Trivia Is Officially Off This Week

I'm sad to report to all the Trivia Night regulars that due to the temporary closing of Professor Thom's, our Tuesday Night Trivia is officially canceled for this week.

The owners of Professor Thom's are working to get the bar back open as soon as possible, but it won't happen by this Tuesday night.

I have plenty of Trivia questions written and ready to go, and I was hoping that some way we get it in this week, but it simply won't happen. I hope you all understand. Our next scheduled Trivia Night is Tuesday, February 16th. I will keep you updated on the bar's progress in getting open, and we may possibly have Trivia that night.

The 30-day waiting period the bar is under will end officially on February 22, so we will definitely have Trivia Night back on Tuesday, February 23. Please come back here for more updates on next week.

Randle Yes, Carter No

Congratulations to former Vikings defensive tackle John Randle, as he was one of seven men elected to the Pro Football of Fame today.

Randle joins Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Dick LeBeau, Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm and Floyd Little as those who will be enshrined in Canton this coming August.

Randle had a stellar career with the Vikings, as he was a 7-time Pro Bowler and a 6-time All-Pro. He played with the Vikings from 1990-2000, and finished his career in Seattle. He also holds the all-time NFL record for sacks by a defensive tackle with 137.5.

I'll never forget him as the guy who always wore the purple eye black on his face during games, and for his chatting with the opposition and officials during games.

Welcome to Canton, #93. I'll be pulling out my John Randle jersey for tomorrow's game.

But curiously, Cris Carter was passed on for the third consecutive year. He certainly is worthy in my opinion, as he is third on the all-time list in receptions (1,101) and fourth all-time in receiving TDs (130). Hopefully next year will be Cris' time.

Invited to Ft. Myers

God knows I wish I was heading to the Sunshine State right now, as there's snow about to blitz the Northeast. Thankfully we in New York will possibly be spared the blasting Washington, Philadelphia and South Jersey are getting. (How I hate that white stuff!)

The Truck leaves Fenway a week from today, and the players begin reporting in 13 days.

That should make all of you in the East feel a bit better now, right?

The Red Sox announced on Friday that 20 players have been invited to Spring Training, and two of them are big time prospects Casey Kelly and Lars Anderson. Here is the complete list:

Pitchers: Randor Bierd, Fernando Cabrera, Kris Johnson, Casey Kelly, Adam Mills, Edwin Moreno, Joe Nelson, Brian Shouse, Jorge Sosa, Kyle Weiland

Catchers: Luis Exposito and Gustavo Molina

Infielders/Outfielders: Lars Anderson, Yamaico Navarro, Angel Sanchez, Gil Velazquez, Zach Daeges, Ryan Kalish, Che-Hsuan Lin, Darnell McDonald

MCU Park?

Count me in the group that hates this trend.

The Brooklyn Cyclones entered into a new partnership with Muncipal Credit Union and they bought the naming rights to their stadium in Coney Island. KeySpan Park will now be known as MCU Park.

I've always hated the idea of ballparks named after some corporation that ponies up the cash for the naming rights. The first time I remember this happening was when Candlestick Park was named 3Com Park, and when a poll was taken in San Francisco about it, something like 40% of the people hated the change. The other 60% REALLY hated the name change. (The irony in that is that the stadium is back to being known as Candlestick Park again.)

Granted the Cyclones park has never been known as a "classic" named park, and was always named after a corporation.

But I did like it when Artie Moreno changed the name of his ballpark in Anaheim to Angel Stadium right after he purchased the Angels, after it was known under various names for years. And I'll never call the Metrodome "Mall of America Field" or whatever the official name is now.

I know it's big money for sports teams to give up their arena's name for some giant corporation, and sometimes it can come back to haunt those involved. Remember when the Houston Astros canceled their agreement with Enron after the scandal hit a few years back?

I'm glad there are still parks that haven't bowed to the pressure and big payday of selling out their name, like Fenway, Wrigley, or Oriole Park. Let's hope those classic "holdouts" never do.

The Professor Thom's Situation

As some of you may know, Professor Thom's was closed on Monday, and will be for the foreseeable future.

