Wow, an insane night last night! Steak Em Up loses by 25* to a heretofore unheard of squad and the Missing Heads return to action after a 4 year hiatus with a win at O’Neals, and iphones were even allowed for a few brief seconds of the match. The craziness continues tonight at the Locust Rendezvous at 6:15 p.m. ($3 Saranac Pumpkin Ales and $2 16 oz. Pabst) and the Black Sheep at 8 p.m. Competition at the Vous is tighter than ever, while things at the Black Sheep are wide slam open. And don’t forget to get your bonus points JGTAI points on facebook! This physical challenge is delicious!

*Announcing their disappointing and humiliating 3rd place finish was one of the highlights of my quiz career.

Big prizes and legalized cheating at both the Bards and O’Neals highlight the opening of Week 2 at the JGT Autumn Invitational. Legalized cheating? That’s right, I’m going to let teams use their cell phones for one minute at the conclusion of one of tonight’s rounds.  IF the city can legalize gambling, then I can legalize cheating. We’re going to turn this city into a damn Sodom and Gomorrah in no time. I will also give away some JGTAI Tourney points via cheating. One week only, folks, I am encouraging you to bring your iphones. That being said, my punishment for those who use their phones at unsanctioned times will be dealt with in a way that will be both swift and severe. It would be like running a roulette wheel now that the casino is open. Me and the city will not stand for this type of behavior!

Action starts at O’Neals at 8 p.m., where margaritas are $3.50, the prize for the winner is an impressive $50 GC, and where there is no clear cut favorite (i.e. a great place to get on the scoreboard). On to the Bards at 10:15 p.m., where there is certainly a clear cut favorite (Steak Em Up) but you can earn 3 bonus points (and the $40 prize) if you knock them off. Oh, and I’ve got tickets to Ring of Honor Wrestling to give away at quizzo tonight. I’ve been to these matches before and they are a lot of fun. (One of the wrestling managers on Friday’s card has the amazing name of Truth Martini.)

Mike Minion is hosting tonight at the Westbury, and he’s offering JGTAI Bonus points to anyone who can knock off perennial powerhouses Group W and Duane’s World. Here’s a few words from Quizmaster Mike.

Tonight quiz at The Westbury starts at 10:30 PM.  The topic for this week’s Wild Card round will be HBO original programming.   The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Sex and the City, and Band of Brothers are just a few of the shows that have become classics of pop culture.  Plus, there will be some gambling questions to mark the opening of Philly’s first casino.  And of course, the Fall Invitational is now in full swing.  In addition to the points you can earn for coming in 1st, 2nd or 3rd, I’ll be asking some bonus questions that will give teams a chance to earn extra points.  Oh, and if any team besides Duane’s World or Group W wins, they’ll earn 2 bonus points for the invitational.  So, come out and enjoy the great beer specials and earn some points for the Invitational.  Hope to see ya there.  P.S.  There’s a rumor that Brother Mouzone, Larry Sanders, Pauly Walnuts, Carrie Bradford, Johnny Drama, and Bill Maher will be playing as a team tonight.  Frankly, I have my doubts.

Monday night will be a first in Quizzo history. It will be the first time cellular, telephones, iphones and other electronical devices won’t be prohibited. In fact, they’ll be encouraged…for a price. That’s right, you can pay for the opportunity to phone a friend or check the internet. The action kicks off at the MarBar at 40th and Walnut at 6:30 p.m. It’s a $20 entry fee per team ($2.50 per player for a team of eight) and cheats cost extra. All proceeds will go towards the Spells Writing Lab. For more info about what you are donating your money towards, click here. Keep in mind, this quiz will be worth double points, with the winner earning 10 points in the JGT Autumn Invitational. Yes, it will be a different quiz than the ones I do later in the week. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there!

Ok, so standings will be posted on Monday after physical challenges are completed. I have added two new opportunities for bonus points, one of them in Manayunk for our Terrace Taproom crowd! You must have the photos posted by Monday at noon. So even if you didn’t play in Week 1, there is a chance to get right into the mix, as you can earn up to 10 points in physical challenges. I will have the venue for the Main Event posted next week. I have decided to cut the invites from 25 teams to 22 teams, just to make sure nobody gets complacent after an early win.

One thing that’s been a little lacking lately has been creative team names. Therefore, next week the best team name at each bar will earn 2 points, and the best team name over the course of the week will get 5 bonus points. Yes, if you have an established team name, you can play with a new name, just be sure to put your old one down somewhere on the paper.

I am participating in an incredible comedy show, the Ministry of Secret Jokes, tonight at the RUBA (414 Green) that will feature 3 past winners of Philly’s funniest contest and will be hosted by Doogie Horner of America’s Got Talent fame. Not only a great show, but a chance for you to earn some points. Hope to see you there!

Less than a week into the Autumn Invitational, and things are already heating up. A very tough quiz to start the week that saw nobody score over 88. Tonight’s quiz is going to be a bit easier. I expect a few 100s. I let last week’s last place teams pick the topics for the wild card round. Therefore, tonight’s wild card round is “Mammals and Minnesota” (No, not Mammals of Minnesota, though I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a Golden Gopher question in there somewhere.). Should be pretty interesting. Action starts at Ugly American at 8 p.m., where there are $2 Lagers and $3 Kenzingers and where the French Fries that someone will win were picked by Philadelphia Weekly as the best in the city. (The nachos are pretty damn good too). We then move to the Bards. $2.50 Lagers and a chance to beat the biggest dorks in town, Steak Em Up. Action starts at 10:15 p.m.

ALSO SEE: In case you hadn’t noticed, Philly is currently the center of the sports world, with a baseball team on fire and a big QB controversy. I wrote an article on isportacus yesterday about how sports fans love the Phils and soap opera fans love the Eagles and it’s gotten pretty good reviews. Check it out.