The Champ of Beer Pong and Beirut

4.8.08 - The Champ's Online Trivia Game Show

Check out a project the Champ has been working on, on and off for a while now. It's an Online Trivia Game Show where you compete for cash and prizes around the clock. With a big tournament every month (more frequently in the future).

http://www.netshowonline.com

10.31.07 - Pub 46 5000$ Tournament

The Champ's weekly tournament hangout is hosting a 5000$ Beer Pong Tournament on December 1st. The WMDs, World Champion's We Own Your Face, and many of the best east coast Beer Pong teams are certain to be in attendance. Email WSOBPII World Champ Neil with any questions.

Sign up today!

1.14.07 - "Which one of you is Saddam?"

The meaning of their team name may have been lost on the vast majority of competitors, but for Saddam's WMDs and the other 250+ teams in attendance for the four day mega tournament in Mesquite, NV, the World Series of Beer Pong II was a great way to ring in the New Year. Flanked by their buddies Josh, Dan, Nic, and the rest of Film 101 Productions, Champ/Freak began Day 1 in what can only be described as unthrilling fashion. "The 11am start time really got to me," explained The Champ, "As you all know I'm up at 5am every day for my 8 mile jog, but I still usually wait until at least noon before starting serious beer pong." Despite their lackluster performance, they closed the day with a respectable 5-1 record and were free to enjoy the myriad sites and sounds of fabulous Mesquite, NV. This took about four minutes, and they turned in early. "To call Mesquite a poor man's Vegas is a little unfair," said the Freak, "to Vegas that is. It's more like a dying, homeless man's Atlantic City." That's not necessarily a bad thing. Finding an 8$ buffet, 5$ blackjack table, or a 25$ hotel room no longer required a time machine to take you back to 1982. True beer pong players are raised on Meisterbrau and Schaeffer Light, so Mesquite is the perfect site for the WSOBP. Day 2 saw the WMDs loosen up a bit. While they still failed to put together a dominant stretch, they played well enough to go 6-0. After calculating cup differentials, the WMDs were pleasantly surprised to see themselves ranked #3 overall out of 258 at the close of qualifying. Their Jersey cohorts were impressive as well. Neil and Tone of We Own Your Face notched the #2 spot, while Deep and Mehul, the Brown Clowns, easily qualified for Day 3 with a solid 9-3 record. Looking back, this is probably the point where the WMDs lack of big tournament experience hurt them. In two days they had gone from unknowns to the #3 team in the game. They didn't spend enough time focusing on the fact they hadn't played solid pong yet. They foolishly yucked up all the congratulatory comments and went so far as to declare "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" during an impromptu press conference. Unfortunately on Day 3, the on-switch never clicked on for them. They were unceremoniously KOed for a disappointing ~20th place finish. Not all was lost though. "We Own Your Face", the WMDs longtime rivals and friends from local Jersey bar Fatso Fogarty's were taking the tournament by storm. Tone played the role of the friendly tournament villain, his vicious competitive streak earning the admiration and at times the ire of the spectating masses. He seemed to serve as something of a lightning rod for his partner, Neil Guerrero, who in a stunning display of focus delivered one of the greatest single day performances in Beer Pong history. He did a lot of the heavy lifting, and with Tone never failing to hit the pressure shots, they were an unstoppable duo. There was no doubt who deserved to be the 2007 World Champions. After the presentation of the 20,000$ check to We Own Your Face the WMDs and company still had one more long night of recreational games and drinking to go. The final night was one of the most entertaining of the week. The WMDs squared off in exhibition matches with the Black Betty's, the 2006 World Champs Team France, the Film 101 crew, the Milwaukee Brewer's own Iceman, Mike and the BingBong crew, and countless others. The Champ had a superbly played one on one exhibition with big Ron "Smash" Hamilton, one of the tournaments top players which was documented here. It was a fitting close to a week of competitive prowess by some of the world's finest athletes. Many thanks to Billy, Duncan, and the entire Bpong.com crew for pulling off this amazing event. As for the WMDs failing to get the title this year, they'll be back. In the words of a Bush administration lackey, "this wasn't a failure, it was just a success that hasn't happened yet."

12.18.06 - A Grave and Gathering Threat

It's been months now since Team Champ/Freak began playing in weekly Northern New Jersey beer pong tournaments. They've had their share of victories, their share of humiliation, and a lifetimes share of the peculiar New Jersey creature who lives in his parents basement only emerging for purposes of drinking and fighting during ungodly hours. In a few short weeks, the Champ and the Freak, hereby dubbed 'Saddam's WMDs' by the media, will embark with many of their new northern Jersey friends to Mesquite, NV for the 2nd Annual World Series of Beer Pong. With only a few weeks left to prepare, the WMDs have doubled their practice schedules. Whether or not they have what it takes to compete for a world title remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain, like Saddam's military arsenal before them, they are not a threat to be taken lightly.