The story is is that the City of New York changed the rules about the renewal of the liquor license without the owners knowing about it. It used to be that you just sent in a form and a check to renew. But shortly before the bar's owners got the new process going (it takes 30 days), the license officially expired on February 1st. They are working hard to get the bar back to its original status.

What this means for our Trivia Night right now is uncertain at this moment. Our next scheduled night is Tuesday night, February 9th at 9 PM. There is a possibility that we will have the Trivia Night next week but without any alcohol being served. I am writing next week's Trivia now with the idea that the night will happen, one way or the other.

I will let you all know about any changes as soon as I get them. Hang in there, everybody.

Clell Tickle Isn't Laughing

As many of you out there know, I have embarked on a new career as a background actor here in New York City. I have appeared in a few productions on TV, movies and commercials. So far it's been a lot of fun, and working in the background, it's really been fascinating watching them being made and having a small part in them.

And the person largely responsible for helping me break into that world is a gentleman by the name of Clell Tickle.

We have a mutual friend in Brooklyn named Ellie Crystal, and she recommended me to him. Last summer and he and I got together and Clell explained the world of background acting to me, and also took some terrific headshots of me. Clell is a really nice guy, and a Texas native now living in New York. He also recommended a fine casting agency to me, and by August they accepted me and I was good to go in this new world of show business. (Clell and I were both part of the recent "Damages" premiere as well, the only time we have both been part of the same production so far.)

Recently, I found out that Clell had launched a lawsuit against a comedy troupe called The Human Giant, and the reason he did was that they used his name unlawfully in their skits, as he had sent them his headshot and some biographical information for one of their casting calls. They didn't use Clell in it, but what they did next really appalled him.

They used a fictional character named "Clell Tickle: Indie Marketing Guru" and made him sound like a bigoted, insane racist, saying things in their bits like:"I'm gonna have Clell Tickle give you a Columbian necktie, you f**king Jew." So, to say that the real Clell was simply horrified by this is an understatement. Obviously, Clell has an unusual name and these people at The Human Giant took it and thought it would make for a funny recurring bit.

Clell was laughing so much he filed a lawsuit in Newark Federal Court for damages against Viacom for misappropriation, unfair competition and privacy violations for ruining his good name. The "brains" behind this operation is a comedian named Aziz Ansari, and there are many clips of his "Clell Tickle" character on YouTube. (But I won't dignify them by posting any of them here.) Unfortunately, if you google "Clell Tickle" that character dominates the posts that come up.

I makes me wonder. Did these guys really think that the real Clell would never find out about this? It's really unfortunate that these people have chosen to ruin the good name of a good man. I wish my friend all the best in his lawsuit.

Trivia Q&A: January 31

We had an expected small turnout for the special Sunday night edition of Trivia Night. 9 teams turned out, and I was pleased to see a few of the regulars adjusted their schedules and joined us.

The scores were generally pretty solid throughout the night, and I was pleased to see they were very good for Super Bowl True or False Trivia, as I thought that might be one some teams might struggle with.

One question during General Knowledge actually had multiple answers, and the question about the Parsees as it turns out, they actually descended from Iran, so I accepted that as an answer (three teams had it). Also, Delaware also recently passed a law legalizing casino table games, so I accepted that along with Pennsylvania in Current Events.

The scores were tight going into IQ Trivia, but just one team got more than two questions correct and that was FOL, Jed's Late, as they got four right. They jumped from sixth place to first to grab the win and by four points. It was the team's first ever win, and congratulations to them.

I want to acknowledge my friends Will and Sam, Trivia Night regulars, who are moving to London shortly and it was their final night with us. I thank them so much for their support and wish them all the best across the pond. Next time I'm in London I'll be looking them up!

Another reminder that we will be having our next Trivia Night on Tuesday night, February 9th at 9 PM.

Current Events
1. Oprah Winfrey finished first in the annual Harris poll on America's favorite TV personalities, and this conservative TV and radio talk show host finished second.
2. The father of this former Olympic athlete died last week after he got into an argument with his son and he was assaulted, and the son is now facing assault charges.
3. This European country's lawmakers are moving closer to barring Muslim women from wearing burkas in public in that nation.
4. A 21-year-old prospect, Grant Desme, the 2009 MVP of the Arizona Fall League, shocked his organization, the Oakland A's, by announcing he was leaving baseball to enter this profession.
5. This Eastern US state became the most recent state to legalize casino table games, and it will bring thousands of jobs to the state.
6. Greg Oden, an NBA player for this team, issued a public apology this week after pictures of his privates were leaked to the internet without his permission.
7. This man, through his foundation, has pledges to donate $10 billion over the next decade to research new vaccines and bring them to the world's poorest countries.

