The smoke in the smoking lounge at Bangor-Brewer Lanes was thick Saturday afternoon. So was the malarkey.

James Milan and his father, Charles Milan III, held court smoking cigars that had been meant for a victory celebration. They were simply cigars now.

The Milans and their Maine Heat team had just lost in the semifinals of the World Team Candlepin Bowling Championship.

It was a crushing loss. Maine Heat was the defending world champion. But on Saturday they hardly played like champions, missing a countless number of makeable spares. They also didn’t show a killer instinct in the second string of the three-string, total pin count match. In the second string, either team could have taken control of the match had they bowled anywhere near what they were capable.

That made the loss even more difficult to stomach. It was there for the taking and the locals were certain Maine Heat would repeat as champions.

James Milan was playing the “what if” game. What if he’d used a different lineup? Who would he have taken out?

And not only was he playing it, he’s catching flack from the peanut gallery. Why didn’t you take this guy out? Why didn’t you do this? Why didn’t you do that? The questions were asked humorously but you could sense there was some seriousness to it all.

Meanwhile, MacLaughlin’s Truck and Trailer of Nova Scotia was out on lanes 17 and 18 whipping Maria’s Sub and Pizza of Scituate, Mass., for the championship. It was Maria’s that sent Maine Heat to the sidelines in the midday semifinals.

Who would I have taken out, James Milan asked? Me? Should I have taken myself out?

The answer was obviously no. He was the steadiest bowler on the team. While Shawn Morrison could be explosive and put strikes together, Milan was normally solid and had the ability to toss in a double here and there.

While the debate went on, the door slid open. It was Charles Milan III’s wife, Marie. She was holding the championship trophy. It has been in the Maine Heat’s possession for the past year and it was huge.

“I was just wondering if you guys wanted to kiss this thing goodbye,” she said.

The room exploded and for the moment the tension was gone.

It was not Marie’s first attempt of the day to loosen the guys up. During the second string, when both teams were bowling like it was Thursday afternoon league play, she had sent a hammer down to the scoring table, suggesting that Maine Heat put the hammer down.

The talk turned to old times and how the tournament has changed from the days when it was far less congenial than it is now. But not for long. It quickly returned to Maine Heat’s loss.

Chipping away. If I could have … If so-and-so had only … We didn’t …

It was also bowling’s version of silly season. The talk turned to adding this person or that person to the team. So-and-so was interested in bowling with Maine Heat. James Milan assured us that he gets this every year. He has consistently maintained that he wanted Maine Heat made up of Maine bowlers. He also doesn’t look forward to changing the team.

But it appears likely that he will have to. Winning the title last year for the first time made losing it this year that much more difficult.

The talk continues. The smoke remains. The championship trophy is gone.

Don Perryman can be reached at 990-8045, (800) 310-8600 or dperrryman@bangordailynews.net