Re: Ken from Utah, the 18-time Jeopardy champion......

gene_gene_thequizzingmachine <*michael_a_knapp_at_gene_gene_thequizzingmachine.yahoo.invalid*> · Mon, 28 Jun 2004 14:48:59 -0000

--- In quizbowl_at_yahoogroups.com, ater31337 <no_reply_at_y...> wrote:
> --- In quizbowl_at_yahoogroups.com, "gene_gene_thequizzingmachine"
> <michael_a_knapp_at_h...> wrote:
> > --- In quizbowl_at_yahoogroups.com, "darwins_bulldog1138" 
> > <darwins_bulldog1138_at_y...> wrote:
> > > > Is he affiliated with the quiz bowl circuit out in Utah 
(either 
> > with 
> > > > one of the public universities, or with BYU)?
> > > > 
> > > > Is he a writer for NAQT?
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > And who would win in a best of five one-on-one showdown with
> hard-
> > > > core brain-breaker ACF questions:  Ken from Utah, or R. 
Robert 
> > > > Heintzel?
> > > 
> > > There is no quizbowl circuit in Utah, yes, and what do 1994's 
> > favorite
> > > topic of online quizbowl discussion, "hardcore brain-breaker ACF
> > > questions," have to do with a game show?
> > 
> > Maybe I should check out NAQT's web site before posting.  Mea 
culpa.
> > 
> > Apparently, Mr. Jennings is developing quite the fan club:
> > 
> > http://www.robichaux.net/archives/000836.php
> > 
> > Also, apologies for the "hardcore brain-breaker ACF questions"
> quip; 
> > the adjectives were redundant and unnecessary.  :-|
> 
> Have you even played a single ACF tournament?  Come to think of it,
> have you even played in any college quiz bowl tournaments, period? 
> After combing through years of results out of curiosity and never
> seeing the name Michael Knapp appear in any of them at least one, I
> would be interested in knowing what you based that inacurrate 
potshot
> on.  
> 

I played intramural quiz bowl in college, as well as volunteering at 
a couple of tournaments and participating in one other (so far).

One thing about this board I've learned over the years:

magnitude(normal people's reaction to normal every day events) = 
[magnitude(quiz bowl people's reaction to having their precious 
little pet format being poked or prodded)]^.25 .

> More importantly I would be interested in knowing why this sort of
> verbal diarrhea that borders on spam in its uselessness is seemingly
> valued above legitimate discussion and criticism of formats and 
other
> quiz bowl issues on this board, at least based on the fact that I've
> noticed far more posts criticising people for doing the latter here
> and relatively none for the former.

I think you need to take a chill pill, and a deep breath, stop 
thinking that you're the most important person on this board and/or 
in quiz-bowl-land (not that quiz bowl types tend to do that), and 
realize that MAYBE I was making a joke about ACF.

You know what SARCASM is, right?  It is the usage and/or making of 
statements in jest, the inflammatory aspect thereby being cancelled 
out by the fact that it was never meant to be taken all that 
seriously.

Now, I suppose, you could probably continue on a line of reasoning 
saying that "Well by making jokes about ACF maybe you think you're 
being funny but in fact your ignorance perpetuates stereotypes to 
those who don't know blah blah blah".  

I don't think that I should have to point this out, but in no way do 
I wish to imply that just because 90% of college bowl teams would 
average less than 50 ppg on a typical ACF packet doesn't mean that 
it's a bad format, nor that the relentless obscurity of the source 
material is non-conducive toward competitive matches.  I've seen and 
been highly thrilled by showdowns with such final scores as 75-70, 35-
25, and 40- (-25).  Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, I 
say.