9.20.06 - No A-Game, No Problem

The Champ and Freak have stormed the New Jersey Dive Bar Beer Pong Circuit in a fashion never before seen. After a Christopher Darden like collapse in their debut at the Pub 46 Tournament, the following night they successfully defended their Fatso's title going 6-0. The next Tuesday they made amends for their poor showing at Pub 46 by picking up their first title there. The latter championship was peculiar for how poor they shot the ball. The Champ's hole-ridden ten year old good luck tshirt was a defensive presence as Champ/Freak went 6-0 and never even had to face a potential game winner from their opponents. They did manage to put together a perfect game in the semi-finals though sending their opponent into an obscenity-laced table kicking tirade that got him removed from the facilities, only for him to charge back in and continue berating Champ/Freak for saving their best stuff for the big game. After a low-stress finals win, The Freak infuriated competitors at the post tournament press conference stating, "We really didn't have our A game tonight." The ability to win without playing their best has brought up comparisons to Tiger Woods year 2000 tear, where opponents layed down in fear. Tonight they'll go for an unprecedented three-peat at Fatso's. The way they've been winning, it seems a perfect time for them to get complacent and have the wheels completely fall off.

9.6.06 - Thousandaires

As stated previously, the Champ has been in dire need of tournament experience in preparation for the 2007 WSOBP. Last week, he heard from one of his archrivals, Devin "The Beirut Freak" Cooch, the #2 player in the game fresh off a westcoast goodwill tour and sporting seriously freakish facial hair, about a weekly 1000$ Beirut tournament at Fatso Fogarty's in New Jersey. Arriving last Wednesday night with a combined height of 12 foot 10 inches and games to match they thought they'd take this tournament by storm. What happened instead was a fiasco! Stymied by the change in rules, tables, and strobe lights in the eyes, this Dream Team turned into a nightmare. They lost 80$ in buyins before heading home in disgrace. The following week for The Champ and The Freak could only be likened to the movie 8 Mile, where upstart rapper B.Rabbit is humiliated in a rap battle and walks around for the next week getting called a loser, getting his ass kicked, and doubting himself. While neither The Freak nor The Champ took Brittany Murphy to pound town in an auto plant, I still think there are lot of parallels there. They learned a hard lesson, that different forms of Beirut were as dissimilar as different forms of Poker. They would have to adjust their games to the 6 cup/No Rebuttal format (no pacing yourself, no coming on in spurts, every shot counts, every team is dangerous) but they vowed not to give up. Unfortunately, the next tournament started as poorly as the last had ended. Champ/Freak dropped two buyins which precipitated a long walk to an ATM machine where the Freak withdrew his last 20$ to give it one more shot. He was heard muttering, "Fight ‘til you drop, never stop can’t give up til you reach the top, you’re the best in town." Inspired by this awkward channeling of Joe Esposito, the Champ started playing some of his best Beirut while The Freak slid into his Scottie Pippen mode. The team fended off legitimate excellent players, wild head twitching side-underhand release shooters, and a semi-final match against a team of affable but shameless players who danced wildly (???) behind the cups during every shot by Freak/Champ. Like many games before it, they fell behind in the Championship Match. In desperation, The Champ pulled his pseudo-praise trashtalk out of the arsenal. Their opponents failed to hit the last cup four times, giving Freak/Champ just enough of a window to storm back for the victory on a thrilling one-two knockout punch finish. Champ/Freak became the fastest team in Fatso's history to take home the 1000$ grand prize, doing it in only their second appearance. Accepting the prize was bittersweet for the Freak, who had to relinquish his amateur status and chance to play Beer Pong in the Olympics. Come join them next Wednesday as they try to defend their title.

8.25.06 - Manhattitude

It's been a rough few months for Beirut playing residents of the Boken. The Arena was closed down indefinitely. In Hoboken, you can own a roof, but just don't expect to be able to use it! This devastating turn of events put a stake in the heart of the Wednesday Nite Beirut League and sapped everyones Beirut spirit for weeks. There is no time for pity though, the Champ and a partner to be named have been sponsored by Film 101 Productions to compete in the 2007 World Series of Beer Pong in Nevada as part of a Beer Pong/Beirut documentary project. Check out the trailer for their most recent project, The Outdoorsmen. For all his exploits, the Champ has little experience playing competitive Beirut outside of the confines of his homeschool and home tables. For this reason he teamed with Cullen H, noted daytime television star, real estate mogul, and roommate of The Beirut Specimen for what was supposed to be a midtown Manhattan Beer Pong tournament. While Cullen and the Champ enjoyed all you can drink beer for $20, sadly there was no sign of a tournament breaking out of the chaotically packed McFaddens barroom. It seemed that beer pong administration duties had been outsourced to FEMA as it took hours just to get a few tables out. Cullen and the Champ finally got behind a table long after the advertised start time. There was to be no tournament, but there was a plethora of Beirut players ready to rumble in a winner stays on format. After a rocky start in Game 1, Champ and Cullen ran off at least 14 straight games (ok, they were 6-0) before abdicating the throne and humbling every gladiator in the arena. They did it amidst an intense environment of Manhassoles who had the audacity to complain amongst other things about the Champ's mild lean, forcing him at one point to step back seven feet behind the table and drill the last cup. Cullen proved himself a wildly effective partner, carrying the Champ during stretches and closing out several last cups. While his claims of dominance over his roommate, Ryan "The Beirut Specimen" Bondroff have yet to be proven, it's clear the Beirut world has found another player who just might have top-tier talent.

