Stalemates
Cup and League Updates
(Hey. The Blockbuster is still open for business. Give it a whirl. Go on.)
Gratuitous promotion over: Alas, our 100 per cent record in the President's Cup came to an end on Sunday. But the good news is we drew with our closest arrivals - those chaps from the Mastermind Club - and still retain a three-point cushion. We remain unbeaten.
Let's just hope it's not the kind of phantom cushion that disappears after two matches and a helluva lot of grating, insipid mistakes. I'll just stop thinking about Kevin Keegan and making emotional outbursts beginning with the words: "I will love it ..." right about ... now.
Playing at home, but not by The Castle's clattering kitchen and squeaky toilet door, as is the two-year-old tradition, we set up shop by the front and mercifully found no reason to complain about intrusive noise of the coffee machine or boisterous groups drinking their Sunday afternoons away. And indeed, I am thankful for the draw because we shipped a six-point deficit in the first round. Slowly but surely we recovered to level pegging by round seven and the scores stayed that way.
Coming down to the last question, I got my new Bruce Springsteen album question (it's Magic) ... just like that, for two points. Paul, my opposing number four correctly identified the murdered missionary John Birch and so heaving sighs of relief all round. The final score was 45-45, which is very respectable by President's Cup standards. Ooh. Though I remember when a draw was a welcome balm for our constant, deflating run of losses and mild idiocy. Cruel days that seemed so much greyer. (Friendly questions after QLL stuff)
Back to the League
Things change. Hairstyles change. Clothes change. Question sets change. Guffaw-inducing gimmes increase in regularity (Shergar!) and points totals for league matches add up to more than a hundred, making matches that were once forgone conclusions into nail-biting showdowns verging on the lottery status. No doubt, with the onus on more palatable question content, things are more exciting and, most definitely, tense (as in, I am not enjoying this. It's TOO CLOSE!). The competitiveness is a good thing and keeps a very healthy number of teams on their toes and in contention for the top spot.
However, we do need more challenging subject material. Think of us elitists! We're human beings too. Our idea of real fun is getting the difficult stuff, sad people that we be. Take that away and we lose interest. It is inevitable. You don't get a surge of endorphins on answering In It To Win It fodder do you? Unless, of course, you are on the actual show, with good old orangey Dale making smoothly inane comments over your shoulder, and have just won £30,000 thanks to answering one question on the capital of Scotland from the three choices: "Edinburgh"/"London"/"Your Mum". Now that is Endorphin City.
Chestnuts are needed, but I'm saying this despite our riding high at the top of the league, you do wonder why a team as exalted as the Allsorts have struggled to find the fluency and therefore supremacy this season that has marked their form over the whole time the BHs have been battling away in the QLL. Truth is, the sort of difficult stuff Kevin and Gavin thrive on, and which their many opponents certainly do not, has mostly gone the way of all flesh. It is not as if they have each sustained some massive, memory-destroying brain injury during the off-season. Their prowess remains as great as ever (even if Gavin did make us laugh like deranged hyenas with his "Gordian knot" answer on Sunday). But if you move the goalposts, someone's going to get screwed. Wait that metaphor didn't quite come out right...
Yet having said that Ladies and Gentlemen - and started to bitch about something that, in all honesty, amounts to little more than a miniscule M&S Simply Food trifle - it seems we have a new bogie team (formerly Chester Army) in our midst. Their name is Aldersgate and once again things went down to the wire. I was a slip of the tongue away from letting them do the double over us, but it seems my stern yet increasingly comedic hatred of motorways does not prevent me from getting crucial two-pointers on Twyford Down (yes, more pressure on the last question, though this time I was in the position that Paul was in on Sunday).
The result was a 51-51 draw. They held their nerve impressively and we almost completely fluffed our chances (but then I would say that). So many congratulations to their being the only team in the whole of Division 1 that will remain unbeaten against us during the 2007-8 season. Obviously, we will be forming busy action committees and constructing intricately detailed plans, in amongst all the gruesome self-flagellating that comes with reflecting on such a thing coming to pass, to counter their threat when we next clash in the league. Which will probably be at least nine months' time. Wow. Much time. Someone could conceive and bring a child into this world in that time. Any takers? Go on, it'll be a larfffffff.
Unfinished P-Cup Friendly
Stupidly, my President's Cup friendly came out malformed and incomplete. For some strange reason I thought I'd see if I could write it in an hour. Fool that I am, I never quite realised how long I spend on them. The actual amount of time may be days, going by the flimsy five-round effort I knocked out in a bit over sixty minutes.
