Goodbye Charlie

"You guys are a 6-5 football team. This will just not cut it for me. I'm not here to be a .500 football team."
--Charlie Weis, December 13, 2004, during his press conference introducing him as Notre Dame head coach

Well, guess what? Notre Dame is once again a 6-5 football team, with a 33-30 double overtime loss to what appeared to be a better and more interested UConn team.

The Charlie Weis Era is about to come to a crashing end, as his final regular season game will be next Saturday at Stanford. And should Notre Dame lose that one (which is a definite possibility, as Stanford has played very well this year), the Irish will indeed be a .500 team.

The predictions of a ten-win season ring really hollow right now. A 14-0 lead in the first quarter against the Huskies looked like it might turn the game into a blow out. ND looked really sharp in scoring those TDs, one on a Jimmy Clausen pass to Golden Tate, and then Clausen ran for another. Tate was sensational, as he caught nine passes and broke Jeff Samardzija's single season team record of 78 receptions.

ND was flat in the second half. Lousy tackling added to the misery and allowed UConn to tie it up at 20 in the fourth quarter. The Irish were lucky at that point, as twice UConn scored TDs that were called back for holding penalties. David Teggart missed a 37-yard field goal with three seconds to play that forced OT.

In the second OT, ND settled for a FG, and UConn went down the field and won it on Andre Dixon's four-yard run, sealing Charlie Weis' fate. What will be his final game at Notre Dame Stadium will be remembered as a loss to a team ND had never played before, and had just joined the ranks of Division 1-A just seven years ago.

Now it's just a matter if he'll get bounced before or after the season ends.

A coordinator's job in the NFL awaits him.

Do They Have to Put New York Through This?

One of the bigger news stories over the past week has been the Obama administration's decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other 9/11 co-conspirators at a trial to be held in New York sometime next year and not before a military tribunal.

I gave myself some time to think about this and came to the conclusion that this idea of bringing these people to New York for trial is simply insane.

New York City has enough of a target sign on its back, and I dread the thought of what it will be like when these assholes come here to stand trial.

I can only think of one legitimate reason why these suspects are getting a civilian trial and not a military trial: it's Obama and the Justice Department getting even with and embarrassing George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and CIA. And you know the defense these suspects will use is: "we were tortured." The trial will be more over waterboarding and the use of "torture." Wait and see.

Good luck for finding an impartial jury to try these scumbags, too. Especially in New York City. And I don't know why anyone would want to sit on that jury, too, even if it is sequestered. (Even if I could be impartial, I'd fear those terrorists finding out who I was.) And I can't begin to think of the security that will be needed when they come here. I have confidence in New York City's police to handle tough cases like this, but we don't have to be put through something of this extreme. There will also be angry (and maybe crazy) Americans gunning for them, too, wanting to be heroes in the name of the 9/11 victims.

And what these trials will do to many of the 9/11 families makes me cringe. They will have to relive the horrors they went through that awful day. Especially when seeing these creeps gloat about how proud they were to slaughter their loved ones.

As you may have guessed, I don't have one iota of sympathy for these suspects. They don't deserve a civilian trial. Not at all. They don't deserve the rights afforded to all Americans. This is just an awful decision, and it just reeks of politics. What they did was an act of war, and should be treated as such.

Obama and his administration better damn well get convictions on all of these people. If they walk on technicalities, he better forget about running for re-election, as it will cost him his presidency.

And You Thought MLB Umpires Were Bad?

Check out this disgrace from today's World Cup qualifier between Ireland and France. Ireland's up 1-0 in extra time in the second leg with the winner going to next year's finals in South Africa. (The previous encounter was a 1-0 France win so they needed OT to get a winner.)

Thierry Henry of France clearly handles the ball on a long pass in the penalty area (and he looked like he was offsides to boot), and gets the ball over to William Gallas, who scores the tying goal, and France goes to the finals, and Ireland gets screwed big time, and will watch the finals on TV. Here's more about the match.



It makes the Irish in me boil over. Pathetic.

Even Yankee Fans Like Thom's (Well, At Least For Trivia)

My friends Lisa and Jon at Subway Squawkers did a very nice write-up of their experience taking part in Trivia Night last night at Thom's on their site today. Lisa's a Yankee fan and Jon's a Mets fan, so it interesting talking to them afterwards about being in a Red Sox bar.

Check out the post here.

I'm glad you both had such a good time. Thanks for the shout out!

Trivia Q&A: November 17

We had 19 teams come out for Trivia Night on Tuesday, and I especially pleased to see Lisa and Jon from the fine baseball blog "Subway Squawkers" come out and try their hand at Trivia. Thanks for taking the time and taking part.

