We've Got a New Trivia Home

I'm very pleased to announce that my Trivia Night has a brand new home: at Foley's NY Pub and Restaurant, which is at 18 West 33rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, right across the street from the Empire State Building.

I will be doing Trivia every Sunday night, and at an earlier time than I have usually done it: 7 PM. We will get started on February 15th, two weeks from this Sunday night. It will be the same Trivia you have come to know and love over the years: 5 categories, 2 special categories, and the staples of Current Events, General Knowledge and IQ Trivia. First place will be a $50 gift certificate to the bar, and the other prizes will be determined before we get going.

I'm really thrilled to be hosting Trivia in one of the best known sports bars in New York City. For those of you unfamiliar with Foley's, check out their web site here.

I thank all of you for your support and loyalty over the years, and I hope you can make it out on Sunday nights for Trivia. See you in a couple of weeks!

You Can Never Have Enough Lefties

The Red Sox pulled off a small trade yesterday, and surprisingly sent minor league pitcher Anthony Ranaudo to Texas for lefty reliever/starter Robbie Ross.

Ranaudo was a number one draft pick by the Sox in 2010, and was the Pitcher of the Year in AA in 2013 at Portland, and the International League Pitcher of the Year in 2014. He was up for seven starts last season and got roughed up, going 4-3 with a 4.81 ERA, walking more than he struck out in 39 1/3 innings, and allowed 10 home runs.

The Red Sox have lots of depth in terms of starting pitching at the high minor league level, so they saw Ranaudo as expendable. And you can never have enough relievers, especially those who throw left handed.

Ross, who is 25 and from Kentucky, was terrific in his first two full seasons in Texas in 2012 and 2013. But they tried to make him a starter last year, and he got hit hard, going 1-6 with a 5.70 ERA. And he was returned to the pen and couldn't get his groove back, putting up a 7.85 ERA. Ross figures to be a late-inning arm out of the pen. Here's more on Robbie Ross.

Ross joins Craig Breslow, Drake Britton and Tommy Layne as left starters in the Red Sox bullpen.

The Sox may or may not be finished as far as adding arms to the pitching staff, as the pitchers and catchers report in 3 1/2 weeks. Interesting to see that James Shields is still out there unsigned. I'm still betting that Boston will not be his landing site.

"You Can't Make This Stuff Up"

I just finished reading the new autobiography by legendary sportscaster Al Michaels about his career behind the mic called "You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Miracles, Memories and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television."

It's an enjoyable read from one of the best-known voices on television. Michaels doesn't take himself too seriously as he guides his readers through his formative years growing up in Brooklyn, going to Ebbets Field, a short move to Long Island, and then going to Southern California, where his broadcasting career began.

He began his professional career in baseball, doing the AAA Hawaii Islanders games before moving over to the Cincinnati Reds radio booth in 1971. He moved over to the San Francisco Giants in 1974 before going to ABC in 1977 to do college football, where his national career began to take shape.

Michaels has been part of two of the most famous sporting events of the later 20th century, the 1980 gold medal win by the US hockey team, and the lead announcer of the 1989 World Series when it was struck by an earthquake and eventually delayed the series by 10 days. He gives insights into both events that take the reader back to one glorious, and one tragic, time in American history.

He has a passion for hockey, even before he made his legendary call back at Lake Placid in 1980. And golf is his current all-consuming passion, and does plenty of name-dropping on who he's hit the links with: everyone from Michael Jordan to former president George W. Bush.

Michaels even talks about some of his forays outside the sports world, when he talks of his appearance on "The Dating Game" ( you can see that on YouTube), "Hawaii Five-O" (the original series with Jack Lord, who doesn't come off too well in Michaels' retelling), and a cameo role in the 1998 comedy film "BASEketball" (which Michaels did against his better judgment). The book also includes some funny tidbits like his swiping a phone from a hotel in 2000 that Al Gore might have used on Election Night that year, and his great fandom for Howard Stern and his raunchy radio show.

