Updated JGTSI Scoreboard

Here it is, the scoreboard through 4 weeks. (This does not include the latest “overrated” physical challenges.) We are now halfway through the contest, and things are looking really interesting. A 2 person squad is in 3rd place, Steak Em Up has fallen to 7th, a team that hasn’t played yet is tied with Duane’s World for 4th thanks to physical challenges, and perennial contenders Savage Ear, 1022, and Insert Topical Team Name are nowhere to be found on the Top 20 list.

If you want to get your team in contention, you can almost instantly. Just get a photo of you performing the latest physical challenge on facebook by Wednesday at noon. After that, we’ll be taking the rest of that week off from physical challenges, so don’t wait too late.

And be sure to look over the scoreboard and make sure I have your points right. Some teams switch names each week so I don’t necessarily give them all the points they deserve.

JGTSI Scores Heading Into Tonight

Here they are, the JGTSI scores heading into tonight’s quizzo action. That includes quizzes from earlier this week. The teams in yellow would be in the Top 10 if the season ended today, the teams in blue would earn an invite, and the teams in green are on the outside looking in. The physical challenges are really making a huge difference in this summer’s event. There is a brand new challenge posted on facebook right now. You can earn up to 6 points this week. Well worth it if you’re trying to make the cut. The Top 15 teams earn an invite, with a few teams earning a wild card berth in our final week. The event is going down on Sunday, August 7th at National Mechanics, and we’ll be competing for glory against teams in Denver. For more info, click here.

Quizzo Overrated Says Philly Mag.


Philly Mag is a magazine written for Lower Merion moms, who as a demographic don’t play a lot of quizzo. So I don’t think Philly Mag’s assessment of quizzo as “Overrated” will really affect my bottom line a whole lot, but I do think it’s a bit of a low blow. For one thing, I was asked by a Philly mag staffer (who shall remain nameless, but is a good friend of mine who runs a certain local food blog. But again, no names) asked me to help give him some overrated/underrated ideas, which I gladly did. Then, after spending my time (free of charge, mind you) sending them ideas, quizzo gets trashed in their overrated piece?

Apparently par for the course for Philly publications. A few years ago, Philadelphia Weekly asked me to help rate their top 50 bars. I gladly did so, only to pick up the issue and that in that very same article they had listed Fergie‘s as the best quizzo in town. Was everyone who makes editorial decisions for local publications raised by wolves? Manners, people, manners.

But that’s not what really bothers me about this. What really bothers me is that the assessment of “Overrated” doesn’t make any sense. Overrated how? Is quizzo overrated because of the non-stop media coverage? The numerous corporate sponsorships? The people rioting over it in the streets? Furthermore, how does anyone on the Philly Mag staff know if it’s overrated? I don’t think they have quizzo at (Insert Flavor of the Month Scenester restaurant here), where the draft beers are $8 and the passenger pigeon terrine is “to die for”, so I’m not sure what they’re basing it on.

Quizzo is what it claims to be. A simple way for friends to have an excuse to drink a couple of cold ones at the bar on a Tuesday and hang out for 2 hours. How can that be overrated? If you’re gonna say that I’m overrated, or Irish Jon is overrated, or what have you, then you at least try to have an argument. But I’m not sure how quizzo itself can be construed as overrated. That’s like saying that beer is overrated or a night on the town is overrated.

Furthermore, your magazine is called Philadelphia magazine, and you’ve never run a piece on quizzo (that pic of me in Philly mag a couple of months ago was awesome, but the article was about the Phillies, not about quizzo), which has gone from a small Irish bar tradition among friends to a multimillion dollar national phenomenon in the past 20 years, and which started for all intents and purposes right here in Philly. That would make it different from some of your overrated things like cheesesteaks and Rocky, which you’ve written about, oh I don’t know, every single month for the past 35 years.

But that’s not what really pisses me off. What really pisses me off is that they have both Cole Hamels and the Palestra as “Rated”. Cole Hamels is the most underrated World Series MVP in history (he got booed earlier this year AT HOME) and the Palestra is half-full for most games despite being the coolest basketball arena in the country. I know most of you don’t get a chance to watch sports while you’re drinking French 75s at Swanky Bubbles**, but then goddamnit all hire somebody that knows something about sports. I know a guy, and as much as he rails against it, he loves passenger pigeon terrine. Furthermore, he was raised by wolves.

**Is that place even still open?

The Craziest Week of Quizzo Ever? It’s Quite Possible

Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll Week seemed to change everything. The Jams, Duane’s World, Steak Em Up, and L. Ron’s Diabetics all lost. (Thus confirming every stereotype you have about the relationship between nerds and sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.) Two teams won while playing their very first quizzo (7 Boobs and My Grandfather was Scottish), while the Mister Lippers won their 2nd quizzo ever.

Meanwhile, things are nuts over on the Facebook Physical Challenge Board, as people seem to have lots of pictures with themselves next to statues for some reason. If you want to score some physical challenge points, I highly suggest a trip over to facebook. You have until Monday to get a photo up of you in front of a statue.

And as if things weren’t crazy enough, Mom and Her Sun finished last at the Rendezvous, meaning I was able to capture the photo above, believed to be the first photo in world history of two black guys holding a Michael Bolton CD. They told me they were going to be blasting him on their car stereo all summer long.

I do expect things to return to some semblance of normal next week. Rejoice nerds…it’s going to be Humanities and Science week.

The Philly Team Funded by Cocaine, the Draft Day That Destroyed the Sixers, and a Mini-Stadium

The answer to this week’s question of the week was Larry Lavin. Interestingly enough, he bought one of Philly’s most historic venues in 1980, then moved a minor league basketball team in there. The end result was a disaster for the team, the arena, and for Lavin.

In 1986, the Sixers destroyed a dynasty in about half an hour. Here’s how it went down.

Ten years later, they became the only team in NBA history to spend back to back picks on future Major League baseball players.

An interview with miniature stadium creator Steve Wolf. You have to see his miniature stadiums to believe them.