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Inner Sunset Pub Quiz Returns By Jed Wolpaw Every Monday night at 8:30, Stan Lee, a former New York City lawyer and current freelance writer/editor and quizmaster, who you may also recognize from his days as a UCSF intramural official, starts the first of six rounds of questions. The first round is always general knowledge, as is the sixth round. The sixth round is also a double point round, so there are twenty possible points instead of the normal ten. Jeff Capodonno, an ER nurse at Moffit, says, “The double point round is where you can make or break your night. Sometimes I get so nervous I have to give myself a carotid massage.” There is a music round, in which ten songs are played and teams must identify the artist. Stan, the quizmaster at Blackthorn, says, “I enjoy having to come up with music rounds each week that will both entertain and challenge.” There is also a standard picture round in which teams are given a sheet with the photographs of ten famous individuals whom they must name. There are two rounds that vary each week. Prior weeks’ have included “famous firsts” (people who accomplished certain feats first in history) and “on the money” (whose face is on various denominations of American currency). Patrons can also go online to www.brainstormer.com and make suggestions for future themes. The Web site also allows quizzers to answer a bonus question the day of the quiz. Stan draws the names of two people who get the question right online. The lucky two get a free drink and their team gets a bonus point. Unlike many pub trivia games, at Blackthorn there is no team size limit. But don’t worry, if you’ve got a small team (four or less), in addition to the overall competition, you get to compete with the other small teams for a separate prize. Sometimes the team who comes in last in the overall game will win the small team prize because they’re the only team with four or less people. The prizes are not shabby. The first place team gets a $50 bar tab, the second place team gets a $25 bar tab and the third place team gets a $10 tab. Justin Miyamoto, a first year medical student, said “Winning second place at pub quiz this past summer was the highlight of my time in San Francisco so far. It was more than the $25, it was the triumph and the glory and the sweet, sweet satisfaction of knowing we were almost the best.” Blackthorn offers free food on Mondays. And not just crackers and peanuts. Past weeks’ food has included beef stew and baked potatoes, chicken curry with rice, and ground beef over mashed potatoes. Bryan Haughom, a second year medical student, says, “I can’t wait for Monday nights and free dinner at Blackthorn. Those mashed potatoes were the best I’ve ever had.” The only catch is they often put the food out in the late afternoon and by 8:30 there isn’t much left. It is tasty though, and did I mention free? So it’s worthwhile to head there a little early to grab some food and a table for your team. They also offer drink specials during pub quiz, which can soften the blow a little bit if you don’t win that $50 grand prize. Blackthorn held a Brainstormer quiz from 2004 to 2006. The bar owners decided to try some other events and ended the quiz in October of ’06, to the utter dismay of quiz regulars. A new owner took over in early 2007, however, and along with Tom Mulhern, the new bar manager, decided to reinstate the quiz. It started up again under Stan’s direction on July 16th of this year and has been a great success so far. Stan Lee, the quizmaster, was a regular player for years before being asked to start writing questions and acting as quizmaster after he proved nearly unbeatable as a contestant. Asked what he enjoys about the job, Stan says, “Pub quizzes are a very social activity, plus it’s something that is intellectually challenging, rather than sitting on your couch and watching TV. It’s well suited for grad students since they’re usually not that far out of college, and retain much of what they learned in school. Also, like grad school, it’s a competitive environment, but I would say it’s a lot more fun.” Stan may be off the mark when it comes to graduate students retaining much of what we learned in college, but he’s right on when it comes to the enjoyment of pub quizzes. The quiz usually lasts about two hours, from 8:30 to 10:30. Sometimes it’s tough to drag yourself out on a Monday night, but for free dinner, cheap drinks and a chance to bring glory to your team, it’s definitely worth it. And who knows, if you’ve got the skills, you may just walk away with $50 in free drinks (good for two weeks) and your picture on the website.
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What was the busiest international airport in the world in the year 2000? Whose face is on the 500 dollar bill? In what city was the first World Series game ever played? If you’re intrigued, you’d probably enjoy yourself at Blackthorn Tavern (Irving street between 9th and 10th avenue) on Monday nights for Brainstormer’s pub quiz. If you knew the answers – London Heathrow, McKinley and Boston – I’ve got a team with a spot for you. Tess Lang, a first year medical student, says, “One of these days I’m going to get out of lab in time to make it to trivia night at Blackthorn with you guys, it sounds like such a good time!”