But I found the most interesting parts of the book were how Michaels retells his relationships with the most controversial people in his sporting life, and dedicated a chapter to each. He has little love for Howard Cosell, who he was partnered with on Monday Night Baseball back in the early 1980s, as Cosell had turned bitter against ABC and the sports he was covering and really didn't hide that fact. Michaels worked with O.J. Simpson during the 1984 Summer Olympics and had nothing but nice things to say about him in terms of his working relationship. But, of course, the majority of the chapter about Simpson is on the murder of his wife and friend, and Michaels' working with ABC News on the day of the slow-speed chase in L.A.

Michaels talks in detail about his long tenure on "Monday Night Football" with his various partners, from John Madden to Boomer Esiason. And about the difficult conversion he had to make in moving over to Sunday Night Football on NBC.

"You Can't Make This Up" is generally a fun read that I would definitely recommend if you've followed Al Michaels' career, like I have. Lots of fascinating stories and name dropping throughout the book. He's lived an interesting life covering the world of sports, and as the legendary broadcaster Curt Gowdy once told him, "Never get jaded." It sure sounds like Al Michaels has heeded that advice.

First Trivia Update

Hello Trivia players: I thought I would give you all an update on the progress of my next Trivia Night. I recently spoke to a bar owner I know in Midtown Manhattan, and he is seriously considering taking me on as a host. It is a well-known establishment (I will reveal the place when and if it becomes a reality), and the best night for them to have Trivia is on Sunday night at 8 PM. I have no problem with that, and I hope that can fit into your schedules. If it happens there, the first night will probably be the Sunday following the Super Bowl (that would be February 8th).

I should hear back from him soon, and when I do I will let you know any further updates. I am also looking for a second place to do it during the week, preferably on a Tuesday or Wednesday night. Please do drop me a line if you know of an establishment seeking a new Trivia host. Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year, and I look forward to hosting a new Trivia Night soon. Be well, everyone!

Pedro. Unit. Biggio. Smoltz.

For the first time since 1955, four players were elected to the Hall of Fame today, as Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Craig Biggio and John Smoltz will all be enshrined in Cooperstown this coming July.

Johnson was the top vote-getter with 97.3% of the 549 votes cast. It is the 7th highest percentage ever.

Pedro was second at 91.1%. 49 writers did not for him. There were some writers who left Pedro and Johnson off their ballots simply because they felt they were both a synch to make it, and wanted to include more than 10 maximum they could vote for. (This is the reason the ballot must be expanded to 12 or 15 maximum.)

Smoltz and Biggio both received over 82% of the vote. Mike Piazza just missed this time, getting 69.9%. With just Ken Griffey Jr. the only sure bet to be elected to the Hall, Piazza's chances next year are very good for election. Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Curt Schilling all did better than last year, and they trending upwards to an eventual Hall of Fame election.

Both Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens did slightly better than in 2014, but are still in the upper 30% range, still nowhere close. Mark McGwire got just 10% of the vote in his next-to-last time on the ballot. Nomar Garciaparra got just 5.5% in his ballot, and he figures to be like Don Mattingly, a great player who was a "shooting star" who will never get in.

Congratulations to one of the greatest Red Sox players of all-time, and to the other three very worthy newest Hall of Famers.

Here are the official results, courtesy of baseballhall.org:

Ballots Cast: 549

Needed for Election: 412

Votes	Player	Percentage
534	Randy Johnson	97.3%
500	Pedro Martinez	91.1%
455	John Smoltz	82.9%
454	Craig Biggio	82.7%
384	Mike Piazza	69.9%
306	Jeff Bagwell	55.7%
302	Tim Raines	55.0%
215	Curt Schilling	39.2%
206	Roger Clemens	37.5%
202	Barry Bonds	36.8%
166	Lee Smith	30.2%
148	Edgar Martinez	27.0%
138	Alan Trammell	25.1%
135	Mike Mussina	24.6%
77	Jeff Kent	14.0%
71	Fred McGriff	12.9%
65	Larry Walker	11.8%
64	Gary Sheffield	11.7%
55	Mark McGwire	10.0%
50	Don Mattingly	9.1%
36	Sammy Sosa	6.6%
30	Nomar Garciaparra	5.5%
21	Carlos Delgado	3.8%
4	Troy Percival	0.7%
2	Aaron Boone	0.4%
2	Tom Gordon	0.4%
1	Darin Erstad	0.2%
0	Rich Aurilia	0.0%
0	Tony Clark	0.0%
0	Jermaine Dye	0.0%
0	Cliff Floyd	0.0%
0	Brian Giles	0.0%
0	Eddie Guardado	0.0%
0	Jason Schmidt	0.0%

