In one of my games last year, squarekara made a comment about excelling at “speed sheeping” and “See you all at the Sheeplympics!” This gave me an idea. There have been a number of Olympics themed quizzes and questions to my recollection, but this takes on a new twist. Seeing as how the actual Olympics will not be taking place this year, I wanted to simulate the experience in addition to revisiting the “best of” (....or maybe worst of, based on how you feel) from my previous five turns as host. Some of the questions will be related to items that have sheeped or have been close to sheeping in my previous five turns as host. You need not have played my previous games to be successful here, however.
The top finishers overall will receive a virtual gold, silver and bronze medal. I may or may not also include a fun prize for the last place finisher, the true sheep in this flock.
RULES and HOUSEKEEPING
- There are a dozen questions. Pick one answer from each set you think others will not - your score corresponds to the number of players who answered the same question as you did. Lowest total score will be the champion; there is one bonus, but no additional questions.
- You are allowed to DROP one question for an automatic score of zero (0), and one SHEEP if needed to automatically receive the score of that question’s most common answer.
- Incorrect responses will count the sheep’s total plus an additional five (5) points. Just a reminder that phonetic or otherwise close spelling is acceptable, as long as I can identify what you are going for.
- The quiz is open to any and all who fill out this Google form, JBoard member or not. The quiz will close for scoring on Monday, July 20 at 11:59 p.m. pacific time; the reveal will commence early Tuesday morning and continue throughout the week.
- Please don’t look up answers, collude with your friends, etc...The honor system is important to these games and it helps everyone enjoy the experience more. I take pride in trying to make my games accessible for all, but also challenging for veteran and top-tier quizzers, so there should be something for everyone. Besides, cheating is bad for your conscience and will never help you win in TD play anyway.
- Feel free to reach out via PM if there are any further questions or issues.
1.) The Actual Olympics
Assuming the games of the 32nd Summer Olympiad are not pushed back further or cancelled altogether, Japan will be the host nation. Excluding Japan, name a host NATION for any Olympic Games, summer and winter, between 2000-2018. (10 possible answers).
2.) Torch Relay
Answer some questions about fire or running of various kinds.
- Which famed Greek is said to have ran 26 miles to announce Athens' victory in the Battle of Marathon?
- This famed distance race winds through Hopkinton, Newton’s Heartbreak Hill and Copley Square
- This rhyming, non-competitive race often benefits charity and can sometimes be completed in costume
- The last runner of a relay race is said to run this “heavy” leg
- This man, one leg amputated, embarked on a run across Canada in the early 1980s as a cancer fundraiser
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a three time Olympic medalist in which combined events contest?
- In Greek mythology, this Titan stole fire and gave it to civilization
- Starting in a shop on Pudding Lane, this devastating 1666 event occurred in the midst of the second Anglo-Dutch war
- November 2018 saw the Camp and Woolsey fires ravage which U.S. state?
- Only you... can identify this famed public service announcement star voiced by Sam Elliott (and prevent wildfires, I guess)
- This dating application’s logo is currently a white flame on a reddish-pink background
- Premiering on October 10, 2012, this Dick Wolf-produced show stars Jesse Spencer as Matthew Casey
3.) Opening Ceremonies
- Whose stirring rendition of the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXV charted on Billboard?
- What famed E.B. White novel begins, “Where’s papa going with that ax?”
- You might open a Dutch or sliding glass one of these in your home
- The start of the Indianapolis 500, or any other auto race, is depicted by a flag of what color?
- Crossword Clues “O”: This three word term might refer to a court case with very clear facts (4, 3, 4)
- Drunk Christopher Sly is shown being ejected from a bar at the outset of this Shakespeare play
- Which U.S. state seceded on December 20, 1860?
- Gorbachev is credited with initiating this ‘80s policy in the Soviet Union, meaning “openness” (and/or transparency) in Russian
- The name of this month might have come from the Latin word “aperire” (aperit), meaning to open
- The opening scenes of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” show the titular character, portrayed by this actress, being saved from a Doomsday bunker
4.) National “Pri”de
Identify a word in the English language - you know, something I can find in a dictionary - that contains the letters “Pri” consecutively (back to back to back). The combination can appear at the beginning of the word, the end or anywhere in between. BONUS: 1 point deduction for whomever can come up with the longest word. In the event of a tie, each of those players receives the bonus.
THE MAIN EVENTS
This next group of six questions rework phrases/information that has sheeped in my five previous games, placed into broad categories. Good luck!
