Football Trivia: Louie, Louie. Oh no....

After a one week hiatus, I was back for 1500 ESPN's Thursday Football Trivia. The venue this week was at Big Louie's in Crystal.

There were 13 participants this week, of which I earned a #3 seed and a first round bye after the opening written quiz.

In the quarterfinals I took on a gentleman named Rex.

As usual, this is a "Family Feud" style tourney where one has to buzz in for an opportunity to answer first. This is a best 2 of 3.

Question one: Which former Vikings' center is currently being considered for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Rex (barely buzzing in ahead of me): Mick Tingelhoff. Correct. 

1-0, Rex

Question two: The Vikings had two first round choices in the 1999 NFL draft. Which of the two players they drafted in that round was selected first?

Brad (buzzing in first): Daunte Culpepper. Correct. 

Question three: When the Vikings traded Randy Moss after the 2004 season, they received some draft picks and a linebacker from the Oakland Raiders. Name that linebacker. 

Brad (buzzing in first): Napoleon Harris. Correct. 

Brad wins, 2-1!

On to the semifinals where I took on a guy who called himself "Birdtown." 

The final four is also a best 2 of 3, but the questions are in category format, meaning there are multiple answers. This year has an interesting twist. The rule now is if each player gets one correct answer, it moves to sudden death. That means the first person to give a wrong answer loses the point. 

Question one: In 2001, WWE owner Vince McMahon started a professional football league.....

Birdtown (quick with the trigger finger): XFL. 

........called the XFL. Name one of 8 cities which had a franchise. XFL is obviously incorrect. 

Brad: Las Vegas. Correct.

Brad leads, 1-0. 

Question two: In Vikings franchise history, they have beaten 13 different teams at least 10 times in the regular season. Name them. 

Brad (buzzing in first): Detroit Lions. Correct.

Birdtown: Chicago Bears. Correct. 

Brad: Green Bay Packers. Correct.

Birdtown: Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Correct. 

Brad: LA/St Louis Rams. Correct.

Birdtown: Dallas Cowboys. Correct. 

Brad: Washington Redskins. Incorrect.

1-1 tie. 

Question three: We will name seven different NFL mascots. Whomever buzzes in first will have a chance to answer and then we'll alternate until someone gets one wrong or all 7 are named. 

Boltman

Brad (buzzes in first): San Diego Chargers. Correct. 

Gumbo

Birdtown (someone shouts the answer from the audience): New Orleans Saints. Correct. 

Rampage

Brad: St Louis Rams. Correct. 

Who Dey

Birdtown (no guess).

And I am on to the finals with a 2-1 win!!!!

In the championship round, I faced a duo that called themselves "Haymakers."

The finals are the same categorical, sudden-death format for each question, though it's now a best 3 out of 5. 

Question one: The Minnesota Gophers football team has had seven different QBs throw for at least 4,000 career yards. Name them.

Brad (buzzing in first): Adam Weber. Correct.

Haymakers: Bryan Cupito. Correct. 

Brad: Cory Sauter. Correct.

Haymakers: Rickey Foggie. Correct
Brad: Mike Hohensee. Correct. 

Haymakers: Asad Abdul-Khaliq. Correct

Brad: Tony Dungy. Incorrect (Dungy threw for 3,515; Correct answer was Marquel Fleetwood). 

1-0. Haymakers. 

Question two: This game is called "Fact or Crap." We'll read off a piece of trivia and you tell us whether it's "fact" or "crap."

Former NFL WR Terrell Owens once wrote a children's book.

Brad (buzzing in first): Crap. Incorrect (Amazingly, that is a fact). 

Hall of Fame QB Steve Young attended college at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young, obviously the gentleman for whom the school is named, is the great-great-great grandfather of Steve Young. 

Haymakers: Fact. Correct. 

2-0, Haymakers. 

Question three: This will require a paper and pen, and you have 30 seconds to answer. The number closest to the correct answer wins.

NFL head coach Bill Belichick has won  how many career postseason games?

Brad: 20.

Haymakers: 29.

The correct answer is.....

......19. Brad is closest and thus gets the point!

2-1, Haymakers. 

Question four: There are 14 teams in college football's Atlantic Coast Conference. Name them. 

Brad (buzzing in first): Wake Forest. Correct.

Haymakers: Florida State. Correct. 

Brad: North Carolina. Correct.

Haymakers: Georgia Tech. Correct
Brad: North Carolina St. Correct. 

Haymakers: Clemson. Correct

Brad: Boston College. Correct

Haymakers: Duke. Correct.

Brad: Virginia. Correct.

Haymakers: Virginia Tech. Correct. 

Brad (thinking, thinking, thinking): Maryland (D'OH!!!! The millisecond that left my lips, it occurred to me that they are now in my favorite football conference, which is the Big Ten). Incorrect. 

Haymakers win the championship this week, 3-1. 

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