Everyone seemed to have a good time, and we did another audio round, this time "Beatles Ringtone Trivia." The scores were actually pretty good, and they were even better for our latest addition of "Q Are You?" where I give out clues about current celebrities. (I think I may have given out too much last night, so I have to be a little less giving next time we do it.) Both categories are now in permanent rotation for Trivia Night and will be back in December.

The scores were close for IQ Trivia, but the team of Obama to China: I Owe Hu! wound up winning by just one point. They led throughout the evening, and it is their second win in three weeks. Nice job guys!

Current Events
1. A state of emergency was declared in this Central American country after more than 140 people were killed there by floods and mudslides.
2. This European carmaker passed Toyota recently as the world's number one largest auto producer.
3. Sports Illustrated reported last week that this classic rock band will play the halftime show at the upcoming Super Bowl this February.
4. Mike Tyson's in trouble again, as he had a dustup with a photographer at this airport last Thursday, and he and the paparazzi were both arrested.
5. This Hollywood star lost two homes in New Orleans last week worth nearly $7 million in a foreclosure auction because of unpaid mortgage payments and unpaid real estate taxes.
6. This rock superstar made a "rookie rock star mistake" over the weekend, when he referred to the crowd at one of his concerts on a number of occasions as being in Ohio, when in reality he was playing a gig in Auburn Hills, MI.
7. The first legal "marijuana cafe" in the US opened last Friday in this Pacific Northwest city, and it's a private club for users of medicinal marijuana.

Answers: 1. El Salvador; 2. Volkswagen; 3. The Who; 4. LAX; 5. Nicolas Cage; 6. Bruce Springsteen; 7. Portland, OR.

Q Are You?
1. This man was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1935. He began his show business career as a TV writer in the 1950s and 60s. In the late 1960s, he began his filmmaking career, and has won 3 Oscars, and has been nominated a total of 21 times overall.
2. This man was born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1958. He's a self-made billionaire who purchased an NBA team once owned by Ross Perot in 2000. In 2008, he attempted to buy the Chicago Cubs, but was rebuffed by MLB.
3. This woman was born in Nutbush, TN in 1939. Her records have sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide and she's sold more concert tickets than any solo music performer in history.
4. This man was born in Gullport, MS in 1969. As a quarterback, he led his team to a Super Bowl title in 1996, and was MVP three straight years in the NFL. He's also won the most games as a starting QB in NFL history.
5. This woman was born in Houston, TX in 1947. She exploded on to the scene with a smash-hit TV series in 1976, and her character's name was Kelly Garrett. Her show ran 5 years, and since then she's best known for appearing in TV miniseries and hosting a reality series called Shear Genius.
6. This man was born in New York City in 1949. He was a reporter for both CBS and ABC, and hosted "Inside Edition", a tabloid/gossip TV show in the early 1990s. He currently hosts the most watched cable news program on American TV.
7. This man was born in Waco, TX in 1945. He's been an actor, comedian, producer, playwright and musician. He won an Emmy for his writing in 1969, but is better known for winning back-to-back Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album in 1978 and 1979, and has twice hosted the Oscars ceremony.

Answers: 1. Woody Allen; 2. Mark Cuban; 3. Tina Turner; 4. Brett Favre; 5. Jaclyn Smith; 6. Bill O'Reilly; 7. Steve Martin.

Beatles Ringtone Trivia
Answers: 1. Eleanor Rigby; 2. Paperback Writer; 3. Penny Lane; 4. I Want to Hold Your Hand; 5. Please Please Me; 6. Lady Madonna; 7. I'm Down; 8. Nowhere Man; 9. Love Me Do; 10. Help.

General Knowledge
1. What successful author wrote the novels "The Shining" and "The Green Mile?" ( 1 point)
2. What term is used to denote the unauthorized accessing of computer programs, often with criminal intent? ( 1 point)
3. What term was popularized by Winston Churchill for the imaginary boundary in Europe between the capitalist West and the communist East? ( 1 point)
4. What state was the Grant vs. Lee Civil War Battle of Spotsylvania fought in? ( 2 points)
5. "The Liberty Bell March" is the theme song to what classic TV show? ( 2 points)
6. What is the name of the ancient temple on the Acropolis in Athens that was dedicated to the goddess Athena? ( 2 points)
7. Magyar is the official language of what country? ( 3 points)

Answers: 1. Stephen King; 2. hacking; 3. The Iron Curtain; 4. Virginia; 5. "Monty Python's Flying Circus;" 6. Parthenon; 7. Hungary.