7.9.06 - Beirut League Update

After Weeks 4-5-6:

		This week's record	HBL Rating	Total Record	SOS	Last weeks ranking
1.	The Champ	21-2	3614	72-13	6	1
2.	Kellan Ilse	3-3	2718	13-7	5	3
3.	JG Blando	3-7	2370	14-16	3	7
4.	Solo-mon	6-16	2297	21-31	2	5
5.	C Brengel	0-1	2125	6-7	1	4
6.	Sherri W	8-7	2112	11-10	10	6
7.	Blair H	1-4	2001	14-15	7	8
8.	J."Stonewall" Thomson	0-0	1607	12-14	11	8
9.	Heather	9-2	1367	9-2	18	-
10.	E. Augustyn	0-0	1307	2-3	4	10
11.	Scott K	8-14	1300	8-14	9	-
12.	A. Cox	1-0	1225	7-10	13	14
13.	D. Louro "The Oracle"	0-0	1197	11-28	8	12
14.	C. Rapach	0-1	1157	6-9	12	11
15.	Pierre H	0-0	1050	10-11	14	12
16.	KHall - "Big Papa"	5-5	1046	5-5	17	-
17.	Candra	5-2	895	5-3	16	-
18.	BeLingle	4-3	742	4-3	5	-

Others receiving votes: A.Oates, A.Cahn, Alaina, The Truth, Patty 'O, The Freak, Kidd, Jim and Mark Stevens.

6.16.06 - The Truth, the Whole Truth, and nothing but The Freak

When word began spreading about a Hollywood Documentary on Beirut in the USA which would feature the Champ and his cohorts, Jon "The Truth" Davis wasted little time in hauling it down to the Arena for a 5 day and night "weekend" spent proving his mettle on and off the table. His WNHBL debut could've gone better as he posted a lackluster 3-8 record, dropped $40 in bets to the Champ while he was blacked out, and vomited all over the Champ's carpet in his sleep. In his college days it was incidents like this that inspired Devin "The Beirut Freak" Cooch to give up his profession as the worlds tallest and whitest sober dancer to embrace the game of Beirut and competitive drinking. The Truth's reckless lifestyle was what made everything possible for the Freak. Inspired by the return of his hero, the six foot nine gladiator finally emerged from his cabin up in the mountains like Paul Bunyan to set the Beirut world on fire. Thursday, in a match that began at 2am, The Freak combined a hypercompetitive streak with a loquacious verbal battery that would've had The Mouth himself calling for a shotclock to vanquish a frustrated Champ in a three hour match. His celebrations were short-lived however, when The Truth rebounded from his embarassing opening night shenanigans to down The Freak in one of the most thrilling Best of 7s in recent memory. Throughout the seven game winner take all bloodmatch The Freak, by all metrics the superior player of the two, could never seem to close the door on his college idol The Truth. A frustrated Freak was then downed by the Champ in 6 before packing up to move back west for the summer. The Freak is now the #2 rated player in the game, and we can only hope his time playing out in the western bush leagues won't soften his game.

The last two weeks also saw their share of league action. The Champ upped his record to 32-7 to earn the #1 ranking. The highlight was undoubtedly the debut of freshman-real worlder Chris Rapach who in a stunning display of accelerated intoxication went from fully-functioning human to deranged invalid-lobotomized belligerent retard in about 3 minutes. In his three games with the Champ he made one shot and helped catapult Blair Holland near the top of the HBL charts. He then booted all over himself (thank god he kept most of it off the furniture) during a 1on1 bloodmatch between Champ and The Oracle. He had to remove his ruined articles of clothing before riding the cab home in only his boxers. Not since the days of Landon from the Real World have we seen such a terrifying spectacle, he looks to have a bright future in the Boken and HBL. After Weeks 2 and 3:

		This week's record	HBL Rating	Total Record	SOS	Last weeks ranking
1.	The Champ	20-4	3531	32-7	6	2
2.	D. Cooch "The Freak"	6-3	3150	6-3	3	-
3.	Blair H	6-1	3111	6-1	T9	-
4.	Kellan Ilse	9-3	2552	13-7	11	8
5.	JG Blando	6-4	2549	9-7	4	4
6.	Patty O'	0-0	2473	10-2	14	1
7.	J."Stonewall" Thomson	3-4	2049	8-6	13	3
8.	Solo-mon	4-8	1950	10-13	8	6
9.	Luke "The Mouth"	0-0	1920	2-2	2	7
10.	E. Augustyn	2-3	1849	2-3	7	-
11.	D. Louro "The Oracle"	2-9	1607	2-9	1	-
12.	Pierre H	5-7	1406	10-11	15	5
13.	J. Davis "The Truth"	3-8	1359	3-8	5	-
14.	A. Cox	3-5	917	3-8	12	-
15.	C. Rapach	1-6	888	1-6	T9	-

Others receiving votes: Fang, Kidd, Candra, Brengel.

