The 2008 Prognostication Quiz was a big success, with 27 entrants battling it out over the year. Matthew B. was our big winner. Sadly, I ended up dead last, the only entrant who couldn't even get two answers correct. I will try to improve on that this year.
The quiz is open to anyone and everyone! I keep people updated throughout the year as each event unfolds. It's lots of fun!
Added 12/31/08: There will be a prize "gift bag" for the winner! Originally given out by Katie and me to the game winners at Eric's party on 12/31/07, these popular bags of goodies are well worth playing for! Enter now!
2009 Prognostication Quiz
Deadline for entries: 12 p.m. on January 10, 2008.
Send answers to jmandresen at gmail. (Send 14 answers A to F plus one tiebreaker.)
1. Freedom (January)
Freedom House is an international organization that studies democracy and freedom in the world, publishing an annual report on how many of the world’s nations are free, partly free, or not free. The 2008 report calculated that 90 of the world’s 193 nations were “free” in 2007. Will freedom advance, stay stagnant, or retreat in this year’s report, covering 2008? The number of times each answer has occurred since the fall of the iron curtain is indicated in parentheses.
How will the number of free countries change?
a. minus two or worse (2), 88 or fewer total
b. minus one (3), 89 total
c. no change (3), 90 total
d. plus one (3), 91 total
e. plus two or three (2), 92-93 total
f. plus four or more (3), 94 or more total
2. Beauty (January)
The Miss America pageant is held in Las Vegas in January. Each contestant must perform a talent en route to the crown. The contestants have been selected and have indicated the talents they will be showcasing (totals in parentheses).
What will Miss America’s talent be?
a. Vocal (18)
b. Classical vocal (4)
c. Dance (17)
d. Playing an instrument (11)
e. Playing piano AND singing (1, KS)
f. “Comedic vocal” whatever that means (1, WY)
3. Football (February)
The final regular season win-loss records of each team, the conference each plays in, and the playoff seed is indicated.
Who will win the Super Bowl?
a. New York Giants (12-4, #1 NFC)
b. Carolina Panthers (12-4, #2 NFC)
c. Tennessee Titans (13-3, #1 AFC)
d. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, #2 AFC)
e. another NFC team (#3 Vikings?)
f. another AFC team (#3 Dolphins?)
4. Film (February)
Oscar nominations do not come out until January 22, but the Golden Globe nominees for Best Drama (listed below) often include the Oscar winner for best picture.
What will win the Academy Award for Best Picture?
a. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
b. Frost/Nixon
c. The Reader
d. Revolutionary Road
e. Slumdog Millionaire
f. none of the above: some other film will win
5. Mushing (March)
The Iditarod is a 1,161-mile sled-dog race through Alaska. The 2008 event culminated a neck-and-neck race between the eventual winner Lance Mackey and runner-up Jeff King. The top five finishers in last year’s race are listed below along with top finishes in prior years. (73 mushers have entered, but only a handful are competitive to win.)
Who will win the Iditarod?
a. Lance Mackey (1st in ’08 ’07)
b. Jeff King (2nd in ’08, 1st in ’93 ’96 ’98 ’06)
c. Martin Buser (5th in ’08, 1st in ’92 ’94 ’97 ’02)
d. Ramey Smyth (3rd in ’08)
e. Ken Anderson (4th in ’08)
f. none of the above: another musher will win
6. Writing (April)
Fourteen of the 21 Pulitzer Prizes are awarded for journalism. Some awards are given to the newspaper as a whole and some are given to individual reporters, but the newspaper is always mentioned. If an award is shared, both newspapers are considered to be named. The winners of the past 20 years are listed (ties are possible).
Which newspaper will win the most Pulitzers?
a. The New York Times (8)
b. The Washington Post (8)
c. The Wall Street Journal (4)
d. The Los Angeles Times (3)
e. Newsday (2)
f. another paper will be named the most times (4)
7. Hockey (June)
The current (mid-season) win-loss-tie record of each team and the conference they play in is indicated.
What team will win the Stanley Cup?
a. Boston Bruins (27-5-4, East)
b. Washington Capitals (23-11-3, East)
c. San Jose Sharks (27-4-4, West)
d. Detroit Redwings (23-7-5, West)
e. another Eastern Conference team
f. another Western Conference team
8. Hoops (June)
The current (mid-season) win-loss record of each team and the conference they play in is indicated. Will the Celtics repeat?
What team will win the NBA Championship?
a. Boston Celtics (28-4, East)
b. Cleveland Cavaliers (26-4, East)
c. Los Angeles Lakers (25-5, West)
d. San Antonio Spurs (20-10, West)
e. another Eastern Conference team
f. another Western Conference team
9. Golf (August)
Tiger Woods has won 14 Major Championships in the past 12 years, but he underwent surgery last year to repair his knee. He is planning on resuming playing in January, but will he recover his top form? The number of total times he has won each event is indicated.
