Here’s the scoreboard after two weeks. There are some intriguing developments. No surprises at the Top, as Steak Em Up and Duane’s World hold the top 2 spots. But then things get interesting, as Different Name Every Week and Newman’s Own are in 3rd and 4th place. The top 10 teams are in blue (actually, the top 11, as their are 4 teams tied for 8th). Remember, the Top 10 teams have a shot at the extra $200 drawing, on top of the $400 the top 25 teams can earn by winning the Invitational on August 15th. The most important thing to note, however: even if you haven’t scored or haven’t played yet, you are still right in the hunt. As you’ll notice, 1 measly point puts you right in the mix, as the 25th place team right now has a grand total of 1. Furthermore, you can triple your chance of points on any given week. Remember you can score points tonight at the Westbury, you can score points by playing on Tuesday or Wednesday, and then you can play at an all new quiz on Thursday. Best chance to to score points? No doubt, it’s Tuesday at Bards. We’ve had way fewer teams playing at Bards on Tuesdays than anywhere else.  Therefore your chances of finishing in the Top 3 are terrific. And of course, if you can knock off Steak Em Up on Tuesday, you’re going home with $85. There is currently a $45 bounty on them. And before you go whining about how unbeatable they are, keep in mind that they lost by 17 on Thursday.

Tonight’s festivities at the Westbury get underway at 10:30 PM.  Last week’s large and lively crowd included an appearance by a splinter cell of L. Ron Hubbard’s Diabetics and most of the Steak ‘Em Up team masquerading as Group W.  A first time team took third (gaining a point in the invitational) and Duane’s World got the highest score so far on Monday night (107).  The competition is heating up, and any team looking to get points has a great chance tonight.  The theme round is “Cartoons” and that may be just the topic to level the playing field. Tonight’s special will be Great Lakes Brewery’s Lake Erie Monster at $4.00. This is a limited release imperial Double IPA. So come on over to the Westbury and down a pint while answering questions about your favorite cartoons.  Hope to see ya there. Th-th-that’s all, folks!

Here it is, Episode 2. In this one we practice our trivia, Phil shows off his music knowledge, and we talk about pregame jitters. (To check out Episode 1, click here. And for some reason, the right side of the screen gets cut off on this video on Macs, which is driving me crazy b/c I can’t figure out why. To see the full-screen, click here.)

Some of you may remember that back in January the members of Sofa Kingdom, Jam Master Phil, and I headed out to Denver for their Geek Bowl. Well, I shot plenty of video while we were on our trip, but unfortunately, I lost my recharger while I was there. So I’ve sat here with all this great footage and no way to put it on my computer. Well, I finally broke down and spent $100 for the new recharger, and I’ve started to edit the video. Today I present Episode 1, where we get drunk on the plane, enjoy all Englewood, Colorado has to offer, and stay out later than we planned.

We kick into full gear for Week Two of the JGT Summer Invitational. If you haven’t played yet, no worries. There is still plenty of time left to get onto the Leader board. In fact, only 24 teams have scored yet, and there are 25 spots open, so even if you have zero you are still in good shape.

And as if getting yourself on the board wasn’t enough to entice you to play tonight, there’s this: I have two tickets to give away to the Phillies at tonight’s quizzo. And not just any Phils seats, these are sweet seats in section 136. Gonna give ’em away randomly tonight, so you gotta be at O’Neals to win them. Also, O’Neals has had decent crowds but not huge ones, so your shot of getting a seat there is pretty good, and the competition isn’t quite as fierce as it is elsewhere. Action starts at 8 p.m.

As for the Bards, well, it’s quite simply your best bet to score points. Yeah, Steak Em Up is the perennial favorite, but there is a rotating cast of characters claiming 2nd and 3rd Place most weeks. Furthermore, there is currently a $40 bounty on the Steak, so if you are able to somehow knock them off, you’re going home with 5 points and $80. That’s tough to beat. Bards starts at 10:15 p.m. $2.50 Lagers and Miller Lites.