*All candidates in italics received less than 5% of the vote on ballots cast and will be removed from future BBWAA consideration

Happy 2015, Everyone

This is our 4,646th post at The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, and the 179th and final one for 2014.

It's been an interesting one, and more of a difficult one than anything else. The Red Sox wound up in last place, the Vikings improved slightly over 2013, Notre Dame got off to flying start before slumping badly at the end.

We saw our latest Trivia Night come to an end just earlier this week, and I worked very little in my background acting career. I'm going to try to revive that in 2015. And hopefully have a new Trivia Night up and running soon in the new year.

We saw the opening of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum last May, and I was totally moved to tears by it. I am proud to have made a contribution to it, and it is one of the proudest things I have ever done in my life. If you ever find yourself in Lower Manhattan, make a point of going to see it.

I put up the fewest posts in any year on this blog in 2014. I wrote mostly about just Trivia and the Red Sox, and little less frequently. I've noticed that I have been trending downwards as the years progress on this site. Not sure if that will continue in 2015.

Thanks to all of you for your support and good wishes throughout the year. I want to wish all of you a very happy and blessed 2015. Hopefully good things lie ahead for all of us!

Trivia at the Caledonia is Now Over

It is with great sadness that I have to report that Tuesday Night Trivia at the Caledonia Scottish Pub is now over, after just 7 months.

The bar was just recently sold, and the owner decided to end Trivia Night, and let our good friend and bartender Keith go as well. The irony of this move is that the Trivia Night was really gaining momentum, and we filled the bar every Tuesday night since Labor Day. And it would only get better with the winter, as that is usually the best time of year for Trivia, with folks coming out in bad weather to get their Trivia fix.

I want to thank Keith, who is a good friend, and for the opportunity to do Trivia at the Caledonia. He was a blast to work with, and brought back pleasant memories of my days doing Trivia years ago.

And I especially want to thank all of you who came out and enjoyed my Trivia Night this year. It was such a pleasure meeting so many of you, and especially to those of you who have been with me in the other places I have done Trivia before. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I will keep all of you updated here on my blog with relevant updates as to where my new Trivia venue will be, and also on my Facebook page, "The Mighty Quinn's Trivia Empire."

I wish all of you all the best for a Happy 2015, and I'll see you down the road one day for another Trivia Night somewhere. Be well everyone!

To You and Yours, a Very Merry Christmas

I want to wish you all, no matter where you see this post from, a very Merry Christmas.

May Santa be good to all of you, and may the spirit of the season fill all of you with peace and joy.

As I do every year, here is the famous Yule Log, which is broadcast every Christmas morning on WPIX Channel 11 in New York from 9 AM until 1 PM.

Enjoy the holidays everyone!

Trivia Q&A: December 23

We returned from our one-week hiatus, and had a great night of Trivia on Tuesday. The bar was filled, and it was great to see a few old friends, Peter, Ruth and Amy, in for Trivia for the first time at the Caledonia.

We had a short delay at the start, as the console we do the Trivia on was being transported from another bar in Brooklyn, but everyone was really into the Trivia once we got going. We had a three-way tie after two rounds, and we had a tie after round four, and the same two teams were deadlocked after IQ Trivia concluded.

