#baseball stadium replicas

[doobnnoob-tf2]

The Mercs are given a tub of classic Lego. What do they build?

Scout: he builds a baseball stadium, no shock. it doesn't look great but it's easy to tell what he was going for. he even has it set up to look like there's a game going on and there's a crowd in the stands. and of course he's the one up to bat at that moment. he shows off where his Ma and brothers are all sitting, and even shows that the whole team is there too. and then he goes to show off one "person" and gets quiet and just moves on from there to show off everything else

Soldier: no one is entirely sure what he made. it's.. something, that's for sure! eventually he explains that it's a bunch of raccoons stacked on each other and using a rocket launcher. no one sees it but they all smile and nod along anyway

Pyro: they spend hours upon hours upon hours working. hoarding most of the pieces, not letting anyone see what they're doing. and when it's time to reveal, they show they've made a perfect replica of the base with one open wall to see inside and even included tiny representations of everyone on the team

Demoman: he doesn't just build one thing, he builds several things and they're all various mythical creatures. ones he says he's either seen with his own eye, or fought with his own hands. he tells each story as he presents them all and when he gets to Nessie, he drops her on the floor and smiles as the pieces shatter

Heavy: the pieces are a bit too small for his fingers, so he has a hard time getting anything together. eventually he gives up after trying way too long to build his family's cabin and instead sits back to watch everyone else

Engineer: no one knows how he does it. it shouldn't have been possible and he refuses to explain how he did it. but he made a functioning Lego Sentry that shoots out other pieces

Medic: he draws a blank at first. he spends most of his time trying to figure out what to make and before long realizes he hasn't done anything and then scrambles to just do anything. he ends up making an anatomically correct heart and started to make lungs as well but didn't finish. so he says they're just Spy's

Sniper: he starts off trying to make his campervan, but then he turns it into trying to make his dream campervan. and then that evolves into him using whatever he can to build a little desert scene around it with a campfire and cacti and so on. he gets so absorbed into it, he doesn't even realize it's time to show off what everyone made and just keeps working

Spy: at first he ignores it, saying he's above playing with toys. but while he sits and watches everyone else, he finds himself randomly snapping pieces together and eventually it turns into him making something out of it. he makes a house, and then gets up and leaves without explaining any further

[onsomekindofstartrek]

It’s crazy how, to this day, the softball stadium at my alma mater is like a 1/4th scale replica of the baseball stadium. Not just the field, which is a ratio of 2/3rds (baseball is 90 feet base to base, softball is 60), but the stands are 75 percent smaller. There’s about a quarter of the amenities and a quarter the parking there.

Like… I really hate everything that that implies about our concepts of sport and gender and so on.

I could fix American baseball, I really could.

Make it mixed gender, make the field 75 feet base to base, legalize underhand pitching, and make rules saying, basically, you can’t field only men as batters. Honestly I would love to see a well meaning liberal governing body mandate some bizarre quotas of men, women and others. I think that would be less than useful, but hilarious nonetheless.

Suddenly there are way more kinds and speeds of pitch to worry about, there’s more variation in running speed that you have to account for both in fielding and in making out your batting order, and finally I think it would do some of the women’s fast pitch champions a world of good to “accidentally” hit a dude in the face with a hardball. They deserve it after the years of unequal pay, institutional sexism and being viewed as playing a child’s version of a different game.

[hvnyz]

 if you’re hearing LAKE EFFECT KID by FALL OUT BOY playing, you have to know SANTIAGO ESPINOZA (HE/HIM;CIS MAN) is near by! the 38 year old POWER HITTER FOR THE ROCKIES has been in denver for, like,TEN YEARS. they’re known to be quite INDULGENT, but being BENEVOLENT seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble CARLOS MIRANDA. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those WARM SUNKISSED SKIN, THE CRACK OF A BASEBALL BAT, FIVE O’CLOCK SHADOWS AND LED ZEPPELIN ON A RECORD PLAYER  vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough

pinterest ||connections and wanted connections

BASICS

FULL NAME: Santiago Emmanuel Espinoza NICKNAME(S): Santi, Tiago AGE: 38 DATE OF BIRTH:  May 4th 1985 PLACE OF BIRTH:  Syracuse, New York CURRENT LOCATION:.  Lakeridge District ETHNICITY: Nicaraguan GENDER: Cis Man PRONOUNS: he/him SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual RELIGION:  raised christian, not as strictly, but still practicing. OCCUPATION:  Power hitter for the Colorado Rockies FACECLAIM:  Carlos Miranda

