15 Week Trivia Contest (14)

Here's how it works:

1.Over 15 weeks, we will be asking a trivia question each Thursday. The challenge started January 2, 2014. 

2. Answers must be submitted to groundrulehuddle@gmail.com by 11:59 PM Eastern Time the day the question is posted. 

3. Scoring will be based on each week's question. 

4. During the 15th week, we will have a final bonus question in which wagering (based on your cumulative 14 week score) will be used. 

5. The winner will receive an Amazon Gift Card and an opportunity to be featured on the blog. 

WEEK 14 TRIVIA QUESTION (4/10)

No Outside Resources. This means you cannot use other people, the internet, or other means to help your answer. 

Today is a grab bag of MLB questions. You will get 2 points for each question you answer correctly and an additional 4 points if you answer all correctly.

1) Who is the only person to win consecutive manager of the year awards? Bobby Cox

2) Which Royals Hall of Fame hitter did Nolan Ryan face more than any other in his career? George Brett

3) With 511 wins, which pitcher has the most career wins? Cy Young

4) Which pitcher holds the lowest walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) for a single season? Pedro Martinez

5) Reggie Jackson leads MLB with 2,597 total strikeouts (as a batter). Who is 2nd all-time? (Retired in 2012) Jim Thome


Week 14 Scoreboard

Name	Week Score	Cumulative
Matthew T.	0	20
Derrick D.	4	66
Bruce B.	8	63
Jonathan S.	0	20
Tanner C.	0	6
Jeff F.	0	30
Nicole A.	14	72
Sallie W.	0	27
Tyler S.	0	3
Burt F.	4	35
Evan K.	0	3
Jarred S.	0	19
Bryan M.	2	55

Check out the trivia question and scoreboard from Week 13

Athletes with Killer Instincts Since 1990: No. 2

2. Tiger Woods

The Killer Fist Pump. The Swoosh. The Red on Sundays...Had Tiger Woods not participated in numerous extracurricular activities or been injured and less dominant lately, Woods may have claimed the #1 spot. And, as far as golf goes, I still cannot consider him to be the greatest golfer to ever live - even though he is the most talented. Yes, if I compare their peak years, Woods was probably better than Nicklaus. But, it is so hard to compare across different generations with different technology, exercise regimens, etc. 

Nonetheless, since 1990, Tiger only ranks second to one other athlete in terms of killer drive and instinct. Almost anyone you talk to affiliated with the PGA will tell you that Tiger works as hard as anyone. In addition to his work ethic, Tiger has accomplished some pretty incredible feats: 

1. Won 79 PGA Tour Events (2nd)

2. Won 14 majors (2nd)

3. Lowest career scoring average in PGA Tour history

4. PGA Player of the Year 11x

5. PGA Tour Money Leader 11x

6. Most consecutive weeks as No.1 in World Golf Rankings, 281 weeks

Don't forget to check us out @GRHuddle. Who do you think will be the Top Athlete with Killer Instincts Since 1990? Submit your feedback to us with the hashtag, #KillerInstinct.

No. 3: Kobe Bryant

Brain Droppings Apologies

Just came up for air and wanted to apologize for the absence of Brain Droppings last week and this week. I've certainly got so e thoughts that I will share this week but other things have just kept me from sitting down to write my column. I'll get back on it ASAP. Thanks for still checking in with GRH.

Jeremy

JD's Deuce Points (Near, Far, Wherever You Are...)

1. Luck be a Lady Tonight

Disaster struck the Whitten household Thursday. Victoria, our newly acquired kitten, went missing, and she wasn't "under where" I last found her (the hammock). Lady's anxiety caused her to start biting her toenails, and I drank one too many Zimas. For those of you who are wondering, I don't suggest handling your problems with a Zima, ever.

Friday morning, I called the Fire Department to check all the trees in the neighborhood to make sure Victoria hadn't climbed into one of them and gotten stuck...no luck. As for Lady, she continued to chip away at her toenails. To counter this issue, I decided to take the rest of the Zimas in the 24 pack and pour the liquid into a Windex spray bottle. I then sprayed Lady's toenails with the Zimex. Problem solved. 

When Lady was strolling the neighborhood Friday afternoon, she noticed that the neighbors had bought a hammock and put it on their deck. She went over into their yard, and found Victoria hiding under their hammock. Don't ask how Lady conveyed this message to me, but she found Victoria! Later that night, the three of us watched Titanic and all cried at the end of the movie, reflecting upon how Victoria was almost lost. Near, far, wherever you are, I believe that the heart will go on...we love you Victoria!

2.  "Swamp Time" No More!

Ever have to go to the bathroom in public at a larger toilet that holds a bigger volume of water? If you haven't noticed, this can create a "geyser" effect if the BTW (behind to water) distance is too large. Here's what I suggest: put down a layer of TP in the toilet beforehand to catch the fall!

March's Madness: Observations

Lord McFather, Jeremy, and I in North Texas cheering on the Dawgs, who aren't present

Over the Hills and Far Away...For some reason, the NCAA has this illogical desire to promote the Final Four as being in North Texas instead of Arlington. It seems pretty goofy to me, and I'm frankly tired of hearing about the Final Four being in North Texas. Last year's Final Four should have been "more effectively" marketed as North Central Georgia. 

Telecommunication Breakdown...Some of you may be already be looking at your TV Guide wondering, where are the games for tonight listed? That is because you are likely looking on CBS. TBS is actually covering the Final Four this year, with the National Championship being broadcasted on CBS. Interestingly, you can also tune into TruTV and TNT during the game on TBS to hear the games being announced from the perspective of an announcer with affiliations to one of the schools. 

Rock N' Roll...Last year, in North Central Georgia, the Final Four hosted a great rock band lineup featuring Muse and Dave Matthews Band. Jeremy, JD, Merry Meg, and I were all able to attend the Muse concert and had a blast. This year's lineup in North Texas will feature The Killers and Bruce Springsteen. If you are in North Texas, you should definitely check this out.

Good Times, Bad Times...This year's tournament, like most, has featured ups and downs. Through the Final Four, there have been 32 blowouts and 10 upsets. Please note that a blowout is considered a win by 10 more points and an upset is when a seed 5 spots lower defeats a higher ranked seed. Blowouts are not good for viewership, but upsets can certainly boost intrigue. North Dakota State's upset of Oklahoma, and Mercer's defeat of Duke were certainly fun to watch. And, 11th seeded Dayton also made a nice run to the Elite 8.

Dazed and Confused...Sure, Wichita State didn't play the same regular season schedule that some of the other teams played, but the NCAA committee punished them with their bracket. Michigan was the 2 seed, Duke was the 3 seed, and Louisville was the 4 seed. And, oh yea, Kentucky, who almost beat Florida in the SEC Championship, was the 8 seed. What frustrates me is that Wichita State was a legitimately good team. Kentucky had to play their best game all season to beat them. Wichita State would have been much better off being a 2 seed in Florida's region instead of being a 1 seed in their region. At least Wichita State would have likely made it to the Elite 8. 

Ramble On...People can say what they want about John Calipari - that he pays players, that he bends the rules, and that he is merely a recruiter - but, Calipari is actually a really fine coach. Sure, he recruits tons of talent, but to have freshman gel the way his Wildcats do is impressive. It takes something beyond recruiting to do that.  I hold that he is actually underrated as a basketball coach. 

The Song Remains the Same...Florida has won 30 games since losing to UConn on a last second at UConn back in December. Florida may not end up winning the National Championship, but they are a model of consistency. More specifically, Billy Donovan is a model of consistently elite coaching. I think it is debatable that he is the best coach in college basketball right now. Florida has made 4 straight Elite 8 appearances, and Donovan is seeking his 3rd National Title. For as successful as he has been, I feel he rarely receives the attention or praise he deserves. 

Battle of Evermore...Now, on to predictions. I believe Florida will defeat UConn and that Wisconsin will defeat Kentucky. I think Kentucky has a much better shot of beating Wisconsin that UConn does for beating Florida (even though UConn beat Florida earlier in the year). I think Kentucky's erratic freshman play will finally catch up versus a seasoned and fundamental Wisconsin team that can score anywhere. Should the Harrison twins continue their dominant play, all bets are off. But. for now, I predict Florida will play Wisconsin in the National Championship, and Billy Donovan will hoist his 3rd National Championship trophy. 

15 Week Trivia Contest (13)

Here's how it works:

1.Over 15 weeks, we will be asking a trivia question each Thursday. The challenge started January 2, 2014. 

2. Answers must be submitted to groundrulehuddle@gmail.com by 11:59 PM Eastern Time the day the question is posted. 

3. Scoring will be based on each week's question. 

4. During the 15th week, we will have a final bonus question in which wagering (based on your cumulative 14 week score) will be used. 

5. The winner will receive an Amazon Gift Card and an opportunity to be featured on the blog. 

WEEK 13 TRIVIA QUESTION (4/03)

No Outside Resources. This means you cannot use other people, the internet, or other means to help your answer. 

During the early part of 2013, Golf Digest ranked golfers based on earnings the previous year (2012). These earnings included on course winnings and off the course endorsements, speaking engagements, etc. 

Who were the Top 5 golfers in terms of earnings? 

Please note that the list does not exclude retired players. Retired players CAN be on the list due to off the course earnings. 

You will receive 2 points for each correct answer, and an additional 4 points if you guess them in order. And, finally, if you guess within 5 million (+/- from the rounded total figure) how much the top earner made, you will be awarded an 2 extra points.

Woods ($86 million), Mickelson, Palmer, Nicklaus, McIlroy


Week 13 Scoreboard

Name	Week Score	Cumulative
Matthew T.	0	20
Derrick D.	10	62
Bruce B.	6	55
Jonathan S.	0	20
Tanner C.	0	6
Jeff F.	0	30
Nicole A.	8	58
Sallie W.	0	27
Tyler S.	0	3
Burt F.	4	31
Evan K.	0	3
Jarred S.	0	19
Bryan M.	8	53

Check out the trivia question and scoreboard from Week 12

Athletes with Killer Instincts Since 1990: No. 3

3. Kobe Bryant

Anyone with the nickname "Black Mamba" should definitely have killer instincts. Kobe Bryant definitely epitomizes his nickname with his play. And, if you don't think Bryant switched jerseys numbers from #8 to #24 to send a message, then you are probably naive. #24 just happens to be 1 better than #23... 

Even though he is currently injured, Bryant has been playing since 1996! That is a long, long time to be playing at such a high level (when he is healthy) in professional sports. Bryant has made 16 NBA All-Star appearances, won the NBA Championship 5 times, is 11x All-NBA First Team, 9x All-Defensive First Team, 2x NBA Finals MVP, and 1x NBA MVP. While I think some players, such LeBron James, may have more overall talent and better physical attributes than Bryant, I'm not sure they will ever have Bryant's killer drive to be the best. 

Don't forget to check us out @GRHuddle. Who do you think will be the Top 2 Athletes with Killer Instincts Since 1990? Submit your feedback to us with the hashtag, #KillerInstinct.

No. 4: Ray Lewis