The Sticks Show

Written by D.L.

It was a shorthanded group of veterans out to defend its trivia championship (J&B light?). I’m not talking about an Bigart show in Pittsburgh or an ArtTit show for which he dons silver body paint and a robot costume to entertain tourists on Michigan Avenue. No, it was Sticks putting on his game face, stepping in for the missing Hilts for challenges and all over a second half music category. But would it be enough?

J&B represented by: Chemical Man, Sticks and Lazers
The Competition: Bar, Got Milf, and Bushmen (added for the second half)

TC Pub represented by: Glasses and the new Wheel of Drinks (for $3 one could spin the wheel and receive whatever drink on which it subsequently lands). The bar was later represented by a gal that Sticks thought looked like she could be Glasses’ sister.

First Half: Locations/TV/White Sox

VH-1 started in what year?
2006- Jermaine Dye hit 8 of his 44 homers against which team?
Played “The Rifleman”?

That last question singled out due to the Hangman selection by Got Milf. After an incorrect guess, the Bar took control and played their usual “guess every letter even though they know the answer” move. Unfortunately for the Bar, they made the mistake of guessing the same letter a second time (“C”). Control moves to J&B for some very easy points.

Tons of “Ladies Only” challenges tonight, which sucked more than usual since none of the three initial teams had a lady. The first was a “Throw” challenge for which Got Milf paid $3 to Glasses to throw for them. Since there were a good 6 such challenges tonight, J&B wondered if Got Milf paid $18 to Glasses to help them try to net $15 in profit.

Glasses later does a “Long Distance Roll” for Got Milf. The Bar then asks Glasses to roll for them. A Benkowski ruling disallows that situation: “No playing with yourself in the bar.”

Another “Ladies Only” challenge involves the most tattoos. The Bar selects Theresa to represent them. Benkowski, apparently aware of the number of tattoos on likely challenger Glasses, asks Theresa, “can you show me two?” Good laugh from the patrons. Somehow the challenge turned into a “Long Distance Throw” from behind the bar.

Benkowski never gave the scores at the half. I’m pretty sure both J&B and the Bar had high scores. Got Milf did not have any points from a source other than Glasses.

Now it’s time for the Afflac J&B Trivia Question: In a classic Bohica trivia moment, Moho, Chemical Man, Lazers and Peppys each provided one of the names for the four main stars of what 1960s sitcom (Peppys' addition as he was just arriving at our table), even though the question required that only two be provided?


Second Half: Current MLB/US Facts (2000)/Female Music Artists (70s & 90s)

1975- sang “Have You Ever Been Mellow”?
Of cities with at least 100,000 people, only one that is at least 83% African American?
Which two Asian countries are most represented in the US population?

With the onslaught of “Ladies Only” challenges, Benkowski decides to switch one to a Men’s “Long Distance Toss from an Angle.” Pitting J&B against Bushmen, the challenge’s first throw comes from Sticks and was based by the front door of the bar. The Bushman representative then makes his throw, which hits Benkowski and appears to end up further from the box than Sticks’s. A random TC Pub patron, apparently thinking he’s being helpful, then picks up the ball before Benkowski can measure. Benkowski decides to let Bushmen throw again, but no controversy arose as Stick's throw held up for the points.

A “Ladies Only Long Distance Throw” has the added element that the lady has to use a slow-motion pitcher wind-up. Other than entertainment value, that addition played no part whatsoever in who won the challenge. However, for me, entertainment value was enough.

Scores into Final Question: J&B 3110 Bar 2560 Got Milf 1150 Bushmen 830

A “menu of topics” for the Final Question: Newspapers & The Word, Names in America, or National Enquirer.

Sticks lobbies for National Enquirer, but Chemical Man and Lazers vote for Names. The Bar selects Newspapers, and the other two teams select the tabloid.

After some discussion over utilizing a smaller bet, J&B ends up wagering the classic (2011).

Names (6 of 10 wins wager, bonus available): Per the 2000 Census, the 10 most common last names in the United States?

Newspapers (3 of 5 wins wager, bonus available): From a 2003 survey, the 5 countries with daily newspaper circulation of at least 24 million?



National Enquirer (3 of 5 wins wager, bonus available):

60-year old actor James Woods is dating Ashley Madison. Within 2, how old is Ashley Madison?
In 2006, Christina Aguilera did a nude photo spread for what magazine?
Mario Lopez is in a love triangle with a woman from “Dancing With The Stars” and a Megan Cooper- who does Megan work for?
“Seinfeld” creator Larry David is getting a divorce. Within $20 million, how much fortune is at stake in the divorce?
A recent MTV Unplugged taping was ruined and Jon Bon Jovi ended up infuriated by the drunkenness of whom?


Looks like it was a good thing that Lazers and Chemical Man outvoted Sticks…


Part II


J&B is pretty certain Benkowski has used the last name question before, but we don’t recall what the answers were. J&B guesses: Jackson, Smith, Rodriguez, Lee, Gonzalez, Jones, Williams, Wilson, Anderson (in honor of Kearney Meats), and Johnson.

First Half answers:
1985
Detroit Tigers
Chuck Connors

Afflac J&B Trivia Question answer:
F-Troop

Second half answers:
Olivia Newton-John
Gary, Indiana
China and Philippines

Final answers:

Bushmen- 830- National Enquirer- guess 23 years old (close enough), Maxim (no), Sports Illustrated (no), $121 million (no), and Courtney Love (no)- wagered 825- down to 5.

Got Milf- 1150- National Enquirer- guesses 27 years old (no), Vogue (no), ABC (no), $160 million (no), and didn’t catch their last answer (Scott something or other- no)- no “Ladies Only” challenges for this question- wagered 1150- thanks for playing.

Bar- 2560- Newspapers- guesses USA (yes), China (yes), Brazil (no), Russia (no) and United Kingdom (no)- a tricky wager of 1- Bar down to 2559.

Benkowski announces that J&B made a substantial wager and will need to win it in order to beat the Bar.

J&B- 3110- Names- guesses Jackson (yes), Smith (no), Rodriguez (no), Lee (no), Gonzalez (no), Jones (yes), Williams (yes), Wilson (yes), Anderson (yes)- and for those of you keeping score at home, that is only 5 correct with one answer to go- Benkowski plays up the drama- Johnson (yes)- J&B is victorious for the second trivia night in a row!

Correct Answers:

National Enquirer- 21 years old, GQ, Hooters, $250 million, and Richie Sambora. Looks like Don needs to do a bit of Internet research for 2006 issues of GQ.

Newspapers- USA, China, Japan, India, and Germany.

Names- Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Williams, Wilson, Anderson, Davis, Thomas, Harris and Martin.

Next trivia in two weeks: Thursday, July 5th.

edited by hilts -names and empty spaces only