Answers: 1. Glenn Beck; 2. Nancy Kerrigan; 3. France; 4. priesthood; 5. Pennsylvania (also accepted Delaware); 6. Portland Trail Blazers; 7. Bill Gates.

Music Trivia
1. Who recorded the hit song "Sunshine Superman" in 1966?
2. What jazz figure gained fame from originally recording the song "Minnie the Moocher?"
3. What 1970s rock band broke up in 1980 and reunited 15 years later with a tour and album called "Hell Freezes Over?"
4. "August and Everything After" was the debut album from what band in 1994?
5. "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel was famously used in a scene from what 1992 film?
6. Justin Timberlake was once a member of what 1990s pop group?
7. Who won the first Grammy Award for Rap in 1989?

Answers: 1. Donovan; 2. Cab Calloway; 3. The Eagles; 4. Counting Crows; 5. "Reservoir Dogs;" 6. 'N Sync; 7. The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Super Bowl True or False ("The Q Train")
1. The Green Bay Packers won the first Super Bowl.
2. O.J. Simpson never played in a Super Bowl.
3. The Dallas Cowboys have won the most Super Bowls.
4. The first Super Bowl in Los Angeles was not a sellout.
5. No team has ever won three straight Super Bowls.
6. Sun Life Stadium, where the Super Bowl is this year, has hosted the most Super Bowls.
7. Don Shula has taken the more teams to the Super Bowl than any other head coach.
8. The Super Bowl trophy is named in honor of former commissioner Pete Rozelle.
9. The state of Texas has been home to the most number of Super Bowl championships.
10. No team has ever been shutout in the Super Bowl.

Answers: 1. true; 2. true; 3. false, Pittsburgh Steelers (six); 4. true; 5. true; 6. false, New Orleans Superdome (six); 7. true; 8. false, Vince Lombardi; 9. false, California (eight); 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. Who sang the theme song to the TV show "Married With Children?" ( 1 pt)
2. "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" was a children's book written by what legendary British author? ( 1 pt)
3. What sport is Abner Doubleday credited with inventing in 1839? ( 1 pt)
4. Haiti and the Dominican Republic share what Caribbean island? ( 2 pt)
5. The type of hat favored by Shriners is called what? ( 2 pt)
6. Stephenie Meyer is the author of four novels in what series of books? ( 2 pt)
7. The Parsees are a religious community located in what Asian nation? ( 3 pt)

Answers: 1. Frank Sinatra; 2. Ian Fleming; 3. baseball; 4. Hispaniola; 5. fez; 6. "Twilight;" 7. India (also accepted Iran).

IQ Trivia
1. Queen Elizabeth I suffered from anthophobia, an abnormal fear of what? ( 5 points)
2. What MLB player is the only Rookie of the Year from the 1980s currently in baseball's Hall of Fame? ( 4 points)
3. In the film "Schindler's List," Oskar Schindler helped the Jewish people escape to what country? ( 4 points)
4. Besides "The Marriage of Figaro," what other opera features the character of Figaro? ( 4 points)
5. "Toast of the Town" was the original name of what legendary variety show? ( 3 points)

Answers: 1. roses; 2. Cal Ripken; 3. Czechoslovakia; 4. "The Barber of Seville;" 5. "The Ed Sullivan Show."

Music & Pigskin Trivia For a Sunday Night

We will be having a special night of Trivia this Sunday night, as Professor Thom's will be busy with the "Lost" premiere on Tuesday night, and they evicted us for the evening. And we will get going at an early time, one hour earlier at 8 PM. And please do remember that this will only be for this Sunday night only, and that we will return to our regular day and time of Tuesday at 9 PM on February 9th.

The Special Category for Sunday night will be "Music Trivia" in honor of the Grammy Awards that will be held that night. And the Q Train lightning round will feature "Super Bowl True or False Trivia," as the Super Bowl will be held on February 7th, and our next Trivia Night won't be held until after it is over. I will give you ten facts about the NFL's championship game and you will have to tell me whether they are true or false.

