Opening Day 2011

Written By Lazers

edited by Hilts

Opening Day 2011. Salerno’s was adorned with the brass bands and the bunting and the parade, and the trivia media was overflowing in the press box. J&B informs Benkowski that they will have a new attitude in 2011. New attitude or not, the majority of prognosticators again pick J&B as the team to beat in the new season. And the season would begin with a fun and rowdy night reminiscent of the TC Pub days.

J&B Opening Day 2011 lineup: Chemical Man, Hilts, MG and Lazers

The Competition: Auntie Joanne, Peeps, Awesome, Logan Squares (aka Chicago Sharks), and Out of Towners (one of the NW Indiana teams that were part of an all-star team representing that state for the championship)

First half: Local Sports 80s & 90s/Jennifer Aniston/Music 70s & 00s

2008- “Burning Up”?
2001- “Hero”?
1973- “I Got a Name”?
1974- “I’ve Got the Music in Me”?
2000- “Thank God I Found You”?
2003- “In Those Jeans”?
1970- “Snowbird”?
1972 (didn’t catch for certain)- “If Lovin’ You is Wrong I Don’t Wanna Be Right”?
1999- primary position for Paul Konerko?
Mike Ditka’s first season as head coach of the Bears?
Two Wisconsin Badgers on the 1992 Blackhawks?
1993- White Sox primary RF?
2010- male lead in Aniston movie “The Switch”?
On “Friends”- first and last name of Aniston’s character?
Jennifer Aniston Year of Birth?
As a youth, Aniston lived in this European country for a year?

Note: there is a Benkowski factor on the Konerko and Wisconsin Badgers answers.
Don’t remember how or why it started, but the Houston Oiler fight song (and variations thereof) was sung often and loudly throughout the night. I’m pretty certain it was by J&B most if not all of the times it happened, including this version:

They filibuster.
They have the Mindworms.
J&B number one!

Sight seen on Chemical Man’s notes: “Stix is absent but still gay”

Scores at the half: J&B 1000 Auntie J 830 Out of Towners 830 Logan Squares 760 Awesome 330 Peeps 60

It was probably halftime when J&B decided to rank the Opening Day 2011 babes. The candidates were:
The blonde girl on Awesome (Shelly)
The brunette girl on Auntie J (we find out she is a flight attendant for American Airlines, as she came to trivia right from the airport after being stuck in Grand Rapids for 12 hours)
The brunette girl at the bar (allegedly the owner’s daughter, currently known as Boots, and despite intelligence from Bill indicating she is 17 years old, none of us think that is an accurate estimate of her age)
The gal from Out of Towners (no current intelligence on her)

Voting resulted in the following order: Boots, Shelly, Flight Attendant, Out of Towner (though those last two may have been switched).

Second half: Music 80s & 00s/Ads/Famous Chicago Athletes Who Benkowski Interviewed for His Show 1988-Present

Prior to revealing that last category, Benkowski: “There might be some gnashing of teeth and cursing when I announce the third category.”

1982- “Heartlight”?
1987- “Tell It To My Heart” started string of 10 consecutive to chart Top 100?
1981- “For Your Eyes Only”?

Last Chicago manager to do a promo for Benkowski’s show?
PSA featuring Alicia Keys in a coffin is to bring attention to what issue? ((Someone joked "Necrophila" - Hilts))

Gal from Peeps to Hilts, after a 2nd incident of her team being booed: “Take your hat off, it’s warm in here!”

Logan Square and J&B engage in a heavyweight battle throughout the second half, with the lead changing hands many times.

Scores after two halves: Logan Square 1960 J&B 1720 Out of Towners 1440 Auntie J 1200 Awesome 810 Peeps 460

Benkowski hands out cards to solicit ideas for categories. Despite suggestions of 60s Batman TV Series, NFL Fight Songs, and Marriageable TV Characters, Bill chose Oscar Winning Movies with a “Fuck you all.”

