1. Duane’s World (Black Sheep). Two straight wins to follow up their Invitational victory keeps them in the top spot. Last week: #1

2. Jesters of Tortuga (Bards/CTH) Can we talk for a minute about how annoying this team name is? While Steak Em Up was quick and concise, this comes off the tongue completely awkwardly. Also they won twice last week. Last week: #2

3. The Jams (Rendezvous). Two in a row at the Vous keeps them in the three-hole, poised for one of the top 2 to fall. Last week: #3

4. Sidecardigans (Sidecar). Three wins in the past four weeks at the Sidecar gets them back in the top 5. And if we ever do a power rankings for what team drinks the most whiskey, they will dominate. Last week: #9.

5. No Names (O’Neals/Industry) A win at Industry two weeks ago followed up by a win at O’Neals this past week rockets them up the charts. And as soon as Molly puts my “Big News” in her gossip column, they’ll probably climb even higher. Last week: #13

6. Hobo Cops (Industry). The Hobo Cops, formerly Top Hat Fancy, climb into the Top 10 with an impressive come from behind win at the Industry. Last week: NR

7. Underground Bard (City Tap House). A 106 would win at a lot of bars. But not at City Tap House when Jesters of Tortuga are there. Have I mentioned what a dumb name Jesters of Tortuga is? Last week: #5

8. Exhausted Nihilists (O’Neals). A one point loss at Sidecar keeps them locked into the #8 spot. Last week: #8

9. Always Finish 4th (North Star). After a recent hot run, they seem to be returning to part of the field where they are most comfortable, with a 3rd place finish this past week. CORRECTION: They won a tie-breaker for 2nd this past week. JGT, Inc. regrets this horrible error and the organization has put in place several safeguards and hired two new “Fact-checkers” to make sure no team has to go through what Always Finish 4th went through today. Just tragic. Last week: #4

10. Ink Spots. (North Star) Two wins in the past 5 weeks, including one last week, propel them into the Top 10. Last week: NR

11. Electric Mayhem (Locust Rendezvous)

12. Jitney Spearks (Black Sheep)

13.We Got Nothin (O’Neals)

14. Tempura House (Sidecar)

15. Specific Jawns (Bards)

16. Blazing Sea Nuggets (Black Sheep)

17. L. Ron Hubbard’s Diabetics (Industry)

18. Mysterious Mr. Mapother (O’Neals)

19. Nine Inches Limp (Industry)

20. 1022 (Rendezvous)

Well, here they are, the return of the JGT Power Rankings.

1. Duane’s World (Black Sheep). A 12-point win at the Invitational, followed by a blowout victory at the Black Sheep on Wednesday. On a roll.

2. Jesters of Tortuga (CTH/Bards). Fall by double digits at Invitational, then do so again at Bards on Thursday. Like the Phils, you have to wonder if age is becoming a factor. This just isn’t the team we saw in 2008.

3. The Jams (Rendezvous). 2 wins in past 4 weeks, plus a 3rd place finish at Invitational, puts the Jams in the #3 spot.

4. Always Finishes 4th (North Star). Appropriately enough, two straight wins after two straight 2nd place finishes lands these guys right where they feel most comfortable.

5. Underground Bard (City Tap House). Win with a 118 at City Tap House last week, then leads after 4 rounds at the JGTSpI. It’s been a train wreck ever since.

6. Specific Jawns (Bards). Haven’t been around all that much lately, but burst back onto the scene with an 11-point win over the Jesters of Tortuga at Bards this past week.

7.Electric Mayhem. (Rendezvous) 2 wins in the past 3 weeks puts them in the Top 20 for the first time ever.

8. Exhausted Nihilists (O’Neals). An impressive 4th place finish at Invitational puts them in the Top 10, but this team at full strength certainly has the potential to be a Top 5 team.

9. Sidecardigans (Sidecar). Rebound from a devastating last place finish at the Invitational to take first place the very next night. You gotta like that from a young team. Short term memories.

10. L. Ron Hubbard’s Diabetics (Industry). Two wins in the past three weeks gets them in at the tail end of the Top 10. This is a former #1 team. Can they climb the charts again?

11. We Got Nothin’ (O’Neals)

12. Jitney Spears (Black Sheep)

13. No-Names (Industry)

14. Blazing Sea Nuggets (Black Sheep)

15. Mysterious Mr. Mapother (O’Neals)

A completely wild week at quizzo, as we had two first time teams win and a 3rd lose by a single point.

1. Steak Em Up. They missed the first question on Tuesday, then got the next 39 correct. But on Thursday, they fell in OT at the Bards. It was great. Last week: #1

2. Duane’s World. The hot streak continues, as they win their 5th straight at Black Sheep and force a Bounty. Last Week: #2

3. Why Can’t Us? This team has been on fire lately, winning 4 times since the start of December, and losing 4 other times by 3 points or less. This past week, they put an impressive 123 on the board on a quiz Duane’s World scored 99 on and Steak Em Up scored 91 on. Last week: #12

4. Savage Ear. This team is back with a vengeance. A big win at O’Neals on Tuesday, followed by a 2nd place finish at the sports quiz. Both Jim and I are quite pleased that the Toddfather has put the band back together. Last week: #8

5. Stillmaniacs. An OT win followed by a 1 point win. These Cardiac Kids are showing some real grace under fire. Last week: #9.

