I discussed them with Evan Nagler a bit and he pointed out a couple of issues:
1) Clue order on the Nadal TU should have been addressed; as it is, it turns into a buzzer race for 'quick, name the #2 men's tennis player!', which is entirely too soon for that.
2) The Olympic bonus was utter tripe; I apologize for bringing this bad question into the world and would totally Roe v. Wade it now, given the chance. I can only hope it was buried in a packet.
Additionally, I'm not sure if the Catfish Hunter lead-in was a NAQTie or a good way to test knowledge on him in a non-sports way. It's too easy to just write 'this guy had these stats' on certain players throughout the entire TU; I was hoping that would be a good way to work around that issue.
So, please suggest how I can not suck!
The target of Grumpier Old Men’s Max and John fishing is named after this man. He became a free agent after his initial team failed to pay half of his salary into a life insurance fund, which allowed him to sign a contract worth $3.5 million, a record amount in 1975. 25 wins and a 2.49 ERA pushed him to the 1974 AL Cy Young award. Name this Hall of Fame pitcher for the Yankees and A’s, famed for his nickname fabricated by Charles O. Finley and his mustache.
ANSWER: Catfish Jim Hunter
He first became a defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints in 1981. This came just five years after his first work on the pro level coaching linebackers for the Houston Oilers under his father, Bum. Prior to his current job, he served as head coach Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills and was a defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers through 2006. Who is the seventh coach in franchise history and the current coach of the Dallas Cowboys?
ANSWER: Wade Phillips
Andrew Toney holds this team’s record for most points in a quarter with 25, scored against the Boston Celtics and Kyle Korver made the most three pointers. Recent first round draft picks that they actually kept includes Samuel Dalembert, Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala. They’re also notorious for setting their league’s record for the worst win percentage in history thanks to a 9-73 year in 1973. What is this NBA franchise, best known for its players Julius Erving, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson?
ANSWER: Philadelphia 76ers (accept either city or team name)
His first two tournament wins came in 2005 at Monte Carlo and Rome, beating Guillermo Coria in the finals of each. The first player since Andre Agassi to finish two consecutive years in second place in the world rankings, he holds a record winning streak of 62 matches on clay surfaces and was just the second ever to win the French Open in his first try. Name this tennis player native to Spain, best known for defeating Roger Federer at the 2005, 2006 and 2007 French Opens.
ANSWER: Rafael Nadal
Answer the following about the 2007 St Louis Cardinals FTPE.
A. The only All-Star for the squad was this slugging first baseman who hit .327 with 32 home runs and 103 RsBI.
ANSWER: Albert Pujols
B. After leaving the majors for three years, he gave up pitching and became an outfielder. He hit a home run in his first game back and was later found to have ordered HGH in 2004.
ANSWER: Rick Ankiel
C. This reliever died on April 29 in a car wreck with a stopped tow truck caused by his intoxication.
ANSWER: Josh Hancock
Identify the following about individual performances from the 2008 Bowl Championship Series FTPE.
A. This Southern California quarterback passed for over 250 yards and three touchdowns in a Rose Bowl win against Illinois.
ANSWER: John David Booty
B. He threw for four touchdowns and 174 yards for LSU in the National Championship Game.
ANSWER: Matt Flynn
C. This freshman running back for West Virginia rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in a Sugar Bowl victory against Oklahoma.
ANSWER: Noel Devine
Answer the following about products of Louisville’s men’s basketball team.
A. The second player selected overall in 1968 by the then Baltimore Bullets, currently the Washington Wizards, won the NBA MVP & Rookie of the Year award in 1969 and was the Finals MVP in 1978.
ANSWER: Wes Unseld
B. Nicknamed the “Latin Assassin”, he was selected by the Sacramento Kings in 2005. This native of the Dominican Republic has spent most of his time coming off the bench behind Ron Artest.
ANSWER: Francisco Garcia
C. The first overall selection in the 1989 NBA Draft, this “Never Nervous” player won the Most Improved player in 1994 for Washington, but was mostly a disappointment due to a string of serious injuries.
ANSWER: Pervis Ellison
Identify the following Olympic sports that were, at one time, a demonstration sport at the Games.
A. Eliminated for the 2012 Summer games, this sport’s gold medal wasn’t even won by its supposed inventing country until 2000 in Sydney. Cuba has won it the other three times it has been held.
ANSWER: Baseball
B. This winter sport debuted in 1924, but didn’t regain its medal status until 1998. The men’s gold went to Canada in 2006 and the women’s to Sweden.
ANSWER: Curling
C. Dominated by members of the South Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese teams, this martial art sport is contested in the summer games and has been won by American Steven Lopez twice.
ANSWER: Taekwondo