Flashback time! Turns out one of the final questions from Thursday’s Sporcle Live trivia games was a virtual repeat from about six years ago. Ah, let’s harken back to the days of the “passport” program, when the trivia league (then called Great Lakes Trivia) allowed teams to get “prizes” for playing in up to 30 different trivia spots. It was the Fall of 2012, and we had our eyes on winning customized hoodies with our team name on them, so…yup! We played in 30 different trivia spots! What a whirlwind (I can’t even imagine doing such an insane thing now).

This is the only photo I have of me in my personalized hoodie. I’m the one on the right…this photo is from a cabin trip at Tawas Point State Park in April, 2016.

I believe it was either October or November, 2012 (I’m leaning more toward November). Mike, Brad and I visited Coach’s Corner in Livonia to check off a trivia spot. Brad was recovering from gallbladder surgery at the time, and had a portable handicapped placard we could hang from our mirror. So this means we got prime parking wherever we went! We were able to use the handicapped parking spots at the November finals at C.J.’s (where we won some prize money).

Back to the game! One of the final questions we had was about which Bruce Springsteen song was his highest-charting. Very similar to the one asked Thursday night:

Seven singles from Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA album hit the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, but none hit #1 and only one hit #2. Name the #2 single from Born in the USA, which is not “Born in the USA”.

Our question had fewer clues. When Mike, Brad and I had the question, Mike and Brad each had different ideas for the answer to this one. But I was POSITIVE of my answer (which thankfully wound up being correct). Mike wanted to go with Born in the U.S.A., Brad wanted to go with Born to Run.  It was definitely a “fingers crossed” moment, as neither of them were really sold on MY answer. Come on guys! My mom took me to see Bruce when he played at Cobo Hall in 1985. Or was it the Joe? I honestly don’t remember. All I remember is he put on a FOUR HOUR SHOW! The man had some endurance! He really brought down the house! Truly a consummate performer!

I absolutely LOVE this album cover! Not just because Bruce is kind of hot in it – but the photo definitely tells a story. Here he is with E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, whom he always referred to as “The Big Man.”

I remember talking about that Springsteen concert when I was working at The Daily Telegram newspaper in the late 1990s with an older member of the editorial staff. And this was his response:

“You were at that concert? How old were you – 12?”

“No, I was 13,” I said. My mom also took me to see Prince and the Revolution the previous year…on a SCHOOL night! I checked the ticket stub…what a rebel! I think she made me try taking a nap first (unsure if I actually slept or not). And that’s when I smelled weed for the first time!

My ticket stub from that Prince concert

My husband and I were talking about “The Boss” this afternoon in the car. And we came up with a BRILLIANT idea – Bruce Springsteen as a comics action hero! Who wouldn’t want to read that? I’d love to see him slugging it out with various villains!

Why stop here? Imagine if “The Boss” ran for governor of New Jersey? Or at the very least – mayor of Asbury Park? I would INSIST his mayoral letterheads look like this: