| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This soccer club retired the #14 jersey worn by its greatest player, who victimized Jan Olssen in the 1974 World Cup with a dragback move that became named for him. In 1995, this soccer team defeated AC Milan via a strike from Patrick Kluivert (+) to become champions of Europe for the fourth time. This team has won the most Eredivisie titles, ahead of rivals PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord. Frenkie de Jong (*) and Matthijs de Ligt transferred from this team after the semifinals of the 2019 UEFA Champions League. Johan Cruyff Arena is the home of, for the point, what Dutch soccer club that is named after a mythical Greek hero? | Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax [[EYE-AX]] (accept Amsterdam Ajax or AFC Ajax) |
| This 1973 National Golden Gloves lightweight champion also won the light welterweight gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. This fighter, who avenged an earlier loss by winning the "No Mas" fight, (+) was the only boxer to have defeated the trio of Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler during his career. This first fighter to earn $100 million shared his nickname with an earlier (*) champion who was defeated by Jake LaMotta in the film Raging Bull. For the point, name this only boxer who won recognized world titles in five different weight divisions, known as “Sugar Ray." | Sugar Ray Leonard (accept Ray Charles Leonard; do NOT accept or prompt on "Sugar Ray Robinson") |
| After a national championship loss, the coach of this team said “you look at the numbers and it says they can't shoot free throws.” This team was scrutinized by the NCAA when head coach Penny Hardaway helped player James Wiseman (+) move. This team was led to a national title appearance by a player who would go on to be the youngest NBA MVP in league history. That player, Derrick Rose, (*) was also investigated by the NCAA for allegedly not taking the SAT while at this school. John Calipari left for Kentucky after coaching, for the point, what college basketball team, nicknamed the Tigers, that once lost to Kansas on a buzzer beater by Mario Chalmers? | University of Memphis Tigers (accept either underlined portion; accept Tigers before mentioned) |
| Steffi Graf is the only tennis player to complete this feat in a single year. Doubles partners Mike and Bob Bryan completed this feat beginning with the 2012 London Olympics, while Serena Williams is the only player in tennis history to achieve this feat as both a singles and doubles (+) player. Andrei Agassi completed this feat after winning the 1999 French Open, while Novak Djokovic lost his bid to complete this feat (*) in a calendar year when he was upset by Sacha Zverev in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. For the point, identify this feat in which a player wins all four Tennis majors, plus an Olympic gold medal. | Golden Slam (accept Career Golden Slam) |
| Other than Israel, this is the only UEFA member nation in soccer that is not geographically located on the continent of Europe. Alexander Vinokourov, a cyclist from this country, has earned top-five overall finishes in the Tour de (+) France. At a 2012 shooting competition in Kuwait, a fake version of this country’s national anthem was mistakenly played at the medal (*) ceremony when a competitor from this country won gold. The world’s highest-altitude speed skating rink is located in, for the point, what former Soviet republic where athletes train at Almaty? | Republic of Kazakhstan (accept Qazaqstan Respublikasy; or Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic) |
| When this athlete was asked what his trademarked monosyllabic catchphrase meant, he replied “It means almost, like, everything.” This athlete won his first Olympic gold medal on a relay team that contained Peter Vanderkaay and Klete Keller. This man won the gold in the 4x200 meter freestyle relay (+) in four consecutive Olympic games, alongside teammate Michael Phelps. In 2016, this man and three other swimmers caused an international stir when they claimed to have been robbed (*) at gunpoint in Brazil. For the point, identify this American swimmer who won six gold medals and attended the University of Florida. | Ryan Lochte |
| A 2013 column by Ethan Strauss suggesting the use of this method provoked a strong refusal from Andre Drummond. LSU coach Dale Brown was rebuffed after proposing to teach this method to a star player. Wilt Chamberlain used this method for one year, including during his 100-point game, and (+) Chinanu Onuaku used this method with the Rockets in 2016. This method has been successfully employed at Iowa by Canyon Barry, the son of (*) this method's most notable proponent. Rick Barry’s 89.3 percentage was achieved through the use of, for the point, what unusual orientation for shooting free throws? | Shooting Free Throws Underhand (accept Granny-style) |
| This player launched to stardom in 2013 when he outplayed an opponent while both used the character Zed. This player was the 2016 World MVP, and a look- a-like for this player was featured in The Simpsons episode “E My (+) Sports.” This player has served as a mid-laner with the team SK Telecom T1, which has won three Worlds championships. This player was the first to reach 500 professional wins in the Champions (*) Korea division. For the point, identify this South Korean esports player commonly referred to as the greatest League of Legends player of all-time. | Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) |
| In 1980, this division's title went to a tiebreaker game after a crucial pitching loss by Frank LaCorte. A five-way pennant race in the first year of this division's existence shifted when Rico Carty re-recovered from tuberculosis. In 1993, this division ended with a 104-win champion that enjoyed a 136 ERA+ from Steve (+) Avery, despite playing on the opposite coast in this division's name. The 2019 title for this division was won by a 21-game margin by a team including (*) Joc Pederson and Clayton Kershaw. For the point, name this division in which the Diamondbacks, Giants, and Dodgers compete. | NL West (or National League West; prompt on "West") |
| During a Thanksgiving Day game in his second NFL season, this player intercepted Lions quarterback Gary Danielson for a 97-yard return. Along with Brian Kelley, Brad Van Pelt, and Harry Carson, this man led the unit known as the "Crunch Bunch." This (+) player is the most recent defensive player to win the AP NFL MVP Award. In a 1985 Monday Night Football game, this player was seen reacting in panic after (*) severely breaking Joe Theismann’s leg during a sack. For the point, name this three-time Defensive Player of the Year and longtime linebacker for the Giants. | Lawrence (Julius) Taylor |
| This man won his only Zamora Trophy in 2008, serving as the starter in front of backup Jerzy Dudek. This player made a notable run across the goal to save a shot from Diego Perotti in an October 2009 game against (+) Sevilla. During the last five seasons of his career, this player set a new record for most seasons and most games played in the Champions League while playing in the Primeira Liga for (*) Porto. For the point, name this longtime Real [[RAY-yall]] Madrid goalkeeper who made 167 appearances for the Spanish national team from 2000 to 2016. | Iker Casillas [[kuh-SEE-yuhs]] Fernández |
| The intended function of this play was for Lex Hilliard to run the ball after a fake toss to Shonn Greene. This play led to the second of three touchdowns scored in a 52-second span by an opponent’s offense, defense, and special teams when the ball was recovered by Steve Gregory. This play, (+) which contributed to "Fireman Ed" leaving the stadium, occurred during a 2012 Thanksgiving Day game and is named for a part of lineman Brandon (*) Moore. For the point, name this "most embarrassing moment in Jets history" in which Mark Sanchez lost the ball after running into his teammate's backside. | Butt Fumble (accept descriptions of Mark Sanchez Fumbling the Ball after Running into Brandon Moore before mentioned) |
| Anthony Morrow honored the late Drazen Petrovic while competing in this event. From 1986 to 1992, this event witnessed two different threepeats from Larry Bird and Craig Hodges. The 2019 iteration of this event added a zone sponsored by Mountain Dew that was worth triple the usual number of points awarded in this event. Klay (*) Thompson eventually beat teammate Stephen Curry in the final of, for the point, what annual NBA All-star weekend competition in which the league's best sharpshooters compete? | NBA Three-Point Contest |
| This team lost a crucial 1984 game when Ted Clem hit a last-second field goal for Troy State. This team is the more frequent victor in a rivalry series played for a trophy called "The Marker." Craig Bohl, Chris Klieman, and Matt Entz (+) consecutively coached this team, whose repeat opponents in the title game were Sam Houston State and James Madison. This team won five consecutive national titles, and its quarterbacks have included Carson (*) Wentz and Trey Lance. For the point, name this team that won nine FCS championships in 11 seasons while playing home games in the Fargodome. | North Dakota State (University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) (accept NDSU; do not accept or prompt on “University of North Dakota” or “North Dakota” alone) |
| The tin is among the markings used in this sport, which is featured in the Commonwealth Games, but not the Olympics. Artengo and Black Knight are brands of a type of ball used in this sport, which are marked with colored dots (+) to denote their speed, with blue being the fastest. Egyptian players currently occupy 14 of the world’s men’s top 20 ranking spots in this sport, in which Pakistan’s Jahangir Khan once won 555 consecutive (*) matches. For the point, identify this sport that is similar to racquetball, but with longer and narrower rackets and smaller balls. | Squash |
| A game in this year’s World Series became part of the only day in history in which the MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS each played games on the same day and in the same city. Game 3 of this year’s World Series featured Ian Kinsler being thrown out on an attempted sacrifice fly by Cody (+) Bellinger before Max Muncy won the game with an 18th-inning walk-off home run. Journeyman Steve Pearce was named the MVP of the World Series in this year, in which (*) David Price won two games. For the point, identify this year in which the Dodgers lost the World Series 4-1 to the most recent Red Sox championship team. | 2018 World Series |
