MC5 TITLE GOES TO THE HEAT

Appearing in his second McCracken Classic, The Heat bowled to the same result: CHAMPION.

The line-up boasted a few MC regulars: Sterling, Steve McQueen, Oofta and McCracken, but also saw the rise of new foes Dick Justice and General Burnsides.

The road to the finals was paved with drama credited to the entire field, featuring eight matches decided by ten pins or less including a nail-biting first round 115-113 Sterling victory over E4. Other early matchups advanced Southtown over BROM and General Burnsides over Dick Justice. However, as with the 2005 MHI, a first round defeat does not a loser make, as Dick Justice went on to win four straight, including a stunning come from behind victory over the resurgent Sterling, before bowing to Oofta in the lower bracket semi-finals.

Oofta's path to the Finals began with a victory over Camera Queen and a tight 4 pin triumph over Steve McQueen before meeting The Heat for the first of their three head to head matches. The Heat won the first, forcing Oofta into the lower bracket, but Oofta returned in the Finals and took their second face-off to force a winner-take-all Finals showdown where The Heat's six strike performace (including four straight) was too much. On the day, The Heat scored the best average (146) and the high score (180). This marks the fourth McCracken Tournament in which the high score was bowled by the Champion, and the third in which it was made in the Finals.

Thank you to everyone for making it another fantastic tournament; every single bowler, fan and friend stayed until the Champion was declared. Special thanks goes to Janeen, who took lots of photos and cheered everyone on.

More details and pictures to come.

CLASSIC ARCHIVE: MC2 IN NYC

In April 2003, Lintinin, Sterling and McCracken found themselves in Manhattan on the production of "Knots," which featured daily hilarity and nightly visits to Chelsea Papaya for a few hot dogs and frozen lime treats. Somewhere in the middle of the shoot, the "Knots" faithful heard tales of the first McCracken Classic and they were inspired. With two weeks to go before wrap, the MC2 was planned.

With such a large crew, it was clear that MC2 would not be an individual competition, but a team vs. team bowling bonanza. The tournament was scheduled at Bowlmor Lanes, a hip joint in Union Square with different colored fluorescent pins (just the type of thing Condiment would hate).

Under complete Rock N Bowl conditions, the tournament began at 10pm with the most excitement ever generated for a Classic; there were team uniforms, chants and drunken trash talking. There was constant banter about East Coast bowlers vs. West Coast bowlers. And it was also the unveiling of new bowling balls for Lintinin, Sterling and McCracken (who were on the same team and were 3 of only 4 entrants who had bowled in the first Classic. Themule was the other). It was no coincidence that each of them kept a reserved tone throughout, for they knew that the Classic was a marathon, not a sprint.

After nearly four and half hours of intensity, the stage was set for a spectacular finals featuring Lintinin, Sterling and McCracken vs. Dan Abrams, Michael Campbell and Eric Zuckerman. If there was any debate over the dominant coast, it was quieted by this stat: five of the six finalists were West Coast bowlers (Zuckerman was from NYC).

In true Classic fashion, those who had been eliminated stayed until the wee hours to see the exciting conclusion. After nine frames, L, S and Mc had a combined 371, and A, C and Z were about to start their ninth frame at 361. With every roll critical, it looked to be a fantastic finish. However, just as Dan Abrams was about to start his frame, the lights dimmed and the lanes all closed with a unified THUD. It was 3am and the Bowlmor lanes had an automated shut-down that could not be over-ridden. MC2 remains the only Classic won not by the human participants but by the machines beneath the lanes.

CLASSIC ARCHIVE: THE FIRST MCCRACKEN CLASSIC

In eager anticipation of the MC5, here is a reprint of the MC1 Fable:

In February 2003 after several grueling nights in the Utah snow on "The First Vampire," the McCracken Classic was born. It was a 16 player tournament of rental shoes and house balls at Fat Cats in Provo (the legendary locale where "Lil' Lighting" officially became "Lintinin").

It was a competition stacked with the MC usuals: Sterling, Themule, Beefcake, Mumbly Joe (now The Condiment), Lintinin and McCracken, but it was the unforgettable bowling of a dark horse named E. Fudd that will live on in Classic lore. The lead-up of this story may be different depending on who tells it, but the bowl-tastic ending is always the same.

In the 10th frame of a semi-final showdown, Mumbly Joe finished his roll to take a narrow lead over E. Fudd: 124 to 120. With two rolls to knock down five pins and earn a visit to the finals, E. Fudd was up. Fudd was an underdog with nothing to lose; in fact, his only goal for the evening was to demolish the ever-antagonistic Script Supervisor Cop (aka SCOP), which he did in the first round. Two lanes away, Lintinin was smashing Frankler 162 - 116 in the other semi-final. Mumbly Joe was surely nervous that he had not created enough distance to meet Lintinin in the finals.

On Fudd's first roll he pulled down three pins, drawing the score closer: 124 - 123. Fudd confidently focused on his final task: dropping two pins for his third victory and a visit to the final. He approached, wound up, and at the point of release, slammed the ball into his right leg, sending it immediately into the gutter, while simultaneoulsy flopping into the lane and onto his back. Game over. Mumbly Joe wins.

In the finals, Lintinin bowled a tournament-high 165 over Mumbly Joe's 144 to win his fourth straight and capture the title of what was the first of four McCracken Classics, all in 2003.

E. Fudd was never seen again (not true).

MC5 OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

It has been over three years since the last McCracken Classic.

The MC is back.

Announcing MC5: 'The Neighbor' edition.