Please also keep in mind that Professor Thom's has "Reverse Happy Hour," starting at 10 PM, with prices on drinks at Happy Hour prices from that time until closing. Cheaper booze, shouldn't that be a further incentive to come out on Sunday night?

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What sport is Abner Doubleday credited with inventing in 1839?

Many of the regulars who were in last Tuesday night told me they will be in this Sunday night, so hopefully we will have a good crowd in for our special night. And I appreciate all of you who will adjust your schedules and will be in. Thanks so much and I'll see you tomorrow night.

It's Always a Work In Progress

A friend of mine sent this to me today, a not-so-glowing review of my Trivia Night, by some guy named Matt T. from Yelp.com:

If you're mainly interested in going for the trivia though, you might want to think again. Compared to most other trivia nights held in the city, the pace is slow, and the questions don't cover nearly as wide a range of topics as other "general knowledge" games.

As the previous reviewer pointed out, the regulars are suspiciously good, even when considering that the answers are a bit predictable (two this week were repeats from last week). When these regulars get the host's expected "right" answer, even when it is wrong, that's pretty fishy; not to mention that this was a question about the weekly theme, so it's unlikely that they had just heard it before...

On one hand it's great that Professor Thom's is willing to reward loyal customers, but it sure is a shame that they have to do it by alienating potential new ones.

Where do I begin with how far off base this is? First off, I DO NOT REPEAT QUESTIONS. I am careful about the questions I ask and that I have not asked them before, especially in the recent past. If you don't believe me, I post the Q&A here every Wednesday morning, so go back and check the most recent weeks you were here and see if that really is true. You'll find it isn't.

The questions "don't cover nearly as wide a range of topics as other "general knowledge" games?" So, what subjects I am ignoring exactly? My questions cover a broad spectrum of topics, from current events, sports, history, geography, movies, music, medicine, awards, politics and literature, to name just a few. I don't get that criticism at all. Or that "the answers are a bit predictable." I try to mix hard and easy questions to my Trivia Night. I don't want it to turn into "Jeopardy" or an idiot test. I do my best to make it a good balance. Doesn't sound like this "Matt T." has been at many of my Trivia Nights at all.

And this guy takes a blast at my regular players, calling them "suspiciously good." That really offends me, and those who enjoy my Trivia Night and come out every week. He's almost implying that somehow I favor them, or maybe I "want" them to win. Let me assure you sir, that the regulars don't win every week. We've had folks who've been here the very first time and won. Many of my regulars enjoy trivia as much as I do, and maybe they have some smarts, did you ever think of that?

Don't ask me about how I am "alienating potential new customers." Granted we have people who come out on an irregular basis, and I'm sure we may have had folks who only did it once and it may not have been their cup of tea. That's fine. I try to bring good humor to the night, especially when teams give themselves risque names or like to poke fun at me with them. I actually enjoy that, and you have to have a thick skin when running a trivia contest. But it's all for fun, and that is what everyone should remember.

Now, about the pace. I have been criticized about that on occasion, and it has been something I have been working on. Running a Trivia Night, you have to give the folks time to answer questions (although we have the Q Train lightning round and that is the rapid fire round). I give the players a bit of extra time in the IQ Trivia round because those are the harder questions for more points. In this entire review, that was the only thing I found even a valid criticism.

Listen, I'm a big boy and I can take constructive criticism. I get the occasional email from someone who has been to my Trivia Night with ideas on how to improve it, and I welcome any and all suggestions at: jbq1462@hotmail.com. Tuesday Night Trivia is always a work in progress, and we are always looking for ways to make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

So, "Matt T.", if you want to reach me with any valid ways to improve my Trivia Night, you know where to find me, sir.

I Wonder If He'll Grow The Beard Back?

The Yankees signed veteran outfielder Randy Winn to a one-year contract today, so they have now settled on their outfield situation for 2010. This means that Johnny Damon is now 99.99% certain to be on a new team for 2010.

It now leaves the question I have always posed: once Damon gets rid of the pinstripes, will Red Sox Nation forgive him for this four-year transgression?

