A social media interview making the rounds this week has officially crowned Montgomery County as “the best” county in Maryland, according to none other than Captain Maryland himself (video below).
In a viral video with interviewer @shimmerwali, Clark Rogers, better known as Captain Maryland, is asked a deceptively simple question: “What’s the better county?” What follows is a rapid-fire, bracket-style showdown between counties across the state.
The matchup starts in Western Maryland, with Garrett County taking an early win over Allegany County before falling to Cecil County. Cecil then goes on a mini run, defeating Talbot, Worcester, and Wicomico counties before finally losing to St. Mary’s County. Rogers pauses to give St. Mary’s credit for its deep historical roots before the bracket continues.
St. Mary’s beats Carroll County but is then eliminated by Calvert County, a moment Rogers highlights as personal. Calvert, he explains, is central to his origin story as Captain Maryland. That’s when the bracket reaches its final stretch.
Calvert County goes head-to-head with Montgomery County, prompting Rogers to say, “We’re at the end right now… Montgomery County.” From there, Montgomery goes on a dominant run, defeating Howard, Frederick, Harford, Charles, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, and Prince George’s counties. When Shimmerwali asks the final question, “Would you say Montgomery County is the best county?” Rogers doesn’t hesitate. “It’s THE best.”
Captain Maryland, the over-the-top regional superhero persona created by Clark Rogers Oliver, has become a beloved fixture at conventions, events, and online. The character’s tongue-in-cheek origin story involves a boating mishap near the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, radioactive blue crabs, and the sudden acquisition of Chesapeake-themed superpowers, including super speed, enhanced swimming, 360-degree vision, and an elite “pinch grip.”
Behind the costume, Oliver is a lifelong Marylander with deep Montgomery County roots. Born in Bethesda and raised in Chevy Chase, he spent his childhood bouncing between the local firehouse and library, building homemade sci-fi props and dreaming of heroics. After high school, he joined the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad before being hired by Montgomery County Fire & Rescue in 1989. He retired in 2020 after more than three decades of service.
Captain Maryland debuted at Awesome Con in 2022 as a one-off joke among cosplay friends, but the character quickly took on a life of its own. A previous TikTok interview with Shimmerwali helped launch the persona into viral territory, eventually leading to appearances alongside country singer Jimmy Charles during performances of “It’s A Maryland Thing.”
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