The Mighty Quinn Media Machine

Jazz Piano At Its Finest

2012-01-27T11:37:00.003-05:00

My good friend and jazz pianist Alex Minasian has just begun a YouTube page of some of his best performances, and it's a page definitely worth checking out.

Alex is a really talented piano player who has been playing with the legendary jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott for a few years now. (Alex and I first met during Professor Thom's Trivia Night before I hosted it, and we won the competition on a few occasions.) He's on his way up to the top of the jazz world.

Here is one of Alex's fine performances, playing with Billy Vera on "At This Moment" at the House of Blues in Los Angeles for Jimmy Scott's 85th birthday celebration:

Sherm Was a Red Sox Legend

2012-01-27T11:07:00.004-05:00

Today is the 18th anniversary of the passing of the great Sherm Feller, the legendary Red Sox gravelly-voiced PA announcer, best known for his opening line: "Attention please, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Fenway Park."

Sherm was also a beloved radio talk show in Boston and a prolific songwriter, having written over 1,000 songs in his career.

But his career at Fenway is what people remember most about him, and he did it for 27 seasons, beginning in the Impossible Dream season of 1967. I'll never forget his delivery: "Number 27. Carlton Fisk. Catcher. Fisk."

My friend and fellow Trivia Maven Gary Titus was a close friend of Sherm in the last 15 years of his life, and has made it his mission to get Sherm inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. And with this being the 100th anniversary of America's Most Beloved Ballpark, why not make this the year Sherm gets inducted?

Gary has my full support, and I hope the Red Sox vote him in. Gary has an online petition you can add your support to. There is also a website dedicated to Sherm and his career, and a Facebook page you can check out as well.

Let's hope this is the year Sherm is enshrined. It would be a fitting honor to a man many oldtimers like myself associate with being at Fenway. Good luck Gary!

Long Live Juan Epstein

2012-01-26T23:43:00.006-05:00

I was saddened to hear the passing of actor Robert Hegyes today. That name might not be too familiar, but if I say the name "Juan Epstein", that should provoke a few smiles.

I was a huge fan of "Welcome Back, Kotter" in my youth, and the four years of the show coincided with my four years at Brooklyn Tech. The show may have made a star out of John Travolta, but I was always a fan of Mr. Hegyes, who played the half-Puerto Rican, half-Jewish wiseass Juan Epstein.

Mr. Hegyes was 60 years old and died of a sudden heart attack in his home in Edison, New Jersey.

Seems like another part of childhood is gone when I hear the passing of celebrities from my youth.

One of my favorite Juan Epstein lines was when he was asked about his mother. "Oh, so she's Puerto Rican," someone I can't remember once asked him. "No, my father's Puerto Rican. My mother's maiden name is Biberman!"

So, in memory of the Great Juan Epstein, I present the one of the coolest TV themes ever, by John Sebastian:

BTW, did you know that the high school featured in the show's opening was New Utrecht High School? And that the "Brooklyn" sign in the first scene (coming off the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge) was stolen so many times that the city ultimately never replaced it?

RIP Mr. Hegyes, and thanks for all the laughs.

Trivia Q&A: January 24

2012-01-25T01:04:00.001-05:00

We had an historic night at Professor Thom's on Tuesday night, as we had a record 28 teams come in for Trivia. (The old record was 26, done on three other occasions.) There was nothing special happening on the night, just a lot of folks coming in and coming in for Trivia!

The scores were solid for Current Events and The Q Train, but surprisingly lower for January 24th Trivia. We had six teams separated by five points going into the last round, and the team in the lead, I'm Bad at Football and I Love My Country, That Makes Me a "Patriot" (the name was booed lustily many times during the night), got 4 of 5 correct in IQ Trivia, and wound up winning with 47 points. Congrats to Gillian and her crew for another fine victory.

Second place went to Tim Thomas Goes to Washington with 42 points, and third place was a tie between Liz Wong and The Fake Tits, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Drunk (which won for Best Team Name), both with 37 points.

Once again, thanks to all of you for making January 24th a memorable night!

Current Events
1. Actor Sean Penn was made an at-large ambassador to what Caribbean nation last week?
2. What western US city got six inches of snow last Wednesday, shutting the city down and it was the biggest snowfall there since 1985?
3. What member of the House of Representatives was selected by GQ magazine as "The Most Powerful Person in Washington" for 2012?
4. What Hollywood actor recently said in a magazine interview that if he had been on one of the planes that struck the WTC on 9/11 (as he was scheduled to but his plans changed) he would have prevented the disaster?
5. What actor spread a false rumor on Twitter last week that Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning was about to announce his retirement?
6. What Central American country was recently given the dubious title of "The Murder Capital of the World" as it now has the highest homicide rate in the world: 82 murders per 100,000 residents?
7. Yesterday was the Chinese New Year, and 2012 is the year of what animal?

January 24th Trivia
1. On this day in 1848, James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, CA, which is just outside of what major CA city?
2. In 2011, 35 people were killed and 130 people injured after a suicde bomber struck at Domodedovo Airport in what capital city?
3. Mary Lou Retton, the gymnast and Olympic gold medal winner, was born on this day in 1968. In which Summer Olympics did she win her five medals?
4. Winston Churchill, the British prime minister during WWII, died on this day in 1965. In what field was he awarded the Nobel Prize in 1953?
5. On this day in 1989, serial killer Ted Bundy was executed for 30 murders he committed in 7 states in the 1970s. What US state put him to death?
6. Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court justice, died on this day in 1993. What US president named him to the Court?
7. On this day in 1990, which Asian country became the first country other than the US or Soviet Union to launch a lunar probe into space?

Oscar-Winning Characters Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Loretta Lynn
2. Virginia Woolf
3. Fast Eddie Felson
4. Queen Elizabeth II
5. R.P. McMurphy
6. Jake LaMotta
7. Claus Von Bulow
8. Clarice Starling
9. Truman Capote
10. Annie Hall

General Knowledge
1. The ancient monument called Stonehenge is located in what country? ( 1 pt)
2. Who was the first US president in office born after WWII? ( 1 pt)
3. Keyzer Soze was a mysterious character in what 1995 film? ( 1 pt)
4. What is the minimum age for a person to serve in the US House of Representatives? ( 2 pt)
5. What Basketball Hall of Famer won a record 11 championship rings? ( 2 pt)
6. What midwestern US city is located on the Cuyahoga River? ( 2 pt)
7. What color has the most shades in Crayola's box of 120 crayons? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What annual award has a design on it of three naked men with their hands on each others' shoulders? ( 4 points)
2. Who was the first film character to be a finalist for Time magazine's "Person of the Year?" ( 4 points)
3. In what US state does 24% of the population claim Irish ancestry, twice the national average? ( 3 points)
4. What female pop singer sang the opening theme song on the 1980s TV kids show "Pee-wee's Playhouse?" ( 4 points)
5. If you suffer from diplopia, what problem do you have? ( 5 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Haiti; 2. Seattle; 3. Eric Cantor; 4. Mark Wahlberg; 5. Rob Lowe; 6. Honduras; 7. Water Dragon.

January 24th Trivia
1. Sacramento; 2. Moscow; 3. 1984 (Los Angeles); 4. literature; 5. Florida; 6. Lyndon Johnson; 7. Japan.

Oscar-Winning Characters Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Sissy Spacek; 2. Nicole Kidman; 3. Paul Newman; 4. Helen Mirren; 5. Jack Nicholson; 6. Robert DeNiro; 7. Jeremy Irons; 8. Jodie Foster; 9. Philip Seymour Hoffman; 10. Diane Keaton.

General Knowledge
1. England; 2. Bill Clinton; 3. "The Usual Suspects;" 4. twenty-five; 5. Bill Russell; 6. Cleveland; 7. red.

IQ Trivia
1. Nobel Peace Prize; 2. ET; 3. Massachusetts; 4. Cyndi Lauper; 5. double vision.

Send In "The Clown"

2012-01-24T00:01:00.005-05:00

The Red Sox signed free agent outfielder and 2010 San Francisco Giants postseason hero Cody Ross to a one-year deal tonight, worth about $3 million (plus incentives) for one year.

He can play all three outfield positions, but figures to see most of his time in LF and RF. He hit just .240 for the Giants, with 14 HRs and 52 RBI in 2011.

My friend Ken, who is a big Giants fan, calls him "The Clown." Perfect nickname for a guy who may be coming to a place that could be a three-ring circus in 2012. (Ken tells me that Cody wanted to be a rodeo clown when he was growing up, hence the nickname.)

Roy Oswalt up next? We'll see.

Oscar-Winning Characters This Week

2012-01-23T12:18:00.002-05:00

This Tuesday night at Professor Thom's, we will have "January 24th Trivia" as the Special Category. It will be seven questions about people, places and things connected with the day in history.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Oscar-Winning Characters Trivia." I will give you the names of ten movie characters whose portrayers won an Academy Award for that role. You just have to tell me the actor or actress who won it. (Like if I said "King George VI", you would answer, "Colin Firth." But sadly, that will NOT be one of the ten characters.)

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"Who was the first US president born after World War II?"

We will get going shortly after 9 PM, and I hope to see you for another great night of Trivia!

A Bad Day For Guys Named Harbaugh

2012-01-22T22:46:00.007-05:00

It will be the Patriots vs. the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. The Patriots are an early 3 1/2 point favorite.

Tough losses for both Harbaugh coaches today. Kyle Williams, meet Billy Cundiff.

The hype will go into interstellar overdrive for this one, a rematch of the championship game of four years ago. It's also the Jets fan's worst nightmare all over again.

You know the media (for two weeks, ugh) will play up the Boston vs. New York thing ad nauseum. (Funny that neither team plays in either city. It's really the Northern New Jersey vs. Southern Massachusetts rivalry, I guess.)

I just hope I'll see the Minnesota Vikings in another Super Bowl before I die.

It's now 35 years and counting.

Small Market Ball

2012-01-21T19:38:00.007-05:00

So much for the Red Sox not going after Roy Oswalt.

The Sox traded Marco Scutaro to the Colorado Rockies for a marginal RHP named Clayton Mortensen. The trade was made for one simple reason: the Red Sox wanted to free up some money to make an "aggressive" bid for Roy Oswalt. (Doesn't this sound like the operations of a small market club?)

There was a rumor that Scutaro was heading to Colorado yesterday, but that was quickly shot down. Another day, another rumor, and this time it's true.

Scutaro was the Red Sox best hitter in September's disaster of a month, hitting .397 while the club went belly up. They also traded away the other regular shortstop in 2011 when Jed Lowrie went in the Mark Melancon deal. It looks like they will go with a tandem of Nick Punto and Mike Aviles at SS until Jose Iglesias is ready, and you figure that won't happen until 2013. (Punto played just a handful of games there last year and Aviles hasn't played SS in three years.)

I have a feeling the Red Sox aren't done as far as the shortstop situation is concerned. They maybe looking to make a deal for another SS. (And I don't mean Hanley Ramirez. He would cost way too much, and he's a dog I wouldn't want on my team anyway.)

Mortensen was one of the pitchers the A's acquired in the Matt Holliday trade, and went 2-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 2011.

The Red Sox also avoided arbitration with Daniel Bard and signed him to a one-year deal worth $1.625 million.

Thanks OC

2012-01-19T01:21:00.004-05:00

Another One of the 25 from 2004 has entered retirement, and it is Orlando Cabrera, who calls it quits at the age of 37.

He hit .294 for the Red Sox after he was dealt to the club in the Nomar Garciaparra trade on July 31st of that year. He played a solid shortstop, and was a big reason the Sox vaulted into the Wild Card lead that August, and eventually into baseball history.

Cabrera left as a free agent after the 2004 championship, and the Red Sox wound up drafting Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie as compensation for his exit.

From the 2004 team, there are only seven active players left: Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis (still with the Red Sox), and elsewhere in MLB: Johnny Damon, Bronson Arroyo and Derek Lowe.

All the best in your retirement, OC. We'll always remember your slick glove on that immortal club.

Lots of Sox News For Mid-January (And Some Non-Sox As Well)

2012-01-18T12:17:00.007-05:00

Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Aviles both avoided arbitration and signed one-year deals. Ellsbury signed for $8.05 million and Aviles for $1.2 million. That still leaves Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard and David Ortiz unsigned.

Papi and the Sox are far apart. It was reported that Ortiz wants $16.5 million, and the Sox are offering $12.65 million. I would bet the ranch they will meet somewhere in the middle.

Carl Crawford had wrist surgery yesterday, after feeling pain there around New Year's Day. The doctors discovered cartilage damage and it was repaired. It isn't known if he'll be ready for Opening Day, but that sure isn't a way to get the fans confidence back after having such a miserable 2011. Let's hope he's ready to go in early April.

Big blow for ex-Sox catcher Victor Martinez, as he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and may miss the entire 2012 season. He suffered the injury during his off-season workouts.

More really crazy nonsense from crazy, nonsensical screwball sportswriter Wallace Matthews. It's another one of those "if you don't worship the ground Derek Jeter walks on there must be something wrong with you" articles. Here he compares Jeter to Martin Luther King. (With thanks to my friend Jere for letting me know about the article.)

And please keep the Internet uncensored by signing this petition to defeat the SOPA and PIPA bills in Congress.

Trivia Q&A: January 17

2012-01-18T01:19:00.000-05:00

We had 21 teams in on a busy night that included fans in to watch Michigan's basketball team win, but the Boston Bruins lose in St. Pete.

Q-Tip Trivia was a tough round, with the scores generally on the lower side. But every other round the numbers were up, especially in General Knowledge. The team of Happy Birthday Rosanmi! led the entire night and wound up with a perfect score in IQ Trivia to end up with 57 points and the victory. Congratulations to my friends the "teachers" on another impressive win.

Second place went to Tebow Got Gronky Punched with 50 points, and third place went to I'm On a Boat! No Wait, I'm Dead with 47 points.

Best Team Name: All I'm Sayin' Is...The Skipper and Gilligan Didn't Let Anybody Die

Current Events
1. Which European country recently recognized "The Church of Kopimism" or file-sharing, as a religion?
2. Which troubled celebrity is currently being sued by the IRS for over $93,000 in back taxes?
3. Outgoing governor Haley Barbour controversially pardoned 200 lawbreakers in his state last week. What state was he governor of?
4. Hundreds of people egged an Apple store after it didn't open on time to sell the new iPhone 4S last week in what Asian capital city?
5. What northern New Jersey canceled their St. Patrick's Day Parade this year, as the parade's committee sited the city's inability to protect the participants as the reason?
6. What rap star was arrested by US Customs last week on the US-Mexico border for illegal possession of drug paraphernalia?
7. What Oscar-winning actor was struck by a car in Florida while bicycling last Friday but sustained just minor injuries?

Q-Tip Trivia
1. Which of the following classic sitcoms were set in New York City? a. All in the Family; b. The Cosby Show; c. The Mary Tyler Moore Show; d. The Bob Newhart Show.
2. Which of these artists had a Billboard number one pop single in 2011? a. Katy Perry; b. Justin Bieber; c. Britney Spears; d. Eminem.
3. Which of these actors have won at least two Oscars? a. Gene Hackman; b. Jessica Lange; c. Anthony Quinn; d. Jason Robards.
4. Which of the following cities has a team in all four major sports: MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL? a. Seattle; b. Los Angeles; c. St. Louis; d. Atlanta.
5. Which of these countries are located entirely below the Equator? a. Australia; b. Argentina; c. Cameroon; d. Indonesia.
6. Which of the following US presidents once served as a US Senator? a. Franklin D. Roosevelt; b. Abraham Lincoln; c. Ronald Reagan; d. John F. Kennedy.
7. Which of these Washington DC landmarks were built in the 19th century? a. Lincoln Memorial; b. Washington Monument; c. Smithsonian Institution; d. Jefferson Memorial.

US Cities Nicknames Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. The Queen City
2. Music City USA
3. The City With the Big Shoulders
4. Mistake By The Lake
5. The Steel City
6. The Golden City
7. The Hub
8. The Emerald City
9. Gateway to the West
10. Hitsville USA

General Knowledge
1. What is the capital of the province of Ontario? ( 1 pt)
2. "Moby Dick" was the best known novel from what author?( 1 pt)
3. Ron Paul, Congressman and Republican presidential candidate, represents what state in Congress? ( 1 pt)
4. What U.S. president signed into law making Martin Luther King's birthday a federal holiday? ( 2 pt)
5. What river is dammed by the Hoover Dam? ( 2 pt)
6. What Olympic sport uses the smallest ball? ( 2 pt)
7. In militaryspeak, what is an "aerodynamic personnel decelerator"? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What US state has the largest peach crop? ( 4 points)
2. What famous person was assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition by Leon Czolgosz? ( 4 points)
3. Mount Marcy is the highest point, at over 5300 feet, in what US state? ( 5 points)
4. What world leader was once discovered by the Secret Service drunk and in his underwear one night trying to hail a cab to the White House in 1995? ( 3 points)
5. In 1988, what Hollywood actor starred in both the Oscar-winning Best Picture and the Golden Raspberry Award's Worst Picture that year? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Sweden; 2. Lindsay Lohan; 3. Mississippi; 4. Beijing; 5. Hoboken; 6. Snoop Dogg; 7. Gene Hackman.

Q-Tip Trivia
1. a, b; 2. a, c; 3. all; 4. none; 5. a,b; 6. d; 7. b. c.

US Cities Nicknames Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Cincinnati (I also accepted Buffalo and Charlotte); 2. Nashville; 3. Chicago; 4. Cleveland; 5. Pittsburgh; 6. San Francisco; 7. Boston; 8. Seattle; 9. St. Louis; 10. Detroit.

General Knowledge
1. Toronto; 2. Herman Melville; 3. Texas; 4. Ronald Reagan; 5. Colorado River; 6. table tennis; 7. parachute.

IQ Trivia
1. California; 2. William McKinley; 3. New York; 4. Boris Yeltsin; 5. Tom Cruise ("Rain Man" and "Cocktail").

Forget About Oswalt

2012-01-17T11:20:00.006-05:00

The Red Sox added another arm to their mix for the fifth spot in the rotation, when they agreed to a minor league deal with Vicente Padilla.

He pitched in just nine games with the Dodgers before a pinched nerve ended his season. This is also the guy who was released by the Texas Rangers in 2009 for being a "disruptive clubhouse presence."

All this tells me that Roy Oswalt will not be pitching in Boston this season. His price for a fifth starter (despite being willing to sign a one-year deal) is too high, as the Red Sox are concerned about payroll and the luxury tax.

Today is also the day that if any players remain unsigned by noon, the club and players will submit salary requests to MLB and the arbitration hearings would begin on February 1st. The Red Sox have six players in that situation: Alfredo Aceves, Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz, Daniel Bard, Mike Aviles and Andrew Bailey. The Sox have not had an arbitration hearing with a player since 2002, and can still sign all six players to contracts even after today and before the hearings are scheduled to begin.