5.) Music
- “Oh Baby/Why don’t you just meet me in the middle?” sang this country/pop star on Zedd’s hit 2017-18 song
- This Massachusetts native shared a surprising kiss on the 2015 American Music Awards stage with “Marvin Gaye” duet partner Charlie Puth
- One of pop’s top groups in the 80s, Susanna Hoffs fronted this girl group
- This music legend returned to the top of the charts on the strength of 2000’s “Smooth”, with some help from Rob Thomas
- Camila Cabello was a member of this quintet before leaving to pursue a solo career
- This British pop duo consisted of David Stewart and Annie Lennox
- Cher won a 1987 Best Actress Oscar for this film
- LeAnn Rimes sang “Can’t Fight the Moonlight” for this 2000 film
- “Zillionaire” was a minor 2016 chart hit for this stately rapper, born Tramar Dillard
- “Heartbroke” singer Ricky Skaggs is a noted player of this stringed instru”m”ent in the lute family
6.) Literature
- "Their Eyes Were Watching God" was a famous novel from this Harlem Renaissance figure
- Chinua Achebe’s "Things Fall Apart" told a story of a member of the Igbo tribe of this most populous African nation
- Harper Lee’s much anticipated second novel with this title was released a few months before her 2016 death
- This literary genre formed from German words meaning “education” and “novel” focuses on the coming of age or growth of a protagonist
- Cormac McCarthy’s 1985 novel with this title recalls experiences of “the kid” and the Glanton Gang on the United States-Mexican borderlands
- Anne Eliot is the central figure of this Jane Austen novel that I sort of remember reading three years ago
- Who wrote 1969’s Slaughterhouse Five?
- Not related to the Marty Robbins song, “El Paso: A Novel” is a recent release from this “Forrest Gump” author
- Author’s Bonus: A favorite of Girl Meets World character Maya Hart is this children writer’s “Hop on Pop”
7.) Sports
- This NBA franchise moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn in 2012
- The Cleveland Cavaliers selected this hometown hero first overall in the 2003 Draft; that “decision” worked out pretty well
- This longtime power forward for the San Antonio Spurs received his Hall Call in April 2020
- The Atlanta Falcons’ most successful quarterback, this 2016 MVP (and “Schooled” pilot subject) was a top five draft selection out of Boston College
- Steer clear of the 2017 March Madness Championship Game if you talk to fans of Gonzaga; Gonzaga is located in this city
- This 2011 national player of the year for BYU flamed out of the NBA, but resurrected his career in a big way in China
- Richard Petty sported car numbers 41, 42 and 6 at times, but is most famous for piloting this numbered machine for the majority of his NASCAR career
- She wrote “Seabiscuit: An American Legend”, as well as “Unbroken”
- Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan State are members of this major collegiate conference
- Let’s torture myself now.. Which greatest quarterback of all time left my beloved New England Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March?
8.) Famous Names
- Brian Dunkleman co-hosted the first season of American Idol before this more famous host took over for good
- This “Indebted” TV “nanny” might be best known for her thick New York accent and nasal voice
- John Legend’s 2014 #1 All of Me was written about this supermodel wife of his
- Jimmy Hoffa served as the leader of which labor union between 1957 and 1971?
- Tim Allen enlisted TV wife Patricia Richardson to help outsmart Bob Vila on Tool Time; the two reunited on this show when Mike Baxter bought some civil war collectibles
- A native of Duckburg, Donald Duck’s nephews have which three rhyming names?
- “Chattahoochee” singer Alan Jackson performed the duet “5 o’clock Somewhere” with this leader of a bunch of parrotheads
- Larry Page and Sergey Brin want to make sure you are “feeling lucky” as you use their invention, this search engine
- Frank Sinatra and this photographer famous for her “Migrant Mother” are residents of Hoboken, New Jersey
- This Italian who passed away in late 2018 won a Best Director Oscar with “The Last Emperor”
9.) Places and Place Names
- “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” is a song from this 2004 Tony winning musical
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid appear on the American Film Institute (AFI) list of top American films of all-time; in what city is the AFI located?
- The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire occurred in this NYC borough
- Rodrigo Duterte took over as the president of this nation in June 2016
- Prince’s Paisley Park can be found in this Minneapolis suburb
- Recently bankrupt retailer JCPenney is headquartered in Plano, a city of this state
- Jean Sibelius, Linus Torvalds and Esa-Pekka Salonen are all natives of which nation?
- Madeleine Kunin and Howard Dean are former governors of this state
- Romulus and which brother are credited with the creation of Rome?
- Vaclavske Namesti (Wenceslas) is the main square in this world capital
10.) Odds and Ends + Author’s Choice
Here are a few things that didn’t quite fit, plus some personal connections
- I hear this song all the time at work; Peter Gabriel surely knows that Ace Hardware advertises a Collins 20 lb. steel this tool with a large flat metal head and a long handle
- Ritz or Saltines, this type of snack food, were always in our pantry growing up
- Babies born on May 15 fall under this astrological sign, shared by some of my friends and family
- A science lesson growing up dealt with isobars (pressure); similarly, isohyets deal with connecting points of similar this
- Skype was popular when I was younger; this video communications company that shares its name with a WGBH-produced kids show has taken over in 2020
- The loft looked like a fun home for Nick, Winston, Schmidt and Jess on this FOX sitcom, a show I binge-watched for the first time last month
- Orbit is the mascot for this MLB team that my Boston Red Sox defeated in the 2018 ALCS
- Don’t get my Twizzlers confused with your licorice stick, a nickname for this instrument
- Red Delicious and my favorite, the Cortland, are varieties of this fruit
11.) Medal Ceremonies
If you’re exceptional at your discipline, you’ll win a gold, silver or bronze medal. Pick one of Gold, Silver or Bronze.
12.) Closing Ceremonies
The closing ceremonies are a celebration of the games that have occurred. Per the Department of Commerce, there are ten federal holidays observed annually in the United States, where banks, schools, federal buildings and so on are closed and we celebrate - maybe. Name one of these ten. (NOTE: this does not include Inauguration Day in Washington D.C.)