News came yesterday that the Elbo Room, that venerable dive bar on Delaware Avenue in Albany, lost their liquor license. Andrew Cuomo's administration has suspended the liquor license of the Elbo Room, which was Cuomo's favorite bar during his Albany Law School days. (Left, Cuomo press release. Right, a quote from an old @JimmyVielkind/@timesunion profile…
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Wait, Phil Wills is hosting trivia games online?
I enjoy watching Bar Rescue on Sunday nights. The Paramount Network often airs Bar Rescue marathons on Sunday, leading up to the new episode in the evening. Nightclub entertainment expert Jon Taffer goes into a failing tavern, yells at the owner, yells at the staff, yells at the kitchen crew, and then helps them by…
Read MoreWell, at least there’s trivia…
Thanks to COVID-19, so many things are out of my life for the moment. But surprisingly, there’s one thing that has returned. Competitive team trivia. I shall explain. Kevin Baker and the Trivia Nights Live team have put together an online version of their popular trivia game, and teams from all over America can play…
Read MoreThe results of Trivia Bowl XVI
The morning of Trivia Bowl XVI, my friend Ed – he plays on the team A Few Cards Short of a Deck – contacted me and asked if I wanted to join them, as they had an open slot. Ed knew that I wasn’t going in this year due to my broken ankle, but he…
Read MoreFebruary 1st will be a very, very busy day for me …
This will be an interesting day, to say the least. It will actually combine two of my favorite things – my adulation for my favorite minor league basketball team, and my expertise in useless knowledge. And they combine on February 1st this year. And like Kurt Busch on Memorial Day Weekend, I’m going to attempt…
Read MoreThe trivia game that helped to beat cancer
I’ll admit it. I haven’t played as much competitive team trivia as I did in years past. With the exception of tournament games or a challenging “friendly” competition, I’ve reduced my weekly trivia night play. But when my friend Loretta – a member of the trivia team A Few Cards Short of a Deck –…
Read MoreThe “Real Men Wear Pink” trivia charity fundraiser – you should play in it!
If you want to help a good cause, and you and your friends have a wealth of trivia knowledge trapped in your collective cerebellums, may I suggest that you participate in this upcoming fundraiser at Skyloft in Crossgates Mall on October 19. The event, “Real Men Wear Pink,” is a Saturday afternoon trivia tournament, and…
Read MoreReturning to my trivia roots … premiere night at Skyloft
True story. About fifteen years ago, I needed to get away from some stress in my home life. Someone had told me about a competitive team trivia game at the local Hooters in Crossgates Mall. I had never played competitive team trivia before, so I tried it out. Finished in third place among 35 teams…
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The Results of Summer Bowl X
A week ago, I was driving back from a photo shoot in Catskill, when I received a Facebook message from my trivia buddy Tim Rich. He asked me if I needed any assistance for the upcoming Summer Bowl. I thought about it for a second. I helped Tim and the Stir Crazy trivia team dominate…
Read MoreIt only took me about nine months to return to it.
Yesterday, I saw that one of my buddies, John Longton – we broadcast Albany Patroons games together and he’s part of the Two Buttons Deep website – posted on Facebook that he would be a fill-in host for a trivia game at the Across The Street Pub in Albany. And I thought to myself –…
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