Here's the unworthy stump of a thingummybob that I went with anyway (I then added on three challenging round eights from various Southport & Formby sets I picked in a panicked, I must be off to the pub right now fashion).
President's Cup Meh
Round 1
1a Which sport features in the 2003 Michael Lewis book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game?
BASEBALL
1b Eleanor of Provence was the consort of which English king?
HENRY III
2a Which company produced a special car model called the Century Royal for the Japanese Imperial Household?
TOYOTA
2b Which sport features in the 2006 Michael Lewis book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game?*
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
3a Elizabeth Woodville was the consort of which English king?
EDWARD IV
3b What is the most common name in China?
CHANG
4a What is the most common surname used in Spain?*
GARCIA
4b Which company presented a limited edition of two cars, called the State Limousine, to act as state cars for the British royal household in 2002?*
BENTLEY
Round 2
1a In which year of the early 18th century was the Battle of Oudenarde fought?
1708
1b Which BAFTA-nominated film, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as prospector Daniel Plainview, is based on the Upton Sinclair novel Oil!?
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
2a Horace Wells pioneered the use of what anaesthetic in the US in 1844?
NITROUS OXIDE/LAUGHING GAS
2b Starring Javier Bardem as the murderous Anton Chigurh, the BAFA-nominated film No Country for Old Men is adapted from whose novel of the same name?
CORMAC MCCARTHY
3a Which member of the 1994 Brazilian World Cup-winning team was born Jose Roberto Gama de Oliveira?
BEBETO
3b In 1952, Charles Hufnagel made what inventive contribution to cardiology?
ARTIFICIAL HEART VALVE
4a Which member of the Brazil's 1970 World Cup-winning team was born Eduardo Goncalves de Andrade?
TOSTAO
4b In which year of the early 18th century was the Battle of Ramilies fought?
1706
Round 3
1a Knocked out in the third round of the Australian Open, which 35-year-old French tennis player now holds the record in Grand Slam event singles appearances ?
FABRICE SANTORO
1b Which American player's record of 61 appearances did Santoro break at this year's Australian Open?
ANDRE AGASSI
2a Cyberia was the first ever type of which kind of informal restaurant?
INTERNET CAFE
2b The Dalasi is the currency of which country in western Africa?*
THE GAMBIA
3a The Loti is the currency of which landlocked African country?*
LESOTHO
3b Where will you find the Maxwell gap and the Keeler gap?
RINGS OF SATURN
4a Which planet's name is translated literally as the "sea king star" in the Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese languages?
NEPTUNE
4b The Osborne I was the first example of which kind of computer?*
LAPTOP
Round 4
1a Who directed the films It's a Wonderful Life and Mr Smith Goes to Washington?
FRANK CAPRA
1b Which BBC sitcom used Cricket House, Cricket St Thomas, Somerset for exterior shots?
TO THE MANOR BORN
2a Which 19th composer's works include the operas Dalibor, Libuse and The Devil's Wall?
BEDRICH SMETANA
2b Which British Prime Minister died in August 1827, shortly after taking office on April 10, 1827?
GEORGE CANNING
3a Which familiarly named Whig Prime Minister presided over the 1832 Reform Act and the abolition of the slave trade throughout the British Empire?
EARL GREY
3b Who directed Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday and Red River?
HOWARD HAWKS
4a Which BBC sitcom used exterior shots filmed at Wooburn Grange, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire?*
FAWLTY TOWERS
4b Which 19th century composer's works include the eight-movement piece for solo piano entitled the Kreisleriana and a musical adaptation of Byron's dramatic poem Manfred?
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Round 5
1a What does the Swiss company Lindt & Sprungli famously manufacture?
CHOCOLATE/CONFECTIONERY
1b Which character in Lord of the Rings rode the horses Hasufel and Roheryn?
ARAGORN
2a What does the Swiss company Tissot famously manufacture?
WATCHES
2b What colloquial term for someone working in espionage once designated a Yale senior or secret society member?
SPOOK
3a What is the more straightforward title of the BBC show Spooks in the US?*
MI5
3b In the Discworld novels, which character rides a horse called Binky?
DEATH
4a What is the largest city in Switzerland?
ZURICH
4b What is the largest city of the People's Republic of China?
SHANGHAI
Spares
I didn't get that far did I? Duh. To me.
God, that was so boring I almost cried whilst italicising the names. The lesson learned here, kids, is to take your time and not get up at hours that make you feel and look like a dissolute tramp, who then finds he has to do a Linford Christie up the hill (no, I don't mean take performance-enhancing drugs before I start quizzing). Then you won't write such stultifying and predictable questions. The Sorry End.