My feeling has always been that they will. There's a huge difference between him and that other punching bag of the Nation, Roger Clemens. Damon was always a likeable sort, a bit goofy as well. But he also was part of a World Series championship club, and as time goes on I believe most fans will realize that and welcome him back to their good graces. The way he left Boston was acrimonious and underhanded, but I think time will heal those wounds.

Clemens on the other hand will forever be ostracized by the Sox fans. His exit was classless and he never acknowledged the fans in his 1996 departure. He always came off as self-absorbed and rude, and his ripping the Red Sox fans after the 2004 World Series seemed to seal his fate in concrete. And the events of the last two years haven't helped his case any either.

I don't ever see a day when he will back in the good graces of Boston. Not ever, not even when he dies.

It will be interesting to see if Damon signs with an AL team this winter what the reaction will be on his return to Fenway Park. I bet it won't be anything like his return in those pinstripes back in May 2006.

Red Sox Spring Games on NESN

The Red Sox announced their Spring Training TV schedule on Tuesday. The first game on NESN will be March 3rd at 6 PM, as the Red Sox take on Boston College at Ft. Myers. The first MLB game they play will be the following Sunday, March 7th, against the Orioles.

Nine of the thirty-five Spring Training games will be broadcast on NESN, including the St. Patrick's Day game against the Mets at Ft. Myers.

Jeremy Hermida and the Red Sox reached an agreement on a one-year deal for $3.3 million. He was the last Red Sox player eligible for arbitration. Theo Epstein's perfect record of having no arbitration cases remains intact for yet another year.

Trivia Q&A: January 26

We had a big crowd in for Trivia Night on Tuesday, with 18 teams taking part. It was good to see my old friends from Table One back again last night, as they have been devoted regulars, but had been missing for over three months due to various reasons. Welcome back to Tara and the whole gang!

The numbers on the night were very good, and we had perfect scores in all the rounds except in the first two. I actually made a slight mistake in the True or False round on the one about Harvard University, as I should have said "Cambridge College" and not "University" so I tossed out the question and gave everyone a point.

We had a close match going into IQ Trivia, with the top two teams separated by one point, but the team in the lead, Suck It Trebek, got a perfect score in that round (as they also did in the previosu two rounds) to capture the title by seven points. Nice job by Matt and his team on their victory.

BTW, a weird coincidence tonight. Question #4 in IQ Trivia was about the queen of the fairies in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and in the online Jeopardy test which I took about an hour before the Trivia Night, one of the questions asked who the king of the fairies in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was. Too funny.

A reminder: Trivia Night will be occurring this Sunday night at 8 PM, January 31st, and will be back on Tuesday nights on February 9th at 9 PM. The "Lost" premiere will be occupying Professor Thom's next Tuesday night.

Current Events
1. This auto manufacturer announced a recall of over 24,000 vehicles due to a potential defect in a brake system that could result in a sudden break failure.
2. This actor/comedian was arrested last weekend in California on sexual abuse charges, that he groped two men in a club.
3. This airline filed for bankruptcy protection last week after they lost nearly $1 billion in the final quarter of 2009.
4. Kraft Foods announced last week that they have completed a takeover of this British confectionary company for nearly $19 billion.
5. A new basketball league founded by the All-American Basketball Alliance is trying to get started. What unusual feature will the league be based on?
6. This violent and darkly comic film won the award for Best Film at the SAG Awards last Saturday night.
7. This country's government took down six cable channels off the air that refused to air their leader's speech to his political supporters last Saturday night.

Answers: 1. Chrysler; 2. Andy Dick; 3. Japan Airlines; 4. Cadbury; 5. Only white guys can play; 6. "Inglourious Basterds;" 7. Venezuela.

Australia Trivia
1. What city is the capital of Australia?
2. What nation of the world is the most similar to Australia in terms of land area?
3. Between Nicole Kidman, Heath Ledger and Hugh Jackman, which one was not born in Australia?
4. What is Australia's largest city in population?
5. What Australian-born singer has sold the most records than other artist from that country?
6. What is Australia's most popular team sport in terms of attendance?
7. What explorer claimed Australia for England in 1770?