Which Major Championships will Tiger win?
a. only the Masters in April (4)
b. only the US Open in June (3)
c. only the British Open in July (3)
d. only the PGA Championship in August (4)
e. Tiger will win no Championships
f. Tiger will win two or more Championships
10. Peace (October)
For the past 20 years, the Nobel Committee has formatted its press announcement for the Peace Prize to include a brief description of why the prize was awarded. Certain key words appear surprisingly frequently in this paragraph. Total appearances over the 20 years of each word below is indicated in parentheses. (More than one correct answer is possible.)
What key word will be used to announce the Nobel Peace Prize?
a. “Democracy” (6)
b. “Rights” (5)
c. Any specific geographical region (5)
d. “Development” (3)
e. “Nuclear” (2)
f. None of the above (5)
11. Baseball (October)
Major League Baseball’s American League has been stronger than the National League of late. The results of the best-of-seven World Series over the past 25 years are indicated in parentheses.
Which League will win the World Series?
a. American League in 4 games (6)
b. American League in 5 games (3)
c. American League in 6 games (5)
d. American League in 7 games (4)
e. National League in 4-5 games (4)
f. National League in 6-7 games (5)
12. Storms (November)
Hurricane season in the Atlantic runs June 1 to November 30. There were eight hurricanes in 2008, six in 2007, five in 2006, an all-time record fifteen in 2005, nine in 2004, and seven in 2003. Will we beat the recent average of 7.5 hurricanes (over the last 12 years)?
How many Atlantic hurricanes will there be this season?
a. 5 or less
b. 6-7
c. 8-9
d. 10-12
e. 13-15
f. 16 or more
13. Stocks (December)
The Dow Jones Industrial Average index is currently at around 8600. Will the index rise or fall this year? How far will the economy recover?
What will be the year-end close for the Dow?
a. 8,000 or under
b. 8,000 to 8,500
c. 8,500 to 9,000
d. 9,000 to 9,500
e. 9,500 to 10,000
f. greater than 10,000
14. Snow (December)
The average yearly snowfall in Minnesota is measured at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport to the nearest tenth of an inch. The average annual snowfall total since World War II is 51.5 inches with a very mild trend toward increased snowfall. The number of total times each answer has happened over that span is indicated.
How much snow will fall in Minnesota?
a. Fewer than 34 inches (11)
b. 34 to 42.9 inches (11)
c. 43 to 48.9 inches (10)
d. 49 to 57.9 inches (10)
e. 58 to 69.9 inches (10)
f. 70 inches or more (9)
For a tie-breaker: Indicate the precise number of inches of snow that will fall:_____________
Name:___________________________________
e-mail:___________________________________
The quiz is open to anyone and everyone! I keep people updated throughout the year as each event unfolds. It's lots of fun!
Added 12/31/08: There will be a prize "gift bag" for the winner! Originally given out by Katie and me to the game winners at Eric's party on 12/31/07, these popular bags of goodies are well worth playing for! Enter now!
2009 Prognostication Quiz
Deadline for entries: 12 p.m. on January 10, 2008.
Send answers to jmandresen at gmail. (Send 14 answers A to F plus one tiebreaker.)
1. Freedom (January)
Freedom House is an international organization that studies democracy and freedom in the world, publishing an annual report on how many of the world’s nations are free, partly free, or not free. The 2008 report calculated that 90 of the world’s 193 nations were “free” in 2007. Will freedom advance, stay stagnant, or retreat in this year’s report, covering 2008? The number of times each answer has occurred since the fall of the iron curtain is indicated in parentheses.
How will the number of free countries change?
a. minus two or worse (2), 88 or fewer total
b. minus one (3), 89 total
c. no change (3), 90 total
d. plus one (3), 91 total
e. plus two or three (2), 92-93 total
f. plus four or more (3), 94 or more total
2. Beauty (January)
The Miss America pageant is held in Las Vegas in January. Each contestant must perform a talent en route to the crown. The contestants have been selected and have indicated the talents they will be showcasing (totals in parentheses).
What will Miss America’s talent be?
a. Vocal (18)
b. Classical vocal (4)
c. Dance (17)
d. Playing an instrument (11)
e. Playing piano AND singing (1, KS)
f. “Comedic vocal” whatever that means (1, WY)
3. Football (February)
The final regular season win-loss records of each team, the conference each plays in, and the playoff seed is indicated.
Who will win the Super Bowl?
a. New York Giants (12-4, #1 NFC)
b. Carolina Panthers (12-4, #2 NFC)
c. Tennessee Titans (13-3, #1 AFC)
d. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, #2 AFC)
e. another NFC team (#3 Vikings?)
f. another AFC team (#3 Dolphins?)
4. Film (February)
Oscar nominations do not come out until January 22, but the Golden Globe nominees for Best Drama (listed below) often include the Oscar winner for best picture.
What will win the Academy Award for Best Picture?
a. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
b. Frost/Nixon
c. The Reader
d. Revolutionary Road
e. Slumdog Millionaire
f. none of the above: some other film will win
5. Mushing (March)
The Iditarod is a 1,161-mile sled-dog race through Alaska. The 2008 event culminated a neck-and-neck race between the eventual winner Lance Mackey and runner-up Jeff King. The top five finishers in last year’s race are listed below along with top finishes in prior years. (73 mushers have entered, but only a handful are competitive to win.)