6. Sidecardigans. A 3-point loss at home drops them a spot in the rankings, but their spirits remain high. Last week: #5

7. FFSF. Yes, they defeat Steak Em Up, but it did take them like 11 players to do it. Don’t you people see what Steak Em Up has done to me? Still, they beat them, and at this point every time a team defeats STeak Em Up, no matter what the circumstances, I take it as a personal victory. Last week: #14

8. The Jams. Back to Back losses, without even a top 3 finish last week, has them tumbling down the list. Last week: #3

9. Sharks With Lasers Pew! Pew! They come outta nowhere to knock off the Sidecardigans and a packed house at the Sidecar last Monday. Can they keep it going this week? Last week: NR

10. Awesome Deuche Nozzles. Another team that just wandered onto the scene and quickly made a name for themselves, this time at the Rendezvous. When Clown Question returns, and if Jam Master Phil ever stops having to fly to awful cities for work, the Vous could once again become the center of the local nerd universe. Last week: NR

Rest of the Top 20.

11. Tempura House.

12. Clown Question Bro.

13. Mysterious Mr. Mapother.

14. L. Ron Hubbard’s Diabetics.

15. Underground Bard.

16. Bears are Scared of Jazz Hands.

17. Sex Toy Story 3-Some.

18. Sedgely Singh.

19. Catfishing in the Yemen.

20. Victorious Secret.

 

Here are the power rankings as we head into 2013.

1. Steak Em Up (Bards). Still number 1, but they did finish 4th at the Bards on Thursday, as L. Ron crushed them. Great way to end the year.
2. Duane’s World (Black Sheep). Almost lost the number 2 spot, but they came from 12 down to win at the Sheep last Wednesday.
3. The Jams (Rendezvous). Darth Ern! Pete! Joe! Justin! The old Frank Clement’s crew played together last week and pulled off a big win at the Vous.
4. Why Can’t Us (Ugly American). A rapid climb up the charts, with two wins and a 2nd place finish in the past three weeks.
5. L. Ron Hubbard’s Diabetics (Bards). About time. They finally break out of their funk, missing only one question at a rousing defeat of Steak Em Up on Thursday night.
6. Bears Are Scared of Jazz Hands (O’Neals, UA). Two wins and a 2nd place finish in the past 3 weeks. This is the hottest this team has ever been. Can they keep it up?
7. Sidecardigans (Sidecar). Finally broke out of their funk a couple of weeks ago with a huge win at the Sidecar. Will they take their act on the road this week?
8. Madame Butterface (Rendezvous). A huge win for this franchise at the Christmas quiz a couple of weeks ago.
9. It’s Not Creepy if You Say it Right (Black Sheep). Always a contender at North Star, and looked to have a win locked up at the Sheep last week before a 4th round meltdown. Can they rebound from such a devastating loss?
10. 5 Finger Assprint (Sidecar). Sidecar regulars will need to take their act on the road to stay in the Top 10.

The rest of the Top 20.
11. Clown Question Bro
12. Flick My Bic
13. Interim Team Name
14. Happy Birthday to the Ground
15. Mysterious Mr. Mapother
16. Jitney Spears
17. StillManiacs
18. Hooter and Chuff
19. FFSF
20. Underground Bard

 

These do not include last night’s quizzes. A lot of movement in the standings, with several upsets last week.

1. Steak Em Up. They win on Tuesday at CTH, but not on Thursday. With confidence lagging, they add Carl and Sandman for Sunday’s City vs. City event. Cowards. They did win, but didn’t have the high score in the country. Last week: #1

2. Duane’s World. A tough Wednesday-Thursday quiz last week, and Duane’s World won a defensive battle to move up a spot in the rankings. Last week: #3

3. The Jams. Finish out of the top 3 last week, but they’ve won 10 out of the past 13 weeks, so they only drop a notch. Last week: #2

4. 5-Finger Assprint. Back to back wins at the Sidecar launch 5-Finger Assprint into the top 5 for the first time ever. Last week: #7

5. Savage Ear. Finish 2nd at O’Neals, but don’t drop in standings. Why not? They still scored 111 in the loss. Last week: #5

6. Happy Birthday to the Ground. While their status as “Most Obnoxious” team has long been acknowledged, it’s now time to acknowledge that they’re pretty smart too. They’ve won 3 out of the past 4 weeks at North Star. Last week: #11

7. Interim Team Name. WHOA! 118 points? Where in the hell did that come from? Last week: NR

8. Hooter and Chuff. A third place finish at O’Neals drops them a few notches. Last week. #4

9. Underground Bard. Another week, another 2nd place finish to Steak Em Up. Actually, two second place finishes. They also finished 2nd Sunday night. Last week: #14

10. Mr. September. Huge win for September at Vous on Wednesday. Last week: NR

11. TalkSmackers. Huge upset over Steak Em Up (ok, so it was only Kenney. Still.) on Thursday. Last week: NR

12. Bears are Scared of Jazz Hands. Been a while since they got a win, but they locked it down on Thursday at UA. Last week: NR.

