The finals of the SF Comedy Club competition are over, and Sean Keane is the proud owner of a (theoretical) bronze medal and $100 cash. Yes, I finished third, much like Debi Thomas in the 1988 Winter Olympics or The Play in the Best Damn Sports Show's 50 Most Outrageous Sports Moments. Ellery Urqhart was the champ, with Joe Tobin taking second place.

As I understand it, I was first on audience ballots, but dropped to third when the judges' opinions were factored in. Winning the popular vote, but losing out when the decision was thrown to the judges: now I know how Al Gore feels. To be fair, the SF Comedy Club's controversial butterfly ballot didn't help matters, as a few Sean Keane voters have claimed they really meant to vote for Pat Buchanan.

Highlights of the competition included the stellar sets by Mr. Urqhart and Mr. Tobin, Patrick Bulger's joke about stealing someone's mailbox and mailing it back to them, Jeff Cleary's 9/11 waterbed sale bit, my material about being short, Brendan Lynch and Marcella Arguello talking about being tall (Lynch, on short guys trying to fight him at bars: "Sorry, I'm too busy getting laid and promoted."), and Mike Lemcke delivering the best performance by a Chico State alum since the last Time Inflatable Supermodel took the stage.

Sean Keane's competitive week of comedy isn't over yet. Check out Iron Comic tomorrow, now with Sheng Wang!