And the English cousins will be coming to America for a visit, as Liverpool will be playing Roma at Fenway this summer.

Brush Up On Your Slang Terms For US Cities

2012-01-16T11:17:00.002-05:00

Trivia Night on Tuesday night at Professor Thom's will feature the return of "Q-Tip Trivia," where I ask you seven multiple choice, general knowledge questions, and the answer can be 1,2,3, all 4 or none correct. You get a point for each one you get correct, but a wrong answer will nullify any points for that question. It's always a high scoring round.

The Q Train lightning round will be "US Cities' Nicknames Trivia." I will give you the nicknames of ten major US cities, and you have to tell me the city.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What Olympic sport uses the smallest ball?

We get going shortly after 9 PM on Tuesday night. We should have the usual fine crowd on hand, so I hope many of you will come out tomorrow night.

Bye Bye Pack

2012-01-15T21:53:00.002-05:00

It was nothing short of a beatdown: Giants 37, Packers 20.

As a Minnesota Vikings fan for nearly four decades, it was nice seeing their bitterest rival get knocked out in their first postseason game. It brings to mind a happy comparison of watching the Yankees get bounced out in the ALDS.

Granted I don't dislike the Packers with the ferocity I do the Yankees, but it nice seeing those fans who have given the Vikings faithful so much crap over the years knocked down a peg. That "Lambeau Leap" has become such a cliche anyway.

A few weeks ago, I said that the Packers were making a mistake in not playing Aaron Rodgers in their final regular season game, if only for a quarter or two. He looked rusty, and his receivers looked no better either. The Packers defense was really exposed as well.

We may actually see the Patriots play the Giants in the Super Bowl again.

Wouldn't that be fascinating?

Throw Them Against The Wall, See Who Sticks

2012-01-13T21:34:00.002-05:00

The Red Sox have signed a number of players over the last week with MLB experience. They signed Aaron Cook from Colorado, who pitched against the Red Sox in the 2007 World Series, pitchers Justin Germano and Carlos Silva, and infielder Brad Emaus, who was in camp with the Mets last spring.

They are also bringing in pitchers Jesse Carlson, Brandon Duckworth and Rich Hill, who pitched effectively out of the Red Sox bullpen last season before an injury ended his season. They are also inviting nine other players to camp this spring as well.

It makes sense to bring as many players with previous experience to camp this spring. Most obviously won't go north with the big club, but if any show the club something, they will most likely be on Pawtucket's roster.

And now word comes that Jason Varitek will be invited to Spring Training as a non-roster player. I really think the Sox are doing this out of courtesy and respect to their longtime catcher. I really don't see where Tek could possibly fit in for 2012. I would guess he will be in Ft. Myers for a short time and then officially announce his retirement. It would be a classy way for both sides to see him exit this way.

Tonight the Yankees traded stud catching prospect Jesus Montero to the Mariners for pitcher Michael Pineda, who was an All-Star last season. And they also signed Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal. And of course I'm seeing some panic among some Red Sox fans online, that the Sox must counter this by signing someone like Roy Oswalt.

Take it easy, folks. I'm also seeing some NYY fan friends of mine who are VERY unhappy that New York traded Montero. They upgraded their rotation for sure, but the Sox rotation is still strong. The Red Sox upgraded where they really needed to this winter: their bullpen.

Nobody's won anything yet, folks.

A Passing Fad or The QB of The Future?

2012-01-13T11:08:00.006-05:00

As the year of 2012 dawns, the big sports story right now is one person: Tim Tebow.

Time for my take on Tebowmania.

I think Tebow is a good kid. Respectful to the media and fans, loved by his teammates, doesn't seek out publicity, helps kids, and is a really decent individual. He'll never be on the police blotter. He has caught the football world's attention over the amazing victories he's pulled off for the Denver Broncos in 2011, especially the OT win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday. The Broncos appeared to be playing out the season when Tebow was made the starting QB, and now they are just two wins from the Super Bowl.

But his rise to NFL prominence has caused plenty of controversy. He clearly isn't in the same league as a QB as the NFL's elite, such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. I'm not overly impressed with Tebow as a QB, and he reminds me a lot of the old-time Vikings signal caller Joe Kapp. Kapp, like Tebow, didn't throw a beautiful spiral or put up eye-popping numbers. But he got the Vikings to victory (except in Super Bowl IV), and would take on linebackers and usually win.

And Tebow's star rising has caused a lot of resentment. He was ripped in a vile and disgusting way by Bill Maher, who I have no respect for (and don't get me started on him). Maher made a putrid statement on Twitter about Tebow and Jesus that I wouldn't even link to here. And Charles Barkley recently called Tebow "a nightmare."

Maher and Barkley are nothing but the worst kind of media whores, who'll say anything for attention, no matter how vile or stupid. Maher has a hard-on against anything to do with religion, and is obviously threatened by someone like Tebow who isn't afraid to talk about God or Jesus openly. I'm sure Tebow could care less about Maher or Barkley.

Peter Gammons wrote a pointed and right-on-the-mark statement on Twitter last Sunday after the Broncos OT win:

To cynically mock (Tim) Tebow's deep, sincere beliefs defies conscience, as does Pols who scream freedom, then try to tell us what we can believe.

Tim Tebow has every right to state his beliefs openly, like any celebrity has the right to voice their support for any political candidate openly as well. And openly praising God is nothing new in sports. How many times have we heard a sports figure give "all praise to God" in a post-game interview? And in baseball, I remember some Latin players entering the batter's box and blessing themselves. Today we see players like David Ortiz and Albert Pujols pointing to the sky after they hit home runs. I don't see anyone ripping them for that, do I?

But I also think the media has gone WAY overboard on Tebow. Deadspin just put up a post about a recent edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, and they mentioned Tebow's name a staggering 160 times in a 60-minute show. That's just a typical example of media overkill, and it will breed resentment.

The Broncos are a 13 1/2 point underdog against the Patriots on Saturday, and many people think the Tebow bubble will finally burst. I'm sure if the Pats win easily, Tebow will be ripped unmercifully no matter how he plays. But if they pull the upset...

The NFL has had a lot of bad publicity recently, like the guy in Chicago who got nabbed by the Feds for selling drugs. They really need all the Tim Tebows it can get. Is Tebow just hype? Perhaps. If the Broncos stop winning games with Tebow at the helm, the bubble will have truly burst, and he'll become just a memory. We'll see.

Meet The New Boss

2012-01-12T11:25:00.004-05:00

He sure isn't the same as the old boss.

My friend and WFAN radio host Ed Randall will be hosting his first annual Red Sox Hot Stove Report with new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine at Rippowam Middle School in Stamford, Connecticut, which just happens to be the new manager's stomping grounds.

It will be an "Inside the Actor's Studio" type of event, in front of audience. It will be held on January 29th from 5:30-7:30 PM.

Tickets will be $40, and all money raised will go to fight prostate cancer, a disease that Ed beat and relentlessly helps to fight. If you'd like to get tickets, go to Ed's website: www.fans4the cure.org.

With thanks to my friend Peter Collery at the BLOHARDS, who brought this event to my attention.

I Would Have Voted For "The Friendly Fascist"

2012-01-11T00:42:00.007-05:00

If I had been in New Hampshire on Tuesday, I would have voted for one Vermin Supreme to be our next president. (Funny, I would have thought Bill Maher was "vermin supreme.")

You've got to love a guy who shows up to a political forum wearing a fishing boot on his head, speaks out against the scourge that is gingivitis and advocates giving everyone ponies. This clip, from a lesser known presidential candidates forum last December, is absolutely hilarious:

Don't give up Mr. Supreme. Get 'em in 2016!

Trivia Q&A: January 10

2012-01-11T00:39:00.000-05:00

We had a late-arriving crowd to Professor Thom's on Tuesday night, but 20 teams turned out, with many of the regulars returning as well.

Current Events turned out to be a tough round with mostly low scores, but most teams did very well in the following three rounds heading into IQ Trivia. The team leading the entire night, Got Me Looking So Mommy Right Now, held on and one by just a single point, 43 in total. Second place went to That Shit Cray (What She Order?), who got 4 of the 5 IQ Trivia questions right, wound up with 42 points. Third place went to If God Cheats at Football, Why Can't We Cheat at Trivia? with 37 points.

Best Team Name: Tebows and Tiaras

Current Events
1. A man at a Walmart store in North Carolina was arrested last week when he tried to pay for $476 worth of items with a ball of what denomination, which he insisted to store employees was real?
2. A guitar belonging to what British rock star was discovered in Curacao last week, over 30 after a plane crashed containing the star's equipment there?
3. Name 1 of the 5 nations that became non-permanent members of the UN Security Council this past week.
4. The National Weather Service said last week that which US state had its driest year on record in 2011, as well as its second hottest year ever?
5. US News and World Report selected what diet, for the second straight year, as the Best Diet for 2011?
6. According to the online company CafePress, which current political figure is selling the most of their paraphernalia in terms of t-shirts, bags, etc.?
7. What new release film eclipsed the new Mission Impossible sequel this past weekend and became the number one film in America?

New Hampshire Trivia
1. Who were the Democratic and Republican winners of the New Hampshire primaries of 2008?
2. What is the largest city by population in New Hampshire?
3. What mid-19th century president was the only one born in New Hampshire?
4. Of the six New England states, where does New Hampshire rank in total population, as of the 2010 Census?
5. How many states does New Hampshire border?
6. What is the New Hampshire state motto?
7. The highest peak in the Northeastern US is in New Hampshire. What is that mountain's name?

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. The original owner of the Marlboro tobacco company died of lung cancer.
2. Oak trees don't produce acorns until they reach the age of 50.
3. The flowers known as perennials flower for only one year.
4. Both a pig's squeal and the noise from a jet plane can exceed 100 decibels.
5. Play-Doh was originally sold as wallpaper cleaner.
6. Identical twins also have identical fingerprints.
7. In Mark Twain's novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Huck is 14 years old.
8. Mistletoe berries are poisonous.
9. The Fortress of Solitude was the headquarters for the superhero The Green Lantern.
10. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was written by James Joyce.

General Knowledge
1. "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" is the nickname of what US state? ( 1 pt)
2. What popular annual sporting event has been called "The Most Exciting 2 Minutes In Sports?" ( 1 pt)
3. The CIA once attempted to assassinate what foreign leader with an exploding cigar? ( 1 pt)
4. Pat Garrett, a lawman in the Old West, shot and killed what infamous outlaw in 1881? ( 2 pt)
5. What is the name of the company that gave us the Frisbee, Hula Hoop and SuperBall? ( 2 pt)
6. The island of Formosa in Asia is today known by what name? ( 2 pt)
7. The last Beatles album recorded by the group in the summer of 1969 is called what? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What superstar rock band was banned from the city of Boston in 1975 and never played there again after thousands of fans caused $50,000 worth of damage just before tickets to their show went on sale at Boston Garden? ( 4 points)
2. "Amerika" was the original name of the private 12-car armored train of what 20th century leader? ( 5 points)
3. What TV and movie series featured a super-secret underground government agency known by the acronym IMF? ( 4 points)
4. Who was the first US president with a four-letter last name? ( 3 points)
5. What is the world's best-selling musical instrument? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. $1 million; 2. Peter Frampton; 3. Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan, Togo; 4. Texas; 5. DASH Diet; 6. Ron Paul; 7. "The Devil Inside."

New Hampshire Trivia
1. Hillary Clinton and John McCain; 2. Manchester; 3. Franklin Pierce; 4. fourth; 5. three; 6. Live Free Or Die; 7. Mount Washington.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. true; 3. false; 4. true; 5. true; 6. false; 7. true; 8. true; 9. false, Superman; 10. false, Oscar Wilde.

General Knowledge
1. Minnesota; 2. The Kentucky Derby; 3. Fidel Castro; 4. Billy the Kid; 5. Wham-O; 6. Taiwan; 7. Abbey Road.

IQ Trivia
1. Led Zeppelin; 2. Adolf Hitler; 3. Mission: Impossible; 4. James K. Polk; 5. harmonica.

Back On Tuesday Night, Where We Belong

2012-01-09T11:22:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday night at Professor Thom's, we will have a round of "New Hampshire Trivia," as the Special Category, in honor of that day's Republican primary. We'll have seven questions about the Granite State, and not all of them will be political.

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

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"Pat Garrett, a lawman of the Old West, shot and killed what infamous outlaw in 1881?"

We get going shortly after 9 PM. We're back on Tuesday nights to stay, and I don't anticipate any movements away from Tuesday until at least the beginning of the Red Sox' season in April. I hope to see many of you this Tuesday night.

Happy 77th, King

2012-01-08T11:05:00.001-05:00

In honor of Elvis Presley's birthday today, here is one of my favorite songs of his:

Happy Birthday Tony C

2012-01-07T11:16:00.003-05:00

In memory of the great Tony Conigliaro, who would have been 67 today, here is the hit single he recorded in 1965, when he was the height of popularity. It's a clever little pop ditty called "Playing The Field."

With thanks to my friend Don in Nova Scotia, who made me aware of the clip on YouTube earlier today.

18,262

2012-01-04T02:41:00.002-05:00

OK, time for a Trivia question.

This post is entitled "18,262" for what reason?
a. It is the number of times ABC and ESPN called The Rose Bowl "The Grandaddy of Them All" on Monday;
b. The actual number of people who voted in the Iowa caucus on Tuesday;
c. The highest attendance the Mets will get at any game in 2012;
d. The total number of days I have walked this earth.

Pat yourself on the back if you said "d." (Sorry there's no prize involved.)

18, 262 days adds up to exactly 50 years. Yes, as of 2:41 AM this morning, I have been a member of the human race exactly half a century. That adds up to:

600 months.
2,608 weeks (and 6 days).
438,288 hours.
26,297,280 minutes.
1,577,836,800 seconds.

Boy, that's a long time.

And I'm grateful to each and everyone of you who have been a part of my life.

Good Luck Derek

2012-01-03T11:52:00.005-05:00

My friend and fellow Red Sox blogger Derek Hixon is retiring today. Or should I say he is retiring his excellent Red Sox blog "SawxBlog," today. Derek put up his final post today, and made an analogy to Jason Varitek about stepping away. (Rumors are now going around that Tek may not be leaving after all. I really hope the rumors aren't true, and Tek walks away with dignity. Like Derek is doing today.)

I had the pleasure of meeting Derek at my Trivia Night last summer, as he came down for a Red Sox game at Professor Thom's. He has always done his blog with intelligence and fairness, and I'll miss his take on our beloved team. We are short one less good Red Sox blogger today, and I am sorry to see that happen.

Good luck Derek, in whatever road you choose to go down.

My friend Chris Jaffe over at the Hardball Times has an interesting article on the upcoming Hall of Fame balloting (which will be announced next Monday), and predicts that just one player will be elected.

And the always fascinating Pete Nash at The Hauls of Shame web site has a review of 2011, and includes stories about the FBI's continuing probe of stolen letters from the New York Public Library and the Hall of Fame's continued refusal to pursue letters stolen from them.

Trivia Q&A: January 2

2012-01-03T01:23:00.001-05:00

On Monday's special edition of Trivia, we had to follow the Oregon-Wisconsin Rose Bowl game, and there were many Wisconsin fans in the bar. We got Trivia going shortly afterwards, and we had a smaller but enthusiastic crowd in, 10 teams.

It was close throughout the night, but the team called Dead Black Birds came away with the win, as they led through the entire night. They got 3 of the 5 IQ Trivia questions correct, and wound up winning with 43 points.

Second place went to Happy 30th Birthday, John Quinn! with 37 points and third place went to Chicks With Dicks with 34 points.

And special thanks to Trivia regulars Gillian, Christina and all their friends, who surprised me with a birthday cake just before the final round began. (You might have guessed they were the team that finished in second.) I am so touched that they did that, and I love you all of you for such a sweet gesture. You're all the best!

Thanks to everyone at Trivia Night for the nice birthday wishes. I love you all!

BTW, we return to our usual Tuesday nights next week, January 10th at 9 PM. We should be back on Tuesday to stay until at least April.

Best Team Name: Frodo T. Baggin'

Current Events
1. What film was the number one grossing film for 2011, bringing in over $381 million in the US?
2. What retail giant is planning to close 100-120 stores in 2012 after having a sluggish holiday season?
3. The National 9/11 Memorial and Museum announced that what milestone number had been reached last week in total number of visitors to their site since it opened to the public last September 12th?
4. What '80s rock star announced last week that she was divorcing her current husband, a man she met on the Internet, after only 18 days of marriage?
5. President Obama signed into law last weekend tough new sanctions targeting the central bank and financial sector of what country?
6. What New York City university is offering a class next semester called "Occupy Wall Street", where 30 students will go out into the field at actual protests?
7. Thousands of dead blackbirds rained down in a town in what southern state on New Year's Eve, and officials there suspect it was due to a number of fireworks celebrations?

New Year's Day Trivia
1. What was the homeland of the first immigrant registered at Ellis Island when it opened on New Year's Day in 1892?
2. The Emancipation Proclamation took effect on this day in what year of the Civil War?
3. On this date in 1971, what was officially banned from American TV and still is to this day?
4. In 1959, Fulgencio Batista was overthrown as dictator of what Caribbean nation?
5. In 1984 on this day, Brunei gained its independence from what nation?
6. On this day in 1902, the first college bowl game was played, between Michigan and Stanford. What was that bowl game's name?
7. In 1994, actor Cesar Romero died on this date. What recurring character did he play on the 1960s Batman TV series?

Over/Under/Exactly 50 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Tom Cruise
2. Michael J. Fox
3. Michelle Pfeiffer
4. Jon Stewart
5. Christie Brinkley
6. George Michael
7. Alec Baldwin
8. Marisa Tomei
9. Charlie Sheen
10. Barack Obama

General Knowledge
1. What is the technical name for one's voice box? ( 1 pt)
2. In 2003, who became the first African-American woman to appear on Forbes' list of the wealthiest Americans? ( 1 pt)
3. English and Maori are the official languages of what country? ) 1 pt)
4. Stella Kowalski is a character in what Tennessee Williams play? ( 2 pt)
5. The atomic bombs dropped on two Japanese cities in 1945 were how many days apart? ( 2 pt)
6. In George Orwell's "Animal Farm," Old Major, Napoleon and Snowball are what type of animals? ( 2 pt)
7. Who was the leader of the first group to reach the Geographic South Pole in 1911? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What is the only planet in our solar system that rotates clockwise? ( 4 points)
2. What Spanish explorer is credited with discovering the Mississippi River in 1541? ( 3 points)
3. Alektorophobia is the fear of what animal? ( 5 points)
4. What Italian city was made the first capital of Italy in 1861, and is currently the capital of the Piedmont region? ( 4 points)
5. Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point of what country? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. "Harry Potter and The Deathly Gallows Part 2;" 2. Sears/KMart; 3. One million; 4. Sinead O'Connor; 5. Iran; 6. Columbia; 7. Arkansas.