| This player, who represents Bosnia & Herzegovina in international competition, won back-to-back Atlantic 10 tournament titles while at George Washington. This Bahamas-born player is featured in a State Farm commercial placed between Trae Young and Boban Marjanovic. (+) This player led Team Stewart in scoring in the 2022 All-Star Game, and she scored 25 points while playing alongside Alyssa Thomas in her team's Game 5 loss to the Mystics in the (*) 2019 WNBA finals. For the point, name this Connecticut Sun forward and center, the 2021 WNBA MVP. | Jonquel Jones |
| After learning of this event, John Ziemann was secretly given a van containing marching band uniforms. This event happened one year after John Elway announced he would begin a baseball career with the New York Yankees rather than play for the team involved in this event. A refusal to provide public financing (+) to Memorial Stadium led Robert Irsay to engineer this event, which was done using a fleet of 15 (*) Mayflower trucks taking a certain action "like thieves in the night." For the point, identify this 1984 event in which an NFL team abruptly relocated to the Midwest from Maryland. | Baltimore Colts Moving to Indianapolis (accept the Colts leaving Baltimore) |
| This player scored a notable goal against Hellas Verona in 1996 by taking the ball the entire length of the field off of an opponent’s corner kick. Notoriously bad soccer player Ali Dia claimed to be this man’s cousin when selling himself to Southampton. In 1995, this player won the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Player of the Year awards, becoming the only member of an (*) African national team to do so. For the point, name this retired soccer player and leader of the Congress for Democratic Change who in 2018 became the president of Liberia. | George (Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman) Weah |
| According to legend, this man is the only person to ever hit a ball out of the old Yankee Stadium, a feat he accomplished during a 1937 exhibition game. In his 1966 Hall of Fame induction speech, Ted Williams noted that he hoped this man and Satchel Paige (+) would be inducted one day, expressing his disappointment at the exclusion of Negro League players. This player officially has 165 career home runs, but is believed to have actually hit over (*) 800. Nicknamed the “Black Babe Ruth,” this is, for the point, what catcher and slugger for the Homestead Grays? | Josh Gibson |
| During their most sustained period of success, this school used an option- modified I-formation and employed defensive coordinator Charlie McBride. This school’s first consensus national championship was secured with a 38-6 victory over Alabama, and Larry Jacobson (+) won the Outland Trophy with this school while playing under coach Bob Devaney. This team won the 1994 and 1995 national championships and went 36-1 under the leadership of quarterback Tommie (*) Frazier. For the point, name this "Sea of Red," a Big 10 school coached by Tom Osborne from the city of Lincoln. | University of Nebraska (accept Cornhuskers or Huskers) |
| In the final innings of his career, Sachin Tendulkar passed Graham Gooch to become the all-time Test leader in this statistic. A technological innovation known as Decision Review System is primarily used to determine if this event has occurred. In the 2001 Eden Gardens Test match where India defeated Australia after following on, Adam Gilchrist was dismissed (+) first ball in both innings in this manner. A player cannot be given out in this manner if the ball pitches outside the line where they are standing. (*) For the point, name this method of cricket dismissal in which a batsman blocks, but does not hit, a ball that the umpire judges would have gone on to hit the stumps. | Being Out Leg Before Wicket (or LBW) |
| Immediately before this incident, a man put on a headset and tried to start an interview with Mark Boyle, who refused to turn on the microphone. Prosecution of this incident was helped by David Gorcya, who was able to personally identify his former neighbor, (+) John Green, as this event's primary instigator. Charlie Haddad was punched in the face by Jermaine O’Neal (*) during this incident, which ended with the forcible dispersion of the crowd by Auburn Hills police. Ron Artest was suspended for 86 games after, for the point, what November 2004 event in which brawling NBA players climbed into the stands to fight fans? | Malice at the Palace (accept answers describing the 2004 Fight Between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers) |
| This man was the first president of the American Professional Football Association, which was a forerunner to the NFL. This man is the namesake of a Pennsylvania town that formed from the merger of two boroughs named Mauch Chunk. This man was later ruled ineligible (+) to win Olympic medals because he had played two seasons of semi-pro baseball, though he was reinstated as sole champion in 2022. This man was named the greatest athlete of the first 50 years (*) of the century by the Associated Press, and he was inducted into pro football’s inaugural Hall of Fame class. For the point, identify this athlete, the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States. | Jim Thorpe |
