of Football History &
Statistics. He also made 293 appearances for Leicester City, a squad the
Earthquakes lost 3-1 to during a preseason trip across the pond in
February of 2011. The next degree of separation, however, comes from
being awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1970 along with actress
Judi Dench.
5. Judi Dench → Michael Caine
Dench is better known for her role as M in each James Bond flick since GoldenEye
in 1995. Aside from her gig keeping tabs on Double-Oh-Seven, the Brit
won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress after casting as Queen
Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love. Coincidentally, she presented the male version of her award to Michael Caine in 2000 for his performance in The Cider House Rules.
6. Michael Caine → Hulk Hogan
Caine’s Hollywood hit list includes appearances in The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Austin Powers in Goldmember. More importantly, he was the voice of father figure Lord Redbrick in the animated hit Gnomeo & Juliet,
a movie that featured a villainous lawnmower aptly named the
Terrafirminator. The voice behind the Terrafirminator? The man, the
legend, Hulk Hogan.