Answers: 1. Canberra; 2. United States; 3. Nicole Kidman; 4. Sydney; 5. Kylie Minogue (over 60 million); 6. Aussie Rules Football; 7. Captain James Cook.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Harvard University's original name was Cambridge University (actually College).
2. Dwight D. Eisenhower had a putting green installed on the White House lawn.
3. England was the first country to use paper money.
4. Benjamin Franklin was born in Philadelphia.
5. The Pulitzer Prize is awarded in the fields of journalism and literature.
6. Woodrow Wilson was the first American awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
7. The country of Ceylon is today known as Sri Lanka.
8. Becky Sharp is the main character in the novel Little Women.
9. Al Capone died of syphilis.
10. Ivan Pavlov is credited with having trained dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell.

Answers: 1. true; 2. true; 3. false, China; 4. false, Boston; 5. true; 6. false, Theodore Roosevelt; 7. true; 8. false, Vanity Fair; 9. true; 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. What author released the novel, "2010: Odyssey Two" in 1982? (1 pt)
2. What Hollywood star's real name is Carlos Estevez? ( 1 pt)
3. In what part of the body would you find the cornea? ( 1 pt)
4. The capital of Liberia is named for what US president? ( 2 pt)
5. Abu Dhabi is the capital of what country? ( 2 pt)
6. Cajuns are the descendants of an ethnic group exiled to Louisiana from what present-day country? ( 2 pt)
7. Which of the contiguous 48 U.S. states has the smallest population? ( 3 pt)

Answers: 1. Arthur C. Clarke; 2. Charlie Sheen; 3. eye; 4. James Monroe; 5. United Arab Emirates; 6. Canada; 7. Wyoming.

IQ Trivia
1. What was the first state to secede from the United States in 1860? ( 3 points)
2. The 1971 film "Duel" was the directorial debut of what Oscar-winning director? ( 4 points)
3. A "prune picker" is a term for a native of what US state? ( 4 points)
4. In Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night's Dream," what is the name of the queen of the fairies? ( 5 points)
5. What 19th century author created the fictional detective Auguste Dupin? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. South Carolina; 2. Steven Spielberg; 3. California; 4. Titania; 5. Edgar Allan Poe.

He'll Be Back

Brett Favre told ESPN's Ed Werder after the game on Sunday that his return to the Vikings for the 2010 season was "highly unlikely." Favre said he would talk to his family this week and make his decision shortly.

Favre's a warrior, and I appreciate the way he went out there despite all the hits he took, clean or not, by the Saints. But he is a football player, and he's got one more year left on the contract he signed with the Vikings.

He'll be back for one more year. Count on it.

I'm sure we'll be hearing from Favre what this guy once said so famously:

There Will Be No Questions About Kangaroos

This Tuesday marks Australia Day, when the folks Down Under celebrate their national holiday, marking the day when the First Fleet first arrived in Sydney in 1788. And to help them celebrate, we will be having as our Special Category: "Australia Trivia," seven questions about that beautiful country.

The Q Train lightning round will be "True or False Trivia."

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
In what part of the body would you find the cornea?

We will get rolling right around 9 PM on Tuesday. I also want to remind you that we will be having a special Sunday night edition of Trivia Night this coming Sunday, January 31st, at a special time of 8 PM. We won't be having it next Tuesday, due to the "Lost" premiere, which will be filling Professor Thom's. Trivia Night will of course be back on Tuesdays beginning February 9th at 9 PM.

See What Happens When You Get Too Cute?

A dumb, stupid, cutesy-pie 12th-man-in-the-huddle penalty with 19 seconds left ended up costing the Minnesota Vikings their Super Bowl shot. They tried to screw around with the New Orleans defense and they got caught. It forced Brett Favre to throw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted and on came overtime.

I knew the Vikings were dead at that point. We watched them commit suicide in the Superdome.

They destroyed themselves on Sunday in New Orleans. They outplayed the Saints on offense, but committed six fumbles, lost three of them, and Brett Favre was picked off twice.

Another Vikings season ends badly. Another overtime loss in the NFC championship game. It feels like 1998 all over again. And as Garrett Hartley's game-winning field goal was splitting the uprights, I couldn't help but think of a certain night in October 2003 when some guy (whose name escapes me) hit an 11th inning home run off Tim Wakefield to win the AL pennant.