New Year's Day Trivia
1. Ireland (Annie Moore); 2. 1863; 3. cigarette ads; 4. Cuba; 5. United Kingdom; 6. Rose Bowl; 7. The Joker.

Over/Under/Exactly 50 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Under (49); 2. Exactly (50); 3. Over (53); 4. Under (49); 5. Over (57); 6. Under (48); 7. Over (53); 8. Under (47); 9. Under (46); 10. Exactly (50).

General Knowledge
1. larnyx; 2. Oprah Winfrey; 3. New Zealand; 4. "A Streetcar Named Desire;" 5. three; 6. pigs; 7. Roald Amundsen.

IQ Trivia
1. Venus; 2. Hernando DeSoto; 3. chickens; 4. Turin; 5. South Africa.

That Wraps Up Another Football Season. Thankfully.

2012-01-02T11:23:00.003-05:00

2011 was as bad as 1984 for the Vikings, which was the worst year in team history. They end the year at 3-13.

Yesterday's 17-13 loss to the Bears at the Metrodome means they end this awful campaign with a 1-7 record at home. They beat Arizona back in October for their only home win.

They were also swept in their division, at 0-6, for the first time in club history.

Only bright spot of the finale was Jared Allen, the Vikings' Pro Bowl representative, got 3 sacks to lead the league, and missed Michael Strahan's record of 22 1/2 by just a half, as Allen finished with 22.

The Vikings will get the number three pick in the NFL draft in April, after Indianapolis and St. Louis. And now the real fun begins as to whether the Vikings get a new stadium in Minnesota, or will be calling another locale home next fall. They can legally leave Minnesota as of February 1st.

Let's hope the deal for a new home gets done.

Now bring on the baseball season.

Let's Butcher The Beatles Night

2012-01-01T20:24:00.004-05:00

I was channel-surfing last night on New Year's Eve and had the great misfortune to come across two sights that made my skin crawl.

Justin Bieber attempting to sing "Let It Be", and some other singer named Cee Lo trying to do the same with "Imagine" at Times Square as 2011 was drawing to close.

Watching both these "singers" put a gas can to two of the greatest songs ever done in rock history was truly a pathetic sight, and I'm glad I was only exposed to them for just a few seconds.

Popular music has rarely been so incredibly awful than it is now. Makes me VERY glad the iPod was invented.

They both receive no forgiveness for me for these capital crimes. And just who's wonderful idea was it to let this happen?

Our 7th Year of Trivia Begins Monday Night

2012-01-01T12:06:00.005-05:00

Our first Trivia Night of 2012 will be a special Monday edition, due to the plethora of Michigan fans who will be in Professor Thom's for their bowl game on Tuesday. So, we will have "Over/Under/Exactly 50 Trivia" as the Q Train lightning round. I will give you the names of ten current celebrities and you have to tell me if they are over, under or exactly the age of 50. (Wow, what a coincidence, since your Trivia Maven turns 50 years of age on Wednesday. Yes, just a coincidence!)

The Special Category will be "New Year's Day Trivia." Yes we are a day late, but technically January 2nd is the holiday, so we will have seven questions about New Year's Day in history.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
English and Maori are the official languages of what country?

We will get started at 9 PM on Monday night. We will return to our usual Tuesday nights on January 10th. I hope to see many of you on Monday as we kick off our 7th year of Trivia at Professor Thom's!

A New Record To End 2011

2012-01-01T11:42:00.004-05:00

We ended 2011 on a really high note as far as this blog is concerned, as we had the most hits ever in one day at The Mighty Quinn Media Machine: 706. (The old record of 583, set in November 2008, was left in the dust.)

It was a combination of factors. We always get a ton of people coming on here to read my Top 20 Twilight Zone Episodes, as the marathon is currently going on at the SyFy Channel. (It's also the most popular post I have ever put up in the history of this blog.) I always post my favorite Honeymooners clip, the "Hello Ball" one when Ed Norton teaches Ralph how to play golf, and many folks look for that. ("The Honeymooners" marathon is also running all day today on WPIX in NYC.)

And I also posted a picture that said "Goodbye 2011" last week for the Trivia Sneak Peek last Monday, and that brought a whole lot of folks here. (A slew of people were googling it, and they ended up here.)

We had an amazing 63 hits to begin the day, in the midnight hour. It was the most in any hour all day. We had over 200 after the first four hours. I can't explain that, to be honest! The overnight hours are when the numbers are generally lowest.

Anyway, I hope all of you enjoyed coming here on New Year's Eve, and hope you return again many times in 2012. Thanks for making it a record-setting day.

Bidding 2011 Adieu

2011-12-31T11:10:00.003-05:00

This is the 566th and final post of The Mighty Quinn Media Machine for 2011. It's been another successful year for this blog, but I did notice a trend here recently: I've been writing less as the years go on.

I wrote a high of 713 posts in 2008, but they have been declining every year since. Last year I did 635, but this year it's down by 69. My guess is the more time I've been spending on Facebook has taken away some of my writing here at the blog. And I also think that the Red Sox bomb-out last September probably entered into the decline as well.

Hopefully I'll beat 566 posts for 2012. We shall see.

(And today, we will most likely break the all-time record for the most number of hits on this blog in one single day. I write this at shortly after 11 AM, and we've had a staggering 435 hits here already, and the record is 583 for one day. We usually get about 100-120 per day. I'll have an update on that tomorrow.)

I want to thank each and every one of you who stop here and check on my ramblings from time to time, and especially to those of you who come here a little more often. You make it all worthwhile, and I wish you all the best for 2012.

New Year's Eve is generally a quiet time for me. I usually spend it at home with family and friends and watch the ball drop on TV. I have been to Times Square on New Year's Eve just once: in the movies. (I have been told that you can see me as a reveler in the new Garry Marshall film "New Year's Eve" that came out earlier this month. I haven't seen it yet, but I worked on it for six days as an extra this past March, April and September. And I pop up early in the film.) I have always said there are three types of people who go to Times Square on New Year's Eve: tourists, cops and pickpockets.

I will be watching the Twilight Zone and Honeymooners marathons today and tomorrow. My DVR will be getting the workout of its life over the next 48 hours! The Twilight Zone has already begun on SyFy and will run until the early morning hours of Monday. The Honeymooners will start at 11 PM tonight and run until 6 PM on Sunday on WPIX here in New York. It wouldn't be New Year's without them both. But one thing I can now live without is "New Year's Rockin' Eve" on ABC. I was always a fan of Dick Clark, but since he suffered his stroke and insists on appearing on it, I can't watch him try to speak. It's more sad than anything else. And don't get me started on the musical "talent" they usually parade in. Totally unwatchable.

So in honor of New Year's, here's my favorite Honeymooners clip, from "The Golfer," as Ed Norton tries to teach Ralph Kramden how to play golf. It's known as the "Hello Ball!" clip. (The episode will air at exactly midnight tonight.) Enjoy:

A Happy and Blessed New Year to all of you for 2012.

Turnovers Doom The Irish

2011-12-30T11:33:00.003-05:00

Notre Dame's season ended last night with a thud as Florida State came back from a 14-point deficit in the second half and won, 18-14, in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

The game looked promising for the Irish from the start, as Tommy Rees led a drive that unfortunately ended with a tipped pass in the end zone that was intercepted. But Florida State fumbled on their first play from scrimmage and Zeke Motta returned it 29 yards for a TD. It remained 7-0 until early in the third quarter.

Rees hit Michael Floyd, playing in his last game for the Irish, with a 5-yard TD pass to cap off a 62-yard drive to open the third quarter. It was a tough game for Rees overall, as he and Andrew Hendrix were shuffled in and out throughout the game.

Florida State scored twice in the third, on a 42-yard field goal and a 18-yard pass play. They tried a two-point conversion to cut the score to 3, but failed. Early in the fourth, Hendrix was intercepted, and on the next play, Florida State took the lead for good with a TD pass to make it 18-14. Notre Dame had a shot near the end, but Rees was picked off in the end zone with just under three minutes to play, and FSU ran out the clock. (ND got it back with 24 seconds left, but they were too far from the end zone to be a serious scoring threat.)

Notre Dame finishes 2011 with a 9-4 record, and will begin the 2012 season on September 1st in Dublin, Ireland against Navy.

And after the Notre Dame game, was the Washington-Baylor matchup in the Alamo Bowl. One of the most incredible football games I've ever seen. Baylor won 67-56, and the teams had no interest in playing defense: they set a bowl record for TDs (17), total yards gained (1,397) and missed the all-time record for points in a bowl game by just 2. It sure wasn't dull.

Red Sox Acquire Bailey

2011-12-28T16:58:00.007-05:00

The Red Sox appear to have landed a new closer in Andrew Bailey, as according to Buster Olney, the Sox will send Josh Reddick to Oakland as part of a deal to get the Athletics' closer.

Bailey is 27, and has been the Oakland closer the last three years. He has had some elbow problems in the past, but I'm guessing that's not worrying the Red Sox brass.

The Red Sox will also acquire outfielder Ryan Sweeney, and they will send two single A players, first baseman Miles Head and pitcher Raul Alcantara, according to Extra Bases.

And also, old friend Hideki Okajima reached a minor league deal with the Yankees, and will be invited to spring training to try and make the club. The Yankees were about five years too late on Oki, as his pal Hideki Matsui recommended that they sign him before the 2007 season, but they passed on him. The Red Sox grabbed him, and he was a vital part of the 2007 championship team.

Trivia Q&A: December 27

2011-12-28T02:02:00.002-05:00

When I got to Professor Thom's early Tuesday night, I discovered that the Celtics were playing the Heat on TNT at 8 PM, and I knew that could be the cause of potential trouble on a Trivia Night.

Fortunately, the rain and the fact the game was broadcast locally on cable kept the Celtics fans to a lower number, and we were able to get Trivia Night going, at halftime around 9:30 PM. We had a good crowd of Trivia folks, as 18 teams took part.

The scores for the first three rounds were rather low, and I feared I might have made this week's Trivia a bit too hard. But the scores rebounded nicely in the General Knowledge round.

The team of Old Lang Sign! did well all night, and had the highest score in the IQ Trivia round, and wound up winning with 41 points and by seven points. Another nice job by my favorite group of teachers!

Second place went to Sandusky: Great Babysitter or Greatest Babysitter? who had 34 points (and also won Best Team Name), and third place was a tie between Chocolate Breast Milk and Adrian Peterson Didn't Tear His ACL, It Just Went Ghost Protocol, both with 33 points.

An important message about next week: Because of Michigan's bowl game next Tuesday night, tons of Wolverine fans will be in Thom's, so we have to move Trivia Night next week to Monday, January 2nd, at 9 PM. We will return to Tuesdays on January 10th at 9 PM.

Current Events
1. Travel and Leisure magazine named what New York place "the best new landmark in America" for 2011?
2. The Associated Press selected what NFL player as their "Male Athlete of the Year" for 2011?
3. What rock band announced last week they will have a tour and new album in 2012 with their original lead singer, who left the group over a quarter-century ago?
4. The Green Bay Packers were recently picked in a recent poll by Public Policy Polling as "America's Favorite NFL Team." What NFL team was selected as the least favorite team?
5. Former President George H.W. Bush unofficially endorsed which of the Republican presidential candidates last week?
6. Jordan Romero, 15, last weekend became the youngest person to climb the highest mountains on all 7 continents when he climbed Mount Vinson on what continent?
7. What new movie release topped the Christmas weekend box office with over $26 million to become the number one film in America?

2011 Trivia
1. What deceased rock legend, a three-time Grammy winner, received a Grammy nomination for a box set released in 2011?
2. What European country banned the words "Facebook" and "Twitter" from being spoken on TV and radio unless they are part of a news story?
3. The world's largest bridge over water, nearly 26 miles long, opened last June in what Asian country?
4. Apple opened their largest store last month at what famous New York City location?
5. What rock band concluded their latest world tour in Canada last July, grossing over $736 million, the highest grossing tour of all-time?
6. According to Forbes magazine, there are now 3 countries in the world that have more than 100 billionaires. The US and China are two. Which one is the third?
7. According to the Wall Street Journal, which company passed McDonald's in 2011 as the world's largest restaurant chain?

Name The Month Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Seal Team Six kills Bin Laden in Pakistan.
2. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigns.
3. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dies.
4. The Occupy Wall Street movement begins in Lower Manhattan.
5. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is shot and seriously wounded in an assassination attempt in Arizona.
6. Christian Lopez returns Derek Jeter's 3000th hit ball, a home run, to him.
7. Japan is struck by a powerful earthquake and tsunami off the Tohoku coast, killing nearly 20,000.
8. Bruce Springsteen's sax player, Clarence Clemons, dies after suffering a stroke, at the age of 69.
9. American Airlines files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
10. The sexual assault case against former IMF head Dominique Strauss Kahn is officially dismissed.

General Knowledge
1. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" comes from what 1979 film? ( 1 pt)
2. Who was the first US president born in the 20th century? ( 1 pt)
3. As of 2011, what is the world's largest online marketplace? ( 1 pt)
4. What country does the legend of William Tell come from? ( 2 pt)
5. Stars die when they run out of what element? ( 2 pt)
6. What future US president watched Abraham Lincoln's funeral procession in 1865 from the second-floor window of his home in Manhattan? ( 2 pt)
7. Currently what is the color of British passports? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What 19th century novel was the first American novel to sell one million copies? ( 4 points)
2. Clinophobia is the fear of doing what, something a person normally does every day? ( 5 points)
3. What Oscar-winning director is the godfather of actress Drew Barrymore? ( 4 points)
4. The Transamerica Pyramid is located in what city? ( 3 points)
5. Mount Godwin-Austen or "K2" as it sometimes called, is the world's second-largest mountain and located principally in what Asian nation? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. 9/11 Memorial; 2. Aaron Rodgers; 3. Van Halen; 4. Dallas Cowboys; 5. Mitt Romney; 6. Antarctica; 7. Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol.

2011 Trivia
1. Elvis Presley; 2. France; 3. China; 4. Grand Central Station; 5. U2; 6. Russia; 7. Subway.

Name The Month Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. May; 2. February; 3. October; 4. September; 5. January; 6. July; 7. March; 8. June; 9. November; 10. August.

General Knowledge
1. "Apocalypse Now;" 2. John F. Kennedy; 3. eBay; 4. Switzerland; 5. hydrogen; 6. Theodore Roosevelt; 7. red (burgundy).

IQ Trivia
1. "Uncle Tom's Cabin;" 2. Going to bed; 3. Steven Spielberg; 4. San Francisco; 5. Pakistan.

Wrapping Up 2011 On Tuesday Night

2011-12-26T12:12:00.003-05:00

We will have our final night of Trivia for 2011 this Tuesday night at Professor Thom's at 9 PM with the Special Category of "2011 Trivia," seven questions about the year just coming to a close. The Q Train lightning round will be "Name The Month Trivia." I will give you ten events that occurred in 2011, and you have to tell me the month of the year it occurred in. Every event will be a different month of the year.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"Stars die when they run out of what element?"

We will get going shortly after 9 PM tomorrow. I hope to see many of you then, but if I don't, I want to wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you for more great Trivia in 2012!

It Couldn't Get Any Worse. But It Did. Much Worse.

2011-12-26T11:25:00.006-05:00

The first two plays of the second half of last Saturday's Vikings road finale in Washington brought a monumental disaster to the team in this train wreck of a season.

Adrian Peterson took a shot to the knee after a three-yard gain, and left the game with what he later said at the time was a serious injury. An MRI later revealed that AP suffered a torn ACL and MCL, and may very well miss the start of the 2012 season.

The Vikings will talk more about Peterson's injury in a press conference later today. Injuries of this nature normally take up to nine months to recover.

And on the very next play, Christian Ponder was knocked out of the game with a concussion after he was sacked. He did not return, and his status for the finale next Sunday against Chicago remains uncertain.

With these two disasters happening around them, the Vikings showed lots of character, as they went out there and beat Washington, 33-26. The two injured players' replacements, Joe Webb and Toby Gerhart, provided a needed spark. Webb ran for one TD and threw for two more, and Gerhart ran for 107 yards, including one 67-yard run that set up Webb's rushing score.

The Vikings win now means they will not be getting the number one pick. That honestly doesn't matter to me, as they will be getting a top three one for sure. They can now do no worse than 1984, when they went 3-13. They are now 3-12, and face the Bears at the Metrodome to conclude this awful campaign.

And it looks like it would be the last game played in Minnesota, as the Vikings appear to be close to getting a new stadium deal done. It looks like a move to Los Angeles won't be happening. I'm so glad to get this bit of good news, as over the last few months it gave me some idea what it was like for my dad back in 1957 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Linus Knows The Score

2011-12-24T11:35:00.004-05:00

Here is Linus, telling us all the true meaning of Christmas. It's the best part of my favorite Christmas special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas". And I'm glad Charles Schulz fought hard to get it in:

Not to put a damper on the Christmas spirit, but last night I watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" that I DVR'd from early in December, and I simply appalled by the chopped up version ABC presented. In recent years they've showed a 35-minute version to accommodate all those commercials they have to show, but this year they went back to the 30-minute version. They cut Linus hitting the can with a snowball, Charlie Brown looking for Christmas cards in his mailbox, Schroeder playing "Jingle Bells" and Shermie's immortal line: "Every year it's the same. I always end up playing a shepherd." I was simply appalled by this butchered version, and ABC should be ashamed for what they did to my favorite holiday classic.

OK, enough of the ranting. It's Christmas.

Enjoy the holiday everyone!

The Beatles Wish You a Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T11:16:00.002-05:00

Here's a very cool "mashup" video of the Beatles Christmas messages they sent exclusively to their fan club members, combined with a few bits from their songs.

Every year from 1963 until 1969, the Beatles recorded a message combined with music for the fan club, and I remember WNEW-FM here in New York would broadcast the messages during the holidays. I haven't heard them in ages, but this is really cool. Enjoy:

Just Wish I Had Some Music To Go With It

2011-12-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

Traditions are a way of life here at The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, and here's one of my favorites, which I post here every December 24th.

Here is The Yule Log, which is a tradition on New York television, too. The burning log airs with Christmas music on WPIX Channel 11 every Christmas morning, from 9AM-1PM. (And followed of course by "March of the Wooden Soldiers.") And this year, Antenna TV (a new cable channel owned by WPIX), will be airing in the middle of the night this year also, from 3AM-7AM. I will be fast asleep dreaming of Santa Claus' arrival, but I'll watch the Channel 11 edition as I open my gifts.

I wish all of you readers of this blog a very Merry Christmas!