| In 1989, teams from East Tennessee State and Princeton each came one point away from accomplishing this feat on the same day, but neither team was successful. The first four teams to fail to accomplish this feat were Lehigh, (+) Fairleigh Dickinson, Southern, and North Carolina A&M, in 1985. Darius Lyles scored 20 points in a 2018 game in which the Retrievers of UMBC (*) accomplished this feat for the first and only time in tournament history. For the point, name this feat in which the lowest- seeded team in an NCAA basketball tournament defeats the highest-seeded team. | #16 Seed Defeating a #1 Seed |
| Position and team required. Roy McMillan won three 1950s Gold Gloves for this team and this position, in part thanks to unscrupulous fans who participated in the 1957 All-Star ballot stuffing scheme. Kurt Stillwell was once the primary starter at this position for this team, and he and injury replacement Pokey Reese (+) were one of only three interruptions in a 34-year streak during which this position was mainly played for this team by Dave Concepción (*) and another player. For the point, identify this position and team, which was played from 1986 to 2004 by Barry Larkin. | Shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds (accept either Cincinnati or Reds) |
| This game was considered the peak of the dotcom bubble, as it featured 14 ads for web startups, 10 of which are now defunct. Though the Baltimore Ravens did not play in this game, a watch party for it was the site of the fatal stabbing incident in which Ray Lewis (+) was implicated. This game, which ended with Mike Jones tackling Kevin Dyson one yard short of the goal line, was the only title game won by a team known as the "Greatest Show (*) on Turf.” Kurt Warner was the MVP of, for the point, what championship game in which the then-St. Louis Rams defeated the Tennessee Titans? | Super Bowl XXXIV [[34]] (accept answers describing the Super Bowl in 2000; or the Super Bowl of the 1999 Season; accept the Super Bowl between the Rams and Titans before “Titans” is mentioned) |
| This play was brought to one team by wide receivers coach Mike Groh, and the signal for this play was yelling the phrase "kill, kill" while lining up behind Lane Johnson. Mike Pereira claimed that this play was illegal due to starting with only six players on the line of scrimmage. and this play started with a direct snap to (+) Corey Clement. The team that ran this 2018 play went up 21-12 against an opponent that failed to run a similar play from (*) Danny Amendola to Tom Brady. For the point, identify this play from Super Bowl LII [[52]] in which Trey Burton threw a touchdown pass that was caught by Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. | Philly Special (accept Philly Philly; or any description of Nick Foles Catching a Touchdown Pass on a Trick Play in the Super Bowl before Foles is mentioned) |
| This athlete scored the first ever run at Navin Field, which would later become Tigers Stadium in 1961. This baseball player was inducted into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame in 1951, but this player has not been inducted (*) into the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite having a career batting average of .351 and a career total of 1,772 hits. Actor D.B. Sweeney played this baseball player in the movie Eight Men Out, while Ray Liotta played him in the movie (*) Field of Dreams. The 1919 Black Sox Scandal involved, for the point, what baseball player named for playing in his socks? | “Shoeless” Joe Jackson (or Joseph Jefferson Jackson) |
| This team won a playoff game on the road in which the opposing timekeeper did not start the clock for over eight seconds after Jeff Hornacek received an inbound pass. This team is the only #6 seed to win the NBA title, (+) a feat this team accomplished a year after adding Mario Elie by trade and Sam Cassell in the draft, and this team also added star Clyde (*) Drexler for their title defense. The Knicks and Magic were defeated in consecutive NBA Finals by, for the point, what team that won both NBA titles between the Bulls threepeats behind the play of Hakeem Olajuwon? | Houston Rockets (accept either underlined portion) |
| At a stadium known by this name, Corey Scott died while trying to perform a motorcycle jump in 1997. A football game known by this name had a 30-year deal with the Big 8 conference starting in 1968, and three of the first five Super Bowls (+) were hosted at a stadium known by this name. One college football game of this name is now sponsored by Capital One, and that game is the third-oldest New Year's Six (*) bowl after the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. For the point, name this college football game that also names a former stadium in Miami. | Orange Bowl |
| As a two-sport athlete in college, this man lost a 100-meter final to future UK Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell. While starring for a junior college team, this two-way player led his team to a Prune Bowl victory over Long Beach State. This man scored on a 64-yard touchdown following an audible from quarterback (+) Toby Page to secure the Victory Bell in 1967. The following year, this man ran for 171 yards in a losing Rose Bowl effort against Ohio State and won a Heisman Trophy that he was forced to auction. (*) For the point, name this star running back for USC and the Buffalo Bills. | O.J. Simpson (accept either; accept Orenthal James Simpson) |