IQ Trivia
1. Which of King Henry VIII's wives was born in Spain? ( 5 points)
2. In what US state is the largest national park found? ( 4 points)
3. What nation has the longest coastline in the world? ( 3 points)
4. Who is the patron saint of Scotland? ( 4 points)
5. What former heavyweight champion boxer was killed in a plane crash in 1969? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. Catherine of Aragon; 2. Alaska (Wrangell-St. Elias); 3. Canada; 4. St. Andrew; 5. Rocky Marciano.

Shout Outs

Wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate my friends at The Fresh Air Fund for a very successful summer they just had.

This past year they teamed with OneSight, and they screened about 3,000 kids and made sure they had good optical care. They gave them free eye exams and eyewear. Nice job guys.

The Fresh Air Fund has always done great work every year with kids who are less fortunate, and I'm proud to help them out on my site. They have a new updated site that explains their mission. Check it out here.

I had a great night of Trivia last night at Thom's with a group of students from NYU. We did something similar last year, and once again, everyone had a great time. I pulled out some of my best past trivia questions and we had eight teams compete. My thanks to Marissa, Dave and everyone else who came out last night.

And of course, we have our regular night of Trivia tonight at Thom's at 9 PM. And no, there won't be any questions tonight that I did last night!

Know Your Beatles Ringtones

Well, we worked out the technical difficulties, and on Tuesday night we are bringing back the audio round on Trivia Night. It will be part of The Q Train lightning round, and this week it will be "Beatles Ringtone Trivia." What that is is ten Beatles songs you have to identify after hearing a brief snippet from each. They won't be the song actually done by the Beatles, so you just have to listen to the tune to identify it. And since it is part of the lightning round, they will be repeated all just once, and not at the end of the round.

The Special Category will be another round of "Q Are You?" I will give you three sentences about a current living celebrity, and you will I identify who I am talking about.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What term is used to denote the unauthorized accessing of computer programs, often with criminal intent?

We'll get rolling at about 9 PM. We had a nice pickup of the crowd last week, and I hope to see more of you tomorrow.

Winning Extremely Ugly

I spent Sunday afternoon at Bar None, the Vikings/Saints hangout in Manhattan, checking out the Vikings-Lions game. It was the first time I had been back in a few weeks. Despite the fact the Vikes were 16 1/2 point favorites, bum teams like the Detroit Lions always scare me.

There's an old saying about there is no one freer than someone with nothing to lose. Well, the Lions were in that position Sunday, and for three quarters they were hanging around the Vikings when they shouldn't have been. And the Vikings only had themselves to blame for it.

The final score was 27-10, but Minny should have won by five touchdowns. It really wasn't a close game by the stats. The Vikes had over 500 total yards of offense, against one of the NFL's worst defenses.

The Vikings made way too many penalties (13). One cost them a TD on their opening drive in the first, when Jim Kleinsasser was called for jumping offsides. The Vikes had to settle for a field goal.

Detroit could do little on offense in the first half. Adrian Peterson ran for an amazing 22 yard TD run after it looked like he stopped behind the line of scrimmage. It looked like he was running for another late in the first half, but Lion DB Philip Buchanon punched the ball out of AP;s arm and it rolled into the end zone where Detroit fell on it for a touchback. They added a FG to make it 10-3 at the half.

The Vikes capitalized on a Detroit fumble and Peterson ran another in from one yard and it was 17-3. But Detroit wouldn't go away, as Matthew Stafford threw an 8-yard TD late in the third to cut the lead to 17-10.

Brett Favre had a big day, as he threw for a season high 344 yards, including 201 of those yards to Sidney Rice. In the fourth, he threw a bomb to Rice of 56 yards, and that set up Favre's TD to Jeff Dugan to basically salt away the game at 24-10.

Peterson rushed for 133 yards, scored two TDs, but fumbled twice. The Vikings looked really sluggish against a far weaker opponent, and I guess some might attribute it to the week's layoff. They looked undisciplined at times with all the penalties and fumbles. It was an exasperating win for the Vikings, one that the coaching staff better take a close look at this week. It wasn't at all pretty.

The Vikings have now beaten the hapless Lions 12 straight times at the Metrodome, the last Detroit win coming in December 1997. Yep, it was the last century the Lions last had any success in Minnesota.

The Vikings take on Seattle at the Metrodome next Sunday. Green Bay beat Dallas, so the Vikes lead in the NFC North remains at three games.

The Bell Begins Its Toll

And that bell will be tolling for one Charlie Weis, as Notre Dame lost on Saturday night at Pittsburgh to the Panthers, 27-22.

Before this season, most experts had the Irish winning 10 games, and with this loss, they are now 6-4. They have two remaining games on the schedule before any bowl possibilties. So the most they can win is now nine if they run the table.