Well, that wraps up another football season.

24 days until pitchers and catchers report.

Win It For...

In October 2004, the good folks over at the Sons of Sam Horn message board started a thread called "Win It For," as the Red Sox were closing in on the first World Series championship in 86 years. Fans named everyone from former Red Sox players to their dead grandfathers as to who they'd like to see the Red Sox win that championship for. It even spawned a successful book.

Well, in that vein, I have my own list of "Win It For" that I'd like to see the Minnesota Vikings get in their first Super Bowl since January 1977 get there for.

Win It For:
Fran Tarkenton. Joe Kapp. Bill Brown. Chuck Foreman. Alan Page. Carl Eller. Jim Marshall (who belongs in the Hall of Fame). Gary Larsen. Ron Yary. Mick Tingelhoff. Paul Krause. Karl Kassulke. John Gilliam. Bobby Bryant. Nate Wright. Jeff Wright. Fred Cox. Wally Hilgenberg. Jeff Siemon. Tommy Kramer. Joe Senser. Matt Blair. Jake Reed. Anthony Carter. Darren Nelson. Cris Carter. Robert Smith. Gary Anderson. Randall McDaniel. Daunte Culpepper. John Randle. Robert Griffith. And for every player who wore those Vikings colors proudly.

Win It For:
Every member of the Purple People Eaters who went to a Super Bowl and came home without a ring. Every member of the 1969, 1973, 1974 and 1976 teams who likewise came away with nothing. And for every member of the 1998 team who went 15-1 and never got to play in the ultimate game to show how great they were.

Win It For:
Norm Van Brocklin. Jere Burns. Dennis Green. And especially for Bud Grant.

Win It For:
The Twin Cities. Mary Tyler Moore. Prince. Every Vikings fan who suffered those mediocre teams of the last three decades, and the ones who just missed winning it all, and who longs to see their beloved boys in purple and gold win a Super Bowl before they die.

Win it for all of us. The time is now.

Just win it. Get us to Miami.

Not Exactly What I'd Call a Fight Song

Prince, a noted Minnesotan and Vikings fan, has recorded a song called "Purple and Gold", dedicated to the Minnesota Vikings and their quest for a Super Bowl title.

Well, you decide. Here it is:



With thanks to my friend Eddie for bringing this to my attention.

50

On January 23, 1960, John Richard Quinn married Margaret Ellen Reilly at St. Michael's Church in Brooklyn. I write this because they are my Mom and Dad and it is their 50th anniversary today.

I am truly blessed to have the best parents you could possibly imagine. And I appreciate that fact so much more as time goes on. They will be celebrating it together today in Florida.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad. I love you both very much.

Let's Invite This Guy To Professor Thom's

My pals at Surviving Grady posted this ESPN commercial about the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry on their blog on Thursday, and I thought I would too.

Especially since I'm a Brooklyn-born Red Sox fan whose gotten more compliments than mindless crap from nitwit Yankee fans when I wear my Sox hat or shirt in New York.

"Lost" Moves Trivia Night to January 31

Attention all Tuesday Night Trivia players:

Due to circumstances beyond our control (namely the "Lost" season debut), we will not be having Trivia Night on Tuesday night, February 2nd. However, we will be having Trivia on a special night that week, namely, Sunday, January 31st, and at a special time too, 8 PM. And remember that Sunday night is "Reverse Happy Hour" with the drinks at Happy Hour prices the entire evening. Cheaper booze, shouldn't that be an incentive to come out that night? (There will also be The Pro Bowl game on that night, for you NFL All-Star fans.)

And do remember we will have our usual night of Trivia this Tuesday, January 26th at 9 PM. And we will return back to trivia on Tuesday nights on February 9th at 9 PM.

Trivia Q&A: January 19

We had a terrific crowd in for Trivia Night on Tuesday, as 19 teams took part. Many of the folks had their eye on the Massachusetts Senate race returns, which started coming in about an hour before we got going.

The scores were about average for Current Events, as some of the questions were on the difficult side. "Q Up", the new category will be putting into rotation, went down pretty well, and the scores were good as well. The General Knowledge round was also difficult, as only one team got as many as 10 points out of a possible 12.

