Trivia Q&A: March 13

We had another great night of Trivia on Tuesday, with 15 teams in competition. Professor Thom's was jumping all night, as my friend Matt and his buddies from UMass ("The Church of Bracketology") were on hand to cheer their boys to victory, and they weren't disappointed as the Minutemen won in OT in their NIT game. A few of the UMass alums even joined in with us for trivia.

It was a nice come-from-behind victory by a team called Man vs. Wild, who got a perfect score in the IQ Trivia to defeat The Fluffers by two points. The scores on IQ Trivia were pretty good, as most teams got at least 2 or 3 correct in that tough round. Most teams didn't do to well in Irish Trivia, with most teams around the 5 or 6 point range.

The new rule we put in about no teams being larger than six players was respected by everyone, and I even heard some applause when I made the announcement before the trivia started. Next week will feature "March Trivia," about famous events that occurred in this very month.

Current Events
1. This New York-born comedian apparently committed suicide on Sunday by shooting himself.
2. Arson is being blamed for the wildfires that have been devastating this state.
3. It was revealed this week that this rap diva with a history of trouble has racked up over 16 moving violations and has lost her driver's license in two states.
4. This film set a March record by grossing $70 million in its opening weekend, and was number one at the box office last week.
5. This oil services giant, which once employed Dick Cheney, announced they will shift their corporate HQ from Houston to Dubai this year.
6. This college basketball team was ranked number one overall going into the NCAA Tournament this week.
7. The addition of this rap group to the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame this week has caused some controversy with some people.
8. Brad Delp, lead singer of this wildly popular '70s/'80s rock band, was found dead in his home in New Hampshire last Friday.
9. This talk show host revealed on Monday he will have heart bypass surgery later this week.
10. This Las Vegas casino, once the home to the Rat Pack, was imploded this morning to make way for a new $4 billion mega-resort.

Answers: 1. Richard Jeni; 2. California; 3. Foxy Brown; 4. "300;" 5. Halliburton; 6. Ohio State; 7. Grandmaster Flash; 8. Boston; 9. Regis Philbin; 10. The Stardust.

Irish Trivia
1. How many counties are there in the Republic of Ireland? a. 19, b. 26, c. 30, d. 33.
2. In which year did Ireland achieve Home Rule and their independence from the UK? a. 1905, b. 1916, c. 1922, d. 1929.
3. Who wrote the book, "Angela's Ashes?" a. Frank McCourt, b. James Joyce, c. Bram Stoker, d. Sean O'Casey.
4. Which is the most popular team sport in Ireland? a. soccer, b. rugby, c. cricket, d. Gaelic football.
5. Which American actor starred in the film, "The Quiet Man," which was filmed in Ireland? a. John Wayne, b. James Cagney, c. Kirk Douglas, d. Spencer Tracy.
6. Which Irish saint is said to have discovered America 1000 years before Columbus? a. St. Patrick, b. St. Finbar, c. St. Brendan, d. St. Thomas.
7. Which of the following entertainers was not born in Ireland? a. Bono, b. Bob Geldof, c. Elvis Costello, d. Sinead O'Connor.
8. Larry Mullen Jr. is a member of which Irish rock group? a. Black 47, b. U2, c. The Pogues, d. Thin Lizzy.
9. In which country is St. Patrick believed to have been born in? a. Ireland, b. Portugal, c. France, d. Britain.
10. In which year was the first St. Patrick's Day Parade held in NYC? a. 1766, b. 1863, c. 1901, d. 1827.

Answers: 1. b; 2. c; 3. a; 4. d; 5. a; 6. c; 7. c; 8. b; 9. d; 10. a.

True Or False ("The Q Train")
1. Zagreb is the capital of Lithuania.
2. Bat Masterson spent the last years of his life as a New York sportswriter.
3. Silver was the name of Roy Rogers' horse.
4. Babe Ruth hit the first home run in the history of Fenway Park.
5. A dipthong is a kind of wine bar.
6. An alpenhorn is a wooden horn used to call cattle in Switzerland.
7. Dr. Joyce Brothers won big on the old quiz show "The $64,000 Question" on the subject of boxing.
8. The rupee is the main unit of currency in China.
9. The city of San Francisco is actually named after St. Francis of Assisi.
10. The Cincinnati Reds, in the 1950s, temporarily changed its name to avoid any association with communism.

Answers: 1. false, it is the capital of Croatia; 2. true; 3. Silver was the Lone Ranger's horse; 4. false, he hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium; 5. false, it's a speech sound; 6. true; 7. true; 8. false, the yuan is; 9. true; 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. Halifax is the capital of which Canadian province?
2. Which former US president became the first to be depicted ona circulating US coin in 1909?
3. Which book is often referred to as "The Good Book?"
4. What is the scientific name for a shooting star?
5. Which Western state was Dick Cheney a representative in Congress for 10 years?
6. The explorers Stanley and Livingstone are renown for exploring which continent?
7. Which "boy band" was Lance Bass once a part of?
8. In geometry, a straight angle measures how many degrees?
9. What US coin depicts a president wearing a bow tie?
10. In the New Testament, which prisoner did Pontius Pilate allow to go free instead of Jesus?

Answers: 1. Nova Scotia; 2. Abraham Lincoln; 3. The Bible; 4. meteor; 5. Wyoming; 6. Africa; 7. NSYNC; 8. 180; 9. penny; 10. Barabbas.

IQ Trivia
1. Who was the first territorial governor of Utah in 1850? (6 points)
2. In "The Godfather" films, what is the original family name of Vito Corleone? (5 points)
3. Who was the first Chief Justice of the United States? (5 points)
4. Which film from the 2000s was chosen by Entertainment Weekly as the most controversial film of all time? (4 points)
5. Which author's works were adapted into the films, "Get Shorty," "Jackie Brown," and "Out of Sight?" (5 points)

Answers: 1. Brigham Young; 2. Andolini; 3. John Jay; 4. "The Passion of the Christ;" 5. Elmore Leonard.