And neither the UConn home finale nor the last game at Stanford are gimmes, especially with the way Stanford stomped all over USC today, 55-21.

ND looked like a dead team in the first three quarters last night, as they could muster only 3 points in them, and falling behind 20-3. Pitt's a good team (ranked 8th going into the game) and showed some strong defense in those first three quarters.

Notre Dame finally scored a TD on Jimmy Clausen's one-yard run to open the fourth. But Pitt answered it right back, Dion Lewis, who was particularly impressive, ran for a 50-yard TD to make it 27-9, and I thought the night was done for ND.

But Golden Tate caught an 18-yard TD from Clausen to make it 27-16. Tate had another game, catching nine passes for 113 yards. But his most impressive play of the night was an 87-yard punt return for a TD that made the score 27-22 (a two-point play failed), as tate scampered right up the middle and gave Irish fans some hope.

But with just over 2 minutes left, Clausen was hit around the 20-yard line going back to pass and the refs ruled correctly that it was incomplete and brought up fourth down. But the replay booth, for whatever reason, overruled it and called it a fumble (which Pitt had recovered). One first down later, it was all over.

A nice comeback fell short, but ND only have themselves to blame for the loss. A season of great promise is slowly slipping away, and you have to believe that Charlie Weis will ultimately pay the price for it. Weis maybe one of those coaches whose better off being a coordinator as opposed to being a head man. I hope he's getting his resume ready, because he maybe needing to use it soon.

Guess What Capt.Tange & I Have In Common?

So, what would that be you're asking yourself? That Derek Jeter and I were born in same town? That he and I have similar range playing shortstop? That we both could get any woman we want at the drop of a hat?

You'd be wrong on all three. (Although the latter one is close.) Actually, Jeter made a cameo appearance in the new Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg film "The Other Guys" as reported by all the New York tabloids on Friday. Jeter was playing a homeless guy in Coney Island and they filmed a scene at Nathan's yesterday. (Wonder what Red Sox fan Wahlberg talked with him about? Hmm...)

And yes, I have also been part of the filming of "The Other Guys" too. I haven't mentioned it much on this blog, but I've been working as an extra in some New York productions, and back in October, I was a background actor in a scene filmed at Green-Wood cemetery, and both Ferrell and Wahlberg were part of it, along with Michael Keaton and Damon Wayans Jr.

It was an all-day shoot in the cemetery on an incredibly windy day. (It was so windy it became dangerous, as a branch broke off and injured an extra, not seriously. So they moved it to a more open part of the graveyard.) I was in a line of "cops" that the stars were in, and I was playing a civilian. (I got to ride up to the scene in a limo in the film, so I must have been someone important.)

I really enjoyed the shoot, and it was the first time I ever had fun in a burial ground. I'm really having fun doing the extra job, and I've done about 10 productions so far. Two so far have aired. (Both were walk-on roles on the TV shows "Law and Order SVU" and "The Good Wife.") I'll talk about more of my adventures as an actor as the winter progresses.

Can't wait to see how much face time I got in "The Other Guys." I think I got a few seconds worth, but I'll know when the movie is released. And I guess I can tell the grandkids one day that I was in a movie with Derek Jeter. (Not right next to him, of course, but you understand.)

But really, would I want to do that?

Happy Anniversary Felix

It was on this day, in an unknown year, that "Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence." And thus was born one of the greatest sitcoms in TV history, "The Odd Couple." (I'm going to say 40th anniversary, as the show debuted in September 1970. And I guess I really shouldn't say "Happy Anniversary" to Felix, but he did get back with his wife on the show's final episode.)

He went to live with his buddy and best friend Oscar Madison. I've seen every episode of the show at least 100 times in my life, and I'll probably watch each another hundred times before I die. I just wish someone would bring the show back, and at a decent time.

So in honor of my favorite photographer and sportswriter, here is the original opening from the first season in 1970:



And a Happy Friday the 13th to you all as well.

UPDATE: There's an "Odd Couple" marathon tonight at 11 PM on Channel 11 WPIX here in NYC. It's got some of my favorite episodes of all time, including "Password." They're doing it in honor of Felix' "anniversary." Nice job, WPIX! Thanks to my friend Lisa for letting me know about it.

Where Else But Boston?

Jason Varitek, who will be 38 this coming April, took the full five days he was allotted to decide he'd exercise his player option for $3 million and will be back with the Red Sox in 2010.

But let's face facts. What other choice did Tek have?

He wasn't going to take a cut in pay and go somewhere else, where he wasn't even guaranteed being a starter.

No one, and I mean no one, was going to give him that kind of money, especially to be a backup catcher. And that's what the Red Sox captain is right now. Nothing more than a backup to Victor Martinez.

