Jason Lezak returns home without fanfare

Michael Phelps returned from Beijing to a Magic Kingdom, a Disneyland parade in a red convertible with Mickey Mouse at his side and America at his feet.

Jason Lezak flew home in coach.

"I tried to upgrade, but everything in business was taken," he said. "At least I still got my aisle seat."

Michael Phelps returned from Beijing to a magic carpet ride, an Entourage cameo followed by a Saturday Night Live gig followed by a $1.6-million book deal.

Jason Lezak changed planes in San Francisco, and still couldn't get bumped up from coach.

"People found out who I was, and so they were all coming to the back of the plane to get pictures of my medals," he said.

Two gold and one bronze, all safely tucked away in an overhead compartment?

"No," he said, chuckling. "They were in my pockets."

Michael Phelps returned home this week as the champagne of American athletes.

The guy who made it possible returned home stuck behind a soft-drink cart.

"None of that stuff ever matters to me," Lezak said. "I'm just a swimmer."

Just a swimmer.

Yet, for one emotion-soaked moment in Beijing, Lezak was the wave beneath Phelps' wings.

In the blink of a goggle, Phelps' quest for a record eight gold medals was saved by Lezak's electrifying 46-second swim.

You remember. Anyone who watched the Olympics remembers.

It occurred during he final leg of the 400-meter freestyle relay, with the U.S. trailing the French team by a body length, with Lezak facing the world's best 100-meter freestyle swimmer in Alain Bernard.

Lezak caught him, passed him, gave the Americans and a screaming, jumping Phelps a victory by 0.08 seconds.

American viewers voted it the most exciting moment of the Games.

Oh, yeah, Lezak followed it a couple of days later by anchoring Phelps' final gold medal in the 400 medley relay, a race that ended by summing up the anchorman's situation perfectly.

While the TV cameras captured Phelps' fist-pumping celebration of history, Lezak was nowhere to be seen -- he was still in the pool, still mostly underwater.

Then Phelps went to Disneyland.

And Lezak went to Irvine.

I caught him there Friday night, watching the 'E' network in his condo, one more phone call before putting his jet-lagged body to bed.

"Look at that. I can't believe it, they are showing another Phelps race, and it's on 'E,' " Lezak said with a laugh. "Man, he's everywhere."