6.6.06 - WNHBL Power Rating Index System version 1.0

Special thanks to WNBHL member Justin G. Blando for helping design the worlds first Comprehensive Cumulative Computerized Relative Power Indexing Rating System for top tier Beirut leagues. While the exact formula behind the Index must be kept secret, we can reveal that these rankings take into account winning percentage, strength of schedule, quality of teammates, and participation. Statistics can be updated live after each game from the Arena's internet connection. After Week 1 your WNHBLRPRIS ratings:

		This week's record	Last weeks ranking
1.	Patty O'	10-2	-
2.	The Champ	12-3	-
3.	Jeff "Stonewall" Thomson	5-2	-
4.	JG Blando	3-3	-
5.	Pierre H	5-4	-
6.	Solo-mon	6-5	-
7.	Luke "The Mouth"	2-2	-
8.	Kellan Ilse	4-4	-
9.	Ray	2-3	-
10.	Mike Stevens	1-5	-
11.	Ryan Stevens	1-7	-
12.	Cox	0-4	-

For those who weren't ranked after Week 1 keep in mind you must play a minimum of 4 games. The mayhem will continue this Wednesday nite.

5.31.06 - Wednesday Nite Hoboken Beirut League Kickoff

The inaugural season the Hoboken Beirut League kicked off strongly on Wednesday with an attendance of 14 people. Players switched partners faster than a 70s swingers party in order to more accurately gauge rankings. Special guest Pat O'Malley teamed up with the Champ for a late night thrashing of the Stevens' Sigeps' finests enroute to the top record of the night, 10-2, with the Champ closely behind at 12-3. #2 ladder ranked Luke "The Mouth" Morris vowed that by the end of the season "modern concepts of mathematics wouldn't be able to adequately capture his dominance" and then left early with yeomans 2-2 effort. Former top tier player, Justin G. Blando has already begun work on a computerized ranking system for the WNHBL. This ranking system will be the most advanced of its kind. It will take into account player records, teammate records, and opponent records, and will be updated live every Wednesday on CTC.

5.18.06 - The Champ is back

The long wintery offseason has finally ended and the prime Beirut weather is upon us. The Champ apologizes for a lack of updates but can assure you CTC will be churning and burning again soon. The offseason featured only a few matches, the most notable being Champ handily defeating #3 ranked Devin Cooch, "The Beirut Freak". On a sad note, wild New Jersey winds laid waste to the once glorious Arena. FEMA was delinquent in hearing our requests for reconstruction funds and for a time it appeared The Arena was lost forever. Thanks to a grassroots effort The Arena was eventually rebuilt and restored to its former glory. The new and improved Arena should serve as a beacon of hope for other weather-ravaged areas around the nation as it hosts Hoboken's First Inaugural Summer Beirut League.

10.30.05 - Not enough truth in the world

Determined to prove The Champ's hypothesis that he had reached a new level of maturity incorrect, Jon "The Truth" Davis used his precious vacation days to head straight back to The Arena where he had dazzled onlookers but a week before. On the evening of the 22nd thing looked bleak when he fell behind 3-0 to the Champ. Like his Boston heroes from a year before, he stormed back to win three games in a row and actually had the Champ on the ropes in Game 7 but was unable to finish him off. A despondent Truth headed out with company to New York City and took full advantage of an open bar. A few LITs later he was missing subway trains and passing out on strangers shoulders in the Path train. The Champ would push him away and his passed out body would immediately cuddle back up next to this terrified man as onlookers laughed hysterically. It was good to see The Truth can still make a mockery of himself like no other when he puts his drinking to it. The next night The Truth and the Champ embarked on an epic Beirut struggle consisting of a whopping 5 Best of 7s. The highlight of the night was in the first series when the Champ threw his perfect game. Stunned onlookers watched him shoot 10 for 10 with the last two cups being nothing but beer. The Truth wouldn't back down though, he again took the Champ to a Game 7 in their 4th series, but the Champ held a 20-7 individual match record at the end of the night.

10.20.05 - War Stories from The Arena

Apologies for the infrequent updates, the Champ's web staff has pledged to work harder. Despite the lack of updates there has been a lot of action on the tables. Underclassmen B.Troast and J.Martin both took spirited shots at the Champ but came up short. A few days later The Champ and the #2 contender Bondroff "The Beirut Specimen" decided to spend their Yom Kippur atoning for sins on the rectangle. What was supposed to be a festive Jewish holiday for the Specimen turned solemn as he began a cataclysmic crash course that spiraled him out of the Top Tier. After dropping consecutive matches to the Champ 4-1, 4-0, he appeared to be atoning for himself when he got up 3-0 on Third Tier contender BLingle. Then the wheels came off. His alcohol threshold greatly exceeded, Bondroff dropped the next four games. BLingle's inspired heroics were only overshadowed by arguably the greatest collapse in Beirut history. Unrepentant, an incoherent Bondroff then challenged K.Ilse and fell 4-1. While his end performance was impressive for someone lacking any body control, his 4-12 day will go down in infamy. After an unprecedented 124 days without seeing the sun, the Champ and his Hoboken brethren were thrilled when the rooftop edition of The Arena was able reopen for the arrival of storied Beirut Journeymen Bart and Davis. Bart, if you remember, vowed vengeance against the Champ and was fulfilling his promise to face him the Arena. The night began with Team Champ/Solomon facing Bart/Davis. Solomon and Davis put up MVP numbers while both Champ and Bart did their best A-Rod in the playoffs impressions. In the end, the Champ's play was even more futile than Bart's and Bart/Davis squeaked out the narrowest of 4-3 victories. The story of the night though was Jon Davis. There was a time (the last 17 months) when people questioned whether Davis' life of mediocre golfing and occasionaly frightening binge drinking episodes was lacking some direction. At long last he became gainfully employed and his newfound maturity demonstrated itself on the rectangle. This confident, career-oriented young man shocked onlookers when for once he wasn't the drunkest guy at the party. As he rained elegant Beirut shots and carried Bart through the Best of 7, an impressed Shaquille O'Neal was quoted as saying, "Jon Davis is the motherfuckin Truth." That series finished, the marquee matchup of the night, Bart vs. The Champ began. The Champ jumped ahead early 2-0 and put a strangle hold on Game 3. He hit the last cup a few times but Bart wouldn't go away. He stormed back to win that game and the next and it was clear to all this was going seven. The intoxicated Champ looked worn out and beaten as he fell behind by 5 cups in Game 7, somehow he rallied back and made void Bart's wild guarantees of victory. The Champ didn't have long to celebrate as Luke "The Mouth" Morris challenged and promptly defeated him 4-2. Luke has now won 2 of their last 3 matches and put his stamp on the #2 ranking. His sights are set for the top, and the two hope to rumble later this week. The Champ has vowed revenge, but after his less than impressive Saturday nite some have begun to question whether his day has passed.