Festivus: A Time For Miracles!

2011-12-23T00:01:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's that day again. When we get the pole out, perform feats of strength and air our grievances.

It's Festivus!

I hope you all enjoy the day, whether it's showing just how strong you are or yelling at your relatives.

For the uninitiated, here's all you need to know about Festivus.

And it wouldn't be Festivus without a clip from the godfather of the holiday, Frank Costanza:

And it's also the great Jerry Koosman's birthday today, too...

Red Sox Add New Coaches For 2012

2011-12-22T10:09:00.004-05:00

Red Sox fans won't have to worry about Tim Bogar screwing up sending base runners to the plate anymore, as he will become Bobby Valentine's bench coach in 2012. DeMarlo Hale, the former bench coach, will be the Orioles third base coach next season.

Other coaches joining his staff will be Bob McClure, the long time reliever who was the pitching coach in Kansas City last season, and Jerry Royster, a 16-year veteran utility man, who will become the third base coach.

As a member of the Braves back in the early 1980s, Royster made one of the greatest catches I've ever seen, reaching high over the wall at Fulton-County Stadium to steal a home run. "This Week In Baseball" used to show it on their opening montage every week. (And that was a huge wall they had in that park.) Unfortunately, I couldn't find a YouTube clip or a still shot of it, so his baseball card here will have to do.

Unfortunately, Bill Buckner will NOT be on Bobby Valentine's staff, as he accepted a position as a coach with the Cubs Single A affiliate in Boise, Idaho, where he currently makes his off-season home.

Still no word on who will become the Red Sox' closer next season, with Daniel Bard moving to the rotation. They are still talking with free agents Ryan Madson and now Francisco Cordero, but nothing seems imminent with Christmas fast approaching.

Trivia Q&A: December 20

2011-12-21T00:51:00.000-05:00

We had a festive crowd in for the Christmas edition of Trivia on Tuesday night, and 20 teams took part. The popular name for team names were for the late, and not-missed-at-all Kim Jong Il. So for Best Team Name we picked "Live Free Or Dietician." ("You 'Kim' folks all canceled each other out," I explained.)

Current Events was a tough round, as the high score was just five of seven. But we had some strong scores in two Christmas Trivia categories. It was two-team race heading into IQ Trivia, but the team of One Less Bad Driver: RIP Kim took the crown, garnering 53 points and winning but just two points. The team that was running with them, I'm So Ronrey (another Kim Jong Il reference, I think) took second with 51 points.

Third place went to The F-Dash Dash Dash Word with 49 points.

Our final edition of Tuesday Night Trivia for 2011 will take place next Tuesday, on December 27th at 9 PM.

Current Events
1. Former French president Jacques Chirac received a two-year suspended jail sentence after he was found guilty of what crime?
2. Moncef Marzouki was elected president of what North African country last week?
3. More than 400 people were killed last Saturday when a tropical storm struck what Asian country?
4. Joe Simon, a comic book writer and artist, died last week at the age of 98. In 1941, he co-created what comic book superhero, his most famous creation?
5. Vaclav Havel, the dissident playwright who helped bring down communism in Eastern Europe, died last weekend at the age of 75. What country did he become the first democratically elected president of?
6. New York City will top the 50 million mark in 2011 in the numbers of tourists coming here. From which foreign country do over 1.1 million of them come from, the most?
7. What Oscar-winning actor was punched by security in China when he attempted to visit a blind activist lawyer in that country last week?

Christmas Trivia
1. On the sixth day of Christmas, what does my true love give me, according to the song, "The 12 Days of Christmas?"
2. On December 25, 1776, George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River to attack Hessian mercenaries in what New Jersey town?
3. In "A Charlie Brown Christmas," what Christmas song does Lucy ask Schroeder to play for her on his piano?
4. What type of pipe does Frosty the Snowman have?
5. The carol that begins with the line "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" is called what?
6. What Tchaikovsky ballet is a favorite during the Christmas season?
7. "The Night Before Christmas" was written anonymously in 1823 but it attributed to whom?

Christmas Films Trivia By Decade ("The Q Train")
1. The Santa Clause
2. White Christmas
3. Home Alone
4. Love Actually
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
6. It's a Wonderful Life
7. A Christmas Story
8. Miracle On 34th Street (original)
9. Scrooged
10. How The Grinch Stole Christmas

General Knowledge
1. Dave Thomas founded what fast-food restaurant chain? ( 1 pt)
2. "Get Down Tonight" was a hit song from what 1970s disco group? ( 1 pt)
3. What US president is on the far right of Mount Rushmore? ( 1 pt)
4. Hispaniola is the name of the island shared by Haiti and what other country? (2 pt)
5. What is the second book of the Old Testament, after Genesis? ( 2 pt)
6. What European country was the first to adopt the metric system? ( 2 pt)
7. What was the first color film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What country singer, who had his first hit in 1981, holds the record of 58 Billboard number one country singles? ( 5 points)
2. In 1930, what Minnesota-born novelist was the first American to win the Nobel Prize for literature? ( 4 points)
3. Which King of France was executed during the French Revolution? ( 3 points)
4. What NFL team plays their home games in Raymond James Stadium? ( 4 points)
5. "The Fatherland Liberation War" was another name for what 20th century conflict? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. embezzlement; 2. Tunisia; 3. The Philippines; 4. Captain America; 5. Czechoslovakia; 6. United Kingdom; 7. Christian Bale.

Christmas Trivia
1. Six geese-a-layin'; 2. Trenton; 3. "Jingle Bells;" 4. corncob; 5. "The Christmas Song;" 6. "The Nutcracker;" 7. Clement Moore.

Christmas Film Trivia By Decade ("The Q Train")
1. 1990s (1994); 2. 1950s (1954); 3. 1990s (1990); 4. 2000s (2003); 5. 1990s (1993); 6. 1940s (1946); 7. 1980s (1983); 8. 1940s (1947); 9. 1980s (1988); 10. 2000s (2000).

General Knowledge
1. Wendy's; 2. KC and the Sunshine Band; 3. Abraham Lincoln; 4. Dominican Republic; 5. Exodus; 6. France; 7. "Gone With the Wind."

IQ Trivia
1. George Strait; 2. Sinclair Lewis; 3. Louis XVI; 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 5. Korean War.

Two Categories of Yuletide Trivia This Tuesday

2011-12-19T11:16:00.004-05:00

This week Tuesday Night Trivia will have its annual round of Christmas Trivia, with the Special Category being "Christmas Trivia," seven questions concerning the great holiday that is fast approaching. The Q Train lightning round will be "Christmas Film Trivia By Decade." I will give you the names of ten famous Christmas movies, and you have to tell me in which decade they were first released. And it will be a double-points category, because if you know the exact year, you will get a bonus point.

BTW, our other three categories will NOT include any Christmas Trivia, just the two revolving categories.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"What European country was the first to adopt the metric system?"

We get going shortly after 9 PM on Tuesday night. Sorry for you Frank Costanza fans, but there will be no Festivus Trivia. Maybe next year!

The Race For The Number One Draft Pick Is On

2011-12-18T20:14:00.005-05:00

The Vikings and their defense were taken out to the woodshed today by the playoff-bound New Orleans Saints, 42-20 at the Metrodome.

Drew Brees threw for 412 yards and five touchdowns, while Christian Ponder had a tough day against the Saints. He still shows a lot of promise, but he missed a lot of open receivers and threw another interception. The Vikings defense was simply a horror show, allowing 570 yards to the Saints.

Ponder threw two TDs to Toby Gerhart, and that's about the only good news I can say about the Vikes today. Adrian Peterson rushed for 60 yards in 10 carries on his return from injury.

Indianapolis got their first win of 2011, and St. Louis lost to Cincinnati, so the Colts are now 1-13, and the Vikes and Rams are both 2-12. All that remains for the Vikings this season is where they will draft in April: first, second or third. (I will NEVER root against the Vikings when it comes to getting a higher draft pick. They are my team, and always have my support.)

A loss next week to Washington and the Vikings will tie the 1984 team with their 13th loss of 2011.

It can't end quick enough.

25 Favorite Odd Couple Episodes

2011-12-17T12:35:00.001-05:00

A few years ago, I put up a post on my blog about my favorite Twilight Zone episodes, and it seems like just about every day I get someone googling about the classic show and winding up on my blog. Another one of my all-time favorite TV shows is "The Odd Couple." It is one of those shows I never get tired of watching, even if I have seen just about every episode 100 times. The quality of the show has stood the test of time.

I even had the pleasure of speaking to Ron Friedman, the esteemed TV writer who wrote a number of Odd Couple episodes. (His most famous is the Christmas episode from the first season.) His son-in-law is one of the BLOHARDS, and we were together at my friend Joe's house last Thanksgiving, and he called him and we chatted for a few minutes. A very nice man.

Anyway, here is my list of my favorites from the catalog of 114 shows, that ran on ABC from 1970-1975. Like I did with The Twilight Zone, they will be in order that they were first broadcast. (And I had a tough time narrowing down my favorites, so extended this list to 25.)

#6 "Oscar's Ulcer": Oscar has an ulcer, and Felix prohibits him from chasing women and playing poker. (Any show involving Oscar's ulcer was hysterical, in my opinion.)

#11 "Felix Is Missing": Felix gets a rush call for a job in Canada, and Oscar doesn't realize it and thinks Felix is missing. The great Albert Brooks makes one of his early appearances as Rudy Mandel, one of Felix' clients.

#12 "Scrooge Gets An Oscar": The only Odd Couple Christmas show, as Oscar refuses to act in a Christmas play, and has a terrible nightmare he's Scrooge.

#13 "The Blackout": $50 goes missing when the boys are playing poker, and Felix is certain Oscar stole the money.

#23 "What Does a Naked Lady Say To You?": Felix is dating a librarian, but Murray discovers she's really an actress in an all-nude play.

#27 "Hospital Mates": Felix and Oscar end up in a hospital together, Felix with an operation on his nose and Oscar with an injured foot.

#32 "The Fat Farm": Felix and Oscar check into a health spa together, where Oscar cracks.

#33 "The Odd Couple Meet Their Host": Oscar goes on a talk show with David Steinberg and ridicules Felix, and he demands equal time.

#37 "Felix The Calypso Singer": Felix and Oscar go down to a Caribbean island, and when Oscar's girlfriend Nancy announces she can go while they're down there, Felix has to leave.

#41 "You Saved My Life": Oscar saves Felix's life, and Felix won't stop thanking him for it.

#58 "Password": Felix and Oscar go on the TV quiz show "Password" together. One of the all-time best.

#63 "The Ides of April": Felix gets called into the IRS office and is convinced he's on his way to jail.

#64 "Myrna's Debut": Myrna is convinced she can become a tap dancing star and enlists Felix's help in making her dream come true.

#66 "My Strife In Court": Felix and Oscar get nailed for ticket scalping and wind up in court, which features the infamous "assume" moment.

#67 "Let's Make a Deal": Felix and Oscar go on "Let's Make a Deal" to try and win Felix a new bed.

#69 "Take My Furniture Please": Felix gets the great idea to bring in all-new furniture to the apartment, but Oscar hates it and brings in his idea of "new furniture."

#70 "The Murray Who Came To Dinner": Murray walks out on his wife, and moves in with Felix and Oscar.

#75 "The Odd Holiday": Another flashback episode, when Oscar, Felix and their wives take a vacation to the Caribbean island of Hockaloma, and it costs Felix his marriage.

#78 "The Songwriter": Felix writes a song, "Happy and Peppy and Bursting With Love" for actress/singer Jaye P. Morgan.

#79 "Felix Directs": Felix makes a documentary "Mondo Filth", about Oscar, and a friend of Oscar's suggests he direct his movie.

#83 "A Barnacle Adventure": Oscar's inventing dentist gets the boys to invest in his barnacle glue invention.

#86 "The Flying Felix": Felix is suddenly afraid to fly, and Oscar does all he can to get him back on an airplane.

#93 "The Rain In Spain": Felix tries to change Myrna to get her back with her old boyfriend Sheldn (yes, with no "O", as it was left off his birth certificate). Features one of the show's funniest moments at the end, when the boys meet Myrna's brother and sister.

#108 "Felix The Horse Player": Oscar finds a sure way of winning at the horses, and brings in Felix as his partner.

#114 "Felix Remarries": In the show's final episode, Felix and Gloria get back together and get married again.

With thanks to both Jack Klugman and the late Tony Randall. They made magic for five years together.

Lowrie & Weiland Sent To Houston

2011-12-14T12:06:00.004-05:00

The Red Sox traded Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland to the Houston Astros for one-time Yankee prospect Mark Melancon.

Houston used Melancon as a closer for most of 2011, and he had 20 saves, and 2.78 ERA in 74 1/3 innings.

I would guess the Red Sox will use him as either the 8th inning or closer next season.

After last season's debacle in September, I figured Weiland had no future in Boston. And Lowrie not gets a chance to play every day in Houston, if he can ever stay healthy.

And to take Lowrie's place, the Sox signed utility infielder Nick Punto to a two-year deal, at a total of $3 million.

I Guess The Mets Aren't Very Good At Arithmetic

2011-12-14T11:42:00.008-05:00

The Mets are having their 50th anniversary season in 2012, and will be wearing the patch on the bottom left. That's all well and fine, as teams should honor their major anniversaries. (Don't know if the Red Sox will wear a patch for their 100th anniversary of Fenway Park, but I bet they will.)

This got me to thinking that the Mets wore a 25th anniversary patch for the 1986 season, but wasn't something wrong with that? If 2012 is the 50th anniversary season for the Mets, shouldn't 1987 have been their 25th anniversary year? When I went to school, 1962 + 25 = 1987. 1986 was the Mets 25th season, and their 24th anniversary year, just as 2012 is the Mets 51st season, and their 50th anniversary year.

Using the logic they did back in '86, 2012 should be the Mets 51st anniversary.

As any Mets fan can tell you, Mets management just doesn't seem to be very good at math these days.

Tek: Please Retire

2011-12-13T16:54:00.004-05:00

The Red Sox announced they have come to terms with former Rays,Indians and Red Sox catcher Kelly Shoppach on a one-year deal. He will most likely backup Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and his presence means one thing: Jason Varitek's time in Boston is most likely over.

Shoppach didn't hit much for the Rays last season, but he did throw out 41% of all the base runners attempting to steal in 2011. (Wouldn't be nice to actually see some opposition guys thrown out at second next season?)

This surely means the road has ended for Tek. And I really hope he doesn't do what many past-their-prime athletes have done: hang on for one more year with another team after spending a successful career with just one. Think of when Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas and Dwight Evans limping to end of the line with another club instead of the one they should be remembered for.

I really hope Tek calls it a career, and begins his next one as a coach or manager. I remember Peter Gammons once saying he would definitely be managing an MLB team one day, and I tend to agree with him. Tek will be 40 in April, and it's really time he step away.

I can only thank him for being One of the 25, and his contributions to the Red Sox will live forever. I hope the Captain uses some sense and walks away with his dignity in tact, and doesn't go somewhere else just to hang on and get a paycheck. He's better than that.

And Captain, thanks always for this lasting image:
It's the way I'll always remember you.

They Need To Be Saved From The Savior

2011-12-13T10:49:00.003-05:00

It's really tough sledding being a Mets fan these days.

As a matter of full disclosure, I come from a family of devoted Mets fans, and my earliest years were filled of memories seeing the Mets at Shea Stadium. I was a huge Mets fan, but an act of heresy committed on June 15, 1977 pushed me away as a fan. You remember that: when the Franchise, Tom Seaver, was run out of town by the infamous M. Donald Grant and his minions in the press.

The Red Sox came into my life, but that's story for another time.

In the late 1970s I said I would take the Mets back when the team was sold to someone who had the first clue as to how to run an MLB franchise. And the Mets saviors appeared in the form of Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon. It seemed like a new day had dawned for the Mets, as they brought in Frank Cashen as GM, who had been the brains behind those championship teams in Baltimore in the 1970s.

The Mets won a championship in 1986, and were the toasts of New York in the mid-to-late 1980s. It was great to see the Mets on top of the city again, and the Yankees be little more than an afterthought. But it didn't last, as Doubleday was bought out by Wilpon, and the Mets went horribly off the rails in the early 1990s, and they really haven't regained any of the magic that made them special a quarter-century ago.

Today the Mets have become just a bad joke. And they remind me so much of the darkest days of the franchise of the late 1970s. Remember when the daughters of the late Joan Payson, a very good baseball person, tried to run this team after Grant? I've done my best to forget them also.

The Mets need to be saved from the savior. And right now.

A dark cloud has descended on the once-proud franchise. It will not be lifted until the Wilpons have been run out of town. I won't go into all their misdeeds, as the Ponzi scheme they were involved in is well-known. But it was revealed yesterday that the Mets were granted another loan, and for $40 million. This after they couldn't pay back a $25 million loan from MLB earlier this year. They made no attempt whatsoever to sign Jose Reyes, and let him sign with the Miami Marlins. Sandy Alderson also revealed that the Mets lost a staggering $70 million last season.

It's 1979 all over again. Is this anyway to run a franchise in the nation's largest market?

Fred Wilpon and his idiot son Jeff have run the Mets into the ground and made the club a laughingstock. But since they are good pals with MLB commissioner Bud Selig, don't bet that MLB will do to them what they did to Frank McCourt and his destruction of the Dodgers. I fear that the only way the Mets can be saved is if they lose the lawsuit by Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme victims. They might finally be forced to sell the club entirely.

New York will only become a two-team town again with the Wilpons in the rear view mirror.

It simply can't happen soon enough.

Trivia Q&A: December 12

2011-12-13T00:51:00.000-05:00

Whenever we move Trivia over to a different night, it is always problematic as to how many folks will come out. But I was really pleased to see many of the regulars in the house on Monday night, as we had 13 teams in on a special Monday night edition of Trivia. (The bar will be hosting a private party on Tuesday night, hence the switch.) I thank all of you for rearranging your schedules and coming out.

We seemed to have nothing but ties in all of the first four rounds, and going into IQ Trivia, first, third and fifth place were all knotted up. But one of the teams tied for third, Santa-dusky Is Coming To Town (the Best Team Name winner), ran the table and got all five correct in the last round to jump into first place and win with 56 points. It was their first ever win on Trivia Night.

Second place went to Insert Belgian Joke with 50 points, and third place went to The Real Vicious Felony Is That Mariska Hargitay Didn't Get To Kiss John Quinn with 49 points.

We will return to Trivia on its regular day and time next week: Tuesday, December 20th at 9 PM.