(Hey. The Blockbuster is still open for business. Give it a whirl. Go on.)
Gratuitous promotion over: Alas, our 100 per cent record in the President's Cup came to an end on Sunday. But the good news is we drew with our closest arrivals - those chaps from the Mastermind Club - and still retain a three-point cushion. We remain unbeaten.
Let's just hope it's not the kind of phantom cushion that disappears after two matches and a helluva lot of grating, insipid mistakes. I'll just stop thinking about Kevin Keegan and making emotional outbursts beginning with the words: "I will love it ..." right about ... now.
Playing at home, but not by The Castle's clattering kitchen and squeaky toilet door, as is the two-year-old tradition, we set up shop by the front and mercifully found no reason to complain about intrusive noise of the coffee machine or boisterous groups drinking their Sunday afternoons away. And indeed, I am thankful for the draw because we shipped a six-point deficit in the first round. Slowly but surely we recovered to level pegging by round seven and the scores stayed that way.
Coming down to the last question, I got my new Bruce Springsteen album question (it's Magic) ... just like that, for two points. Paul, my opposing number four correctly identified the murdered missionary John Birch and so heaving sighs of relief all round. The final score was 45-45, which is very respectable by President's Cup standards. Ooh. Though I remember when a draw was a welcome balm for our constant, deflating run of losses and mild idiocy. Cruel days that seemed so much greyer. (Friendly questions after QLL stuff)
Back to the League
Things change. Hairstyles change. Clothes change. Question sets change. Guffaw-inducing gimmes increase in regularity (Shergar!) and points totals for league matches add up to more than a hundred, making matches that were once forgone conclusions into nail-biting showdowns verging on the lottery status. No doubt, with the onus on more palatable question content, things are more exciting and, most definitely, tense (as in, I am not enjoying this. It's TOO CLOSE!). The competitiveness is a good thing and keeps a very healthy number of teams on their toes and in contention for the top spot.
However, we do need more challenging subject material. Think of us elitists! We're human beings too. Our idea of real fun is getting the difficult stuff, sad people that we be. Take that away and we lose interest. It is inevitable. You don't get a surge of endorphins on answering In It To Win It fodder do you? Unless, of course, you are on the actual show, with good old orangey Dale making smoothly inane comments over your shoulder, and have just won £30,000 thanks to answering one question on the capital of Scotland from the three choices: "Edinburgh"/"London"/"Your Mum". Now that is Endorphin City.
Chestnuts are needed, but I'm saying this despite our riding high at the top of the league, you do wonder why a team as exalted as the Allsorts have struggled to find the fluency and therefore supremacy this season that has marked their form over the whole time the BHs have been battling away in the QLL. Truth is, the sort of difficult stuff Kevin and Gavin thrive on, and which their many opponents certainly do not, has mostly gone the way of all flesh. It is not as if they have each sustained some massive, memory-destroying brain injury during the off-season. Their prowess remains as great as ever (even if Gavin did make us laugh like deranged hyenas with his "Gordian knot" answer on Sunday). But if you move the goalposts, someone's going to get screwed. Wait that metaphor didn't quite come out right...
Yet having said that Ladies and Gentlemen - and started to bitch about something that, in all honesty, amounts to little more than a miniscule M&S Simply Food trifle - it seems we have a new bogie team (formerly Chester Army) in our midst. Their name is Aldersgate and once again things went down to the wire. I was a slip of the tongue away from letting them do the double over us, but it seems my stern yet increasingly comedic hatred of motorways does not prevent me from getting crucial two-pointers on Twyford Down (yes, more pressure on the last question, though this time I was in the position that Paul was in on Sunday).
The result was a 51-51 draw. They held their nerve impressively and we almost completely fluffed our chances (but then I would say that). So many congratulations to their being the only team in the whole of Division 1 that will remain unbeaten against us during the 2007-8 season. Obviously, we will be forming busy action committees and constructing intricately detailed plans, in amongst all the gruesome self-flagellating that comes with reflecting on such a thing coming to pass, to counter their threat when we next clash in the league. Which will probably be at least nine months' time. Wow. Much time. Someone could conceive and bring a child into this world in that time. Any takers? Go on, it'll be a larfffffff.
Unfinished P-Cup Friendly
Stupidly, my President's Cup friendly came out malformed and incomplete. For some strange reason I thought I'd see if I could write it in an hour. Fool that I am, I never quite realised how long I spend on them. The actual amount of time may be days, going by the flimsy five-round effort I knocked out in a bit over sixty minutes.
Here's the unworthy stump of a thingummybob that I went with anyway (I then added on three challenging round eights from various Southport & Formby sets I picked in a panicked, I must be off to the pub right now fashion).
President's Cup Meh
Round 1
1a Which sport features in the 2003 Michael Lewis book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game?
BASEBALL
1b Eleanor of Provence was the consort of which English king?
HENRY III
2a Which company produced a special car model called the Century Royal for the Japanese Imperial Household?
TOYOTA
2b Which sport features in the 2006 Michael Lewis book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game?*
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
3a Elizabeth Woodville was the consort of which English king?
EDWARD IV
3b What is the most common name in China?
CHANG
4a What is the most common surname used in Spain?*
GARCIA
4b Which company presented a limited edition of two cars, called the State Limousine, to act as state cars for the British royal household in 2002?*
BENTLEY
Round 2
1a In which year of the early 18th century was the Battle of Oudenarde fought?
1708
1b Which BAFTA-nominated film, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as prospector Daniel Plainview, is based on the Upton Sinclair novel Oil!?
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
2a Horace Wells pioneered the use of what anaesthetic in the US in 1844?
NITROUS OXIDE/LAUGHING GAS
2b Starring Javier Bardem as the murderous Anton Chigurh, the BAFA-nominated film No Country for Old Men is adapted from whose novel of the same name?
CORMAC MCCARTHY
3a Which member of the 1994 Brazilian World Cup-winning team was born Jose Roberto Gama de Oliveira?
BEBETO
3b In 1952, Charles Hufnagel made what inventive contribution to cardiology?
ARTIFICIAL HEART VALVE
4a Which member of the Brazil's 1970 World Cup-winning team was born Eduardo Goncalves de Andrade?
TOSTAO
4b In which year of the early 18th century was the Battle of Ramilies fought?
1706
Round 3
1a Knocked out in the third round of the Australian Open, which 35-year-old French tennis player now holds the record in Grand Slam event singles appearances ?
FABRICE SANTORO
1b Which American player's record of 61 appearances did Santoro break at this year's Australian Open?
ANDRE AGASSI
2a Cyberia was the first ever type of which kind of informal restaurant?
INTERNET CAFE
2b The Dalasi is the currency of which country in western Africa?*
THE GAMBIA
3a The Loti is the currency of which landlocked African country?*
LESOTHO
3b Where will you find the Maxwell gap and the Keeler gap?
RINGS OF SATURN
4a Which planet's name is translated literally as the "sea king star" in the Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese languages?
NEPTUNE
4b The Osborne I was the first example of which kind of computer?*
LAPTOP
Round 4
1a Who directed the films It's a Wonderful Life and Mr Smith Goes to Washington?
FRANK CAPRA
1b Which BBC sitcom used Cricket House, Cricket St Thomas, Somerset for exterior shots?
TO THE MANOR BORN
2a Which 19th composer's works include the operas Dalibor, Libuse and The Devil's Wall?
BEDRICH SMETANA
2b Which British Prime Minister died in August 1827, shortly after taking office on April 10, 1827?
GEORGE CANNING
3a Which familiarly named Whig Prime Minister presided over the 1832 Reform Act and the abolition of the slave trade throughout the British Empire?
EARL GREY
3b Who directed Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday and Red River?
HOWARD HAWKS
4a Which BBC sitcom used exterior shots filmed at Wooburn Grange, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire?*
FAWLTY TOWERS
4b Which 19th century composer's works include the eight-movement piece for solo piano entitled the Kreisleriana and a musical adaptation of Byron's dramatic poem Manfred?
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Round 5
1a What does the Swiss company Lindt & Sprungli famously manufacture?
CHOCOLATE/CONFECTIONERY
1b Which character in Lord of the Rings rode the horses Hasufel and Roheryn?
ARAGORN
2a What does the Swiss company Tissot famously manufacture?
WATCHES
2b What colloquial term for someone working in espionage once designated a Yale senior or secret society member?
SPOOK
3a What is the more straightforward title of the BBC show Spooks in the US?*
MI5
3b In the Discworld novels, which character rides a horse called Binky?
DEATH
4a What is the largest city in Switzerland?
ZURICH
4b What is the largest city of the People's Republic of China?
SHANGHAI
Spares
I didn't get that far did I? Duh. To me.
God, that was so boring I almost cried whilst italicising the names. The lesson learned here, kids, is to take your time and not get up at hours that make you feel and look like a dissolute tramp, who then finds he has to do a Linford Christie up the hill (no, I don't mean take performance-enhancing drugs before I start quizzing). Then you won't write such stultifying and predictable questions. The Sorry End.
posted by That Quiz Guy at 5:46 PM
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