We got challenged
A tie for 24th place with 160 out of a possible 360 points doesn't make me feel too dumb, so I give props to Patrick Alog and Vashon Jackson, whose 275 points each tied them for first after the first week of Fred Roggin's "The Challenge" on KNBC-Channel 4 after Sunday's NFL game.
Fred was right: The questions were harder than the first test episode.
But I think I found a glitch in the process (at least for me): I have DirecTV, and the signal is already on a five-second delay over what you'd get with cable or a regular TV antenna. On three of the questions, I knew the answer before the four answer choices were shown, and should have got the full 40 points. But on the final scoresheet, I only got 35 points for them (this is about being correct and being fast). With those extra five points on each one, I'd have received 175 points and probably got into the Top 20. To get into the Top 10, you needed 235 points.
Not complaining, just pointing out the technological circumstances. Ironically, one of the prizes given away in this is a DirecTV subscription.
In all, I had six of the nine questions correct. I missed the first two (ending in 0 points right away). Two of the six right came after a slight delay (so I got docked in points) and one came after a couple of choices were eliminated (so only 10 points for that one).
Want to see how you'd do with the first week's nine questions? Read on.
Question 1: In 1988, the Lakers won the NBA title. Who was the finals MVP?
a: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
b: James Worthy
c: Magic Johnson
d: Michael Cooper
Question 2: Former Raiders running back Marcus Allen was MVP of what Super Bowl?
a: 15 (XV)
b: 18 (XVIII)
c: 21 (XXI)
d: 17 (XVII)
Question 3: Who was boxing champion Muhammad Ali's final opponent in the ring?
a: Larry Holmes
b: Leon Spinks
c: Ken Norton
d: Trevor Berbick
Question 4: What former NFL player is singing this song (this is audio question, the song playing is called "Must Be The Money")
a: Michael Irvin
b: Andre Rison
c: Jerome Bettis
d: Deion Sanders
Question 5: Who is the only Dodger to be elected to the All Star game as a write-in candidate?
a: Dusty Baker
b: Duke Snider
c: Steve Garvey
d: Fernando Valenzuela
Question 6: What event is known as the last great race on earth?
a: Tour de France
b: The Iditarod
c: Ironman Triathlon
d: 24 Hours of Le Mans
Question 7: Last season, Reggie Bush set a Pac-10 single game record for all-purpose yards. Which team did he set the record against?
a: UCLA
b: Hawaii
c: Washington St.
d: Fresno St.
Question 8: Maria Sharapova won her only Wimbledon title in what year?
a: 2005
b: 2002
c: 2004
d: 2003
Question 9: Who is the Bruins all-time leading scorer in basketball?
a: Don MacLean
b: Reggie Miller
c: Lew Alcindor
d: Jason Kapono
The Answers:
1: b: James Worthy (I thought it was Magic)
2: b: 18 (I thought it was 17)
3: d: Berbick (got it right, just slow on the answer, only 25 points)
4. d: Deion Sanders (just a guess, slow again, only 20 points)
5: c: Garvey (knew it right away)
6: b: Iditarod (had to guess after two choices were eliminated, got 10 points)
7: d: Fresno State (knew it right away)
8: c: 2004 (I thought it was 2005)
9: a: MacLean (knew it right away)