Who will win the Iditarod?
a. Lance Mackey (1st in ’08 ’07)
b. Jeff King (2nd in ’08, 1st in ’93 ’96 ’98 ’06)
c. Martin Buser (5th in ’08, 1st in ’92 ’94 ’97 ’02)
d. Ramey Smyth (3rd in ’08)
e. Ken Anderson (4th in ’08)
f. none of the above: another musher will win
6. Writing (April)
Fourteen of the 21 Pulitzer Prizes are awarded for journalism. Some awards are given to the newspaper as a whole and some are given to individual reporters, but the newspaper is always mentioned. If an award is shared, both newspapers are considered to be named. The winners of the past 20 years are listed (ties are possible).
Which newspaper will win the most Pulitzers?
a. The New York Times (8)
b. The Washington Post (8)
c. The Wall Street Journal (4)
d. The Los Angeles Times (3)
e. Newsday (2)
f. another paper will be named the most times (4)
7. Hockey (June)
The current (mid-season) win-loss-tie record of each team and the conference they play in is indicated.
What team will win the Stanley Cup?
a. Boston Bruins (27-5-4, East)
b. Washington Capitals (23-11-3, East)
c. San Jose Sharks (27-4-4, West)
d. Detroit Redwings (23-7-5, West)
e. another Eastern Conference team
f. another Western Conference team
8. Hoops (June)
The current (mid-season) win-loss record of each team and the conference they play in is indicated. Will the Celtics repeat?
What team will win the NBA Championship?
a. Boston Celtics (28-4, East)
b. Cleveland Cavaliers (26-4, East)
c. Los Angeles Lakers (25-5, West)
d. San Antonio Spurs (20-10, West)
e. another Eastern Conference team
f. another Western Conference team
9. Golf (August)
Tiger Woods has won 14 Major Championships in the past 12 years, but he underwent surgery last year to repair his knee. He is planning on resuming playing in January, but will he recover his top form? The number of total times he has won each event is indicated.
Which Major Championships will Tiger win?
a. only the Masters in April (4)
b. only the US Open in June (3)
c. only the British Open in July (3)
d. only the PGA Championship in August (4)
e. Tiger will win no Championships
f. Tiger will win two or more Championships
10. Peace (October)
For the past 20 years, the Nobel Committee has formatted its press announcement for the Peace Prize to include a brief description of why the prize was awarded. Certain key words appear surprisingly frequently in this paragraph. Total appearances over the 20 years of each word below is indicated in parentheses. (More than one correct answer is possible.)
What key word will be used to announce the Nobel Peace Prize?
a. “Democracy” (6)
b. “Rights” (5)
c. Any specific geographical region (5)
d. “Development” (3)
e. “Nuclear” (2)
f. None of the above (5)
11. Baseball (October)
Major League Baseball’s American League has been stronger than the National League of late. The results of the best-of-seven World Series over the past 25 years are indicated in parentheses.
Which League will win the World Series?
a. American League in 4 games (6)
b. American League in 5 games (3)
c. American League in 6 games (5)
d. American League in 7 games (4)
e. National League in 4-5 games (4)
f. National League in 6-7 games (5)
12. Storms (November)
Hurricane season in the Atlantic runs June 1 to November 30. There were eight hurricanes in 2008, six in 2007, five in 2006, an all-time record fifteen in 2005, nine in 2004, and seven in 2003. Will we beat the recent average of 7.5 hurricanes (over the last 12 years)?
How many Atlantic hurricanes will there be this season?
a. 5 or less
b. 6-7
c. 8-9
d. 10-12
e. 13-15
f. 16 or more
13. Stocks (December)
The Dow Jones Industrial Average index is currently at around 8600. Will the index rise or fall this year? How far will the economy recover?
What will be the year-end close for the Dow?
a. 8,000 or under
b. 8,000 to 8,500
c. 8,500 to 9,000
d. 9,000 to 9,500
e. 9,500 to 10,000
f. greater than 10,000
14. Snow (December)
The average yearly snowfall in Minnesota is measured at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport to the nearest tenth of an inch. The average annual snowfall total since World War II is 51.5 inches with a very mild trend toward increased snowfall. The number of total times each answer has happened over that span is indicated.
How much snow will fall in Minnesota?
a. Fewer than 34 inches (11)
b. 34 to 42.9 inches (11)
c. 43 to 48.9 inches (10)
d. 49 to 57.9 inches (10)
e. 58 to 69.9 inches (10)
f. 70 inches or more (9)
For a tie-breaker: Indicate the precise number of inches of snow that will fall:_____________
Name:___________________________________
e-mail:___________________________________
Have you seen William Safire's predictions? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/opinion/29safire.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
ReplyDeletePut me down for "C" for everything.
ReplyDelete