PHYSICAL TRAITS

HEIGHT: 6'0 WEIGHT: 187 pounds HAIR COLOR: Brown  EYE COLOR: brown PIERCINGS: no piercings TATTOOS:  just this one on his hand SCARS|MARKS: one small scar on the left side of his head, just near his hairline, and another healed gash on his right knee. SIGNATURE SCENT: Jazz Club by Replica

PHOBIAS AND DISEASES

MENTAL ILLNESSES: n/a PHYSICAL ILLNESSES: N/a PHOBIAS: n/a

RELATIONSHIPS

MOTHER:  Alma Espinoza (nee Rivas) FATHER:  Cesar Espinoza SIBLINGS: none, he is an only child. RELATIONSHIPS: tba PETS: a bulldog named bear

PERSONALITY

ZODIAC SIGN:  Taurus MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good FAVORITE FOODS: his grandmother's vaho, picos, a hot dog from the guy at the stadium FAVORITE COLOR: burnt orange LIKES:  laying on the beach on a warm day, the smell of onions and garlic cooking, a cold citrus radler after a game, morning runs with bear. DISLIKES: sweet tea, horror films HOBBIES: beach volleyball, boxing, board games.

HEADCANONS

Santiago loves history and will watch the history channel or read history books in his free time. Gets his best sleep on airplanes. truly believes a late-night run with his favorite playlist will cure any negative emotion he has. calls his abuela every Sunday after she gets home from church, he hasn't missed a day since he moved out at 18. She was one of his biggest cheerleaders growing up, and he always confides in her. She is his safe space. Santi is a nice guy generally, but has a bit of an ego, years of being told you were a star will do that to you.

BIOGRAPHY

tw death

PAST

Santiago Emmanuel Espinoza is the first, and only child of Alma and Caesar Espinoza. Born in May of 1985 in Syracuse, New York, Santi came from fairly "normal" beginnings. His mother worked nights as a nurse, and his father during the day as a mechanic.

On the weekends in the summer, Santi and his father would go to Yankees games. Sitting in those seats, watching the game play out, sometimes well after sunset with a hot dog and a soda, those are some of Santi's fondest memories.

The obvious course was little league, when he wasn't watching a game, he was playing one, running around with his peers getting dirty and having a good time. What else was there to a perfect summer? Santi can still remember the taste of the vanilla soft serve ice cream after a long game.

When Santi's coach realize that there was a talent in him, more talent than was expexted out of his seven year old body, they suggested extra training. 'He could be something', he remembers his coach saying to his father, and Santi will never forget the look on his father's face. The pride he held that day, it was a rush.

Santi threw himself into it, baseball consumed him, even from such a young age, he knew that if he did well, if he lived beyond his potential, then he could make his family proud, and in turn, makke himself proud.

He played baseball through out middle school, and high school, and eventually, it got him into college, Vanderbilt University offering him a full ride to play for them. His mother cried the day he was offered his scholarship. His father hugged him for the first time in a while.

Tennesse was a big change compared to Syracuse, and initially, Santiago didn't adjust well. He felt like a small fish in a big pond. All of those boys on the team were recruited for a reason. It wasn't like high school where he was a standout player. He would vent his troubles to his abuela every Sunday morning over a cup of coffee during their weekly phone calls.

Eventually, things got better. Santi was able to prove himself to be worthy of his spot, and his teammates soon became some of his closest friends. His studies were fine, he kept his grades up enough to be able to play ball, the only class he was really enthusiastic about was history, his grades stayed consistently good for that one.

Santi's rise to fame wasn't effortless, no matter what anyone tells you. He worked hard, but from the outside, he looked like his scholarship, and then, his getting into the major leagues, was handed to him. He figured by then he had proved himself, but in the midst of him getting asked to play for the Chicago White Sox, he lost a few friends who thought they deserved it more.

Santi was young, and fresh faced when he began to play for the Sox, and although being the new kid was humbling, the notariety that came when he was able to prove how good he was got to his head just a little bit. People were showing up to games just to see him. People flocked to him at bars for dates or nights together. It all felt good, he felt like he was on top of the world.

| TW DEATH | It would all come crashing down when he had to take a year off because his father died in a car crash. Santi went back home, and he helped his mother, and his abuela, rebuild their lives with out their husband and son. He reconnected with his roots, and promised them both that he'd continue to make them, and his father proud. |END OF TW|

He was welcomed back to the team with open arms, but he wasn't sure he was fully in it. He wasn't sure he could go back. It wasn't until his first game, everyone cheering his name, the city skyline lit up ahead of him, that he knew he made the right choice in coming back.

