Click here for complete 2005 PA Open results

Such spectulation is based on the elusive Triple Crown, victories in the Gary Coleman Memorial Team Challenge, the Champions Cup and the Pennsylvania Open. No competitor has ever achieved a “career” Triple Crown, let alone a sweep in a single season. Sutton is now in position to do so.

Rumblings about the Cup winner traveling to Pennsylvania for the Open began in May, as Sutton and “The Franchise” Jeff Gepner successfully defended their Lakewood Croquet Club (LCC) Doubles Championship at the 2005 Gary Coleman Memorial Team Challenge. Following the victory, Gepner himself declared before the assembled media that “If Kevin or I go on to win the Champions Cup, the winner has to go to Pennsylvania for the Open. It’s our duty to make history.”

Gepner, a three-time Cup winner and four-time Coleman Challenge winner, is the only other competitor in LCC history to have been in position to challenge for the Triple Crown. Gepner won the Coleman Challenge alongside partner “King of Qualifying” Tom Carmony in 2001, went on to win his third Cup two months later, but was unable to make the trip to Perkasie for the Open.

When questioned about any potential travel plans at the post-Cup press conference, Sutton was non-committal but left the door open for a possible run at the Triple Crown.

“At this point, I can’t commit to anything,” Mr. Fantastic told reporters. “But I definitely want to keep the door open for a possible run at the Triple Crown.”

“We’ll see what the future holds.”

The Pennsylvania Open has made headlines in recent years for an notable escalation in cheating and other underhanded tactics. The 2002 edition ended in a near wrestling match between winners Amy Egan and “Queen of Croquet” Lin Cherry and runner up “Rat Boy” Brian Egan. While cheating was dampened slightly at the 2003 Open (thanks in part to heavy rain and thunderstorms that washed out much of the afternoon), the questionable tactics and accusations of cheating were back in full force at the fifth annual PA Open last August. LCC Officials have been in discussions to help clean up the event, but no formal announcements are expected until after the Board of Directors meet July 9th in Washington.

Campaign organizers today launched an official website, www.getjimmyback.com, asking PA Open competitors and fans to pledge to “Play It Clean” at this year’s event and leave the unsportsmanlike behavior behind.

In addition, the campaign has also launched an online store, featuring a variety of official “Get Jimmy Back!!” merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers and more. The online store is accessible via a link at www.getjimmyback.com or directly at www.cafepress.com/getjimmyback.

Thus far, “The People’s Champ” has yet to comment on the campaign. Organizers have made a point of clarifying that Cherry himself is not directly involved in the “Get Jimmy Back!!” movement.

“Jimmy is not directly involved in the campaign,” said one organizer. “Our hope is that he sees the passion and support for bringing civility and sportsmanship back to the PA Open and that he’ll want to come back and play in the event, again. The Open hasn’t been the same without him; he brings a sense of passion and dedication to the ideals of extreme croquet that’s sorely been missing in recent years.”

“We hope to see him on the field August 6th.”

The 2004 PA Open, the fifth annual incarnation of the event, dispensed with qualifying rounds, instead opting for a single, intensive, three-hour championship showdown. This year’s Open featured a field of 21 top flight LCC competitors, 19 of which chose to compete as teams (8 doubles pairings and one 3-person team). Only LCC veterans Brian Egan (winner of the 2001 PA Open) and Tom Carmony chose to go it alone as singles competitors (the event’s open format allows for a mixed field of both singles and doubles competitors).

Click here for complete results of the 2004 Pennsylvania Open