Let's Remember Some Guys VI

[theMoMA]

Remembering guys returns at HSNCT 2025.

What is a "guy"?

Each tossup will be on a single athlete. The "guys" somewhat memorable, but not particularly dominant or otherwise notable. The main criterion is whether, after hearing the tossup, the players will go "oh, yeah, I remember that guy." (It might help to pick guys you actually remember.) Anyone too obscure for that isn't a guy. Anyone whose existence you don't need to be reminded of isn't a guy. Some examples of guys: Rick Ankiel, Smush Parker, Jason Campbell, and Anthony Kim. Examples of not guys: Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, and Roger Federer. (The careful guy rememberer might write the occasional question on a guy-ish aspect of a player too famous to be a guy; for instance, I've written about the baseball/pro football careers of Tim Tebow and the Wizards career of Michael Jordan.)

There are plenty of examples in the packet archive for you to look at.

When did "guys" play?

Because we're actually trying to remember guys, try not to pick players whose careers ended before 1998 or so, or players whose careers are still in progress, although there is some leeway here. If you want to include some historical guys in your "other" category, that's fine, but the main MLB/NBA/NFL tossups should be on guys who retired sometime between 1998 and 2020 (or who are functionally retired).

How should tossups look?

The tossups should be no shorter than 4.5 lines and no longer than 6 (1" margins, 10-point Times New Roman). Clues should focus on memorable career events or off-the-field incidents. Particularly helpful clues--for instance, clues about interactions with teammates, trades, etc.--will provide useful context about the teams a player was on or the years in which they played. Try to keep the clues interesting and not almanacky.

What's the distribution?

Same as ever:

3 MLB
3 NBA
3 NFL
3 "other" (NHL, college sports, tennis, golf, soccer, Olympics, WNBA, historical guys, etc.)

Note that, in this context, "guy" is a gender-neutral term.

Although sticking to the distribution is not strictly required, I appreciate when writers make some effort to vary their tossup subject matter so that the overall distribution is reasonably balanced; it can skew the final results toward a player who's strong in a particular category if that category comes up significantly more than the others.

Is there any cost to this?

No, but the true cost is in not remembering. So if you're planning to play, you should try to write a packet. Writing longer or multiple packets is encouraged.

When should I be done with my packet?

HSNCT Saturday night (May 24). Contact me at [email protected] if you're planning to write but don't think you'll be there to read.

When will this tournament take place? Be specific.

HSNCT Saturday night (May 24). We'll find a room to have a shootout. People will generally read their own packets.

Is this event an official function of NAQT or the NAQT national championship, and is it sponsored, endorsed, or organized by NAQT?

No.

[theMoMA]

Please post in the thread if you're planning to write a packet.

[EvanKnox]

I won't be at HSNCT, but I will try to write something resembling a packet.

[Jcm48]

I'm not a particularly adept guy rememberer, but I'll probably submit a packet to this so as to be able to hear the "other" questions.

[Here Comes Rusev Day]

Won't be at HSNCT but will try to submit a packet for this.

[Auks Ran Ova]

I've been keeping a list of guys to remember so I'll try to turn that into a packet by HSNCT. I might or might not write the full regular distribution and then several dozen more football questions again.

[Jason Puncheon]

i will try my best to complete a packet and will be glad to read it at hsnct

[mazinomer]

I'm not going to be at HSNCT but I'll be submitting a packet

[dxdtdemon]

Will there be an online mirror of this?

[theMoMA]

Will there be an online mirror of this?

I'll put the packets in one place after the event, and others are welcome to organize a reading online from there.

[BenWeiner27]

I'll write a packet, but I'm not planning on being at HSNCT.

[Cheynem]

I'll write a packet and will probably be there.

[Alkres]

i am not writing a packet as i am not a good writer, but if anyone who isn't going to be there wants i can read your pack for you.

[$5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy]

I will be there with a packet

[Texas Über Alles]

I will certainly play. If I find the time, I’ll write a packet, but don’t count on it.

[Quizbowl Vítězí]

I'm planning on playing but in all likelihood won't write a packet.

[theMoMA]

If you're planning to write a packet but will NOT be in attendance, please send your packet to me at [email protected]. If you plan to attend, please don't send me your packet until after you read it. I'll coordinate the forwarding of packets to people who volunteer to read them. (Obviously, this isn't a viable security protocol for any serious event, but I promise I have zero interest in cheating rather than plain old remembering.)

If you're sending me your packet because you won't be there, please include a blank cover page as page one of your document so there's no chance of me accidentally seeing questions in preview.

[Cheynem]

Can we have visual questions?

[Monstruos de Bolsillo]

I'll have at least a half packet, maybe a bit more.

[theMoMA]

Guys will convene around 9pm tonight, allowing a couple hours for dinner, with gameplay starting sometime between 9:15 and 9:30. I'll let you know the room sometime later.

[theMoMA]

Barring unforeseen issues with this location, let's plan to convene for Guys in Marriot M105, which is my game room this morning. Try to get here by 9pm for gameplay to start ~15 minutes after that.

[Cheynem]

But I want to see the Timberwolves lose!

[Alkres]

I'm having dinner at the moment, not sure when I'll be back at hotel.

[Quizbowl Vítězí]

But I want to see the Timberwolves lose!

For the glory of Sam Presti

[theMoMA]

Let's plan to meet closer to 9:15 just to allow everyone to eat. Still planning to start around 9:30.

[Auks Ran Ova]

Control room would prefer we instead use M101, which is right nearby.

[theMoMA]

M101 it is! We will start around 9:30.

[theMoMA]

Also, if you're writing a packet but aren't attending, please email those packets to me now (with a blank cover page)!

[theMoMA]

We remembered. All told, 144 of a possible 176 guys were remembered.

Player, guys remembered, PPG (points per guy)
Naveed Chowdhury 32 1.95
Ben Koppel 24 1.36
Dylan Minarik 17 0.97
Andrew Hart 13 0.86
Mike Sorice 12 0.68
Rob Carson 10 0.66
Colby Burnett 6 0.34
Gabe Brison 5 0.28
Alex Sankaran 5 0.38
Sam Rombro 4 0.24
Connor Mayers 3 0.18
Alan Kriesel 3 0.19
Andrew Wang 2 0.15
David Song 2 0.11
Blake Andert 2 0.20
Bryce Cruise 1 0.06
Victoria Svoboda 1 0.06
Mike Cheyne 1 0.06
Isaac Kirk-Davidoff 1 0.06

[theMoMA]

The Guys VI questions are now available online: https://hsquizbowl.org/db/questionsets/3343/

I also updated the Guys remembered sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... 2kpC-4CCG8. Notably, we've now remembered guys of every letter of the alphabet.