PRESENT

Santi has been a power hitter and a star player for the Colorado Rockies for the last ten years. He loves the game, and his life, but he isn't sure how much longer he wants to play. Retirement is looking like it's somewhere near on the horizon. But who will he be when he's not playing? What will he do? All of these questions have been weighing on him since before the season even started.

Santi lives in the Lakeridge District with his bulldog named Bear.

[dylanobriencloset]

Where?: Dylan O'Brien with a fan at a New York Mets vs New York Yankees baseball game at the Citi Field Stadium in New York.

When?: July 27, 2022

What?: Men's Nike Black New York Mets 2022 Alternate Replica Player Jersey I $134.99

Worn with: New York Mets New Era Royal Primary Logo 9FIFTY Snapback Hat

[thefrenchcakecompany]

Goal! Creating Themed Cakes for Sports Fans

hoarse at games, and live for those epic victories. So, when it comes to celebrating a birthday, graduation, or any special occasion for a die-hard fan, a regular cake just won't cut it. You need a cake that screams "Touchdown!" or "Home Run!"

At The French Cake Company, we believe in celebrating every passion with a cake that's as delightful as the event itself. For sports fans, nothing beats the thrill of a big game or the joy of a victory, except perhaps a cake that embodies the spirit of their favourite team or sport. Whether it’s for a birthday, a championship win, or a viewing party, a themed cake can turn any occasion into a memorable celebration. 

Understanding the Passion

The first step in creating a sports-themed cake is understanding the passion of the fans. Each sport has its unique appeal and each team its fervent followers. A soccer fan might revel in the sight of a meticulously crafted ball and pitch, while a basketball aficionado might prefer a cake designed to look like their team’s jersey or a slam-dunk scene.

Choosing the Theme

The theme is the heart of any themed cake. Here are some popular ideas:

Team Colors and Logos: Incorporate the colours and logos of the fan's favourite team. This could be as simple as a cake in the team’s colours with a fondant logo, or as elaborate as a cake designed to look like the team's mascot.

Equipment and Accessories: Think soccer balls, basketballs, baseball bats, and hockey sticks. These can be made from fondant or molded chocolate and used to decorate the cake.

Stadium Replicas: For the ultimate wow factor, create a cake that looks like the home stadium of the fan's favourite team. This can be a complex project, but the results are always stunning and memorable.

Player Figures: Whether it’s a beloved star player or a mini-figure of the cake’s recipient in their favorite team’s uniform, adding a human element can make the cake more personal and exciting.

Designing the Cake

Sketching and Planning: Before we begin baking, we sketch out the design to ensure every detail is perfect. This includes deciding on the size, shape, and color scheme of the cake.

Cake Flavours and Fillings: While the design is crucial, the cake’s taste is just as important. We offer a variety of flavors and fillings, from classic vanilla and chocolate to more adventurous options like red velvet or lemon curd.

Baking and Sculpting: Our bakers and cake artists work in tandem to bring the design to life. Baking the cake to the right consistency is key, especially when sculpting elements like stadiums or sports equipment.

Decorating: This is where the magic happens. Using fondant, buttercream, edible paints, and other decorations, we meticulously craft each element of the cake. Attention to detail is crucial, from the texture of a football to the intricate details of a team logo.

Special Touches

Edible Images: For an extra touch of authenticity, we can print edible images of team logos, player photos, or even a snapshot of a memorable game moment.

Personalisation: Adding the recipient’s name, a special message, or their jersey number can make the cake feel extra special.

Interactive Elements: For a fun twist, we can incorporate elements like edible goalposts, nets, or a field where cake toppers can be moved around.

Catering to All Fans

No matter the sport, football, soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, or even niche sports like cricket or rugby, we can create a cake that will thrill any fan. 

Ready to Bake a Winner?

At The French Cake Company, we're passionate about creating cakes that celebrate every kind of passion. So, whether your loved one is a die-hard fan of football, basketball, or any sport in between, we can create a custom cake that will have them cheering for joy. Contact us today to discuss your ideas and let's bake a cake that's a true winner!