Rest of the Top 20.

13. Mysterious Mr. Mapother
14. Snapjack
15. Sidecardigans.
16. Why Can’t Us.
17. Clown Question Bro.
18. Andy Reiding Railroad.
19. Blazing Sea Nuggets
20. Puppy Puppets

Alright, these are a day late BUT NOT a dollar short. A really wild week last week, with only two of our previous Top 10 being victorious. Really makes for quite a mixup with the QCS Computer (above), which calculates these rankings. And while the top 10 get write-ups, the list now extends to 20. These rankings do not include last night’s results.

1. Steak Em Up (Bards). Blah blah blah nerds blah blah blah freaks blah blah blah. Last week: #1

2. The Jams (Rendezvous). 10 wins in the past 12 weeks have assured the Jams of a spot very near the top of the rankings. Last week: #3

3. Duane’s World (Black Sheep). A third place finish at the Sheep drops them out of the #2 spot. Last week: #2

4. Hooter and Chuff (Multiple). A 116 point performance launches them not only back into the power rankings, but into the Top 5. Last week: NR

5. Savage Ear (O’Neals). A Triumphant return to O’Neals. Are they ready to compete with Mysterious Mr. Mapother for King of O’Neals status, or was this just a one time reunion? Last week: NR

6. Mysterious Mr. Mapother (O’Neals). An 18 point loss at O’Neals drops them two spots in the rankings. Last week: #4

7. 5-Finger Ass Print (Sidecar). A top 3 finish in each of the last three weeks, including a first place finish last week. This is a team on the rise. Last week: NR

8. Chick-Fil-Atio (Black Sheep). This team burst on the scene last week with a convincing win at a packed Black Sheep. Did Duane’s World just gain a new rival? Last week: NR

9. Ruby Tuesday (Ugly American). Every once in a while, these guys really blow if out of the water at UA. This was one of those weeks, as they won by 18 points. Last week: NR

10. Sidecardigans (Sidecar). A tough two point loss to the Asspring causes them to further slide down the rankings. Last week: #6

The rest of the Top 20.

11. Happy B-Day to the Ground
12. Puppy Puppets
13. 407 Primrose Yellow Jackets
14. Underground Bard
15. Snapjack
16. FFSF
17. Why Can’t Us
18. Blazing Sea Nuggets
19. Zombea Arthur
20. Andy Reiding Rainbow

Man, a lot of close calls last week. Should be another wild week this week, and I’m taking your suggestions for wild card rounds over on my facebook page.

1. Steak Em Up (Bards). Won twice by a grand total of 3 points last week, and would have lost at Bards if either 2nd or 3rd had looked up QOTW. The good news is that the two teams that almost beat them are newbies. Hope we’re going to see Bards return to 2008 levels of competitiveness. Last week: #1

2. Duane’s World (Black Sheep). Only powerhouse to not be seriously challenged this week. Cruised to 8 point win over Puppy Puppets. Last week: #2

3. The Jams (Locust Rendezvous). With Barristers and Magnusson retired from active play, the Jams need a new rival. Could Madame Butterface fill the role? They only lost to Jams by one this week. Last week: #4

4. Mysterious Mr. Mapother (O’Neals). After a crushing loss the week before, they regained their foothold at O’Neals, cruising to a 12 point win over Hooter and Chuff and knocking off Tempura House, a team that features Sarah Bart, who finished 2nd in Jeopardy College championship. A big win for the Mapother franchise. Last week: #5

5. Why Can’t Us? (Ugly American) Wanna know how you shoot from not ranked to 5th? Score 116 on a quiz Steak Em Up scored 88 on. Last week: NR

6. Sidecardigans. A 4th place finish drops them 3 spots in the rankings, though they’ve still won 4 of last 5. Last week: #3

7. 407 Primrose Yellow Jackets (Ugly American). Nothing like scoring 2nd highest total of any team all week….and finishing 2nd. Last week: #7

8. Happy B-Day to the Ground (North Star). Been a bit of a power vacuum at the North Star since Popesack disappeared. The Ground seems to be filling the hole. Last week: #9

9. Underground Bard (City Tap House). Heartbreaking, one-point loss to Steak. Will this finally be their week to get over the hump? Last week: #8

10. SnapJack (Sidecar): Who are they? Why are they here? Pull off a dramatic win at Sidecar on Monday night. Will they be back to defend the title or just a flash in the pan? Last week: NR

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Better Than Danny, Hooter and Chuff, Puppy Puppets, Naughty Christmas Elves, 5 Finger Assprint, Interim Team Name, Vanna White House Party, Palestine Turner Overdrive