As it turns out, Benkowski was not soliciting category ideas for future trivia events. No, he did not have final questions prepared for tonight due to a “situation” (I was not aware that Benkowski watched “Jersey Shore”). The categories submitted by each team would be their final category, and Benkowski moved into full Jim Segredo mode, sitting at the bar for 20 minutes to come up with questions for each one.

J&B wagers the 2nd place classic (1161).

Automobiles (Peeps):
GM stopped production of this line of cars in the early 2000s?
Car dealership on North Western Avenue- when Scottie Pippen stopped appearing, it took his name of and changed to ________ Dodge Store?
Car dealership on South Western Avenue- started in 1938 was founded by what former White Sox player?

Celebrity Gossip (Awesome):
Margaret Cho’s comedy routine addresses her rumored lesbianism by her claiming to be ____sexual?
1939- someone is rumored to have hung themselves on the set of this movie?
Terry Armour of the Tribune ran into this local female news anchor (still active) in the porn section of a video store on the north side (apparently joked about for many years)?

Old Movies (Auntie J):
“We’ll always have Paris”?
This TV executive played a bartender in “It’s A Wonderful Life”?
Top 3 billed stars of “Double Indemnity”?

90s & 00s Movies (Out of Towners):
Played the tall crook in “Home Alone”?
Played the evil caretaker of the old folks home in “Happy Gilmore”?
Top 3 billed stars of 2000s movie about a female boxer?

Oscar Winning Movies (J&B):
In “American Beauty” she was always clipping flowers?
1955- Best Actor for “Marty”?
Top 2 billed stars of “The Seven Year Itch”?


70s Blackhawks (Logan Square):
At the Chicago Stadium, players and media entered the stadium where?
Red Motlow chewed out Benkowski at the locker of this Hawk winger after Benkowski put his microphone into an ongoing interview?
This goalie from Midlothian had a stint with the Blackhawks?

Gentlemen?

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Part II
First half Answers:2008- “Burning Up”? Jonas Brothers
2001- “Hero”? Enrique Iglesias
1973- “I Got a Name”? Jim Croce
1974- “I’ve Got the Music in Me”? Kiki Dee
2000- “Thank God I Found You”? Mariah Carey
2003- “In Those Jeans”? Ginuwine
1970- “Snowbird”? Anne Murray
1972 (didn’t catch for certain)- “If Lovin’ You is Wrong I Don’t Wanna Be Right”? Luther Ingram
1999- primary position for Paul Konerko? Benkowski answer: DH
Mike Ditka’s first season as head coach of the Bears? 1982
Two Wisconsin Badgers on the 1992 Blackhawks? Benkowski answer: Chris Chelios and Gary Suter
1993- White Sox primary RF? Ellis Burks
2010- male lead in Aniston movie “The Switch”? Jason Bateman
On “Friends”- first and last name of Aniston’s character? Rachel Green
Jennifer Aniston Year of Birth? 1969
As a youth, Aniston lived in this European country for a year? Greece
Per Baseball Reference: Konerko played 92 games at 1B and 54 as DH in 1999.
Per Hockey Reference: Gary Suter was traded to the Blackhawks in March 1994.

Second half Answers:
1982- “Heartlight”? Neil Diamond
1987- “Tell It To My Heart” started string of 10 consecutive to chart Top 100? Taylor Dayne
1981- “For Your Eyes Only”? Sheena Easton
Last Chicago manager to do a promo for Benkowski’s show? Lou Piniella
PSA featuring Alicia Keys in a coffin is to bring attention to what issue? HIV/AIDS (J&B input of “necrophilia” was not correct)

Final Answers:Peeps- 460- Automobiles- guess Oldsmobile (correct), didn’t hear guess (no), no guess at all (no)- only 1 correct- wagered it all- thanks for playing.

