Challenge the Stupid Sportswriter, Week 4
A series-best 200 points in the fourth week of Fred Roggin's "The Challenge" on Sunday night (KNBC-Channel 4) raised my expectations, but not my place in the standings.
It was only good for a tie for 45th place, far back from week 4 winner Patrick Alog (310 points), who won by 35 points over the next best finisher. Alog is the season leader with 1,040 points; I'm way back at 44th (685 points).
I must not have been the only one who thought this week's test got a bit easier than the first three, but not by that much. The harder, the better, I say, to weed out the weaklings. Like myself.
I scored on seven of the nine questions, but hesitated too much on a couple, which cost me. Of the nine, I had three right off the bat (and only got 35 points, again, because I play on DirecTV with a slight delay). I jumped too early on two questions, was wrong, and got locked out.
And by the way, I thought I earned two tickets to the UCLA-Stanford game, but even though I had a tie for ninth that week, Fred said I still wasn't in the top 25 of total scores. Go figure.
I doubt I'll get enough this week for the Kings-Wild tickets on Oct. 18, but I can only dream. Or, use my press pass to go to the game anyway.
Here's how the quiz show played out this week:
1. Who is the all-time leader in goals scored in World Cup play?
a) Pele
b) Diego Maradona
c) Juergen Klinsmann
d) Ronaldo
2. Ben Howland started his head coaching career at what school?
a) Pittsburgh
b) UC Santa Barbara
c) Northern Arizona
d) San Diego State
3. Who is the L.A. Dodgers' all-time home run leader?
a) Steve Garvey
b) Roy Campanella
c) Eric Karros
d) Duke Snider
4. (an audio question): In Kobe Bryant's unreleased rap son, K.O.B.E., which female superstar sings the chorus?
a) Tyra Banks
b) Beyonce
c) Brandy
d) Jennifer Lopez
5. Who has scored the most ponts in Lakers history?
a) Jerry West
b) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
c) Elgin Baylor
d) Magic Johnson
6. Who is horse racing's winningest jockey?
a) Bill Shoemaker
b) Pat Day
c) Laffit Pincay, Jr.
d) Chris McCarron
7. Who was the last defensive player to win the MVP award in the NFL?
a) Joe Greene
b) Mike Singletary
c) Lawrence Taylor
d) Reggie White
8. Who won the gold medal in women's singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics?
a) Martina Hingis
b) Lindsay Davenport
c) Monica Seles
d) Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
9. What major league pitcher did the Kings select in the fourth round of the 1984 NHL draft?
a) Tom Glavine
b) Greg Maddux
c) John Smoltz
d) Curt Schilling
Answers:
1. d) Ronaldo, with 15 (setting the record this summer in Germany). I hesistated and got 30 points.
2. c) Northern Arizona. Roggin said this "was the easiest question of the night." My first instinct was that the guy was from Santa Barbara, so I clicked UCSB before I realized I was wrong, but locked out. 0 points.
3. c) Eric Karros, with 269 (Snider has the franchise record with 355, most with Brooklyn). "You may find this to be more difficult," Roggin said. Hardly. Again, don't listen to Fred's clues. I knew it right away, got 35 points.
4. a) Tyra Banks. Had no clue, so waited until the end and took the 10 points.
5. a) Jerry West, with 25,192 points. I must have taken too long to decide between West and Baylor, because I picked before any of the four were eliminated, but only got 25 points.
6. c) Laffit Pincay, with 9,530. Knew it right away, got 35 points.
7. c) Lawrence Taylor in 1986. I was feeling daring by taking Singletary, but got locked out and received 0 points.
8. b) Lindsay Davenport. Took a stab at it early because I needed a big point grab and got a little lucky, nabbing 30 points.
9. a) Tom Glavine. Knew it right away, got 35 points.