He didn't start any of the Red Sox postseason games in 2009. Teams ran wild on him last season. (Remember the Texas Rangers and their glorified track meet last summer when they swiped eight bases off him in one game?) He threw out just 16 runners in 2009. 108 stole off him.

Forget Tek's "intangibles," like how pitchers like throwing to him. The arm isn't there, and the bat isn't either. Varitek hit just .209 in 2009.

His days as a starter are now over. He'll be catching Josh Beckett every so often, to give Martinez a break. He's been a great captain and handled himself with professionalism. But his next stop should be in the coaching ranks, and Peter Gammons once said that MLB players voted him one of the players most likely to become a manager one day.

One last go around in 2010, and then I hope Jason Varitek retires as a Red Sox. Father Time catches up with everyone, and he's right now he's knocking on Tek's door.

BTW, I put no stock whatsoever in the rumors that just popped up about Hideki Matsui. The Red Sox would have to move David Ortiz to make it happen, as Matsui is strictly a DH, and I just don't think that would be possible.

Thank You.

On the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month in 1918 (and exactly two months after the Red Sox won their fifth World Series title), World War I came to an end. And to commemorate that historic day, the United States celebrates Veterans Day, to remember those brave souls who have given their service in defense of our great nation.

To all of them, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice, I say thank you.

You can never, ever say thank you to them enough.

Trivia Q&A: November 10

We had a nice crowd in for Trivia Night on Tuesday. 20 teams took part, and I was ably assisted by my friend John, who is about to launch his own trivia night in a bar in New York, and I showed him the way I do it, and I'm sure he will incorporate some of my techniques into his own version, which I'm sure will be very good.

It was a night when the scores were rather high in most rounds, as the questions were a little less hard outside of IQ Trivia. We debuted a new round called "All or Nothing Trivia," which was 10 basic questions the contestants had to answer, and all but four teams got them all correct. You got either five points (we felt ten was too much) or none if you got even one incorrect. The feedback afterwards was pretty good, so it will be back again as part of the Q Train at a future date.

The scores were incredibly close all night long, and we had a four-way tie for second place going into the last round. But the team of The Stepfathers (Because We Beat You and You Hate Us), who was seven points behind the leaders going into IQ Trivia, ran the table with a perfect score and wound up winning by just two points. Nice job guys!

We couldn't do the audio round this week, but we hope to have it back and ready to go as The Q Train next week.

Current Events
1. The Discovery Channel has lined up this TV megastar to narrate an 11-part series called "Life," the follow-up to "Planet Earth," beginning this March.
2. It was announced last week that these two Hollywood stars will co-host the 2010 Academy Awards ceremony, the first time since 1987 it has been hosted by multiple hosts.
3. Hines Ward, a wide receiver for this NFL team, was voted "The Dirtiest Player in the NFL" by a poll of 296 players in Sports Illustrated last week.
4. The unemployment rate topped this number for October, the first time it has reached that number since 1983.
5. This British rock star was released from a London hospital last Thursday after being treated for the flu and an E. coli bacterial infection.
6. This singer last week became the first artist to have four number one songs from a debut album on the Billboard Pop Songs chart since its inception in 1992.
7. Rep. Joseph Cao, a congressman from this southern state, was the lone Republican to vote for the healthcare overhaul bill put together by House Democrats last Saturday.

Answers: 1. Oprah Winfrey; 2. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin; 3. Pittsburgh Steelers; 4. 10%; 5. Elton John; 6. Lady GaGa; 7. Louisiana.

World Geography Trivia
1. Hudson Bay is located in what country?
2. In what body of water is Madagascar located?
3. Between which two countries is the Bering Strait located?
4. In which European city is the International Court located?
5. What country is Santo Domingo the capital of?
6. In which country is the Pampas region found?
7. Where in the world will you find the Great Barrier Reef?

Answers: 1. Canada; 2. Indian Ocean; 3. US and Russia; 4. The Hague; 5. Dominican Republic; 6. Argentina; 7. Australia.

All or Nothing Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Who was the second President of the United States?
2. What US state has the largest population?
3. What group had a number one hit in the late 1970s with "Stayin' Alive?"
4. Which month has the fewest days?
5. What MLB player has the record for most home runs in a career?
6. Who was the last US president to be assassinated in office?
7. What state was President Bill Clinton born in?
8. What international film won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2009?
9. How many US senators are there currently respresenting the state of Texas?
10. What state's nickname is "The Garden State?"

Answers: 1. John Adams; 2. California; 3. The Bee Gees; 4. February; 5. Barry Bonds; 6. John F. Kennedy; 7. Arkansas; 8. "Slumdog Millionaire;" 9. two; 10. New Jersey.