Awesome- 810- Celebrity Gossip- guesses tri-sexual (correct), Wizard of Oz (correct), “Robin somebody” (no)- that’s 2 correct- wagered 850- up to 1660. Nice job wagering more points than they had.

Auntie J- 1200- Old Movies- guesses Casablanca (correct), Sheldon Leonard (correct), Fred MacMurray/Barbara Stanwyck/Edward G Robinson (correct)- all 3 correct- wagered 425- with bonus up to 4625 and the lead.

Out of Towners- 1440- 90s/00s Movies- guess Daniel Stern (correct), Ben Stiller (correct), Clint Eastwood/Marisa Tomei/done (no)- that’s 2 correct- wagered 730- up to 2170.

J&B- 1720- Oscar Winning Movies- guesses Annette Bening (correct), Ernest Borgnine (correct), Marilyn Monroe/Tom Ewell (correct)- all 3 correct- wagered 1161- with bonus up to 5881 and the new leader.

Logan Squares- 1960- 70s Blackhawks- guess Gate 3 ½ (correct), Grant Mulvey (no), Bob Janecyk (correct)- that’s 2 correct- wagered 1521- up to 3481.

J&B begins the 2011 campaign with a victory! As the 3rd place Logan Squares filter past the J&B dugout, their lady jokingly informs us “J&B sucks.”

When Benkowski stops by the celebrating J&B table in order to dish out their winnings, Pat asks him about Boots’ age. Benkowski speculates that she is around 29 but issues a “word to the wise- she’s Vicky’s daughter.” Vicky is the bartender tonight, lending credence to Bill’s intelligence about Boots being the owner’s daughter. Not sure why the warning though- I would think every mother wishes her daughter could marry a J&Ber.

St Bedes update: scheduled for Saturday, February 26th. Hilts should have details on cost and time.
As for the most marriageable TV characters- gentlemen? Remember- you’d be marrying the character, not the actress.

Automobiles:
GM stopped production of this line of cars in the early 2000s? Oldsmobile
Car dealership on North Western Avenue- when Scottie Pippen stopped appearing, it took his name of and changed to ________ Dodge Store? Northwestern (or North Western)
Car dealership on South Western Avenue- started in 1938 was founded by what former White Sox player? Tony Piet

Celebrity Gossip (Awesome):
Margaret Cho’s comedy routine addresses her rumored lesbianism by her claiming to be ____sexual? Tri-sexual
1939- someone is rumored to have hung themselves on the set of this movie? Wizard of Oz
Terry Armour of the Tribune ran into this local female news anchor (still active) in the porn section of a video store on the north side (apparently joked about for many years)? Jackie Bange

Old Movies (Auntie J):
“We’ll always have Paris”? Casablanca
This TV executive played a bartender in “It’s A Wonderful Life”? Sheldon Leonard
Top 3 billed stars of “Double Indemnity”? Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G Robinson

90s & 00s Movies (Out of Towners):
Played the tall crook in “Home Alone”? Daniel Stern
Played the evil caretaker of the old folks home in “Happy Gilmore”? Ben Stiller
Top 3 billed stars of 2000s movie about a female boxer? Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman

Oscar Winning Movies (J&B):
In “American Beauty” she was always clipping flowers? Annette Bening
1955- Best Actor for “Marty”? Ernest Borgnine
Top 2 billed stars of “The Seven Year Itch”? Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell
Note: “The Seven Year Itch” did not win an Oscar.
70s Blackhawks (Logan Square):

At the Chicago Stadium, players and media entered the stadium where? Gate 3 ½
Red Motlow chewed out Benkowski at the locker of this Hawk winger after Benkowski put his microphone into an ongoing interview? Daryl Sutter
This goalie from Midlothian had a stint with the Blackhawks? Bob Janecyk

Note: Pretty apparent that 70s Blackhawks is not Benkowski’s strongest category. Sutter played only 8 games in the 79-80 season (perhaps none in the 70s), and Janecyk didn’t play in the 70s at all.