Mike Long
| Mike Long | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1974 (age 42–43) Albany, New York |
| Alma mater |
James Madison University (Class of '97) |
| Years active | 1995-present |
| Known for | Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering) |
| Home town | Franklin, Tennessee |
| Magic: The Gathering career | |
|---|---|
| Pro Tour debut | 1996 Pro Tour New York |
| Winnings | US$ 102,669 |
| Pro Tour wins (Top 8) | 1 (4) |
| Grand Prix wins (Top 8) | 1 (4) |
| Lifetime Pro Points | 191 |
| Planeswalker Level | 43 (Archmage) |
Michael Long, known as Mike Long, is a former professional Magic: The Gathering player who was a high-profile figure on the Pro Tour in its formative years.
Long was born in Albany, New York and later lived in Gambrills, Maryland where he attended the Severn School. He attended college at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. At James Madison, he wrestled and played on the James Madison Dukes football team. He began competing at Magic: The Gathering tournaments in 1995. After graduation, Long owned a game store called "The End" in Charlottesville and wrote strategy articles in addition to working on the professional tour. He began using internet marketing for both his strategy articles and for card sales. It was later discovered that he cheated to win many Magic: the Gathering events.
Magic: The Gathering was released in 1993 and a Pro Tour launched the following year. Long proved to be an early celebrity champion known for his aggressive persona. Long's first individual tournament win was at the Paris Pro Tour during the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 1996–97. During the Paris tournament, Long debuted a "combination deck" called Prosperous Bloom that was notably the first successful combination deck in tournament-level play. During the last game of the finals, Long was playing against Mark Justice and faced losing when Mark played Coercion to find out Mike was holding the only Drain Life in his deck (and his only way to win). Despite this, Mark pulled Cadaverous Bloom instead, thinking Mike could get the Drain Life back with Elven Cache if allowed to generate the "cadaverous mana" for a large Prosperity. Little did he know Mike had sideboarded them out (as he pointed out before draining Mark's life for a total of 44 points). At the 1998 U.S. Nationals, there was controversy when a key card was found on Long's chair during a game. The head judge issued a match loss to Long, who went on to finish second in the tournament. Long won that year's Magic Invitational. The award was the chance to create a new card and inclusion in the card's art. That card, Rootwater Thief, was printed in the Nemesis set.
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