10.3.05 - Homecoming 2005: The Massacre

Since the launch of CTC there has been no weekend more anticipated than Homecoming 2005. Top Tier players would collide from all over the nation, collegiate players would finally have their hearing in front of the Champ, and Pierre Hernando would hold press conferences after every cup he made demanding a higher ranking. For two alumni, the Champ and Luke Morris - The Mouth of Beirut, Homecoming weekend would start on Wednesday night. Following his impressive shutouts of highly-ranked college seniors Colin Haines and Matt Gorney, the Champ joined the Mouth downtown for what was supposed to be a relaxed Wednesday night gathering. What started out as a few friendly games morphed into a Best of 3 and then into a Beirut spectacle that spanned across three tables, two locations, and sunrises in at least six different time zones. The two gladiators battled until breakfast and beyond, each notching a 4-1 best of seven win. It was only fitting this clash ended in a 5-5 draw well north of 9am. With his impressive 6-7 record against the Champ in one on one matches over the week, the Mouth reasserted himself as a Top Tier player and a true force in the game. On Thursday the Champ had little time for recovery as he began battling a murderer's row string of collegiate challenges headlined by current house champion Kyle Herb. Of the Champ's matches against Herb, Steve Doremus, Dan Fried (still owes 10$), Stephen Peters, Colin Haines, and Matt Gorney, only the frathouse cashbar owner/operator Peters was able to win a single game. The youth of Beirut learned the hard way that the path to the Top Tier isn't paved smoothly. After the Champ's annihilation of the youth movement, the Beirut world could focus on some very exciting Top Tier matches between the elder players. #4 ranked Joe Moser flew all the way in from Minnesota for the event. Media coverage intensified before he took the rectangle against Luke Morris. The Mouth, just annointed as a Top Tier player, was now teeming with confidence and it was clear the match could go either way. In a surprise to some, Moser overcame a rocky start and stormed to an authoritative 4-1 victory with several brilliant walkoff finishes. With the #2 ranking in his hands, it was now Moser who teemed with confidence when he challenged his longtime rival the Champ to a winner take all Best of 7 bloodmatch. Moser has always loved pressure but now he was playing with a different kind, the self-imposed pressure that comes after stomping a Top Tier player like the Mouth. In perhaps his most brilliant match to date, the Champ snapped Moser under the heavy burden of expectation. The Beirut world gasped as Moser was unceremoniously KOed, 4-0. As much as he would have liked to rest on that victory, the Champ had one more Top Tier match to play. Ryan Bondroff, "The Beirut Specimen", was looking to avenge his near-victory from two short weeks ago. Early in the match, it looked like the Champ was about to KO Bondroff as he had done Moser. Already up 1-0, the Champ sunk some 8 of his first 9 balls to begin Game 2. The always steely-eyed Bondroff just would not go down though. He clawed his way back from this 8 cup deficit with a 6 of 7 flurry of his own enroute to capturing Game 2. Onlookers were amazed, but none moreso than the Champ who was just incredulous that the Specimen could've survived that salvo of knockout punches. Still stunned, the Champ lost Game 3 to fall behind 2-1. While skating nicely in Game 4, the Specimen made what many consider a tactical error. He tried to augment his success with some pseudo-praise trash-talking. The Champ, who normally struggles against players who lavish praise on him, came to the realization that the Specimen might struggle likewise. Upon seizing a tiny momentum, the Champ began bombarding the Specimen with compliments about his game. After squaring the series at 2-2, the false-lovefest continued and the Specimen's wheels came off as he failed to come close to breaking down in Games 5 and 6. The Champ never lied though, Bondroff's Game 2 performance showed he was still the #2 player in the game. With the serious contests out of the way, HC weekend would conclude with some friendly 2on2 action. Team Champ/Heather's 30+ game win streak was sadly ended when the Champ foolishly awoke Heather from a deep sleep to play. Team Pierre/D.Ross did the honors before a confused not sure if she was awake Heather went back to sleep. She was replaced by Stephen Peters and new team Champ/Peters went 4-1 as D.Ross foolishly kept shooting with a non-regulation ball and cockily drank cups before they were hit. In the last game of the weekend, Ross and the Champ wagered a naked run on the outcome. Losing early on, Ross declared he wasn't going to run naked, he was instead going to walk. Homecoming 2005 closed strong as D.Ross ushered in this extra painfully slow tradition.