The tie was broken when I asked "How much did Robert Downey Jr. earn as the highest-paid actor in America in 2014? The team of The Nightmare Before Christmas: Home Alone With Kim Jung Un guessed $67 million (it was $75 million) and won the night, with 52 points. Congrats to Mike and his friends on their first ever win on Trivia Night. Second place went to When I Think About You, I Touch My Elf , and third place went to I Wish This Microphone Was a Dick (which won for Best Team Name, as I got nothing but guffaws every time I read it) with 44 points.

Current Events
1. Who was selected recently as Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2014?
2. What Internet giant was named the best company in America to work for by the career site Glassdoor?
3. What rapper was the highest paid musician of 2014, earning $620 million, according to Forbes magazine?
4. What Hollywood iconic star was nominated for a Golden Globe for the 29th time recently, the most by anyone in the combined film and TV categories?
5. What Hollywood star recently petitioned the Massachusetts Parole Board for a pardon over a 1998 assault conviction and has the blessing of the man he once assaulted?
6. A time capsule was unearthed recently near the Massachusetts State House that is believed to have been buried by two of America's earliest patriots. Name 1 of the 2 men.
7. What female cable personality was selected as the "Most Annoying TV Host" by a Ranker.com poll for 2014?

Christmas Trivia
1. In "A Charlie Brown Christmas," what Christmas song does Lucy ask Schroeder to play for her on the piano?
2. What Christmas movie was primarily set at West 11th Street in Cleveland, Ohio?
3. In what country is the Christmas tree believed to have originated?
4. "A Christmas Carol" was written by what 19th century author?
5. What Tchaikovsky ballet is a favorite during the Christmas season?
6. What horror film star was the narrator of the classic Christmas TV special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas?"
7. What Christmas song, released in 1958, is still the only one to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart?
BONUS: 8. What are 2 of the 3 main rituals of the holiday of Festivus?

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

General Knowledge
1. What two colors make gray? ( 1 pt)
2. Assuming the thumb is the first finger, what number is the ring finger? ( 1 pt)
3. What is the 17th letter of the alphabet? ( 1 pt)
4. Arbor Day is the last Friday in what month? ( 2 pt)
5. Lake Pontchartrain is found in what US state? ( 2 pt)
6. Hankook, Cooper and Pirelli all manufacture what product? ( 2 pt)
7. A fletcher is a person who makes what type of product? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What US president once gave a speech in Milwaukee with a bullet wound in his chest, and survived? ( 4 points)
2. What country has Stella Artois beer been brewed in since 1926? ( 3 points)
3. "Silent Gray Fellow" was an early 20th century nickname for what present-day motor vehicles? ( 5 points)
4. What Canadian artist had the highest-selling country album of all-time in 1997? ( 4 points)
5. What actor won an Academy Award each for playing the characters of Popeye Doyle and Little Bill Daggett in films over 20 years apart? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Ebola doctors; 2. Google; 3. Dr. Dre; 4. Meryl Streep; 5. Mark Wahlberg; 6. Paul Revere & Samuel Adams; 7. Nancy Grace.

Christmas Trivia
1. "Jingle Bells;" 2. "A Christmas Story;" 3. Germany; 4. Charles Dickens; 5. "The Nutcracker;" 6. Boris Karloff; 7. "The Chipmunk Song;" 8. The Festivus Pole, Airing of Grievances & The Feats of Strength.

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

General Knowledge
1. Black and white; 2. four; 3. Q; 4. April; 5. Louisiana; 6. tires; 7. arrows.

IQ Trivia
1. Theodore Roosevelt; 2. Belgium; 3. Harley-Davidson motorcycles; 4. Shania Twain; 5. Gene Hackman.

Trivia Returns With Christmas Cheer

We took a week off from Trivia at the Caledonia Scottish Pub last week, as there was a private party in the bar last Tuesday night. But we are back tomorrow night, December 23rd, and the Special category will be "Christmas Trivia, " seven question about the great holiday that is now upon us. And I will include a special bonus question at the end of the round as well.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Christmas Film Trivia By Decade." I will ask you ten classic Christmas movies, and you have tell me the decade of its release. And if you get the exact year right as well, you will get a bonus point.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"Hankook, Cooper and Pirelli all manufacture what product?"