[yessoupy]

in october 2012, two days before game five of the nlds that included the washington nationals, my cousin (pictured here with me) texted to say he had a ticket to game five and if i could get myself to washington, it was mine. oh and gio gonzalez would be pitching, kurt suzuki catching.

well. i asked my department head if i could call in, she said go for it, i booked a flight, and i attended my first playoff baseball game.

it was magic. my cousin bought me a gio gonzalez replica jersey (pictured), i wore my A's hat, and for much of the game it felt like everyone in the stadium was breathing with one another and our hearts were beating together. slowly, the game started to slip away and ended in a loss.

the next morning, my cousin ran a half-marathon while i slept off the late game. i found him in the kitchen pouring himself a bowl of cereal when i finally woke up and he immediately started post-gaming with me. what should the manager have done, who should have been pulled out when, who should have been left in, and on and on. we'd do this three more times before i flew home a day later.

in 2019, his nationals made the world series. he flew in, stayed with me for games one and two (which we attended), flew home, housed my baseball mom for games 3-5, i sold our game 6 tickets and attended game 7 by myself. i decided after game 7 that i would never again attend a world series game where my team wasn't present. so maybe ... i'm not going to go to another world series game ever again.

here we are at game 1 pregame, standing with my crew. the nationals won game seven. i wore my gonzalez jersey and cheered for my former closer, sean doolittle, and catcher, kurt suzuki.

[missypyle]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Hammons Field Miniature Replica Stadium Springfield Cardinals Mo. Minor Baseball.

[sports-teller]

New Post has been published on Sports-Teller.com!

New Post has been published on https://sports-teller.com/list-high-a-baseball-2023-stadium-giveaways/

List of High-A Baseball 2023 Stadium Giveaways

What days will High-A teams give away bucket hats, jersey replicas & posters in 2023? List of High-A Baseball 2023 Stadium Giveaways! Hello Everyone! Welcome to Sports Teller! Today, we will discuss the List of High-A Baseball 2023 Stadium Giveaways! Without further adieu, let’s begin! List of High-A Baseball 2023 Stadium Giveaways Are you going […]

[nathfiset]

Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia PA

Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia PA

Citizens Bank Park is a baseball stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the home field of the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. The stadium was opened in 2004 and has a seating capacity of 42,792. It boasts several unique features, including a Liberty Bell replica and a "Phanatic" hot dog launcher. The stadium has also hosted several non-baseball events, such as concerts and the annual Army-Navy football game. Citizens Bank Park is known for its fan-friendly atmosphere and amenities, including a variety of food and beverage options, multiple team stores, and interactive games for kids. The stadium is conveniently located next to the Wells Fargo Center and Lincoln Financial Field, making it a popular destination for sports fans visiting Philadelphia.Citizens Bank Park is a popular destination in Philadelphia for baseball fans and tourists alike. To visit the stadium, there are several options for transportation. The Broad Street subway line, along with various bus routes, provide easy access to the area. For those driving, there are ample parking lots and garages surrounding the stadium. Additionally, ride-sharing services are widely available in the city.When visiting the stadium, it is recommended to plan ahead. Tickets can be purchased online in advance, and it is advisable to arrive early to avoid rush hour traffic and give time for exploration of the surrounding area. There are also various food and beverage options available inside the stadium, and souvenirs can be purchased from the team store. Tour packages are available for those interested in a more in-depth look at the stadium and its history. Overall, Citizens Bank Park is a must-visit for anyone in Philadelphia, especially those seeking sports entertainment.  

For more points of interest in Philadelphia Pennsylvania , click here Read the full article

[andeverythingce]

Officially Licensed MLB Stadium Replicas

Shop the best MLB stadium replicas at Westbrook Sports Classics. Browse our wide range of baseball stadium replicas from various baseball teams such as Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, & more!