9.28.05 - Challenge from a ghost?

Some of the older visitors of CTC may remember Bart. There was no individual more dedicated to the game of Beirut, binge drinking, and the excesses of university life. He coined the term "The Rectangle", often played until breakfast, spearheaded the Monday Nite Beirut League, started a fledgling Beirut lesson business, and his competitivness on the rectangle was so strong he was known to challenge himself to one on one Beirut games long after everyone else had passed out. What he lacked in stature and mechanics he made up for with sheer heart. While you couldn't always count on him staying emotionally centered, you always knew no one wanted it more. Things wouldn't always stay that way. The thing about fire like the one that burned within Bart is that it can't exist without room to breathe. It's been said greatness is born of suffering, and Bart's greatness on the rectangle was born of a void inside that allowed the flame room to cultivate. When the lovely Elizabeth entered Bart's life and healed his tortured soul the Beirut fire could no longer exist. This was no more her fault than it is the flames who burn themselves out. The Bart we knew began to fade away. "Jonathan" was a happier young man far likelier to live beyond his 25th birthday. But behind the rectangle he was no Bart, and the committee's Ladder rankings had to reflect that. Indeed we'd heard from the last of Bart, or so it seemed. The Champ's Email, dated 9/27/05:

Chump,

I would have been happy with a Top Tier ranking....acknowledgement for my contributions to the game. Instead a #12 ranking and 2nd tier status...a slap in the face. You and I both know the players above me are jokes...nobody had my heart or intensity....nobody could automatically hit the last cup...nobody has the record I posted during the four year drunken haze my parents call Bucknell. And for all this I'm ranked behind players who couldn't pick my ball off the floor, let alone compete in a best of 7 series. Bondroff at #2, you have got to be seriously kidding me. I could spot him two games and still win in six. Cooch? Cramer? Maybe the best in their class, but thats not saying much. I have won with any partner, on any stage, and most importantly I have won big by myself when the pressure was on. This weekend my garage will be transformed into my personal Beirut sanctuary. As the Beast flows I will throw shot after shot across the rectangle with one thought in mind...beating the shit out of you. During the next month my focus will be on two things...a round white ball with Sportcraft written on it and ten clear 12 oz. cups. I'm not only writing this to challenge you but to also warn you. I haven't felt this competitive since my my Jr. year at Bucknell and that doesn't bode well for you. I will drive to Hoboken or you can come to Hartford, but I assure you the location will not matter. I swear upon the Holy Grail of Beirut you will be beaten. Write what you want on your website and rank me where you like, but you and I both know I'm still at the top of that list. Bart has been provoked and heads are gonna roll.

Bart

Hey Bart, lets face it, the guy who wrote me that email doesn't exist anymore. He's a figment of your memory, a subconscious whispering, like a dream that seems oh so real. Jonathan sure as hell isn't going to make it to Hoboken to play me. Jonathan couldn't make it down to the BLBE last weekend. Jonathan isn't even coming to Homecoming because he's putting in extra hours at the office, probably to buy a nice family house out in Hackensack, that's all he'll get for his money. He'll never get 10-1. He'll never show, and we all know what would happen if he did. You say this weekend your garage will become your Beirut sanctuary, is that before or after your nice little Saturday at Home Depot? Before or after you get back from Bed Bath and Beyond if you have time? Maybe I'm wrong though, maybe Bart is back. Fine I'll speak with him now: Bart, no one ever doubted your heart or your shooting touch, they did question your raging emotions. This is a new day and age in the game of Beirut and you need them in check more than ever. Does the guy who wrote that email sound like he can stay emotionally on kilter when he's staring down eight feet of plywood at the Champ? I don't think so. Sure, you and Davis dominated the MNBL, but what about your struggles against Big Mike and Luke? Were they really that much better than you, or could you just not keep your head? The Champ is currently playing some of the best Beirut of his career having won his last 30 consecutive games. Whether Bart or Jonathan shows up, the outcome of this match watched by thousands will be the same!

