Neal's tales of alien abduction stunned everyone.

Neal, a cable guy with extraordinary tales of alien abductions, emerged as the primary challenger during the 1997 party.

When Neal learned of Herb's hubris and intention of becoming the first two-time champ, Neal vowed to stop him.

"I'm stockpiling propane and preparing for the millennium," Neal was quoted as saying. "But I'll put those endeavors aside to thwart this bid by the insidious Mr. Himes. Have I ever told you about the time I was abducted by aliens?"

Thus the scene for an epic struggle was set. This was shaping up to be the greatest holiday battle since Jesus and Santa roughed each other up in "The Spirit of Christmas."