We get going at 8 PM tomorrow night. The Caledonia is at 1609 2nd Avenue, between E. 83rd and 84th Streets. I look forward to seeing many of you, as we celebrate Christmas with a great night of Trivia Q&A!

Christmas In Ireland, With Father Jack

This is based on one of the most popular posts I have ever put up on this blog: "The 12 Days of Christmas, Irish Style."

Irish actor/comedian Frank Kelly, who is best known for playing Father Jack Hackett on the great 1990s sitcom "Father Ted," did a great parody of "The 12 Days of Christmas" with his own version of it. I always get hits on my blog for people looking for it on the Internet, so here it is again.

Enjoy it, and have a great Christmas everyone!

Trivia's Off Until Next Tuesday

Hello all Trivia regulars at the Caledonia: Trivia will NOT be happening this week, due to a private party being staged at the Caledonia tomorrow night.

We will return with Trivia Night a week from tomorrow, December 23rd at 8 PM, and we will definitely have plenty of Trivia that night about the coming Christmas holiday.

See you all next week!

Trivia Night Postponed

Hey Caledonia Trivia folks: Trivia Night will NOT be happening this Tuesday night, December 16th, due to a private party being held in the bar that night. Sorry for the late notice. No decision has yet been made on whether it will be moved to Wednesday this week or not. Trivia Night will DEFINITELY be happening on Tuesday night, December 23rd at 8 PM. I will update with more information when it becomes known.

See you all soon!

My Q&A With Stadium Journey

I had the pleasure to be interviewed recently by Jon Hart, who is part of a great web site called "Stadium Journey," which reviews ballparks from the US and all over the world.

Jon is also the author of a terrific book he recently wrote called "Man Versus Ball: One Ordinary Guy and His Extraordinary Sports Adventures," which I reviewed here earlier this year. In it, Jon did everything in sports from playing semi-pro football to working as a vendor at Yankee and Shea Stadiums.

In the interview, I talked about my Red Sox fandom here in New York, my love of Trivia, my background acting career and my ill-fated appearance on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

You can check it out here. My thanks to Jon and everyone over at Stadium Journey for a great Q&A!

Miley & Porcello

The above headline will be two-fifths of your Boston Red Sox rotation for 2015.

After losing out on Jon Lester, the Red Sox moved quickly to add veteran starters, and traded Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and a minor leaguer to Arizona for lefty Wade Miley, and then sent Yoenis Cespedes to Detroit for righty Rick Porcello.

Here's everything you need to know about Miley and Porcello.

Miley, 28, will be under Red Sox control for three more years, and Porcello, 26, can become a free agent after this season. I was impressed with De La Rosa in his time in Boston in 2014, as I thought he could become a back-of-the-rotation starter or an effective bullpen arm. Webster was very hot-and-cold, and should get a legit chance to open in the Arizona rotation in 2015.

Anyway, Plan B is under way, with plenty more to come this offseason.

UPDATE: The Sox brought in their third starter in less than 24 hours when Justin Masterson agreed to a one year, $9 million deal. Glad to see him come back, as it brings the staff more flexibility, as he can be a back end of the rotation starter, or long reliever.

It's The Cubs

Jon Lester made his decision, and he's moving to the National League, to pitch in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

Theo Epstein offered Lester a 6-year, $155 million deal, and he took it. It also includes a vesting option for a seventh year.

That was something the Red Sox were not going to match. Nor should they. The Cubs have money to spend, and are looking for an ace. They haven't had a winning year since 2009, and have a lot of talent in their system.

It will be interesting to hear Lester's press conference when the Cubs introduce him, and why he's going to Chicago. My friend Cormac Eklof points out today that he better not use the word "contend" and I agree with him. The Cubs are a long way from that. They are pointed in the right direction, but they are two years off at least from a playoff berth.

The Red Sox best offer to him was 6 years at 135 million. I don't blame him for taking the best offer, as he, like all other baseball players, are businessmen. But you rarely hear any admit to the real reason they jump to a certain club: money. It's always "I want to play for a contender" or "I've always dreamed of playing for this team."