Current Events
1. What TV actress slammed Newt Gingrich and his plan to have poor kids serve as janitors on her Twitter account last week?
2. Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin was recently kicked off a plane after getting into an argument with a flight attendant from what airline over his using his iPad?
3. South Carolina Republicans briefly considered selling the "naming rights" to its 2012 presidential primary after TV talk show host?
4. What European country finally swore in a new government last week after 541 days of negotiations?
5. Randy Babbitt, the head of what federal agency, resigned last week, three days after being arrested for drunk driving?
6. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was one of three people to win the Nobel Peace Prize last weekend. What African country is she president of?
7. What TV series attempted to film an episode in Lower Manhattan last Friday based on the Occupy Wall Street movement, but real OWS people shut it down and forced the NYPD to revoke the show's filming permit?

Q-Tip Trivia
1. Which of the following countries are located in the continent of Africa? a. Guyana; b. Mozambique; c. Mynamar; d. Benin.
2. Which NFL teams have never won a Super Bowl? a. Tampa Bay Bucs; b. New Orleans Saints; c. Jacksonville Jaguars; d. Philadelphia Eagles.
3. Which of the following states has been the site of the birth of a US president? a. New Jersey; b. Connecticut; c. Wyoming; d. Kentucky.
4. Which of the following bands were recently elected to the 2012 class at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? a. Guns N' Roses; b. Kiss; c. Rush; d. The Moody Blues.
5. Which of the following films from the 2000s were nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award? a. Erin Brockovich; b. Gangs of New York; c. The Queen; d. Avatar.
6. Which of the current TV shows are broadcast on HBO? a. Boardwalk Empire; b. Hung; c. Mad Men; d. The Closer.
7. Which of the following planets are smaller in size than Earth? a. Neptune; b. Uranus; c. Saturn; d. Mars.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.
2. Almost half the paper currency in the circulation in the US at the end of the Civil War was counterfeit.
3. The US is the second largest country in area, after Russia.
4. "The Godfather Part II" was the first sequel to win the Best Picture Oscar.
5. Tornadoes rarely move at speeds greater than 40 MPH.
6. Pasta originated in Italy.
7. Elvis Presley had a black-belt in karate.
8. The abbreviation for the state of Missouri is MS.
9. Ludwig van Beethoven composed only one opera in his lifetime.
10. The "S" in Harry S. Truman stands for nothing.

General Knowledge
1. Who was the fifth President of the United States? ( 1 pt)
2. If the temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, how many degrees Celsius is it? ( 1 pt)
3. Prague is the capital of what European country? ( 1 pt)
4. What rock band disbanded in 1980 after the death of its drummer John Bonham? ( 2 pt)
5. What is the term for three consecutive strikes in ten-pin bowling? ( 2 pt)
6. What is the only city in the world located on two continents? ( 2 pt)
7. The 2010-11 "Jasmine Revolution" took place in what North African country? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Until 1841, what country maintained a settlement in Sonoma County, California called Fort Ross? ( 4 points)
2. The alter-ego of what superhero worked as a freelance photographer at the Daily Bugle newspaper? ( 3 points)
3. What object does a selenologist study? ( 5 points)
4. Charles Carroll, the only Roman Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence, represented what US state? ( 4 points)
5. Ganymede is the largest moon of what planet? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Eva Longoria; 2. American Airlines; 3. Stephen Colbert; 4. Belgium; 5. FAA; 6. Liberia; 7. "Law and Order SVU."

Q-Tip Trivia
1. b,d; 2. c,d; 3. a,b,d; 4. a; 5. all; 6. a,b; 7.d.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. true; 3. false, Canada; 4. true; 5. true; 6. false, China; 7. true; 8. false, MO; 9. true; 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. James Monroe; 2. zero; 3. Czech Republic; 4. Led Zeppelin; 5. turkey; 6. Istanbul; 7. Tunisia.

IQ Trivia
1. Russia; 2. Spiderman; 3. The moon; 4. Maryland; 5. Jupiter.

Can Someone Please Explain This To Me?

2011-12-11T20:05:00.007-05:00

Why in the world does CBS schedule "60 Minutes" at 7 PM on Sunday nights during the NFL season, when the games that begin at 4:15 PM (and WHY 4:15 PM for crying out loud??) rarely ever end before three hours?

Absolutely inane. And it plays havoc with the DVR.

Has anyone explained this to the boneheads who run CBS? "60 Minutes" started 42 minutes late tonight, and EVERY Sunday night it starts late with a post-4 PM game.

Anyway, it was another rotten day for the Minnesota Vikings today. No Adrian Peterson again, and Christian Ponder was gutting it out with a sore hip. It appeared they were going to be blown out of their socks today in Detroit, as the Lions ran out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, and I had visions of the Lions scoring 50 or more points.

But the Vikings showed some guts. It was a terrible day for Ponder, who was picked off three times and lost a fumble in the end zone for a TD. He was pulled in the third quarter with the score at 28-14, and Joe Webb came on and pumped some life in the team, and led them to 2 TDs, one of which he ran for 65 yards.

It was 34-28 in the final minutes, and Webb led the Vikes down the field, and got them to the one yard line with 9 seconds to play. They actually had a shot to win, and the last time the Vikings came from 21 points down to win was in December 1985 when they beat the Eagles. But Webb fumbled on the next play and the ball was recovered by the Vikings as the clock ran out. The Lions got away with a facemask penalty on the play, which would have extended the game by one more play with the Vikes getting the ball inside the one.

It was the 8th Vikings loss by seven points or less. They are now 2-11, with three more games before the 2011 season comes to a merciful end. All that remains is whether they will match their worst record in team history at 3-13, or even be worse than that at 2-14.

Ugh.

Q-Tip On a Special Monday Night

2011-12-11T11:34:00.003-05:00

We will be having a special Monday night edition of Trivia Night at Professor Thom's tomorrow, due to a party the bar will be hosting on Tuesday night. And we will be having Trivia at a special time as well: 8:30 PM. (We will go back to the usual day and time next week, on December 20th at 9 PM.)

This week we will have "Q-Tip Trivia" as the Special Category, and that is when I ask you seven general knowledge, multiple choice questions, and the answer can be 1, 2, 3, all 4, or none correct. You have to decide which are true and you get a point for each correct answer. However, if you make a wrong choice, you automatically get no points for that question. So you have to be careful.

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

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"What is the term for three consecutive strikes in ten-pin bowling?"

We get started tomorrow a little earlier, at 8:30 PM. We go back to normal next Tuesday at 9 PM, and will stay at that day and time for the foreseeable future. And next week will be our special Christmas edition of Trivia. But I do hope to see many of you that can make it in tomorrow night.

Occupy SVU

2011-12-10T11:12:00.002-05:00

I don't talk very much on this blog about my background acting gigs, as I do most of that on my Facebook page. (No real reason for that, it's just worked out that way.) But yesterday, I was called on to be an extra on the TV show, "Law and Order: SVU", which I have done four times in the past, the most recent was in October of 2010. I've always enjoyed doing the show, as it's always a good shoot.

The "Law and Order" people were doing their "Occupy Wall Street" episode, and I was suppose to be an OWS protester. As we were doing another scene on Chambers Street early in the morning, one of the production assistants told me that the OWS scene had been canceled. After the scene was done, I checked on my brand new iPhone, and a friend of mine had sent me a link from the New York Times that the scene had been cut because real-life OWS people had invaded the set and had occupied it.

I knew this was going to be an interesting day, but I didn't think it would take this bizarre twist.

The word got out on Thursday night that the show was filming in Foley Square on Friday, and about 100 protesters invaded the set and would not leave. That is, until the NYPD arrived and ordered everyone to leave, and the city had rescinded the producers' permit to film there. I'm guessing they feared real trouble there on Friday when the filming would have started.

In an interesting twist, one of the show's executive producers wrote on Twitter (since deleted; see above link for more) that the protesters would have been shown in a sympathetic light in the episode. (I heard that the show revolved around a city councilman who gets involved with one of the OWS protesters and is accused of rape. Not sure if that is 100% true or not.)

I really haven't talked about this subject, but I can honestly say I don't get these OWS protesters. I'm still trying to find some kind of point to all these "encampments." I was going to play one of them on TV on Friday, but that didn't happen. Actually, they got me out of more work, as I would have been on the set far longer on Friday in the chilly weather. So I guess I should be thanking them. I suppose.

31

2011-12-08T12:10:00.002-05:00

The night of December 8, 1980 was one of the worst of my life. I can't believe 31 years have passed since.

We miss you always, John.

Here's one of my favorite solo John songs, about the city we both love:

Papi Returns As Pujols Sells His Soul

2011-12-08T11:54:00.003-05:00

David Ortiz will return for a 10th season with the Red Sox, as he officially accepted arbitration by last night's midnight deadline.

He and the Red Sox can still negotiate a two-year deal up until the arbitration case is heard, which figures to be in February. The Red Sox haven't had an arbitration case since 2002. So I would bet a new deal with Papi will get done at some point.

The Red Sox also today revealed many of the things they plan to do in honor of Fenway Park's 100th anniversary. Check here to see some of them.

And today the big news is that Albert Pujols has decided where he wants to play in 2012 and beyond. It is not St. Louis.

It's Anaheim, with the L.A. Angels. The deal is said to be around $250-260 million for ten years.

So much for Pujols caring about his legacy as being one of the "all-time great Cardinals." I'm sure Redbird fans are feeling betrayed today. Listen, if he wants to go for the big money, so be it. It's his right. But I don't want to hear the words "it wasn't about the money" when the Angels introduce him at the press conference. I would actually have had more respect for Pujols if he had accepted a smaller offer from the Cardinals to remain with the team for life. It would have reminded me of Kirby Puckett turning down more lucrative offers from the Red Sox and White Sox in the early 1990s to stay in Minnesota with the Twins for the remainder of his career. And you can see how revered he is in the Twin Cities, and always will be.

I hope you enjoy the additional money, Albert. You just trashed your legacy.

Trivia Q&A: December 6

2011-12-07T01:56:00.001-05:00

We had a terrific turnout at Professor Thom's on another rainy night in Manhattan. (Does it rain every Tuesday night now?) 20 teams took in the Trivia, which included my friend and devoted Trivia regular Gillian, fresh off her appearance on Jeopardy last Thursday.

We had close scores all night, and they were pretty strong in both Even Numbered Trivia and General Knowledge. Four points separated the top five teams going into IQ Trivia, but the team in first, No Cain Do, got 4 of the 5 questions correct to win the night with 51 points. Nice job by Emily and her friends, as always.

Second place went to Did Jim's Small Heart Grow 3 Sizes Today, Or Is He Just Happy To See Me? won a tiebreaker to take second place with 49 points. Third place went to Mysterious Black Boxes, also with 49 points. (And the pitcher of beer is yours on your next Trivia Night!)

Best Team Name: I Saw Professor Thom's Trivia Guy at the Strip Club Last Night...Busted!

A reminder that next week's Trivia Night will be on Monday, December 12th at 8:30 PM, due to a party in the bar next Tuesday night. We will return to Tuesday night on December 20th at 9 PM.

Current Events
1. The UK government recently expelled all diplomats from what country out of England?
2. What 16-term Congressman announced last week he will not seek re-election in 2012?
3. What airline, the world's fourth largest, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection?
4. A rare and pristine copy of the first appearance of what comic book superhero set a new record last week for the most money ever paid for a single comic book: $2.16 million?
5. 200 pieces of jewelry worth over $50 million will go up for auction at Christie's, along with other memorabilia from what late actress next week?
6. What prestigious New England university was recently selected by Unigo as "the best place to go to college in the United States?"
7. A class at Georgetown University is being offered this semester about which popular rap star?

December 6th Trivia
1. On this day in 1790, the US Congress moved from New York City to what other city?
2. In 1865, slavery was officially banned by what number amendment to the US Constitution?
3. In 1917, Finland declared their independence from what country?
4. On this day in 1973, who was confirmed by the House of Representatives as the 40th Vice-President of the United States?
5. In 1933, which novel by James Joyce was ruled bot to be obscene by a US federal judge?
6. In 1969, Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death by the Hell's Angels at a concert by what rock band at Altamont Speedway in California?
7. In 1992, what Hall of Fame wide receiver broke Steve Largent's record for touchdowns receiving in a career with his 101st?

Even Numbered Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. The pearl wedding anniversary is this number of years.
2. To the closest round number, a marathon is this number of miles.
3. Arizona is this number US state.
4. The current Pope, Benedict, is this number.
5. Cancer is this number sign of the Zodiac.
6. This is the freezing point of water at sea level in degrees Fahrenheit.
7. This is the total number of days in a fortnight.
8. This number was retired throughout MLB in honor of Jackie Robinson.
9. The highest number on a standard dartboard is this number.
10. This is the approximate total number of grams in an ounce.

General Knowledge
1. Gavin McLeod played Captain Merrill Stubing in what hit TV series? ( 1 pt)
2. What is the official name for the tick-like logo of the Nike sports company? ( 1 pt)
3. What color is Pac Man in the classic video game? ( 1 pt)
4. Elton John won an Oscar for the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," which was featured in what movie? ( 2 pt)
5. Faber College was the setting for what 1978 film? ( 2 pt)
6. What battle is commemorated by Nelson's Column in London? ( 2 pt)
7. What is the largest state in area in Australia? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. "The Bridal Chorus," also known as "Here Comes The Bride," comes from an opera by what classical composer? (4 points)
2. What nation became the second independent country in North and South America, after the United States? ( 5 points)
3. Becky Thatcher was the sweetheart of what famous literary character? ( 4 points)
4. The murder of Laura Palmer was the centerpiece of what 1990s TV series? ( 3 points)
5. FBI agent Robert Ressler is credited with inventing what two-word "crime term" in the 1970s? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Iran; 2. Barney Frank; 3. American Airlines; 4. Superman; 5. Elizabeth Taylor; 6. Boston University; 7. Jay-Z.

December 6th Trivia
1. Philadelphia; 2. thirteen; 3. Russia; 4. Gerald Ford; 5. "Ulysses;" 6. The Rolling Stones; 7. Jerry Rice.

Even Numbered Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. 30; 2. 26; 3. 48; 4. 16; 5. 4; 6. 32; 7. 14; 8. 42; 9. 20; 10. 28.

General Knowledge
1. "The Love Boat;" 2. swoosh; 3. yellow; 4. "The Lion King:" 5. "Animal House;" 6. Trafalgar; 7. Western Australia.

IQ Trivia
1. Richard Wagner; 2. Haiti; 3. Tom Sawyer; 4. "Twin Peaks;" 5. serial killer.

Trading Places

2011-12-06T13:31:00.004-05:00

I knew Tito was going take a year away from the dugout.

And that's what Terry Francona will be doing, as he will be the third man in the booth on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" with Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser. Tito will also be doing some baseball analysis during "Baseball Tonight" and other ESPN baseball shows. On Sunday Night Baseball, he replaces, of course, Bobby Valentine.

Who replaced Terry Francona in the Red Sox dugout.

That first Sunday night game involving the Red Sox should be more than an interesting game, to say the least.

My Thanks To Josie Wood's

2011-12-06T13:14:00.004-05:00

It is with regret that I announce that Wednesday Night Trivia at Josie Wood's pub will no longer be happening. The bar manager and I mutually decided to suspend it, as we were not getting the crowds we had hoped for. We gave it six months, and I'm sorry it just didn't work out.

I thank everyone at Josie Wood's for the opportunity. Martin and his staff run a very good bar, and I was treated very well there. I encourage all of you to go there, at Waverly Place and Mercer Street.

Tuesday Night Trivia at Professor Thom's continues to bring in the big crowds, and I encourage all of you to come tonight, and every Tuesday. (However, we will doing Trivia next week on Monday, December 12th at 8:30 PM, due to party at Thom's on Tuesday. We go back to our normal Tuesday nights on December 20th at 9 PM.)

Time To Get Even On Tuesday

2011-12-05T11:47:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday night, Professor Thom's Trivia will have "December 6th Trivia," seven questions about the day in history, as the Special Category, and "Even Numbered Trivia" as the Q Train lightning round. Every answer will be an even number between 1 and 50.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"Faber College was the setting for what 1978 film?"

We get going shortly after 9 PM on Tuesday night. A note about next week. Due to a party being held at Professor Thom's on Tuesday, December 13th, we will be having Trivia Night next week on Monday night, December 12th, and at a special time of 8:30 PM. We will return to our usual Tuesday night edition on December 20th at 9 PM.

Fox Ruins Football, Too

2011-12-04T16:31:00.007-05:00

I watched the Vikings-Broncos game today on Fox, as it was broadcast locally here in New York. It turned into a great game between two young QBs who know each other well: Christian Ponder of Florida State versus Tim Tebow of Florida.

Ponder has harrassed all day by the Denver defense, and injured his hip early on. But the kid showed a lot of guts, and set the Vikings rookie record for most yards thrown in a game: 381 yards. He went 29-for-47, with three TDs, two to Percy Harvin. But he threw two costly interceptions.

One was brought back for a TD in the first quarter, and the other happened inside two minutes to play with the game tied at 29. Denver brought the ball down to the five yard line and ran the clock down to two seconds, before kicking the game-winning field goal for a 35-32 win.

A heartbreaking loss for the Vikings, and it was their 10th loss of 2011. Tebow threw two clutch TDs in the second half, and torched the lousy Vikings secondary on both occasions.

But the title of this post refers to the Fox network, who broadcast the game. I knew the network would have to leave the contest if it was still going on by 4:15 PM, as the Giants-Packers game was to follow. TV has those rules about the home market, and that is fine, and I have no problem with that.

The problem I have if that Fox always pulls this crap of not leaving when the late game is kicking off, but BEFORE the game starts, and today they left at 4:11 PM, a full four minutes before the Giants game started. They left the Vikings game just when the Broncos tied it at 32, just inside of two minutes to play. They left to show FOUR BLOODY MINUTES OF COMMERCIALS!! That really pisses me off, as you can read.

I've ranted on this blog about this crap before. (And I'm sure I will again.) Today I was fortunate to have NFL RedZone (which I highly recommend), and I saw most of the plays that ended the game, including the game-winning field goal.

Absolutely no excuse for screwing over fans like this. Only one way to sum it up: Money talks, bullshit walks.

See You In Cooperstown, Petey

2011-12-04T11:05:00.007-05:00

Pedro Martinez, One of the 25, said yesterday that he plans to formally announce his retirement from MLB within the next few weeks. He last pitched for the Phillies in 2009, so I'm surprised it's taken Pedro this long to realize his career was over.

His next stop will be in Cooperstown, New York in the summer of 2015, when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame. To honor the Great Pedro, I present this clip from September 10, 1999, when he pitched the greatest game I have ever seen in my life. Pedro was at his all-time best (and should have been MVP that year, as we all know a jackass of a sportswriter left him off his ballot that cost him the award). He beat the Yankees (who just happened to be the defending champions), 3-1, striking out 17. He allowed just a home run to Chili Davis in the second inning, and that was it for New York. The most incredible fact of the night was this: Scott Brosius popped to third base in the fifth inning to start the inning, and he was the last Yankee to hit a fair ball. He retired the following 14 batters in order: 12 on strikeouts, and 2 on foul outs. Simply unbelievable.