9.27.05 - The Barnegat Light Beirut Extravaganza

The 2005 BLBE hosted by Andy Marbach proved to be one of the most raucous Beirut gatherings in recent memory. The weekend was highlighted by Team Champ/Kellan's heroic efforts to win 27 consecutive Beirut games for the victims of Hurricane Rita. After dropping two games early in the weekend, it appeared providing inspiration for millions might be too tall of an order, but when they ended Friday night on a 13 game streak they were determined to prove no hope was too small for hurricane victims. On Saturday Team Champ/Kellan teetered on the brink of disaster for 14 barnburning games before fulfilling their pledge to bring hope to the victims. Confused media members covering the event didn't understand why there was no money being raised and efforts to edify them on the pricelessness of inspiration were futile. The BLBE also saw its share of one on one action. Friday night Jim Ritter (see below) gave a struggling Champ a tough 4-2 test. In a shocking turn of events, the Champ began Saturday by dropping a Best of 7 and 100$ to Scott Whitefield, 2-4. Excitement surrounding CTC had come to a fever pitch and the pressure was wearing on him. Couple that with a mind-blowing 10 for 12 performance by Whitefield in Game 6 and you had your recipe for disaster. With the unspeakable having occured, the Champ loosened up and finished the BLBE going 22-0 for a 43-8 record, with sweeps over Whitefield (recouped 50$) and Ritter admidst the chaos of the heroic 27 consecutive game pledge. It was Kellan Ilse though, who earned MVP honors for the BLBE. He posted a 33-3 record and a 4-1 defeat of Jim Ritter, all while carrying a struggling Champ through the first half of their 27 game effort. With enough Beirut played, four participants in the BLBE decided to play an extremely complicated drinking game called "Heads you take a shot or chug a beer, tails you don't, either way everyone scream like a madman and pass on the coin". Shockingly this boisterous game lasted over three hours before an ocean keg riding contest and several law enforcement threats concluded the BLBE. On another note, there have been numerous updates to CTC. The Beirut Oracle has graced us with some life lessons on the Wisdom page, the Passion and Shame of the Champ have been duly revised, and by request several new additions have been made to the Ladder.

9.23.05 - Throwing the Ritter at em'

Furious with the #30 ranking given to him by the Champ's Committee, Jim Ritter has vowed to crush the Champ at the upcoming Barnegat Light Beirut Extravaganza this weekend: "Now ya see me, now you don't, he ain't no Champ, I know he won't!" Responded the Champ, "Who's that? Sorry I'm not familiar with players outside the Top 20. Maybe I should stop doing these charity events." The BLBE is a bush-league event consisting primarily of third tier, rec tier, and unranked players looking to make a splash on The Champ's Ladder. Team Champ/Kellan have pledged 27 consecutive victories over the weekend to aid victims of Hurricane Rita. Check back for a full report on this inspirational effort at the BLBE.

9.20.05 - Ladder Chatter

Two short days after the unveiling of The Champ's Ladder Rankings there have already been significant adjustments. A west coast grassroots campaign chronicling Oshan's impressive summertime Beirut exploits catapulted him over twenty spots, deep into the third tier. The burden of expectation proved a little too heavy for #6 ranked Kellan Ilse as he lost a heartpounding Best of 5 to Heather, 3-2. He rebounded tonight with an authoritative 4-2 victory over Justin G. Blando. Blando's struggles continued when he dropped a 2-0 decision in a Best of 3 against a rejuvenated Rob Singer. Following his impressive win, Singer pledged a greater commitment to the game. The Champ has enjoyed his administrative role the past few nights but eagerly awaits his next challenge.

9.17.05 - "This isn't fun anymore."

Deep into his first marquee matchup since the launch of CTC, those four words spoken by onlooker Lisa encapsulated the intensity of the competition. As the Champ bellowed loudly after each bringback in a desperate attempt at a comeback bid, steely eyed Ryan "The Beirut Specimen" Bondroff continued the near God-like play that brought him to a 2-0 lead and a near stranglehold on Game 3. The former commissioner of the now defunct Monday Night Beirut League, Bondroff's inspirational play showed that even 100 hour investment banking work weeks aren't enough to vanquish the Beirut inferno that burns inside of him. With his towering release he was going nuclear on the Champ and to some it looked like he might win going away. Luckily for the Champ, all the caffeine fueled IB binges seemed to be taking their toll on the challenger as he began struggling with his shot and doubling over with indigestion pain late in Game 3. The Champ, playing with a 400$ burden on the 10-1 offer, capitalized on Bondroff's physical ailments and won three straight games before the mandatory sideswitch. The relief was shortlived as Bondroff found his second wind and one-twoed the Champ to force a Game 7. Both players had a four to five cup flurry in Game 7, Bondroff's coming late, and it only seemed fitting this epic series was going down to two last cups. The Champ felt invigorated when The Beirut Specimen missed his first two last cup throws. The Champ sunk his first shot, and then shockingly waved off Bondroff's rebuttal (an option neither player had exercised all night) before loading up his second salvo and raining the decisive closer. Relieved to have survived his onetime 10-1 offer with Beirut's #1 Contender, The Champ was congratulated by the ever sportsmanlike Beirut Specimen on what was undoubtedly the most exciting Best of Seven series of all time.

The Champ-Specimen thriller was just the main event in a Beirut packed evening atop the Hoboken rooftop. In two-on-two news, the Champ and girlfriend Heather (with their clockwork like one-two game enders) continued their torrid play of 30+ consecutive matches won (undefeated since Graduation in May) with a competitive but nonetheless 4-0 thumping of Team Kellan-Leslie. No ladies and gentleman, this undefeated streak is not just against couples teams, it's against all teams, including six or seven against Team Solomon-Blanding who once resided on the Top Tier before fading into anti-synergistic futility. Big talking and big shooting Luke Morris made his Arena debut by defeating big talking (not so sure about big shooting) Jay Friedhoff in a single game played for entirely too much money. Between the Thriller, Champ/Heather's continued excellence, Kellan Ilse's permanent relocation from Minnesota to The Arena, and the Ali-like return of Luke Morris, the real winner on September 17th was the game of Beirut.