[damthosefandoms]

Any good dad bruce hcs?

everything I’ve ever written is good dad bruce and I don’t believe in anything else and I will die on the hill of good dad Bruce

bruce has skipped multiple justice league meetings because his kids asked him to stay home

he carries like jolly ranchers and starburst and candy like that in his utility belt because when dick was a kid be used to beg bruce to get him ice cream on every patrol and this was the best way bruce could find to get him to stop asking

When Jason was Robin, they made it a habit of going to every home game the Gotham Knights had whether it was Bruce and Jason eating hot dogs in the stands at the baseball stadium or Batman and Robin watching the field, hidden somewhere where they’ve got a perfect view

I think because of my dad I just associate dads with Star Trek now but like... Bruce watches Star Trek with his kids. Tim’s the only one who watched more than just the original series with him

Bruce had an exact replica made of his mother’s iconic pearl necklace (you know the one) and gave it to Cass for her birthday one year and she absolutely treasures it

Damian isn’t the most extroverted person and neither is Bruce so most of their interactions are just sitting in the room together (this also goes for Tim and Cass with these two) but a lot of times when Bruce is working from home Damian will sit in his office and draw and every so often if Bruce is on a zoom call for work he tends to mute his mic so he can just chat with Damian about whatever he’s drawing and all that

Also: Bruce and Damian tend to walk Ace and Titus together every morning. Sometimes Jason comes too to walk Ace instead of Bruce, but Bruce is always there

[crappy-homestuck-confessions]

Headcanon Anon with the most useless stuff the kids have wasted money on!

John-White sheets and plastic to make a fake iceberg ($1450) Rose-A bust of Sigmund Freud to smash with a mallet and another bust of Carl Jung to make him watch, knowing he was next ($320.46) Dave-The AK240 player from Astell & Kern that he threw out when he preferred his Dell laptop better ($2246.86) Jade-The Jupiter Laser Pointer that she took apart and added to her Proton Cannon. It made up 0.01% of it. ($399) Terezi-Red Dragon Custom Air Force 1 shoes ($225) Kanaya-45 kilos of Vicuna Wool that she used to make a gown. It went unused when Jane wanted something else. ($27,000) Tavros-Lance of Longinus replica ($175) Karkat-Will Smith 4x Signed Autographed 2018 Memorial Day Gear Helmet Cleats Chest Pad Sollux-AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X Desktop Processor ($39,563.81) Feferi-Rented an aquarium for a friend's wedding ($18,000) Eridan-Brought an entire sporting stadium to have it bulldozed because the crowd laughed when he botched the first pitch at a baseball game ($266,000,000) Nepeta-Buckinghamn Palace Cat Tree. Broke it immediately. ($2,890) Equius-Technogym Kinesis Personal Vision ($15,750) Meenah-Hitler's Mercedes Benz 770k. Crashed it. ($10,000,000) Vriska-Built her own casino. Later burned it down for the insurance money. Paid out of pocket to keep from going to prison. ($20,000,000 for the casino. $60,000,000 to bribe the judge.) Jane-Sveid Custom-Made Corkscrew. Lost it. ($70,000) Jake-Elizabeth Taylor's Taj Mahal diamond ($8,800,000) Roxy-Windstone Editions "Twilight Citrine" Mouse Wizard Test Paint #1 ($405) Dirk-My Little Pony G4 Lot of 50 Ponies ($203) Aradia-Demolished a random house. ($25,000) Gamzee-ICP Insane Clown Posse 03 Sealed Hatchetman Charm ($3,239.99) Damara-Pearl Royale ($1,300,000) Rufioh-Devilman Life-Size Figure With A Pedestal ($7,948)

.

[nfldunn]

roswell halloween .

GUNNER DUNN as elton john ( dodger stadium edition )

    “you gotta kill the person you were born to be, in order to become the person you wanna be.”

             FEAT : genuine replica of the dodger stadium outfit featured in the movie rocketman ( 2019 ), obnoxiously rhinestoned baseball bat & hat, fake blue glasses

@rocketfm

[theuniversitychallengereview]

UC 51.03 - London Business School vs Hertford, Oxford

Since it was introduced at the 1988 Olympics, every single Gold Medal in the Women’s Team event in the Archery has gone to South Korea. Including yesterday’s win that’s nine straight victories, and their period of unparalleled dominance continues. The men’s team have also won six of the nine they have contested, and a mixed team won the first staging of that event in Tokyo too. Adding their success in the individual events, South Korea have won 26 gold medals, and 42 in total, in the 43 archery events which have been thus far staged at the Olympic Games. 

As Twitter’s own @tarequelaskar pointed out in the brilliant article which alerted me to this story, this is a perfect example of specialisation, an economic concept whereby countries or companies focus intensely on one particular aspect of a given industry and come to serve that niche in such a specialised fashion that they become the ultimate experts and nigh-on irreplaceable. This is done in government and business by providing companies with incentives to specialise, and supporting those who succeed at it. 