Enjoy your retirement, Pedro. And thanks for all the great memories. Especially 2004.

Nice Touch By Bobby V

2011-12-02T21:04:00.013-05:00

The fact that Bobby Valentine chose number 25 might have rubbed a few Red Sox fans the wrong way, as it was the number worn by the late Tony Conigliaro, and many feel that number should be retired.

An interesting article by Ron Borges in the Boston Herald tells a story that Valentine told about having been Tony C's roommate at San Diego in 1976 when he tried to make a comeback there after retiring from the Red Sox in 1975. (I never knew Tony tried to make a comeback after leaving the Sox for good in '75.)

Valentine also reached out to Mike Lowell, who last wore the number 25 as well. He gave Valentine his blessing. Nice to see Bobby V discuss what for many is really emotional subject.

In other news, a probe of forgeries is underway of many of Babe Ruth's autographs, and it has the blessing of his family. My friend Pete Nash has more on his great site, Hauls of Shame.

And, the 11th annual Winterball Baseball game will take place tomorrow, December 3rd, at Maplewood Park, in Malden MA, beginning with batting practice at 10 AM. It is to benefit Toys For Tots and US Marine Corps, and it is hosted by the Boston Amateur Baseball Network.

Maplewood Park is at 99 Crystal Street, and it will feature the Young Bucks taking on the Aging Stallions in a nine-inning game. Here's more from past years of the event.

So what if the temperatures are in the 30s on Saturday? Play ball!

UPDATE (12/3): My buddy Jere has an interesting post on his blog that it looks like Bobby Valentine might very well have been mixing up Tony Conigliaro with Joe Pepitone. Check it out.

A New Sheriff Rides Into Town

2011-12-01T23:57:00.001-05:00

Bobby Valentine officially met with the media at Fenway Park on Thursday afternoon.

Interesting how many writers from the New York papers were on hand for it.

I was wondering just before the conference began: what number will Bobby V wear? He wore number 2 at both Texas and with the Mets, but Jacoby Ellsbury has that.

He was seen putting on a jersey with number 25 on it.

Let's hope he makes Tony Conigliaro and Mike Lowell both proud.

I Can Never Thank Them Enough

2011-11-30T01:38:00.005-05:00

A new website was just launched where Red Sox fans can offer their thanks to both Terry Francona and Theo Epstein, for all they did to bring two World Series titles to the city of Boston. It's called "Thank You Theo and Tito", and you can show your appreciation to both by writing a note to both men.

I will be writing something over there shortly, and it will likely be along the lines of what I once said to Tom Werner and John Henry, when I met both of them in Professor Thom's one summer night in 2007. Pointing to the 2004 World Series champions hat I was wearing, I said:

"Thank you for this, and for making my life in New York City so much more bearable."

I will never be able thank Mr. Epstein and Mr. Francona enough for everything they did the past decade. May God bless them both.

(With thanks to Allan at Joy of Sox, who alerted me to this website.)

Valentine. Finally.

2011-11-30T01:25:00.002-05:00

The Red Sox are about to turn the keys to the kingdom over to Bobby Valentine, and are about to make him the 45th manager in club history.

Valentine has agreed to become the next manager, two months after Terry Francona departed. No terms have been announced yet, but a formal announcement from the Red Sox should happen in the next day or so.

Well, Bobby V was not on the original list of those who were to be interviewed for the job, and it is widely speculated that Valentine was the choice of Larry Lucchino, a longtime friend of his. This leads many to believe that new GM Ben Cherington wasn't originally on board with this choice. Time will tell if he and Valentine will be able to work together.

As for me, I'm not Valentine's biggest fan, but I am willing to give him a chance. Remember, no one was jumping through hoops when Terry Francona was named manager in December 2003. And that worked out pretty well, no?

One thing is for sure: it won't be dull with Bobby V running the show.

PT's Trivia Q&A: November 29

2011-11-30T01:23:00.001-05:00

We had 16 teams in on another rainy night in New York City, and I was pleasantly surprised to see my old friend Mariangela, who was a longtime Trivia Night regular who moved down to our nation's capital a few years back. We also had an early-arriving crowd, and many new faces in as well.

The numbers were generally fairly strong throughout the night, especially in Current Events and Odd Numbered Trivia. It was close scorewise going into IQ Trivia, with the top five teams only six points apart. But one of the teams tied for 5th place, Wild Card Hunt, ran the table in the final round and won by just two points, with 49 in total. It was the first win ever.

Second place went to I, Too, Slept With Herman Cain with 47 points, and third place went to Herman Cain's Third Leg (which won for Best Team Name) with 44 points.

Current Events
1. Rolling Stone magazine recently selected what trailblazing rock legend as its "Greatest Guitarist of All-Time" in a recent survey?
2. Republican presidential hopeful Michelle Bachmann received an apology last Thursday after she appeared on what TV talk show and the band played "Lyin' Ass Bitch" by Fishbone?
3. What 1980s pop star canceled the remaining shows of his 2011 European tour due to a bout with pneumonia?
4. Three American students were released from custody by authorities in what country this past weekend after they were suspected of throwing firebombs during protests there?
5. Former Florida head coach Urban Meyer was named the head coach of what college football team yesterday?
6. What hip-hop star's charity is currently under investigation for the way it handled money it has collected for Haiti's earthquake relief?
7. What classic '70s/'80s rock star is telling his fans on his website not to buy a new box set of his that was just released because he believes it is way overpriced?

Name The Decade Trivia
1. Nirvana releases the much-acclaimed album "Nevermind" and achieve mainstream success.
2. The American Football League begins play and challenges the NFL, resulting in a merger 10 years later.
3. Nearly one million Armenians die at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in what is called "The Armenian Genocide."
4. Henry Fonda wins his first Academy Award for "On Golden Pond", shortly before his death.
5. Stephen King's first novel, "Carrie", is published.
6. Ted Williams begins his Hall of Fame career with the Boston Red Sox.
7. Lady Gaga releases he first album, "The Fame."

Odd Numbered Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. The debut album from pop singer Adele is entitled what number?
2. The lunar month is approximately how many days?
3. The NY Yankees retired what number in honor of the late catcher Thurman Munson?
4. How many "swans-a-swimming" in the song "The 12 Days Of Christmas?"
5. Alaska is what number US state?
6. Jimmy Carter was what number US president?
7. Saturday Night Live's John Belushi and Chris farley both died at this same age.
8. Aquarius is this number sign of the Zodiac.
9. The Chicago Bulls retired this number in honor of Michael Jordan.
10. The third baseman in baseball is represented by this number.

General Knowledge
1. What actor co-starred with Nick Nolte in the 1982 movie "48 HRS?" ( 1 pt)
2. How many pins must be knocked down in a perfect game of 300 in bowling? ( 1 pt)
3. The majority of London buses are what color? ( 1 pt)
4. How many pawns are there on a chessboard at the start of a game of chess? ( 2 pt)
5. What world capital city is known as "the Eternal City?" ( 2 pt)
6. On how many consecutive years did Lance Armstrong win the Tour de France? ( 2 pt)
7. What card game has a name that comes from the Spanish for "basket?" ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Where was the last military position evacuated by the British at the end of the Revolutionary war in 1783? ( 4 points)
2. Garrett's Farm was the site where which infamous American figure was shot dead? ( 3 points)
3. In 1921, who became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for literature? ( 5 points)
4. The Siege of Sevastopol was a major battle that occurred in what mid-19th century war? ( 4 points)
5. Bernard Barker, James McCord and Frank Sturgis were three of the men involved in what famous early 1970s event? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Jimi Hendrix; 2. "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon;" 3. George Michael; 4. Egypt; 5. Ohio State; 6. Wyclef Jean; 7. Elvis Costello.

Name The Decade
1. 1990s (1991); 2. 1960s (1960); 3. 1910s (1915); 4. 1980s (1982); 5. 1970s (1974); 6. 1930s (1939); 7. 2000s (2008).

Odd Numbered Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. 19; 2. 29; 3. 15; 4. 7; 5. 49; 6. 39; 7. 33; 8. 11; 9. 23; 10. 5.

General Knowledge
1. Eddie Murphy; 2. 120; 3. red; 4. 16; 5. Rome; 6. 7; 7. canasta.

IQ Trivia
1. New York City; 2. John Wilkes Booth; 3. Edith Wharton; 4. Crimean War; 5. Watergate break-in.

We'll Always Miss You, George

2011-11-29T12:29:00.004-05:00

It seems impossible to believe that George Harrison passed away ten years ago today.

Here's a good montage of George's life, set to one of his greatest songs, "All Things Must Pass:"

If you missed Martin Scorsese's documentary on George, "Living In The Material World," make a point to see it next time it's on. It's terrific.

An Odd Thing For Trivia Night

2011-11-28T11:17:00.002-05:00

Tuesday Night Trivia at Professor Thom's this week will feature "Name The Decade Trivia," where I will ask you to name the decade a recent event took place. You will also get another point if you can name the exact year as well.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Odd Numbered Trivia." Every answer in that round will be an odd number between 1 and 50, with no answer being the same number.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"How many pawns are there on a chessboard at the start of a game of chess?"

We get going at 9 PM on Tuesday. And Wednesday Night Trivia at Josie Wood's will return this week on Wednesday, November 30th at 9 PM. Hope to see you this week.

It's Officially a Losing Season

2011-11-27T20:19:00.002-05:00

The total crapfest that has been the Minnesota Vikings 2011 season continued on Sunday, as the Atlanta Falcons whipped on the Vikings, 24-14 in the Georgia Dome.

Adrian Peterson was wisely kept in street clothes, as his high ankle sprain kept him out.

The Vikings are now 2-9, and the last time they lost 9 of 11 to begin a season was in 1961, their inaugural season. Will they match 1984, their worst season ever? They went 3-13 in the Les Steckel Era (it was one season only, thankfully). They have Denver, New Orleans, Washington, Chicago and Detroit left.

Tim Tebow's Flying Circus comes to the Metrodome next Sunday.

Stanford Wins Ugly, With Ugly Uniforms

2011-11-27T11:56:00.003-05:00

Notre Dame ended their 2011 regular season on a down note, as #6 ranked Stanford won easily, 28-14.

I took in the game with my fellow Notre Dame fanatic Joe at Professor Thom's last night. (It was a lot quieter after the afternoon was packed with thrilled Michigan fans celebrating their first win over Ohio State since 2003.) It was all Stanford from the start, and Irish QB Tommy Rees was benched early, after fumbling and throwing an interception. Andrew Hendrix came on in the first quarter and really couldn't get anything going until the third, when he hit Michael Floyd with a 6-yard pass that made it 21-7.

Stanford had all the luck: Andrew Luck, that is. He threw four TDs, including two to wide receiver Coby Fleener (pictured). BTW, is he any relation to Felix Unger's onetime love, Mildred Fleener?

Anyway, Stanford debuted their new uniforms last night: all red. Why do some college and pro football teams insist on wearing the same color for pants and jersey? I find that color scheme rather butt ugly. I've always believed that they should have either white pants OR a white jersey to go along with their team color. The Oregon Ducks own the ugliest uniforms in football, but this Stanford uniform isn't too far behind.

Notre Dame scored a garbage-time TD by Hendrix in the final seconds that made the score a little more respectable at 28-14. The QB ended the night 11-for-24 for 192 yards. Nothing remarkable to be sure. Notre Dame ends the regular season at 8-4, and now waits to see what bowl they end up in. My friend Joe thinks it's the Gator Bowl. We shall see.

"The Day I Met Brian Clough...And Other Tributes"

2011-11-26T11:52:00.008-05:00

In the United States, the name of Brian Clough is not a well-known name. But in England, he is a revered name in the world of football, which is better known on these shores as soccer.

Clough was a great player in the late 1950s and early 1960s, a striker for Middlesbrough, Sunderland and the English national team. But a 1962 knee injury led to his early retirement. He moved into club management, first with lower division Hartlepool, and then with Derby County, where Clough made his name as a manager.

He took Derby County from the lower end of the Second Division to the English League championship in a matter of just five years. He was a hard but fair manager who had a very high opinion of himself and his managerial talents. He moved on to Leeds United where he lasted just 44 days in charge before getting the axe. He rubbed a lot of people at Leeds the wrong way. To put it in an American baseball equivalent, think of a cross between Bobby Valentine and Ozzie Guillen. That gives you an idea of what Brian Clough was like.

Clough went on to greater success with Nottingham Forest, whom he managed from 1975-1993. He won another league title in 1978, and two European Cup championships. It was at around this time, 1977, that I began watching the English League matches on TV, which were broadcast on PBS every Saturday afternoon. And Nottingham Forest was on a magical run to the top of English football, in their first season back in the First Division. I became a Forest fan, as they were on so much, and one of the team's stars was Brian Clough. He was a colorful character I liked from the first days I had heard of him.

Recently I became friendly with man named Marcus Alton on Facebook. Marcus is a journalist who was also a Forest and Clough fan, who founded www.brianclough.com, a tribute site to the "Big Old 'Ead" as Brian Clough was affectionately called. Marcus met Brian Clough on a few occasions, and also helped raise the funds to have a statue of Clough erected in Nottingham City Centre. Marcus told me about a tribute book he was putting together to benefit the Brian Clough Memorial Fund, and he asked me if I'd like to add something to it.

So I wrote my remembrance, and it appears on page 174 of "The Day I Met Brian Clough...And Other Tributes." It's a terrific book of loving remembrances from people like Clough's former players and rivals to average fans and other journalists who bring back "Cloughie" to life. (Brian Clough died in 2004.) In my tribute, Marcus titled it: "The man who attracted me to soccer...even all these miles away."

The book includes a few photographs of the man as well. It's a loving tribute to a larger-than-life man who is fondly remembered, not only throughout Great Britain but the entire soccer world. (A few other folks in America are included, and from places like Australia, Denmark, South Africa and New Zealand as well.)

I am really proud and honored to be included in "The Day I Met Brian Clough..And Other Tributes." I recommend the book to all of you who are Brian Clough fans, or just soccer fans in general. I'm sure the book put a smile of Brian's face, whatever he is right now.

Happy Thanksgiving To You All

2011-11-24T10:53:00.004-05:00

I want to wish all of you who read The Mighty Quinn Media Machine a very Happy and healthy Thanksgiving Day. I will be celebrating the day with my family in Brooklyn.

For me, it's a day for turkey, football, "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie (at noon on WAXQ here in NYC), The WPIX Odd Couple marathon (starting at 11 AM), but most importantly, a day to give thanks for all the blessings I have in this life. I am a very lucky guy, and this day just reinforces that fact.

And another special thing on this Thanksgiving Day is "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," which is on ABC tonight at 8 PM. And one of the best parts of it is when Linus says the Thanksgiving prayer. Here it is:

Blessings to all of you on this special day, especially those far from their families, serving our great country.

At Least There Is Labor Peace

2011-11-23T12:18:00.005-05:00

That was maybe one of the few things I like about the new CBA that was enacted by both MLB and the Players Association yesterday.

I do NOT like the fact that two more teams are being added to the playoffs. Everyone seems to think it's a wonderful thing that two Wild Card teams will play in a one-game playoff to determine who will be the Wild Card representative. It makes the regular season less relevant in my eyes, and can bring in teams that really have no business being in the playoffs. And think of last season's Wild Card race. The Red Sox and Braves both would have had gone to the playoffs and made that final night of the 2011 regular season far less than what it turned out to be. (And I write that as a Red Sox fan, too.)

Eight teams in the postseason is ENOUGH. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We don't need baseball to turn into basketball or hockey.

And I REALLY don't like the fact that the Houston Astros are moving to the American League to make both leagues an even 15 teams in 2013. That means that the "scourge of baseball", interleague, will become a daily nuisance. And it will likely be expanded to as many as 30 games per team. Unless the NL decides to finally join the rest of the baseball world and adopt a DH, this is a disaster for AL teams. Pure and simple. I know some people think I maybe a stick in the mud because I don't think interleague baseball isn't greatest thing since sliced bread. I detest it, as it has created wildly uneven schedules, and puts the AL teams at an unfair disadvantage in NL parks. Unless that is addressed in this new system, count me out.

The CBA includes other changes like the expansion of replay (which is fine with me), HGH testing for the first time and changes to the amateur draft. Here is the complete list from The Biz of Baseball.

It's a new five year deal between the owners and players, and at least we don't have to hear words like "lockout" or "players strike" until at least the end of 2016.

PT's Trivia Q&A: November 22

2011-11-23T01:04:00.003-05:00

We had 19 teams come out to Professor Thom's on a rainy night in Manhattan. I figured we'd still get a good turnout, with Thanksgiving weekend on the horizon.

Thanksgiving Trivia showed some mixed results, but the numbers were generally pretty strong for True or False Trivia and General Knowledge. Going into IQ Trivia, we had five teams within two points of each other.

But the team of Jerry's Kids, who was in first place, got all five correct in the final round to ice the victory with 53 points to win by five. Congratulations to them on their first ever Trivia Night win. Second place went to Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Indians with 48 points, and we had a tie for third place with 47 points between I Last Longer Than The NBA Lockout and Life's a Taco.

Best Team Name: Shopping For a Turkey? The Supercommittee's Got 12!

Current Events
1. What 36-year-old actor was selected by People magazine as it's "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2011?
2. What actor/comedian was named host of January's Golden Globe Awards after his much talked-about appearance from earlier this year?
3. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling had what candidate now in first place among the Republican presidential candidates?
4. Mario Monti became prime minister of what country last week?
5. Finland is currently in a fight over the "ownership" of the Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, with what other European country, as both countries believe they are mostly closely associated with it?
6. Greg Halman, a 23-year-old MLB prsopect from the Netherlands, was stabbed to death yesterday by his brother in his native country. Which AL team did he play 35 games for in 2011?
7. What rock superstar announced on his website on Monday that he will embark on his first tour in three years in 2012, with a new album coming out next year as well?

Thanksgiving Trivia
1. What US president issued the "Thanksgiving Proclamation" making the last Thursday in November the holiday?
2. In which decade did the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade take place?
3. Which West African country also celebrates a Thanksgiving Day every November?
4. How many days did the first Thanksgiving last in 1621?
5. The first Thanksgiving celebration in America took place in what state?
6. Which US president in the 20th century standardized the Thanksgiving holiday by making it the 4th Thursday in November?
7. What folk singer recorded "Alice's Restaurant", about a memorable Thanksgiving Day in his life?