Face facts: the Red Sox ultimately blew it with Lester. Their original offer of  4 years, $70 million last spring wasn't even close to getting a deal done. (I refuse to say "insulting", as offering ANYONE a deal of nearly $18 million a year to play baseball is never "insulting," no matter what idiot sportswriter says that.)

Jon Lester has always been an honorable man, someone worth rooting for. I wish him luck in Chicago. But now it's time for the Red Sox to look ahead to 2015.

Bring on Plan B.

Trivia Q&A: December 9

It was a miserable, rainy day in New York on Tuesday afternoon, but that didn't stop a good crowd from turning out that evening for Trivia at the Caledonia. It was another night that the bar was filled, and it was a boisterous night as well.

We had a really close race to the finish, with the top three each separated by one point each going into IQ Trivia. But the team of The Quinn/Lowerre Appreciation Society (who also won Best Team Name) did best in IQ Trivia, getting 13 points and winning the night by three points with a total of 45. They were in first place the entire evening, and it was their first ever win at Trivia Night. My congratulations to Victoria, Helen and their friends (both from the UK and US) on their win. And they celebrated long into the night as well!

Second place went to Sony Pictures Password Protectors with 42 points, and third place went to Awesome Ironic Name, or Roger with 39 points.

Current Events
1. Priceline.com selected what western city as its top travel destination for Christmas in the US for 2014?
2. What female pop singer recently passed Paul McCartney as the world's wealthiest recording artist, worth $800 million according to Wealth-X?
3. What magazine issued an apology last Friday after a story they broke about an alleged rape of a UVA student in November fell apart due to inconsistencies in the story?
4. Ashton Carter was named to replace Chuck Hagel in what position in the presidential cabinet last week?
5. What female singer received her 47th career Grammy nomination last Friday, surpassing Dolly Parton for the most ever by a female artist?
6. Democrat Mary Landrieu lost her bid for a fourth term as a senator from what US state after losing a runoff election last Saturday to Republican Bill Cassidy?
7. What film was number one at the box office for the third straight week in the US and now has grossed over $250 million in total?

2000s Trivia
1. Ken Jennings won over $2.5 million as a contestant on what quiz show in 2004?
2. What cartoon TV show, based on the Griffin family, became popular in the early 2000s?
3. What European country was the first to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001?
4. The 2004 Summer Olympics were held in what European city?
5. Michael Jackson died on the same day in 2009 as what famous Hollywood actress?
6. Apple launched its first iPhone in what year of the decade of the 2000s?
7. What rapper had the most combined sales in albums of any artist of the 2000s?
BONUS: 8. What classic rock band's 2000 greatest hits album was the top-selling album of the decade?

Celebrities' Nation of Birth Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Martin Short
2. David Ortiz
3. Antonio Banderas
4. Nicky Minaj
5. Christian Bale
6. Russell Crowe
7. Keanu Reeves
8. Pierce Brosnan
9. Jean Claude Van Damme
10. Charlize Theron

General Knowledge
1. What did the dish run away with in the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle?" ( 1 pt)
2. What is the only planet not named after a Roman god? ( 1 pt)
3. Who piloted the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic Ocean? ( 1 pt)
4. Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms starred in what 2009 comedy film? ( 2 pt)
5. What does an ornithologist study? ( 2 pt)
6. The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in what city? ( 2 pt)
7. What is the lightest of all elements in the Periodic Table? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. In the 1995 comedy film "Mars Attacks," the music of what country musician eventually killed off the Martians when they heard it and repelled the invasion? ( 4 points)
2. "The Soldier's Song" is what European nation's national anthem? ( 5 points)
3. The world's highest waterfall is located in what South American country? ( 4 points)
4. After Genesis and Exodus, what is the third book of the Old Testament? ( 4 points)
5. "Fashion Avenue" is a nickname for what avenue in an eleven block stretch of Manhattan?  ( 3 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Las Vegas; 2. Madonna; 3. Rolling Stone; 4. Secretary of Defense; 5. Beyonce; 6. Louisiana; 7. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay."