With respect to Korean archery, similar forces are at play. There are a bunch of professional teams and leagues in the country, giving archers financial stability while they focus on their training, something not as common across the world. Said training involves such things as practicing in live baseball stadiums and replicas of the Olympic venues, to mimic first the atmosphere and then the conditions that will be present on the day of the actual tournament. 

This philosophy of marginal gains - the same system used by Team Sky and Chris Froome to win multiple Tour De Frances on the trot - puts their preparation miles ahead of the competition, which goes some way to explaining their dominance. It is not the only reason. Before the fine-tuning of the elite shooters comes the discovery of the promising young ones, and the inspiring nature of past success (along with a historic national love of the sport) helps to create a virtuous cycle which give Korea a far larger number of archers to choose from than any other country. This greater choice means that there is a greater chance of finding the next Gold medallists.

Making the argument that professional footballers are at a higher level than other elite sportspeople, Michael Cox used this same argument in a recent article for The Athletic. To summarise, he stated that because there are a far higher number of people who wish to become professional footballers, that must mean that the ones who do make it are at a higher standard than those who make it in other sports. Initially, I was drawn in by the pure maths of this point, but having thought about it some more I’m no longer sure to what extent I agree. 

Now, the fact that hundreds of millions more people play football than rugby, or basketball, will certainly confer some level of “eliteness”, but only up to a certain point. Because football has been so popular for so long, the general standard of the play, relative to what it used to be, has had longer to improve. In the same way that if you transplanted a 100m runner from the Olympic final in the early 20th century to now they probably wouldn’t even qualify for the games, a footballer from the 80s would stand less of a chance of making it were they playing today. Many other sports don’t have that level of natural progression, afforded by decades of technical and tactical advancement - at least not globally. 

But the numbers argument only goes so far, as can be demonstrated by the Korean archers. Yes, there are more archers in Korea than anywhere else, relatively, giving them a higher chance of uncovering those with a natural aptitude, but the reason behind their bow and arrow dynasty is the specialisation. The hyper-detailed level of training and focus which allows them to be the best they can possible be. 

Now, archery is unique in that there is a theoretical maximum score (I understand that this is to some extent arbitrary, and related to the rules of the game as defined by some human being, semi-randomly, but it works in terms of this argument, because it gives a percentage score of how good the archers are based on the agreed-upon parameters of the sport), which, at the Olympics, is 720. The Olympic record is 700 (held by Korean Kim Woo-jin, giving an implied “eliteness level” of 97.2%. 

The best player in the history of football (don’t @ me) is Lionel Messi, and few would doubt that he operates at or above that level of perfection in his sport. But I also don’t think you could doubt that Novak Djokovic, or Serena Williams in her pomp, were similarly magnificent at tennis. Cyclists on the Tour De France put their bodies through more in three weeks than most people endure in a decade, and have every aspect of their training and diet strictly controlled so as to bring them as close to perfection as possible. There will certainly be a higher number of these elite performers in football, because there are a higher number of paying jobs for said elite performers, and because more people attempt to become elite performers, but I don’t think that it follows on from that that they are better at their sport than other elite athletes, all of whom have undergone years and years of specialised training to get them where they are.

Does any of this matter, in terms of how each sport should be enjoyed? Probably not, but its interesting to think about, and kind of awe-inspiring to try and appreciate just how good those at the top of their respective games are. And if there is some discrepancy in the level of eliteness between the different sports it doesn’t detract from the fact that they would handily dispatch any civilian challengers without breaking a sweat. The joy comes from watching people who are good at stuff doing that stuff - and, as evidenced by the crowds which gather for non-league football, it doesn’t matter whether or not they are at the absolute pinnacle of said stuff. They’re still going to be much better than the rest of us. 

Competitive quizzing is different from the activities previously mentioned in that any normal person can have a guess at pretty much any question, with a chance that they’ll get it right. What sets the contestants apart on shows like University Challenge is the speed of their recall under pressure - the quickness of their knowledge as well as the knowledge itself. But there are plenty of armchair quizzers who think they could wipe the floor on the show, so just how good are the actual contestants? (Compared to an elite footballer or archer on an imaginary scale that accounts for relative skill in all disciplines?). I don’t know (and in case you hadn’t noticed by now I’m just fascinated by people who are really good at anything, and wanted to share some of that fascination with you all), but I’ll try and have a go at answering it anyway. 