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Top-performing companies are called "blue chips" after the costliest chips in casinos.
2. Italian is not an official language of Switzerland.
3. The Davis Cup is awarded in the sport of golf.
4. Dallas is the largest city by population in the state of Texas.
5. George Orwell got the title for his novel "1984" by reversing the last two numbers, as it was written in 1948.
6. A silverfish is actually a fish colored silver.
7. Jerry Stiller, aka Frank Costanza, is the father of actor Ben Stiller.
8. The temperature of Absolute Zero is -459 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Coca-Cola at one time actually contained cocaine.
10. The host of the children's TV show, "Blue's Clues", Steve Burns, died of a heroin overdose.

General Knowledge
1. Rocky Marciano was a world champion in what sport? ( 1 pt)
2. The meat stew called goulash comes from what European country? ( 1 pt)
3. How many seconds are there in one hour? ( 1 pt)
4. In 1978, Gerry Rafferty had a Top 10 hit song about what famous London street? ( 2 pt)
5. In what country would you cross the longest suspension bridge in the world? ( 2 pt)
6. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2011 is the year of what animal? ( 2 pt)
7. In what European country is the International Olympic Committee headquarters located? (3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Seven women have held what presidential cabinet post, the most ever held by women? ( 4 points)
2. "United States-Vietnam Relations: 1945-1967" is the official name of what famous documents? ( 5 points)
3. Name 1 of the 2 actors who have been nominated for best Actor and Best Director Oscars in the same film on two different occasions? ( 4 points)
4. What director, known mostly for comedy films, directed Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video? ( 3 points)
5. "Expect Great Things" is the current slogan of what department store? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Bradley Cooper; 2. Ricky Gervais; 3. Newt Gingrich; 4. Italy; 5. Norway; 6. Seattle Mariners; 7. Bruce Springsteen.

Thanksgiving Trivia
1. Abraham Lincoln; 2. 1920s (1924); 3. Liberia; 4. three; 5. Massachusetts; 6. Franklin D. Roosevelt; 7. Arlo Guthrie.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. false; 3. false, tennis; 4. false, Houston; 5. true; 6. false, its a wingless insect; 7. true; 8. true; 9. true; 10. false, it's an urban legend.

General Knowledge
1. boxing; 2. Hungary; 3. 3600; 4. Baker Street; 5. Japan; 6. rabbit; 7. Switzerland.

IQ Trivia
1. Secretary of Labor; 2. The Pentagon Papers; 3. Clint Eastwood and Warren Beatty; 4. John Landis; 5. Kohl's.

Good Stuff To Look Forward To

2011-11-21T19:36:00.004-05:00

It's been a bizarre last few months to be a Red Sox fan for sure, but here's a few things to look forward to in 2012:

Truck Day: February 11
Pitchers and Catchers report: February 19 (now reflected in the countdown clock)
First Spring Training Game: March 3rd vs. Northeastern and Boston College (twinbill)
First Game against MLB teams: March 4th vs. Minnesota
2012 Opener: April 5th in Detroit
2012 Home Opener: April 13th vs. Tampa Bay

The Sox play the Evil Empire twice in March: the 13th in Tampa and the 22nd in Ft. Myers. They conclude Spring Training on April 3rd in Washington DC against the Nationals.

Here is the complete Spring Training schedule.

Congratulations to Jacoby Ellsbury, who finished second in the AL MVP voting to Justin Verlander, the first pitcher to win it since The Eck took home the honors in 1992. It was close. Adrian Gonzalez finished seventh and Dustin Pedroia finished ninth.

Turkey Day Trivia This Week

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

This Tuesday night, the Special Category for Trivia Night at Professor Thom's will be "Thanksgiving Trivia," seven questions about that very American of holidays.

And remember: the Christmas season doesn't start until Thursday, when Santa appears during the Thanksgiving Day Parade (pictured). And not a minute sooner.

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

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"In what country would you cross the longest suspension bridge in the world?"

We get going shortly after 9 PM on Tuesday night. And a reminder that Trivia Night on Wednesday at Josie Wood's pub will not be happening this week, as we will take off for the Thanksgiving holiday, but it will return on Wednesday night, November 30th at 9 PM.

Hope to see some of you at Professor Thom's on Tuesday night for some Turkey Day Trivia!

A Winning Season's Gone, And So May Be AP

2011-11-20T17:18:00.002-05:00

The Vikings will now have to run the table in order just to finish at .500.

Ain't no chance of that happening.

A dreadful season got even worse today when Adrian Peterson hurt his right ankle in the second quarter and did not return to the game. He scored the Vikings first touchdown and rushed for 26 yards on 6 carries. No word yet on the severity of Peterson's ankle injury and how long it might keep him out.

The Oakland Raiders steamrolled their way to a 27-21 victory, tearing apart a depleted Vikings secondary. Christian Ponder threw two touchdowns late after the Vikings fell behind 27-7, but the comeback came up short. He threw three costly interceptions.

The Vikings are now 2-8. The baseball season can't come quick enough for me.

ND Takes BC In Punt Fest

2011-11-20T11:27:00.002-05:00

It was one of those grind-it-out victories for Notre Dame on Saturday, as they beat heavily-underdog Boston College, 16-14, in the final game at Notre Dame Stadium for 2011.

Jonas Gray opened the scoring on the first drive of the game with a 26-yard TD burst. He ran for 61 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. The extent of it is still not known, and he'll have more tests on it today. Bad break for the senior who was having a breakout season.

The game turned into a defensive struggle, and ND had lousy field position for a good part of the game. Credit to both teams' defenses. The game remained at 13-7 from the second quarter into the fourth, when BC drove 80 yards to a TD from Chase Rettig to Bobby Swigert with just over two minutes to play. The Irish recovered an onside kick to seal the victory and ran out the clock.

Cierre Wood rushed for 94 yards and eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark, with a total of 1,001 for the season. David Ruffer was perfect in FG attempts, hitting three from 40, 41 and 27 yards.

Number 24 ranked Notre Dame is now 8-3 on the season (3-0 against the ACC) and takes on Stanford in their regular season finale next Saturday night in Palo Alto.

I'd Give Anything To Play Catch With Dustin

2011-11-19T11:12:00.009-05:00

A Happy Belated Birthday to David Ortiz, who turned 36 yesterday. (I still believe he will be in a Red Sox uniform in 2012. The market for a DH is pretty slim right now, so his return to the Fens looks pretty good right now.)

In other Papi news, he currently has an online auction you might like to check out. The David Ortiz Celebrity Gold Classic Auction just opened yesterday, and there are many special items you can bid on. They include:

Hitting Lessons with David Ortiz - The ultimate pre game! Visit batting practice and tour the stadium prior to a 2012 home game and get to meet David Ortiz. Also included is a pair of seats for the game. (Date to be mutually agreed upon for a 2012 Home Game.)

· The Chance to play catch with Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia - Step out with Dustin Pedroia, one of the best in the game! In just four years in the league, Pedroia has won several awards including the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year, 2008 AL MVP, Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger Award. Win this once in a lifetime opportunity and get fielding tips from the Red Sox second baseman. The winner of this experience will also receive four (4) tickets to a Boston Red Sox home game at Fenway Park. (Experience to include a game of catch with Dustin Pedroia and four (4) tickets to a Boston Red Sox home game at Fenway Park for a mutually agreed upon date in the 2012 season.)

· Style360 @ New York Fashion Week - Two (2) tickets for VIP access to Style360, a multi-day fashion showcase during New York Fashion Week February 2012. Winners will be awarded VIP access to all fashion shows, backstage, media suite access, and after parties hosted at exclusive NYC nightclub. Front row seats also included. Package includes a three (3) night stay at the New York Marriott Marquis and two (2) roundtrip JetBlue Vouchers

· The Hero & Prodigy Package – Enjoy a Thirty (30) minute tennis session with Andy Roddick .The package also includes an autographed copy of Agassi’s autobiography “Open” and autographed tennis ball from both Agassi and Roddick.

· The US Open Package - Two (2) US Open Suite tickets for one (1) day session during the first week of the Tournament. A two (2) night stay at the New York Marriott Marquis plus Dinner for Two (2) at Crossroads American Kitchen & Bar and two (2) roundtrip JetBlue Vouchers

· Dominican Paradise Getaway – Once in a lifetime vacation for 12 people at the Golden Dolphin Villa located on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic. Package includes a five (5) night, six (6) day all inclusive vacation for 12 people at the Golden Dolphin Villa. Also included are six (6) spa treatments, one (1) round of golf for six (6) players at the neighboring Playa Grande Golf Club. Meals will be prepared daily by the private chef at your request.

The bidding will continue until 11:59 PM ET on December 2nd. The auction is part of Papi's Celebrity Golf Classic, which is taking place in the Dominican Republic from December 1-4. If you'd like to make a bid, check out the David Ortiz Children's Fund site, and good luck in the bidding!

Tito. Theo. Paps. Heidi, Too?

2011-11-17T11:21:00.003-05:00

First, the Sox and Terry Francona parted company. Then with Theo Epstein. And then Jonathan Papelbon left.

And now, it's Heidi Watney taking's off from Boston. She's heading back to California to be the Los Angeles Lakers sideline reporter. (She does know that the NBA is still locked out, right?)

Will the bloodletting from last September ever stop? Now I'm really depressed. I'd love to see the lovely and talented Tina Cervasio return to Fenway.

Anyway, the Red Sox managerial search took a strange turn last night, as the Cubs offered Dale Sveum their managerial position. It looked like the Sox were going settle on Sveum, who so far has been the only candidate interviewed twice.

Interesting to see the Cubs beat the Red Sox to the punch on Sveum. You don't suppose this is Theo Epstein trying to stick it to Larry Lucchino, do you?

Three candidates still remain: Torey Lovullo, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Gene Lamont. Pete Mackanin was recently eliminated from consideration. Lovullo would seem to be the odds-on favorite now, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the search go on a little while longer.

PT's Trivia Q&A: November 15

2011-11-16T00:59:00.001-05:00

We had another big crowd on Tuesday night, as 20 teams took part in the festivities. The scores were a bit tough for Pop Music Trivia, but they were made up for in 1-10 Trivia, as all but four teams got all ten right. (I can promise you that next week's Q Train will be a little bit tougher.)

The teams were tightly bunched going into the final round, as the top five were divided by just three points. (The top two were tied, and the other three were also tied among themselves.)

But one of those teams in third, Sandusky Likes 'Em Husky, ran the table with 20 points, and wound up winning by seven points, with a total of 49. Nice job by Bob and his buddies.

Second place went to It's Only Horseplay, with 42 points, and we had a tie for third place between Something Witty and If I Am Elected Your Trivia Host, I Will Abolish Current Events, IQ Trivia and ..Oops, both with 41 points.

Best Team Name: 9-9-9 Problems and a Bitch Is One

Current Events
1. A petition with over 50,000 signatures is asking the Detroit Lions NOT to have what Canadian rock band perform during halftime of their Thanksgiving Day game?
2. In what western US state were voters allowed to use iPads to cast their ballots, the first state to use them on Election Day?
3. In a recent poll of 100-year-olds by United Healthcare, which elderly actress outpolled President Obama in a survey of who they would most like to have dinner with?
4. What actor was named host of the Academy Awards ceremony for 2012 after Eddie Murphy, the original host, bowed out last Wednesday?
5. Wilson Ramos, a catcher for the Washington Nationals, was kidnapped last week by armed gunmen and later set free in what country, his home country?
6. Bil Keane, who drew what popular newspaper comic strip for over 50 years, died last week at the age of 89?
7. What actor was widely criticized last for writing on Twitter that the firing of Penn State head coach Joe Paterno was "in poor taste?"

Pop Music Trivia
1. What rock star was killed in a helicopter crash in Wisconsin in 1990?
2. "Losing My Religion" by REM in the early 1990s was the first number one song to use what instrument since Rod Stewart's "Maggie May" in 1971?
3. Dave Matthews was born in what country?
4. The 25-acre memorial in Central Park for John Lennon is called what?
5. Who holds the title of "Highest Grossing Music Tour By a Female Artist" for her "Farewell Tour" of 2005?
6. "Lady Soul" is what female R&B singer's nickname?
7. What artist has the greatest number of Billboard Top 40 hits all-time?

1-10 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Capricorn is this number sign of the Zodiac.
2. Jupiter is this number planet from the Sun.
3. How many sides does a heptagon have?
4. The Beatles released a compilation album in 2000 entitled what number?
5. Yankees Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig wore this number.
6. How many years did the Korean War last?
7. This is the number of points awarded in football for a safety.
8. June is this number month of the year.
9. The right fielder in baseball is this number player.
10. Hanukkah lasts this number days and nights.

General Knowledge
1. Which is the most easterly of the Great Lakes? ( 1 pt)
2. The musical instrument the sitar is associated with what country? ( 1 pt)
3. How many minutes are there in each period of a regulation hockey game? ( 1 pt)
4. What body organ creates insulin? ( 2 pt)
5. In what team sport would you perform a maneuver called a kong? (2 pt)
6. What Greek poet wrote "The Illiad" and "The Odyssey?" (2 pt)
7. From what country does Bacardi Rum originate? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Malabar Black is the most expensive variety of what commodity? ( 3 points)
2. Vaduz is the capital of what European country? ( 5 points)
3. In what present-day US state was the Roanoke Colony founded, in 1585? ( 4 points)
4. What 1960s Oscar-winning film featured only one female in the entire movie, a camel named Gladys? ( 4 points)
5. What Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer died in 1983 after choking on the cap of his bottle of eyedrops? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Nickelback; 2. Oregon; 3. Betty White; 4. Billy Crystal; 5. Venezuela; 6. The Family Circus; 7. Ashton Kutcher.

Pop Music Trivia
1. Stevie Ray Vaughan; 2. mandolin; 3. South Africa; 4. Strawberry Fields; 5. Cher; 6. Aretha Franklin; 7. Elvis Presley.

1-10 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. ten; 2. five; 3. seven; 4. one; 5. four; 6. three; 7. two; 8. six; 9. nine; 10. eight.

General Knowledge
1. Lake Ontario; 2. India; 3. twenty; 4. pancreas; 5. volleyball; 6. Homer; 7. Cuba.

IQ Trivia
1. pepper; 2. Liechtenstein; 3. North Carolina; 4. "Lawrence of Arabia;" 5. Tennessee Williams.

Hoped For Just a Respectable Game. Silly Me.

2011-11-15T00:01:00.002-05:00

An absolutely ugly night for the Vikings at Lambeau Field on Monday night. The Green Bay Packers once again proved they are the class of the NFL: 45-7.

I was really hoping for a respectable game from the Vikings. I sure didn't get it. No discipline from the Vikings, as they committed penalty after penalty. Offensive line was awful, as Christian Ponder looked like he was harried by Green Bay all night.

Packers at times looked like they were toying with the Vikings.

This game brought back bad memories of the worst season in Vikings history: 1984. Remember Les Steckel, the one-year head coach that season? I've done my very best to forget him.

The Vikings finished 3-13 in 1984. I wouldn't be surprised if this team matches that. The Vikings are simply a bad football team.

It's going to be a long way back to respectability for this team, folks.

A-Rockin' and A-Rollin' On Tuesday

2011-11-14T11:05:00.002-05:00

This Tuesday night, we will do as the Special Category, "Pop Music Trivia," seven questions about the wonderful world of music.

The Q Train lightning round will be another edition of "1-10 Trivia." That is ten questions where every answer will be a different number between 1 and 10, with no answers the same.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
In what team sport would you perform a maneuver called a "kong"?

We get going on Tuesday just after 9 PM. Trivia also returns to Josie Wood's on Wednesday night, November 16th at 9 PM as well. Hope to see many of you this week.

7 of 8

2011-11-13T11:25:00.003-05:00

Notre Dame made it look really easy last night at FedEx Field, as they easily rolled over Maryland, 45-21. They pulled out the green uniforms last night, and it was the Irish's seventh win in their last eight games.

The Irish rolled up 508 yards of total offense. Tommy Rees had arguably his best day ever, going 30-for-38 for 296 yards and two touchdowns. He was particularly superb in the second half, going 14-for-15.

The running back tandem of Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood were also excellent, as Gray rushed for 136 and 2 TDs, and Wood 99 yards and 1 TD.

David Ruffer also set a new personal high for his longest field goal, from 52 yards out in the first quarter.

It was a night everything went right. The Irish jumped out 10-0 after the first quarter, and it was 17-7 at the half. The defense also had its moments, as Lo Wood returned a Danny O'Brien pass 57 yards for a TD in the third. That basically iced the game at 38-7.

One question I do have. This game was played just 12 miles from Maryland's campus, but yet this was considered a Notre Dame "home" game. Haven't been able to find out why.

The 7-3 Irish have two games left: Boston College at South Bend next week, and a big one Thanksgiving weekend against Stanford at Palo Alto.

Papelbon To Philly

2011-11-11T14:51:00.004-05:00

Jonathan Papelbon reached an agreement with the Phillies on a four year-$50 million deal today, so I guess that means the Ryan Madson deal, reached earlier this week, is dead.

And now the guessing game for the Red Sox is who will close next season: Daniel Bard, Madson, or someone like Heath Bell?

The Red Sox weren't going to give Papelbon a contract like that, and they will also receive two first-round picks when the deal is done.

It was some ride. Thanks for the memories, Pap, especially this one, from October, 2007:

Thanks. Always.

2011-11-11T10:10:00.002-05:00

On this Veteran's Day, sincerest thanks to all who have and continue to serve our great nation. Especially to my friend Larry, who is a staff sergeant in the Army in Afghanistan.

Thanks to all of you in harm's way. Stay safe.

PT's Trivia Q&A: November 8

2011-11-09T01:10:00.001-05:00

It was an enormously busy night at Professor Thom's on Tuesday, as we had the trophy ceremony for the EVSA, which is the softball league I played in, and the team I was on was sponsored by Professor Thom's. We lost the championship series 3 games to 1, to Parkside Buzz, so we hosted the festivities before Trivia Night. Buzz are a classy team and many of them stayed around to play Trivia after it was concluded.

We had 18 teams take part in Trivia Night, and it was a noisy night. We had four teams within two points of each other for the lead going into IQ Trivia, but the team tied for first, O'Trivia Newton-John, wound up winning by two points, as they got 4 of the 5 IQ questions correct. (They also won "the double", which also includes Best Team Name.) Congratulations to them on their first ever Trivia Night win.

We had a tie for second place, between An Older Woman Who Pursues a Younger Is a Cougar. An Older Man Who Pursues a Younger Man Is a Nittany Lion (BTW, lots of Penn State names on Tuesday), and Is Richard Pryor The Answer To #2? We broke the tie by asking, "Between the 2011 World Series teams, how many league titles together have they won?" With the answer being 20, Richard Pryor was closest with 18 and wound up second.

