I’m currently watching old episodes of “Murdoch Mysteries,” which is a long-running Canadian series following Detective William Murdoch in turn-of-the 20th century Toronto as he solves crimes. Mostly murder.

Like any good long-running series, there are usually other storylines going on, too.

In the episode I’m watching now (season 5, episode 7, Walk on the Wild Side, part one), the underlying storyline involves…

Two different police station houses are trying to put together baseball teams for a rival matchup. Like in the old Simpsons episode Homer at the Bat, the police captains are employing shady tactics to assemble the best teams. Mainly, hiring police officers with professional baseball experience, but no police experience.

You get the idea!

Trivia teams also do this. You know – get “ringers” to play with them for cash prize games. Players brought on board just for certain “deciding” I’ve done it countless times, and I’ve been recruited for this purpose by other teams, too.

I’ll never forget being part of a group text chat with another team about 10 years ago when someone said “thanks for bringing that ringer (my name) to help us.”

Aww, shucks! 🥰 It was worth the hot drive with no AC in the car to Berkley, MI!

Only thing was at that game, I didn’t know that I was supposed to be their “ringer” until after I’d gotten there. I had only showed up to meet a friend and play with her “B” team at a semifinal game while her “A” team vied for a finals spot.

Apparently one of their regulars wasn’t able to make it. So there I was thrust into a trivia game with her “A” team – all players whom I’d never met before!

Yes, the team did advance to finals from that game 👍

I’ve seen other teams employ ringers, too. There was an eccentric local guy who frequently played on teams for tournaments that also managed to win cash prizes…a lot 🤔 I haven’t seen him around for a while.

All’s fair in trivia and war, right? And if imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery…

Then was I merely “imitating” other teams by bringing a “ringer” to play with my team at our recent tournaments?

Full disclosure, she wasn’t even my first choice. I asked people from my “regular” roster first. Nope…nope…nope.

So I asked a teammate from a friend’s team to help us out, and thankfully she said “yes.” She had the right credentials – science teacher, quiz bowl coach, appeared on “Jeopardy!”

I also knew that since she had played for years with a friend of mine, then they would have that teammate “chemistry,” too. Sometimes players just bring out the best in each other. One of my longtime trivia teammates Dave is especially good at helping to dislodge loose trivia tidbits from my brain.

Mainly, though – I was thrilled to have a majority female team for a tournament for the first time since 2017!

So I brought this foursome to semis a couple of weeks ago – where I had a distinct feeling that  my team was…being watched.

Just a “Spidey sense” thing. 🕷️Nothing I can prove.

If someone from a rival team was there to do recon on us, then I guess I’m glad that we didn’t fuck up!

It’s all good. It’s all fair. I do the same things. I’ve had other players keep eyes on other teams for me at games I can’t go to. Sometimes I simply go to tournament games just out of curiosity – or for “fun.”

When you’re being watched, you’re probably also doing some watching of your own! 😉