We didn’t play the minimum number of games over the past season to be able to “really ” compete in this big Sporcle Events pub trivia to-do called the “league championship game.” So we did the next best thing – signed up for a virtual game! Isn’t it kind of interesting that we had better luck summoning players for a virtual meetup – than we would have had the game been played live? Or is that just sad? 😂

Such is the way of the world! 🖥 We played virtually with a couple of longtime friends (Angela and Sam) who’d moved to Virginia about 10 years ago. We put our heads together quite nicely in this game, we finished third overall out of eight teams with 108 total points.

Here were our questions:

Round One

1 Gardening – What five-letter term refers to a layer of material applied to the surface of soil for conserving soil moisture, improving fertility and health, and reducing weed growth?

2 James Bond What was the fourth and final film to star Pierce Brosnan as James Bond? Yay a chance to use my Brosnan bond films mnemonic device!

3 Companies – What transportation company was formerly associated with large pink furry mustaches affixed to the front of cars, a motif which has since been discontinued?

4 Athletes – At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, what athlete won both the decathlon and the pentathlon? Miss, we put Jesse Owens even though we knew he was wrong.

Mystery Round One

From the following list of seven TV sitcoms, choose the four that were created or co-created by Michael Schur. Teams will receive two points for each correct answer. The Big Bang Theory

Bob Hearts Abishola

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The Good Place

MomParks and Recreation

Rutherford Falls

Got two correct, we had no idea who this guy was 😔

Round Two

5 Games – In addition to dark blue, there are two color groups on a standard American Monopoly board whose properties do NOT include any named after U.S. states. Name one of those two colors. NERD POINT: Name both.

Missed the bonus.

6 Islands – Baffin Bay separates Canada from what large island, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark?

7 Science – A pluviometer is a scientific instrument that is used to measure what—wind speed, rainfall, temperature, or altitude?

8 Shakespeare – What Shakespeare title character was the recipient of “the most unkindest cut of all,” as described in a speech by another character? Miss, I was out voted for my choice of answer (though I didn’t know it for sure).

Mystery Round Two

The correct response to each part is the title of a song by Miley Cyrus with just ONE letter changed. Give the new title based on the description.

For example, if given “In a 2010 single about self-expression, Miley sings that she is not subject to a compulsory contribution to state revenue from her paycheck,” the answer would be “Can’t Be Taxed,” which is one letter different from “Can’t Be Tamed.”

I knew this would be rough since I can name only one MC song! And I actually kind of like the song (believe it or not).

M1 In a 2009 hit, Miley hops off the plane at LAX and sees the main character from Back to the Future has arrived in the country

M2 In a 2013 #1 hit, Miley sings that all she wanted was to break the walls of an Indonesian island

M3 According to a 2023 single, Miley was previously a Baseball Hall of Famer who spent 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers

M4. In a 2013 song, Miley sings “It’s our party, we can do what we want,” but, according to the title, they are unable to put one foot in front of the other

We missed 3 and 4.

Final Category Game One: NBA Leaders

We wagered zero on this (of course of the players I’d contacted beforehand who could not play with us would have helped us out on this one).

Since 2000, three players have led the NBA in scoring at least three times each. Name one of those three players, two of whom are active. Note: NBA scoring leaders are determined by points per game and players must have played at least 58 games during the season.Since 2000, three players have led the NBA in scoring at least three times each. Name one of those three players, two of whom are active. Note: NBA scoring leaders are determined by points per game and players must have played at least 58 games during the season.

Game Two/Round Three

9 Monuments – Located across multiple sites in Maryland, the Underground Railroad National Historical Park commemorates the life of what woman?

10 Cheese – What bleu cheese with a nine-letter name is made from sheep’s milk and is named for a location in the south of France?

11 80s Music – What German hard rock band released the 1984 album Love at First Sting, which features the song “Rock You Like a Hurricane”?

12 Golf – What golf course in California was the first public course to be selected by Golf Digest as “America’s Greatest Golf Course”?

Mystery Round Three

Name the character who has been played by the given performers in different films.

Mystery Round Three

M1. Angelina Jolie (2001) and Alicia Vikander (2018)

M2. Ian Holm (2001) and Martin Freeman (2012

M3. Whoopi Goldberg (1985) and Fantasia Barrino (2023)

M4. Brian Cox (1986) and Anthony Hopkins (1991)

Got all of these correct.

Round Four

13 TV Franchises- Strange New Worlds is the subtitle of the 12th and most recent TV series in what long-running franchise? Wh3n oh when do we get to see the next season 🤔 🌟 🛸?

14 Voting – Name one of the three U.S. states that utilize ranked-choice voting in some or all federal and state elections, as of 2024. NERD POINT: Name two of three.

Missed the bonus.

15 Ceremonies – The Society of American Magicians performed its first Broken Wand Ceremony in 1926, following the death of what illusionist and stuntman?

16 Words – What is the ten-letter term for a word or phrase that reads the same way forward and backward?

Mystery Round Four- Visual

Name the U.S. state based on the outline of a portion of its border. (Options: Michigan, Montana, California, Iowa).

Got all of these.

Final Category Game Two – 1960s Motown

In 1964 and 1965, the Supremes released five straight singles that reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Name one of those five singles.

Got this.

We only had to name one for this one – and one person for the game one final.

Did other players playing at bars have to name more? Inquiring mind wants to know!

Here was the tiebreaker q:

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and soccer player Gio Reyna were both born on November 13, how many years apart?

We’re going out for a My Trivia Live game tonight. As always, Go Pods, and stay classy, Angelina Jolie!