Current Events
1. What TV talk show host made TV history last week by having the first on-air gay wedding performed on his show?
2. The G-20 Summit to discuss the world economy and financial markets took place in what country last week?
3. Three Pakistani athletes were recently convicted and sentenced to jail for conspiracy to fix a match in what sport in 2008?
4. Which Oscar-winning actor has signed on to star as Bernie Madoff in an upcoming HBO film about the convicted fraudster?
5. A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck what US state on Sunday, the largest one in the state's history?
6. 45 mine workers were rescued last weekend after an explosion in a mine in what Asian country killed 8 others?
7. What US city recently adopted a new law that bans naked people from eating in public restaurants?

November 8th Trivia
1. On this day in 1889, which western state joined the Union as the 41st state?
2. In 1966, Edward Brooke became the first black man elected to the US Senate since Reconstruction from what eastern state?
3. In 1923, what man led the unsuccessful Beer Hall Putsch, trying to overthrow the German government?
4. On this date in 1971, Led Zeppelin released what album, the third-best selling album in US history, which includes the classic "Stairway to Heaven?"
5. In 1895 on this date, Wilhelm Rontgen, a physicist from Germany, made what discovery, which was labeled a miracle of medicine?
6. In 1994, Sonny Bono was elected to Congress from what US state?
7. On this date in 1900, author Margaret Mitchell was born. What epic novel of hers has sold more than 30 million copies since it was first published in 1936?

Al Pacino Movie Characters ("The Q Train")
1. Michael Corleone
2. Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice
3. Tony Montana
4. Lowell Bergman
5. Lt. Col. Frank Slade
6. Lefty Ruggiero
7. Ricky Roma
8. Sonny Wortzik
9. Shylock
10. Satan

General Knowledge
1. In the film "Napoleon Dynamite", who were you encouraged to "vote for" by the many ubiquitous t-shirts? ( 1 pt)
2. What is the second-largest planet in our solar system? ( 1 pt)
3. How many bones are there in an adult human body? ( 1 pt)
4. Mogadishu is the capital of what African country? ( 2 pt)
5. A lavelier is a portable type of what? ( 2 pt)
6. Which disease is diagnosed by a Wasserman Test? ( 2 pt)
7. What European country has had seven kings named Haakon? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Who is the only artist who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on three separate occasions? ( 5 points)
2. What famous fictional character lived in Hundred Acre Wood? ( 3 points)
3. The bilk of the two Italo-Abyssinian Wars of the 19th and 20th centuries were fought in what nation? ( 4 points)
4. What American sports company is run by three men with the last name of France? ( 4 points)
5. What country sits to the north of the Gulf of Aden and is home to many of the Somali pirates? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Conan O'Brien; 2. France; 3. Cricket; 4. Robert DeNiro; 5. Oklahoma; 6. China; 7. San Francisco.

November 8th Trivia
1. Montana; 2. Massachusetts; 3. Adolf Hitler; 4. Led Zeppelin IV; 5. X-rays; 6. California; 7. "Gone With the Wind."

Al Pacino Characters Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. The Godfather; 2. Dick Tracy; 3. Scarface; 4. The Insider; 5. Scent of a Woman; 6. Donnie Brasco; 7. Glengarry Glen Ross; 8. Dog Day Afternoon; 9. The Merchant of Venice; 10. The Devil's Advocate.

General Knowledge
1. Pedro; 2. Saturn; 3. 206; 4. Somalia; 5. microphone; 6. syphilis; 7. Norway.

IQ Trivia
1. Eric Clapton; 2. Winnie the Pooh; 3. Ethiopia; 4. NASCAR; 5. Yemen.

Thanks For The Memories, Smokin' Joe

2011-11-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

I was sad to hear that the great Joe Frazier passed away on Monday at the age of 67. I was always a Joe Frazier fan. He was the heavyweight champion when I was a kid, and I remember a friend of mine and I found his mailing address and he sent us both a small autographed picture, which I have buried someplace in my house. (I hope one day I can find it.)

I never liked Muhammad Ali, who I always thought was an obnoxious loudmouth. I pulled for Joe in their three epic battles. Smokin' Joe always carried himself as the heavyweight champion with class and dignity.

And in his memory, I present one of his best post-fight career moments. His Miller Lite Beer commercial. A classic:

Thanks for the memories, Champ. Godspeed.

You Won't Be Out of Order With Trivia This Week

2011-11-07T11:30:00.002-05:00

This week, Tuesday Night Trivia at Professor Thom's will feature "November 8th Trivia" as the Special Category. It will be events that have occurred on that date in history.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Al Pacino Characters Trivia." I will give you the names of 10 famous characters that the Oscar-winning actor has portrayed in his career, and you have to tell me the film they were featured in. We did it for Robert DeNiro last month and that was rather successful, so why not Pacino?

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
Mogadishu is the capital of what African country?

We get going just after 9 PM on Tuesday night. A reminder that Trivia Night at Josie Wood's will be happening on Wednesday night at 9 PM, on Waverly Place and Mercer Street. Hope to see many of you for Trivia this week.

ND Becomes Bowl Eligible

2011-11-06T11:08:00.004-05:00

It was the first meeting ever between Notre Dame and Wake Forest on Saturday night, and it was a memorable one for the Irish, as their 24-17 win makes them bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive year. The Irish have now won six of their last seven.

Tommy Rees, who was 14-for-23 for 166 yards, threw two touchdowns, and the Irish were down 17-10 at halftime. They held Forest scoreless in the second half, and scored two TDs in the third quarter, as Jonas Gray scored from one-yard out to tie the game. Gray had actually scored on a 26-yard run two plays earlier, but the refs actually reversed a correct call and said Gray's elbow touched the ground just before he hit the goal line. (Even refs can get it wrong on replay.) No matter, as Gray punched it in anyway.

Michael Floyd scored the game winner on a 16-yard pass from Rees late in the third. The Irish defense took over from there.

Interesting side note on this game was that it was played at BB&T Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC, which holds just over 31,000. It is the smallest venue Notre Dame has played in since 1945. The announced crowd was 36,307.

Next Saturday night, the Irish take on Maryland at FedEx Field in Landover, MD.

"The Big Show"

2011-11-05T11:14:00.004-04:00

There's a new book out called "The Big Show", and it has absolutely nothing to do with a left-wing broadcaster or a professional wrestler. It is actually a coffee-table book of old time photographs of MLB players from the first half of the 20th century.

The pictures were taken by the renowned photographer Charles M. Conlon, who took over 30,000 photos of baseball players between 1904 and 1942. The book contains many from the upper echelon on the sport, like Babe Ruth, Connie Mack and Walter Johnson. But "The Big Show" also includes pictures of lesser known players, like Joe Grace, Randy Moore and Roy Weatherly. Household, as well as non-household names get their equal due in the book.

Each page as a different player, with text written by Neal and Constance McCabe. Roger Kahn, the profilic baseball author, wrote the foreword. The book is actually a follow-up to the acclaimed "Baseball's Golden Age," which was the first book of Conlon's photographs.

I've always been fascinated by baseball from the early 20th century, and if you are too, you should pick up this book. Lots of great stories as well as photos, as it was fascinating seeing and reading about Leo Durocher as a New York Yankee in 1929. And the story of Buck Weaver, who was one of the eight "Black Sox" who were banned from baseball in 1921, is also very interesting.

"The Big Show" is a terrific book of rare photographs, many never before published, from baseball's "Golden Age." I enjoyed it, and if you love baseball history, I'm sure you would too.

Around The Baseball World

2011-11-04T11:05:00.003-04:00

It's quiet on the Hot Stove front right now, as the Red Sox haven't made any hugely significant moves yet. Right now the search for a new field manager continues.

Pete Mackanin, the Phillies bench coach, and Dale Sveum, Brewers bench coach (and remember his infamous gig as Sox third base coach back in 2004 and 2005?) interviewed this week, and the club has permission to talk to Sandy Alomar Jr. and Mike Maddux.

This process should go on for a few more weeks, and I'm betting we don't have a manager in place until after Thanksgiving.

Terry Francona will be interviewing for the two other top managerial vacancies right now: Cubs and Cardinals. The moment I heard that Tony LaRussa was stepping away, I thought he might be a perfect fit in St. Louis. So much for my theory that Tito might take a year away from the dugout and head for a broadcast network gig.

David Ortiz (DH), Jacoby Ellsbury (CF) and Adrian Gonzalez (1B) all were awarded the Silver Slugger Awards at their various positions. I have a little more respect for the Silver Sluggers than I do the Gold Gloves, that's for sure.

And the 10 candidates for the Hall of Fame as picked by the Veterans Committee were announced this week. Among the ten are two worthy names that I hope will be picked this time: Luis Tiant and Gil Hodges. I met Looie at Professor Thom's a few years back and told him it was a crime he wasn't in the Hall and hoped one day he would go in. He wasn't too optimistic of ever being enshrined, but I'm pulling for him big time.

The vote will take place during the Winter Meetings on December 5th.

Three Sox Win Meaningless Award

2011-11-02T11:12:00.004-04:00

Take it for what its worth. Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury won AL Gold Gloves, as the awards were announced last night.

In my opinion, they are the most overrated awards in sports. But it sounds like all three actually deserved to win them this year.

Congratulations to them anyway.

PT's Trivia Q&A: November 1

2011-11-02T01:14:00.000-04:00

It was a night when we had a lot of trouble with the microphone, and a whopping 24 teams turned out as well. (My thanks to my buddy Devin, Thom's manager, who did his very best getting it fixed.)

We started late, and we didn't finish until nearly 11:30 PM. The scores were rather low for Current Events and True or False Trivia, as they were a bit on the difficult side.

We had a three-way tie going into General Knowledge, and a two-way tie going into IQ Trivia. But the team in fourth place, Just The Q-Tip, Just For a Sec, Just To See How It Feels wound up jumping over the top three and won by three points, with 52 points. Nice job on another win for them.

Second place went to When Herman Cain Sexually Harassed Me In Berlin, I Said "9-9-9" (who also won for Best Team Name) and third place was a tie between Live Free Or Drink and Is That a Hot Dog In Your Pants Or Are You Just Happy It's Jess' Birthday? both had 45 points.

Current Events
1. A tooth from what late rock star will go up for auction in England this month, and is expected to bring $16,000 to the owner?
2. According to Forbes magazine, who was the highest-grossing "dead celebrity" at $170 million for the year of 2010?
3. Michael D. Higgins was elected the ninth president of what country last weekend?
4. What Asian-based company passed Apple last week to become the number one manufacturer of smartphones in the world?
5. What airline shut down its entire fleet of planes, grounding all flights last weekend due to continued union action against the company, but returned flying Monday?
6. What female singer's current album was Billboard's number one album for the 13th consecutive week, the first to do that since the Titanic soundtrack turned the trick in 1998?
7. The US is bankrolling a $20 million initiative to bring a version of the children's TV show "Sesame Street" to what foreign country, hoping it will increase tolerance there?

Q-Tip Trivia
1. Which of the following states currently have two Democrats in the US Senate? a. New York; b. New Jersey; c. Florida; d. Illinois.
2. Which of the following MLB teams have won the World Series twice in the 21st century? a. Philadelphia Phillies; b. St. Louis Cardinals; c. Florida Marlins; d. Boston Red Sox.
3. Which US presidents did not serve a full term of four years in office? a. Franklin Pierce; b. Benjamin Harrison; c. Warren G. Harding; d. Calvin Coolidge.
4. For which of the following films was Meryl Streep NOT nominated for an Academy Award? a. The Deer Hunter; b. Postcards From The Edge; c. The Bridges of Madison County; d. The Devil Wears Prada.
5. Which of these classic sitcoms was a spinoff from another series? a. Laverne and Shirley; b. Friends; c. Married With Children; d. The Jeffersons.
6. Which months of the year don't have a national holiday in them? a. March; b. August; c. April; d. December.
7. Which of the following have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on two separate occasions? a. Paul Simon; b. Jeff Beck; c. Jimmy Page; d. Michael Jackson.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Tigers can mate up to 50 times a day.
2. Fortune cookies were not invented in China, but in America.
3. One of the Wright brothers actually died in a plane crash years after the first flight.
4. The biggest known volcano in the solar system is on Mars.
5. Florence Nightingale founded the American Red Cross.
6. Adult humans have more bones than babies do.
7. The last humans set foot on the moon in 1972.
8. Easter Island was so named because it was discovered on Easter Sunday.
9. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle named his most famous fictional character, Sherlock Holmes, in honor of American justice Oliver Wendell Holmes.
10. No NFL player has ever had his number retired by two different teams.

General Knowledge
1. Deborah Harry was the lead singer of what 1970s rock band? ( 1 pt)
2. What nickname is given to London's Underground? ( 1 pt)
3. Tabasco is a state in what country? ( 1 pt)
4. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God on which mountain? ( 2 pt)
5. What US state does the old London Bridge currently reside in? ( 2 pt)
6. Which American general was nicknamed "Old Blood and Guts?" ( 2 pt)
7. What organization has a candle surrounded by barb wire as its emblem? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What 20th century figure was assassinated by Nathuram Godse? ( 4 points)
2. If you just made a sternutation, what did you just do? ( 4 points)
3. Which of the Founding Fathers was nicknamed "Father of the Constitution?" ( 3 points)
4. What legendary entertainer once hosted a TV game show in the early 1960s called "Who Do You Trust?" ( 4 points)
5. The Council of Ten governed what European city from 1310-1797? ( 5 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. John Lennon; 2. Michael Jackson; 3. Ireland; 4. Samsung; 5. Qantas; 6. Adele; 7. Pakistan.

Q-Tip Trivia
1. a,b; 2. b,d; 3. c; 4. none; 5. a,d; 6. a,b,c; 7. all.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. true; 3. false; 4. true; 5. false, Clara Barton; 6. false, babies have over 300; 7. true; 8. true; 9. true; 10. false, Reggie White is the only one.

General Knowledge
1. Blondie; 2. The Tube; 3. Mexico; 4. Mount Sinai; 5. Arizona; 6. George S. Patton; 7. Amnesty International.

IQ Trivia
1. Mahatma Gandhi; 2. sneeze; 3. James Madison; 4. Johnny Carson; 5. Venice.

Q-Tip (and Josie Wood's) Returns This Week

2011-10-31T11:19:00.005-04:00

This Tuesday night, the Special Category will be the return of "Q-Tip Trivia." For the uninitiated, that is when I ask seven multiple choice, general knowledge questions, and the answer can be 1, 2, 3 all 4 of none correct. You will get a point for each correct answer (one point if the answer is none). However, if you guess a wrong answer, you will get no points in total for that question. You can roll some big points, but caution is definitely appropriate in that round.

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

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
Which American general was nicknamed "Old Blood and Guts"?

We get going shortly after 9 PM. A reminder that we will give Josie Wood's another go with Trivia Night this Wednesday night at 9 PM. Hope to see many of you tomorrow and Wednesday nights.

Smart Move

2011-10-30T21:46:00.002-04:00

The Red Sox and new GM Ben Cherington began their Hot Stove moves with a real no-brainer: they exercised the $6 million option they hold on Marco Scutaro for 2012.

Scutaro was one of the few bright spots last September, and hit .299 for the season. With Jose Iglesias struggling at Pawtucket in 2011, it made sense to bring Marco back for another season.

Here's more from Extra Bases.

Sometimes It's Better To Be Lucky Than Good

2011-10-30T21:34:00.003-04:00

As I was watching the Carolina Panthers come down the field in the final minutes of their game with the Vikings today (on NFL RedZone), I thought for sure the Vikings were going to lose. It was 24-21 Vikings and Cam Newton looked like he was going to rescue the Panthers with a last minute TD.

But the Vikings defense held Carolina at the 14-yard line with 28 seconds to play. That set up a 31-yard FG by Olindo Mare, a chip shot that would have sent the game into overtime.

But Mare shanked it wide left, and the Vikes escaped with their second win of 2011, and their first road win of the season.

It was a battle of rookie QBs, and once again Christian Ponder was impressive. He went 18-for-28, for 236 yards and 1 TD. Cam Newton threw 2 TDs for 290 yards.

Adrian Peterson had 162 yards from scrimmage (86 rushing) and scored 2 TDs, one rushing and one receiving. He continues to lead the NFL in rushing yards.

It was Christian Ponder's first career win, and his poise in leading the comeback was especially impressive. He continues to look like the real thing.

ND Sinks Navy

2011-10-30T11:43:00.003-04:00

Notre Dame's longtime rival Navy had been giving the Fighting Irish some real headaches over the past few years, as Navy had won 3 of the last 4 meetings.

But the Irish took out their frustrations early after the tough loss to USC last week. They scored early and often, as Jonas Gray (pictured) and Cierre Wood scored first quarter touchdowns, and ND was off to the races.

It was 35-7 at halftime, as both Gray and Wood scored their second TD in the second quarter. Michael Floyd caught a 56-yard TD from Tommy Rees, and the rout was on.

Both Floyd and Gray scored TDs in the third quarter, and the regulars took the fourth quarter off. Rees went 16-for-22 for 237 yards and 1 TD (a second TD was ruled a rush by Floyd, as he caught his second TD behind the line of scrimmage).

The last Irish TD was scored on a 0ne-yard run in the fourth by freshman George Atkinson III, grandson of the Oakland Raiders defensive back.

The next meeting between Notre Dame and Navy will take place in Dublin, Ireland next season.

The 56-14 romp makes ND now 5-3 on the season, and they take on Wake Forest next Saturday night in North Carolina.

Game 6: Going Down In The An(n)als of History

2011-10-29T00:52:00.002-04:00

My pal Jere caught this from Game 6 on Thursday night: the World Series logo coming out the butt of the home plate umpire!

Enjoy:

And thanks to my friend Harry, who came up with the title of this post.

11

2011-10-28T23:42:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals on winning their 11th World Series championship, 6-2. It was a terrific Series. I feel badly for the Texas Rangers fans out there, especially my pal Jaco in Florida, the biggest Rangers fan I know.

I know exactly how you feel, buddy. Believe me, I do.

And for Cardinals fans, it was a magic ride to another title. 10 1/2 games back on August 25th, and they win it all. I especially congratulate my old friend Steve, who hired me for Tower Records in Greenwich Village in 1984. He's the biggest Redbird fan I know.

So, which was worse: the way the Red Sox season ended, or the way the Texas Rangers season ended?

David Freese (pictured) won the World Series MVP. The Cardinals join the Red Sox as the only teams to win two World Series in the 21st century. Welcome to the club.

Pitchers and catchers report in 109 days. It can't come soon enough for me.

You Knew This Series Had To Go Seven Games

2011-10-28T00:45:00.006-04:00

Another Game Six for the time capsule.

It was heart-stopping baseball, on the 7th anniversary of the Red Sox 2004 championship win.

It was also in St. Louis.

David Freese joins Carlton Fisk, Joe Carter, Mookie Wilson, Dane Iorg and Kirby Puckett in World Series Game 6 immortality.