General Knowledge
1. What kind of foodstuff is Monterey Jack? ( 1 point)
2. What is the capital of North Carolina? ( 1 point)
3. What famous comet made recent appearances in 1910 and 1986? ( 1 point)
4. When the Hindenburg crashed and burned in 1937, what type of gas was it filled with? (2 points)
5. What do you get when you ferment milk with bacteria? ( 2 points)
6. In what Asian country would you find the Kashmir region? ( 2 points)
7. A fungo is a type of what piece of sports equipment? ( 3 points)

Answers: 1. cheese; 2. Raleigh; 3. Halley's Comet; 4. hydrogen; 5. yogurt; 6. India; 7. baseball bat.

IQ Trivia
1. Who was the first actor to win Emmy Awards for acting, writing and directing for the same TV series? ( 4 points)
2. Who was the first Roman Catholic elected Vice-President of the United States? ( 3 points)
3. What isolated mountain range is found in western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming? ( 4 points)
4. In what Latin American country will you find The Gulf of Mosquitoes? ( 5 points)
5. What famous artist titled his autobiography "Diary of a Genius?" ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. Alan Alda ("M*A*S*H"); 2. Joe Biden; 3. The Black Hills; 4. Panama; 5. Salvador Dali.

Wake's Back For Two More

The Red Sox and Tim Wakefield reached agreement on a two-year deal today that will pay Wake $5 million for 2010 and 2011 plus incentives.

Wake now gets a serious shot at the Red Sox record for wins in a career, as he is just 17 wins away from tying Cy Young and The Texas Con Man's record.

The Sox also exercised the option on Victor Martinez for 2010, and declined the options on both Alex Gonzalez and Jason Varitek for 2010. Gonzalez was due $6 million, but could still be back at a lower contract. Varitek's option was $5 million, and no one was surprised the Sox declined. Tek has a player option for $3 million, and has five days to exercise that, otherwise he becomes a free agent.

Here's more from Extra Bases on all these moves today.

Everything or Nada This Week

We're introducing what could be a new recurring category to Trivia Night this week, and it's called "All or Nothing Trivia." It will be part of The Q Train lightning round. In this category I will ask you ten questions of rather basic knowledge, and if you get all ten correct, you will receive five points. (And no, there won't be any questions about Frank Sinatra in it.) However, if you get just one of the ten wrong, you will receive a total of zero points. And because it's a lightning round, nothing will repeated after the round concludes. We'll see how this goes.

The Special Category will be "World Geography Trivia." We'll test out your knowledge of where things around the world actually are.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What famous comet made recent appearances in 1910 and 1986?

We'll get going at our regularly scheduled time of 9 PM. Originally we were going to have another round of Audio Trivia for the Q Train this week, but some technical difficulties have forced that to be postponed until next week. Hopefully we work out all the bugs with that and have it then. Hope to see many of you Tuesday night.

Vikings Lead Increases On Their Off Week

The Minnesota Vikings had their lead in the NFC North go up to three full games today, and they didn't even take the field, as it is their off-week.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers both lost. Chicago was routed by the Arizona Cardinals at home, 41-21, and Green Bay blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter at Tampa Bay, as the Bucs, wearing their throwback uniforms from their bad old days, won for the first time this season, 38-28 at Tampa.

Thanks Cards. Thanks Bucs.

The Vikings are 7-1 and both the Bears and Packers are 4-4. The Vikes are done with Green Bay, but they still have two games with Chicago, so their chances are are better to catch the Vikings.

Does football have a Magic Number? I've never heard of one, but if there was one, it would be 6 for the Vikings to repeat as NFC North champions.

Also, I was watching the Patriots-Dolphins game from Foxboro this afternoon, and at 4:13 PM they had to leave the game, as the Giants game had to be shown from the start here in the local New York market. Fair enough. But CBS never goes directly to the second game, they have to go to two minutes of bloody commercials before the next game begins.

I remember last year there was a game they left as one team (don't recall who exactly) was lining up for a field goal to tie in the final seconds, but CBS bailed on it so they could show two more minutes of commercials before going to the local team's game. Today they were fortunate the Patriots were up by 10 points in final 30 seconds, so the outcome wasn't in doubt.

Anything for a buck.

Navy Sinks ND Again

Notre Dame saw their chance at a BCS bowl game go right out the window on Saturday as they dropped a disheartening game to Navy, 23-21.

The Irish were a 12-point favorite over the Midshipmen, but Navy looked like the better team from the get-go. And they ran the ball down ND's throats, as defense looked incredibly suspect all day.

Navy ran for 348 yards, including two of their three TDs. They scored a TD in each quarter of the first half, while Notre Dame missed two field goals. Notre Dame finally got on the board with A Robert Hughes one-yard run. But Navy answered it right back, with a 52-yard pass from Ricky Dobbs to Greg Jones to make it 21-7.

One encouraging note for ND was the return of Michael Floyd from his collarbone injury. He caught 10 passes for 141 yrads, including a TD pass from Jimmy Clausen in the 4th quarter to make it 21-14. Clausen completed 37 of 51 for 452 yards. He set the ND record for completions and his yard total was the 4th highest in school history.

But with 1 minute to go, he sacked in the end zone by Craig Schaefer for a safety to make it 23-14. ND then recovered an onside kick, and with 28 seconds left Clausen hit Golden tate on a 31-yard TD pass to make it 23-21. But they failed to recover another onside kick, and that was it.

It was Navy's second win in three years over ND, and the first time an unranked Navy team beat a ranked ND team since 1936. It gives Charlie Weis' critics yet more ammunition, and now the 8-1 Pittsburgh Panthers await Notre Dame, now 6-3, next Saturday at Pittsburgh. You have to wonder if Weis will survive as head coach should they lose any of their three remaining games.

Hot Stove Begins as Theo Starts Dealing

The Red Sox were opened for business for the off-season on Thursday when they swung a trade with the Florida Marlins, getting outfielder Jeremy Hermida for minor league pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.

Theo Epstein wasted no time in letting the baseball world know he's going to be active in the Hot Stove League, pulling off the deal in the hours after the World Series concluded. Hermida has struggled the last two years, after a solid year in 2007.

I don't know if the Red Sox see Hermida, who turns 26 in January, as an every day player, as some are thinking he might be a replacement if Jason Bay leaves (and he officially filed for free agency yesterday). But I would bet he might be the Red Sox' fourth outfielder next season. (That could mean the end for Rocco Baldelli in a Red Sox uniform.)

The timing of yesterday's trade tells me the Red Sox will be very busy this offseason. Hermida could be a movable piece, or he could be a big part of next season. It's just hard to make an definitive statement on that right now.

And also yesterday, I had nearly 500 hits on this site, as my Site Meter numbers went crazy right as the World Series was concluding. And what were people looking for? The common search words were "Yankees" "payroll" "2009." Yep, the obsession with the billions they spent to finally win/buy a championship led folks to a post I put up back in March: Red Sox vs. Yankees: 2009 Total Payroll. Well, on the bright side, at least the aftermath of Wednesday night's unfortunate events brought some new folks to my site.

And speaking of the MFY, here's an interesting article by Joe Posnanski about the Yankees and their bloated payroll that's worth reading. Thanks to my buddy Dave for bringing it to my attention.

Not In This or Any Other Lifetime

The title of this post is what I tell people who ask me if I'd ever root, under any circumstances, for the New York Yankees.

Think I will offer them and their fans my congratulations? Look elsewhere.

I am a Boston Red Sox fan and will be until the day I die. And I am damn f***ing proud of that.

Thank you for those two World Series titles this decade, Theo and The Trio.

102 days until pitchers and catchers report.

It can't come soon enough.

Sic 'em, Pedro

From yesterday:

"I'm pretty sure that every Boston fan out there can feel proud that I'm going to try and beat the Yankees and I'm going to give just the same effort I always did for them. They're special fans and they will always have my respect."

And this about Red Sox fans:

"I know they don't like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games."

Damn straight.

Go get 'em, Petey. Game 7 awaits.

Trivia Q&A: November 3

We had 15 teams in for Trivia Night on Tuesday, while the Celtics were winning big in Philadelphia on the TVs. We had some solid scores for General Knowledge and True or False Trivia, and General Knowledge's were pretty strong too.

The team of H1N0: H Wins! led throughout the night and had a slim one point lead going into IQ Trivia. They were one of only four teams to get as many as two right in that final round (only one got three right), but it was enough for their very first win on Trivia Night, as they wound up winning by three points. Good job guys.

Audio trivia will make its return to Trivia Night next Tuesday, in a category still to be named.

Current Events
1. United Airlines announced last week it was officially retiring this iconic numbered airplane, the most produced commercial aircraft in history and will be using the more fuel-efficient Airbus instead.
2. The Church of Scientology was convicted of fraud in this European country last week, and fined nearly $1 million, with suspended prison sentences for four officers.
3. Regina Benjamin was confirmed last week to what post in the Obama administration, and just the third black person to hold it?
4. Three pieces of steel fell from this famous American bridge last Tuesday on to its roadway, forcing the bridge's closure for a number of days last week.
5. This African nation appealed to the worldwide community for food aid for over 6 million people they say are in danger of starvation.
6. This US automaker announced on Monday it had made a $1 billion profit for 2009, the first profit they turned in a full year since 2005.
7. An 11-foot statue of this man was unveiled in Kosovo's capital city of pristina on Sunday, a place where he is considered a hero by ethnic Albanians for his help over ten years ago against Yugoslavia.