So, the World Quizzing Championships have been dominated by British and Irish quizzers since its inception in 2003, with 16 of the 18 winners coming from either Britain or the Republic of Ireland (who have four wins courtesy of The Egghead Pat Gibson). This, in my mind, makes this neck of the woods comparable to South Korean archery. It is a hotbed of talent, and the infrastructure is in place to encourage and aid talent maximalisation. Indeed, if you scroll down the list of highest ranking players at the WQC in any given year you can see a significant cohort of UC alums, so clearly there are a number of elite quizzers who have passed through the show. 

This specialisation can be seen in microcosm with the preponderance of top-level quizzers produced by Oxford and Cambridge, who both have a long-standing culture of competitive quizzing far beyond other Universities. The debate is there to be had on the fairness of each institution having so many teams, but clearly they produce enough elite players to compete with far bigger Unis when entering as (sometimes tiny) colleges. 

In conclusion, I think it is pretty obvious that UC is a breeding ground for world-class quizzers, and though no one has won a World title straight off the bat after appearing on the show, there are top-50 and top 100 finishes abound, which is still greatly impressive, and helps to give an idea of just how good these students really are. 

Hoping to justify the 1000 words I’ve just written about their exceptional talents are two teams from the London Business School and Hertford College, Oxford. The Oxford side have never made it beyond the second round, but LBS reached the semi-finals in 2006, their only previous appearance on the show. Anyway, there is quite literally no time for me to recite the rules; here’s your first starter for ten... 

Paxman mentions that LBS were in the show in 2006, but doesn’t mention that they reached the semi final, which is lazy imo. A bunch of them are studying for MBAs, which makes sense. He doesn’t mention Hertford’s previous appearances either, but that’s more understandable.

Hertford’s Hitchens takes the first starter with Kennedy, and the Oxonians added a full set of bonuses on words made up by authors - including a couple of educated guesses. LBS hit back with the next question, but can only manage one bonus on famous scientists. One of the two they miss is Rosalind Franklin, and Paxman teases them for not spotting an apparently obvious clue within the question.

The first picture round is on national emblems, and LBS are first to recognise that of Vietnam for the starter. They don’t know Laos or Belarus, but do know that Mozambique has a machine gun on its one. Butterworth then jumps the gun with argon on the next starter, giving his answer just as Paxman says it in the question. Butterworth makes up for it with the music starter, recognising Fat Boy Slim before anyone else, and LBS know Primal Scream and Wu Tang Clan too. They’re still fifty points behind though, and will need a big second half to turn things around.

This task gets more difficult for them, as Hitchens takes another starter. Lloyd adds a second in a row for Oxford and they are nearly one hundred points clear. LBS really need to get some points on the board, and Ruess duly obliges, knowing that there is a massive sculpture of a spider called Maman, which sounds needlessly scary, to the extent that I’m not even going to google it.

The comeback is ended before its even begun as Oswald takes a starter for Hertford, which gives them the picture bonuses - the starter having been dropped by both teams. Lloyd produces another excellent guess of Reuben, demonstrating how useful it is to have vague knowledge as well as specific knowledge. This is one of probably five questions he has answered in a throwaway manner, but which turned out to be correct. 

By this point LBS seem to have accepted defeat. Ruess takes another starter, but there is little to no urgency on the bonus questions. They’re right, granted, to have none, they have no chance of winning, but if they gave it a go they might scrape a high scoring loser spot. Ruess is the only one who seems bothered, and bags himself ten more points. They have an amusing discussion about methods of poisoning in Agatha Christie novels (’it was used as a curry ingredient?’, Ruess wondered aloud, trying to figure out which spices could be poisonous, before Butterworth pointed out that it wasn’t something commonly used as a curry ingredient, prompting respectful mirth from the audience) on the bonuses, but still languish miles behind. 

Lloyd grabs the last starter of the night for Hertford, who win by eighty at the gong.

Final Score: London Business School 100 - 180 Hertford, Oxford

At the end, Paxman mentions Hertford’s stellar guesswork, which means I wasn’t chatting nonsense (at least on that front, the jury is out on the rest of it), and says that they’ve done a really good job. Incredibly effusive praise for a score of 180. He really is going soft in his old age.

Phew, that was a long one. If you made it through the intro you deserve a prize. And that prize is that you get to come back next week for the next episode of this blog!! Woop woop! 

And if this wasn’t quite enough UC content for you then you can subscribe for extra blogs on my Patreon, which features Retro Reviews from the 2015/16 series of the show. Ta x