The Challenge 40 Battle of the Eras Player Preview: Mark Long
It cannot be understated how much Mark Long is beloved by both Challenge fans and his fellow cast members. The guy is a true OG of the game, as he debuted back when The Challenge was only available on VHS. Even after nearly 30 years on Reality TV, Mark, at age 53, still looks incredible, still kills the daily challenges, and if you bring your hot aunt or cousin to a Challenge Mania event, he will bang them, fair warning.
After being the driving force for getting the All-Stars spinoffs made, Mark can truly do no wrong in the eyes of many Challenge fans. He’s The Godfather for a reason.
Mark’s Cheat Sheet (TLDR Version)
Introducing Mark Long:
It does not get much more OG than Mark Long. He almost replaced Puck on Real World San Francisco, then he was on the first season of Road Rules, and finally, he was on the second Challenge season ever (the first to include Road Rulers). From Day 1, Mark was someone who always lit up for the cameras, looked amazing physically, and competed at an elite level. Also, at one point, Mark hosted The Challenge (S5: Battle of the Seasons).
Mark won his first season, except there were no eliminations, and it was a Final between two teams, so it wasn’t that impressive. What was impressive was his win on Battle of the Sexes 1. To this day, Battle of the Sexes 1 is one of the hardest Finals to qualify for as only 3 out of 18 men got to go the Final, meaning you had to outlast 15 vote-offs. Mark did so by crushing the dailies & playing a good social game, before going to the Final and getting his second win. By the numbers, the chances of winning a Battle of the Sexes season is on par or more difficult than most Challenge seasons from the 20’s & 30’s.
Which makes the fact that Mark came back for Battle of the Sexes 2 and outlasted 14 vote-offs again even more remarkable. Mark was going to outlast a 15th and would’ve had a spot in the Final for his third straight win. Except at this point in time, people weren’t trying to stack Challenge Championships as they are now, so instead, the rumor goes, Mark cut a deal to split the winnings with the other three men as he’d give up his spot in the Final. So even though he didn’t take home the win, Mark was still getting paid.
Mark would make sporadic appearances over the years, returning for The Gauntlet 2 and Duel 2, making the Final of each without ever seeing an elimination. He didn’t go in because he was everyone’s friend and because he was dominating dailies. Plus no one wanted to face his giant ass in elimination. While he didn’t win either season, Mark took home money for each, and as the rumor goes… He convinced Brad & Evan that they would split the winnings between the three of them, no matter who won.
We’d last see Mark on the MTV show on Exes 1, where he and Robin made it to the last elimination of the season. He got put in a Pole Wrestle against Bananas; where as much respect as I have for Bananas a competitor, Mark could have turned that elimination into a Backpack 2.0 situation. As a friend, who maybe also cut another deal, Mark dipped out and gave Bananas the win.
Where things got really interesting with Mark was when the We Want OG’s movement began, and Mark just started gathering big names interesting in a potential season of old-school cast members. That evolved into Challenge All Stars, and we’ve now gotten three spectacular seasons out of it. All Stars has been one of the most important pieces to The Challenge as it completely changed the way we view over a dozen players. As you can see with the cast for Season 40, there are people on this season who you wouldn’t have imagined ever doing a flagship season again, just a few years ago, if not for All Stars. Mark was the driving force behind All-Stars, and he rightfully got his producer’s credit for the show.
On top of that, Mark appeared on All Stars 1 and 3, where he made the Final of each season, won a bunch of dailies and eliminations, notably taking Jordan Wiseley out in a 1 v. 1 elimination. Even in his 50’s, you cannot sleep on Mark as a competitor.
Player Vitals & Stats
Mark Long: 53 Years Old, 6'3, 220 lbs, 8 Seasons (2 All-Star Seasons), 2x Champion, 6x Finalist, 3–2 Elimination Record, Winner of Real World vs. Road Rules & Battle of the Sexes 1
Skills and Physical Strength:
It’s actually insane how good Mark still is at daily challenges in his 50’s. For a man of his size and weight, he should not be able to move as fluidly as he does or be able to walk across balance beams as if he were a gymnast. Mark is one of the most powerful men in Challenge history. He can outlift 95% of competitors in Challenge history. His 6'3 frame comes in handy in so many daily challenges where his reach gives him an advantage.
On top of his raw power and size, Mark is a solid swimmer, is fearless with heights comps, and he’s pretty damn good at eating challenges. His cardio is also spectacular for his age and size. While Mark can’t keep up with the pace of players like Jordan or Horacio, he never gasses out endurance-wise. Mark is a literal tanker trunk as a human.
SSMP (Social, Strategic, Mental, and Political) Game:
Until All Stars 3, Mark had only been voted into elimination ONCE in his entire Challenge career (the final elimination of Exes 1, when 2 out of 3 teams had to go in). People call him The Godfather for good reason — when Mark’s on, the game runs through him. Everyone is his friend, and it was almost an unspoken thing that he was untouchable. Which made him getting voted in via tribunal and later called out by Jordan for eliminations on All Stars 3 feel crazy.
It no longer feels like Mark is a guaranteed lock for the Final, as in the past. At the same time, I still expect Mark to be able to coast through the season, as he has so many friends on the cast. It feels like he’s been doing every Challenge Mania the past few years, and so he’s been in the mix with newer generation cast members that he’s never competed with.
Now, if we want to talk about Mark winning this game, he does need to play an active strategic game and take some big shots. There’s no way he’s winning a Final against Jordan, Darrell, or Bananas. Mark has to take some calculated risks when the time is right. Also, in terms of puzzles and mental challenges, Mark rates average to below average.
Eliminations & Winning Potential:
Mark is a damn tough opponent to face in eliminations. He is a mammoth of a man who can destroy most players in a headbanger or sized-based eliminations. Additionally, Mark has a knack for all the old-school carnival games. Even more importantly, he stays calm under pressure in these eliminations. Unless it’s an elimination of agility or an endurance game against a cardio beast, I like Mark’s chances in most eliminations. Personally, I’d love to see an old man battle between him and CT in a headbanger after all these two years.
Now, can Mark win? Although he’s come in 3rd & 4th in his last two Finals, I didn’t think he performed terribly. Simply, Mark got outpaced by players who were better-suited for a Final. If Mark gets to a Final this season and his competition ends up being like Cory, Derrick, and Nehemiah (all people I can imagine making the Final), then yeah, I could see Mark pulling out a win. I just don’t envision Mark beating the people who have already won modern Challenge Finals, like Jordan, CT, etc. Mark’s chances of winning are slim, but he’s still in the top half of contenders because there’s a good chance he’ll be in that Final.
Mark’s Overall Rating: 90/100
Previous Ratings I’ve Given Mark:
All Stars 3: 90/100