Answers: 1. Boeing 737; 2. France; 3. Surgeon General; 4. San Francisco Bay Bridge; 5. Ethiopia; 6. Ford; 7. Bill Clinton.

Election Trivia
1. When he ran for president in 1992, Ross Perot received how many electoral votes in total?
2. Who was Michael Dukakis' vice-presidential running mate in his losing effort in 1988?
3. In the last 13 presidential elections since 1960, did California vote more often for a Democratic or Republican candidate?
4. What number constitutional amendment set the minimum voting age of 18 for federal elections?
5. Name 1 of the 2 presidential candidates to win 49 of the 50 states in a presidential election.
6. What presidential candidate did Bob Dole run as a vice-presidential candidate with and lost?
7. How many states did Barack Obama carry in his presidential win of 2008?

Answers: 1. none; 2. Lloyd Bentsen; 3. Republican (7); 4. twenty-six; 5. Richard Nixon (1972) and Ronald Reagan (1984); 6. Gerald Ford; 7. twenty-eight.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Each member of the Monty Python comedy troupe has an asteroid named after him.
2. Carly Simon's father is the "Simon" in the Simon and Schuster company.
3. The nose is the human bone broken most often.
4. Joe Namath was one of the celebrities that was on Richard Nixon's "Enemies List."
5. Citizens of Monaco aren't taxed based on their income.
6. History's shortest war lasted just two days.
7. James Buchanan was the only bachelor president for his total term.
8. The oldest continually occupied building in the USA is in New York City.
9. George W. Bush and Sylvester Stallone were born on the same day.
10. The first Summer Olympics held in the US was in Los Angeles.

Answers: 1. true; 2. true; 3. false, collarbone; 4. true; 5. true; 6. false, 38 minutes between Britain and Zanzibar; 7. true; 8. false, Santa Fe, NM; 9. true (July 6, 1946); 10. false, St. Louis (1904).

General Knowledge
1. What year did the last manned mission to the Moon take place? ( 1 point)
2. After the President of the United States nominates someone for the Supreme Court, who votes on the nomination? ( 1 point)
3. What is the name of the object in an incandescent light bulb which converts electricity to heat and light? ( 1 point)
4. What fast food chain serves dilly bars? ( 2 points)
5. The Columbus Crew are the current champions of what professional sports league? ( 2 points)
6. By what nickname is Nadya Suleyman known as? ( 2 points)
7. What is the world's largest nation by population that is all in the same time zone? ( 3 points)

Answers: 1. 1972; 2. Senate; 3. filament; 4. Dairy Queen; 5. MLS; 6. Octomom; 7. China.

IQ Trivia
1. What piano legend had the first million-selling jazz album in history? ( 4 points)
2. "Rush to Judgment" was a national best-selling book about what famous event? ( 3 points)
3. What South American city has the largest metropolitan area population in the Southern Hemisphere? ( 5 points)
4. Who recorded the first posthumous number one Billboard hit single? ( 4 points)
5. What Caribbean religion, which utilizes ritualistic animal scarifice, combines attributes of the Christian and Yoruba religions? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. Dave Brubeck, "Time Out;" 2. JFK assassination; 3. Sao Paulo, Brazil; 4. Otis Redding, "Dock of the Bay;" 5. Santeria.

Got Nerves?

The World Series returns to New York tomorrow night for Game 6, and it will also bring back a rested Pedro Martinez to face Andy Pettitte, on just three days of rest. Can't help but think of the night of October 19, 2004 right now.

I like it. And I like this, courtesy of Allan at The Joy of Sox:

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."
--Andy Dufresne

Keep the Faith, Philadelphians.

Election Trivia on Election Day

As you all know, Tuesday is Election Day throughout the United States, and to celebrate that fact, we will be having a round of "Election Trivia" as the Special Category on Tuesday Night Trivia. It will be mostly about Presidential elections, even though we aren't electing a President tomorrow. (And those questions are always more interesting anyway.)

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

The Sneak Peek question for tomorrow is:
"After the President of the United States nominates someone for the Supreme Court, who votes on the nomination?"

I was glad to see so many of you liked the changes we made to Trivia Night last week. The audio round will return next week. We should get going around 9 PM, and it was great to see so many of you back with us over the last two weeks. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.