The numbers on IQ Trivia was better than I would thought, as many teams got three of the five correct. But the team of If It's Brown, Flush It Down, who also got three right, wound up winning by just two points. Congratulations guys, as they also won "the double": Trivia Night champions and Best Team Name as well.

And also congratulations to Trivia Night regulars Rob and Melinda, who announced their engagement in the bar during the night. We had a champagne toast to them. I hope you have a lifetime of happiness together, you crazy kids!

Current Events
1. This country, whose exports rose a reported 17% in December, has now overtaken Germany and has become the world's largest exporter.
2. This rock band will perform a song at the upcoming Grammy Awards based on an interactive fan vote, the first time this has ever occurred.
3. This US state passed a bill in its legislature legalizing the use of medical marijuana recently.
4. This European country is taking the first steps to completely eliminate smoking totally from the country, gaining the ire of smokers as well as the tobacco industry there.
5. This 2001 film about the netherworld of Hollywood was chosen by the Los Angeles Film Critics Society as their Best Movie of the Decade last week.
6. This Oscar-winning director is planning to make a six-part documentary on the rebuilding of the World Trade Center, to be seen on the Science Channel in 2011.
7. This company issued a recall of nearly 53 million bottles of over-the-counter products such as Motrin and Rolaids after unusual odors were detected and many people suffered nausea and diarrhea from them.

Answers: 1. China; 2. Bon Jovi; 3. New Jersey; 4. Finland; 5. "Mulholland Drive;" 6. Steven Spielberg; 7. Johnson & Johnson.

Q Up (Name the Next in the Series)
1. Pisces, Aries, Taurus.
2. Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley.
3. Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox.
4. Help, Rubber Soul, Revolver.
5. New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska.
6. Enero, Febrero, Marzo.
7. England, Brazil, West Germany.

Answers: 1. Gemini (Signs of the Zodiac); 2. Theodore Roosevelt (US Presidents); 3. Philadelphia Phillies (World Series winners in this decade); 4. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Beatles albums); 5. Hawaii (Last four states entering the Union); 6. Abril (Months of the year in Spanish); 7. Argentina (World Cup soccer champions).

1-10 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. This is the atomic number of lithium.
2. The number of interlocking rings in the Olympic Games symbol.
3. From the book of Exodus, this is the number of plagues inflicted on Egypt.
4. NFL Hall of Famer John Elway wore this number.
5. Mars is this number planet from the Sun.
6. In astrology, Taurus is this number sign of the Zodiac.
7. This was the number of Chiago White Sox players banned from MLB after dumping the 1919 World Series.
8. This is the number of US Supreme Court members currently sitting on the bench.
9. This was the number of days Israel was at war with Egypt, Jordan and Syria in 1967.
10. This number US Highway runs over 2,000 miles from Key West, FL to Maine.

Answers: 1. three; 2. five; 3. ten; 4. seven; 5. four; 6. two; 7. eight; 8. nine; 9. six; 10. one.

General Knowledge
1. What city became the capital of Wales in 1955? ( 1 pt)
2. In 1969, Dave Thomas opened what fast food restaurant? ( 1 pt)
3. What fictional detective did Mickey Spillane create? ( 1 pt)
4. Who wrote the novels "Ivanhoe" and "Rob Roy?" ( 2 pt)
5. In 1931, Al Capone was convicted of what crime? ( 2 pt)
6. Burt Lancaster won the Best Actor Oscar for what film? ( 2 pt)
7. What is the only country that borders the White Sea? ( 3 pt)

Answers: 1. Cardiff; 2. Wendy's; 3. Mike Hammer; 4. Sir Walter Scott; 5. income tax evasion; 6. "Elmer Gantry;" 7. Russia.

IQ Trivia
1. In 1885, the first of what type of surgical operation was performed by Dr. William Grant? ( 3 points)
2. The painting "Woman With a Hat" is among the most famous works by what early 20th century artist? ( 5 points)
3. The band Zuzu's Petals gets its name from what classic film? ( 4 points)
4. The State of Deseret was a provisional state of the United States that was proposed in the mid-19th century by what group? ( 4 points)
5. Goa is the smallest state in what country? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. appendectomy; 2. Henri Matisse; 3. "It's a Wonderful Life;" 4. Mormons; 5. India.