(Public Release) 9.15.05 - "The Champ is here!"

Welcome to CTC. I launched this site to chronicle my professional Beirut career. I'm looking for people to challenge my title as "World's Greatest One on One Beirut Player" and back it up with their wallet. I'm so confident I'm offering a 10-1 odds bet to the public on a best of seven series. I also created this site to bring Beirut's cult following into the mainstream. One day I will compete in the World Beirut Championships on ESPN watched by millions!

8.15.05 - "He doesn't know it's a damn show, he thinks it's a damn fight!"

Yet again I was taken to a game seven by an opponent with no business being on my table. DA ran his mouth about how he was the Vince Carter of Beirut and while he didn't always play hard he had a bottomless talent pool he could tap at any time and beat me. Boy was he talking plain silly to the Champ. He didn't realize having great hand-eye coordination is only the beginning. He doubted the commitment necessary to compete at my level. His awful mechanics are on display when his elbow collapses like a lawn chair before releasing slow-moving line drives. In our first four Best of 7s
he only won a single game. The last two series (on his most recent trip to Hoboken) were so dismal that I completely lost respect for him as an opponent. Big mistake. As we headed to The Arena for another series I thought it would be a joke yet again. After a 1-1 split, DA wisely called for a sideswitch and that's when the Champ's wheels started coming off. As he started finding his touch I cursed myself for underestimating him. Of course someone with his hand-eye coordination would come alive! DA's shaky form was holding up as he rained bombs and before I knew it I was down 3 games to 2, with him having only one cup left and me with five! I had two bullets in my hand though. Sometimes that's all the Champ needs. I hit five in a row to close out Game 6 before overwhelming him in Game 7. DA doesn't have a shot at the Top Tier until he rebuilds his stroke from the groundup and fixes his flawed mechanics. Nonetheless, he proved that on any given night a fierce competitor with superb coordination can hang with the Champ, at least for a little while.

8.8.05 - Cinderella Man

BLingle is no powerhouse in the Beirut community. The consummate party animal, he's never stepped off the Blackout Train he rides four nights a week long enough to commit to the game. Lifetime, he had lost six best of seven series and 24 of 26 games against me when we racked the cups for our second besto' of the night.Like Mike Tyson during his debaucherous
Tokyo bender prior to fighting Buster Douglas, I saw absolutely no need to bring my A-game. When Brando walked me off (hit the last two cups consecutively preventing a rebuttal) in Game 2 to square it I still wasn't concerned. Brando played it low key, wisely choosing to pick his attack spots rather than stand toe to toe with the Champ. When he snuck up from behind and walked me off in Game 3 AND Game 6 it became clear that in the lonely desert of Brando's Beirut game, when it finally rains, it's a Category 5 hurricane. He had just finished hitting more cups in those six games than he'd hit against me in our 26 previous. Brando later admitted that when he approaced the rectangle for Game 7 he was afflicted with a powerful feeling that he couldn't win. Perhaps he had heard the clock striking midnight on his Cinderella story right before he only hit a single cup and was blown away in Game 7.

5.20.05 - Senior Week Showdown

After Peter Cramer assumed the title of "The People's Champ" of Beirut last year I was dying to get my shot at him on Senior Week. I goaded him for weeks telling him People's or otherwise, I was the one true Champ. When we got to Hilton Head I taunted him mercilessly telling him I'd drop him in five everytime we crossed paths. As I barked though, I grew increasingly nervous watching the PC. It was clear his game was even bigger than his mouth. He put on an absolutely dazzling display in two-on-two games throughout the week, his win/loss record only hindered by the fact his teammates felt pressure alongside someone shooting so accurately. (Kind of like Astros hitters when Clemens pitches.) He was never satisfied with hitting a few shots in a row, he could shoot with both hands, on the rectangle he oozed confidence and pure roundball moxey. He's the first player I've seen who's God-given Beirut talent could rival mine. I knew to win I'd have to exploit his youth and lean on him mentally. This caused the tension before our series to grow palpable. We almost came to blows in a two-on-two series before being held back by our teammates. Finally the two titans clashed about 4am our last night in a virtually empty beachhouse. Before we the started The PC told me that if I won he didn't want to give up his Title Belt. What the hell? This guy had been a Beirut Mack Truck all week and now he's openly admitting he's scared to lose an imaginary belt? I was pretty sure I had him then. The pressure was so thick I could chew on the air as we played four absolute down to the wire games. At that point I was up 3-1 when a frustrated People's Champ informed me he was too drunk to go on. Now in his defense he stated beforehand that he might not be able to finish, but I'm convinced had he pulled out one of those three barnburners he would've continued. Therefore I count this is as a victory for the Champ. People's Champ if you'd like to contest this please join me in Hoboken for The Champ's Challenge. Not only will you get 10-1 odds (even though I consider you maybe a 1.8-1 dog at best) but if you win I'll remove our first shortened series from the record books.