2000s Trivia
1. "Jeopardy;" 2. "Family Guy;" 3. Netherlands; 4. Athens; 5. Farrah Fawcett; 6. 2007; 7. Eminem; 8. The Beatles.

Celebrities' Nation of Birth Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Canada; 2. Dominican Republic; 3. Spain; 4. Trinidad & Tobago; 5. UK; 6. New Zealand; 7. Lebanon; 8. Ireland; 9. Belgium; 10. South Africa.

General Knowledge
1. The spoon; 2. Earth; 3. Charles Lindbergh; 4. "The Hangover;" 5. birds; 6. Toronto; 7. hydrogen.

IQ Trivia
1. Slim Whitman; 2. Ireland; 3. Venezuela; 4. Leviticus; 5. 7th Avenue.

Gil & Looie Denied Again

The Veterans Committee met in San Diego yesterday to decide if any of 10 possible candidates would enter the Hall of Fame next summer, and came away with no one making it in.

This was the "Golden Era Committee," and they look at candidates from the era of 1947-1972. Gil Hodges and Luis Tiant were among the ten, and the two I was pulling for the most. 16 members made their choices (7 were MLB Hall of Famers), and Dick Allen and Tony Oliva missed each by just a single vote. (12 was needed for election, as that would be 75%.)

Jim Kaat missed by just two votes. Both Hodges and Tiant received less than four votes. The Golden Era Committee did not say exactly how many they got, my guess as to not embarrass the candidate if he should receive none. Follow this link to see the complete results.

I fear this will be the last time both Hodges and Tiant will have a good chance to get in. They will not be considered again until 2017, and the committee considers different eras every year. (Next year will be the ones from after 1972, and in 2016 it will be those players from the pre-integration era.) And the fact they did not garner much support doesn't help either Hodges or Tiant's cause.

There was a major push to get Gil Hodges in, as there is a Facebook group called "Gil Hodges Belongs In The Baseball Hall of Fame" that gathered over 2,000 signatures on a petition to call attention to it.

The election by the writers will be announced on January 6th, and it figures that a number of worthy candidates will be elected, such as Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz, Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio all having excellent chances of going in this summer.

It's just a shame that worthy men such as Gil Hodges and Luis Tiant will be on the outside looking in for the foreseeable future, and may ultimately never get in.

Lots of Stuff From The Last Decade On Tuesday

On Tuesday night, December 9th, the Special Category for Trivia at the Caledonia Scottish Pub will be "2000s Trivia," seven questions about the decade in pop culture, history and sports. No particular reason for doing it, as we haven't done it in a while. The Q Train lightning round will be "Celebrities' Nation of Birth Trivia." I will give you the names of ten current celebrities who were born outside the United States, and you have to tell me in what nation they were born in. And every answer will be a different country.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"What is the only planet not named for a Greek god?"

We get started at 8 PM tomorrow. The weather is not supposed to be good on Tuesday, but don't let that stop you. The Caledonia is at 1609 2nd Avenue, between E. 83rd and 84th Streets. I look forward to seeing many of you for Trivia on Tuesday night!

Trivia Q&A: December 2

We had yet another great turnout at the Caledonia, with the bar filled up again, and probably the biggest crowd we've so far had. And it was another night where everyone was into the Trivia.

We had a three-way tie going into General Knowledge round, and the top four separated by six points going into IQ Trivia. But the team of A$AP Snyder got 4 of 5 correct in that final round to grab their first ever win. Congrats to Christine and her friends on a nice come-from-behind win.

We had a tie for second place between Mickey Rourke's Boxing Club and Thanks For The Mammaries, both with 46 points. We broke the tie with: "How many feet is the Tower Bridge's span?" (As we had a question about the bridge earlier in the night.) Mickey Rourke's Boxing Club was closest to the right answer (800 feet to be exact) and wound up taking second.

Best Team Name: Anal Bum Cover

Current Events
1. The suit worn by which character from "The Wizard of Oz" was sold at auction last week for an astounding $3 million?
2. The Dakota apartment in NYC of what legandary actress who died this year, which she bought in 1961 for $40,000, is now going on the market for $26 million?
3. Workers in six states in what retail chain walked out on strike ahead of the Black Friday madness calling for higher wages and better hours?
4. The wife and mother of Scott Stapp, lead singer of what rock band, are seeking to have him committed for 60 days of psychiatric observation due to his ongoing drug problems?
5. Phillip Hughes, a cricket player from what country, died last week after he was struck in the head by a ball during a match?
6. It was recently revealed that the studios of what talk show host was a target for terrorists in 2009, but the bombers were caught by police before they reached the Chicago-based show?
7. Sony Pictures was the victim of a recent cyber attack resulting in a leak of five movies and disabling its networks and email. What country's government is thought to be behind the attack?

Q-Tip Trivia
1. Which of the following artists have had an album sell at least 40 million copies worldwide? a. AC/DC; b. Pink Floyd; c. Whitney Houston; d. Backstreet Boys.
2. Which of these films was Morgan Freeman nominated for an Academy Award for? a. Driving Miss Daisy; b. Invictus; c. Unforgiven; d. The Shawshank Redemption.
3. Which of these celebrities died while in their 30s? a. Kurt Cobain; b. Elvis Presley; c. Marilyn Monroe; d. River Phoenix.
4. Which of these statesmen won the Nobel Peace Prize? a. Martin Luther King; b. Yasser Arafat; c. Winston Churchill; d. Franklin D. Roosevelt.
5. Which of these US currency bills does not have a US president on them? a. $10; b. $20; c. $50; d. $100.
6. Which of the following classic sitcoms were set in New York City? a. Bob Newhart Show; b. The Cosby Show; c. All in the Family; d. Mary Tyler Moore Show.
7. Which of the following cities has a team in all four major sports: MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL? a. Seattle; b. Atlanta; c. Los Angeles; d. St. Louis.

TV Characters Trivia ("The Q Train") (Name the show they appeared on)
1. Carrie Mathison
2. Don Draper
3. Jack Tripper
4. Elaine Benes
5. Samantha Jones
6. Fox Mulder
7. Nucky Thompson
8. Monica Gellar
9. Rick Grimes
10. Al Bundy

General Knowledge
1. The Tower Bridge spans what English river? ( 1 pt)
2. Bel Air is a lavish celebrity suburb of what US city? ( 1 pt)
3. Who did Jimmy Carter succeed as US president? ( 1 pt)
4. What color are the black box flight data recorders? ( 2 pt)
5. How many fluid ounces of soda are there in a standard can? ( 2 pt)
6. On the TV series "Friends," how many times did the character Ross get married? ( 2 pt)
7. Panama hats were originally made in what South American country? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. In mythology, Morpheus was the Greek god of what? ( 4 points)
2. What still-running TV show made its debut in 1952, with host Dave Garroway calling it "a new kind of television show?" ( 5 points)
3. In what country would you find the desert plateau fortress called Masada? ( 4 points)
4. The rover called Sojourner explored what planet in 1997? ( 3 points)
5. What number one hit Beatles song was written by Paul McCartney and was based on a dream he had about his mother, who died more than a decade earlier? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. The Cowardly Lion; 2. Lauren Bacall; 3. Walmart; 4. Creed; 5. Australia; 6. Oprah Winfrey; 7. North Korea.

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

TV Characters Trivia ("The Q Train)
1. Homeland; 2. Mad Men; 3. Three's Company; 4. Seinfeld; 5. Sex in the City; 6. The X-Files; 7. Boardwalk Empire; 8. Friends; 9. The Walking Dead; 10. Married With Children.

General Knowledge
1. Thames; 2. Los Angeles; 3. Gerald Ford; 4. orange; 5. twelve; 6. three; 7. Ecuador.

IQ Trivia
1. Dreams; 2. "The Today Show;" 3. Israel; 4. Mars; 5. "Let It Be."