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#200994 - Tue Sep 15 2009 10:10 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: Richie15]
Verbonica Enthusiast Registered: Tue May 16 2006 Posts: 219 Loc: Napa Valley California USA	I feel your pain about the Sports questions! Others have said this, but I'll chime in too - I'm American and I also have lots of trouble with those questions. And... Quote: The 'Global Challenge' is a bit of a misnomer, since in some instances it is anything but. "Global" in this sense doesn't refer to the "world", but is used referring to FunTrivia in toto, with the other meaning of global: adjective 2. comprehensive, general, total, thorough, exhaustive, encyclopedic. So, it means an overall challenge from all of the quizzes that are found here on FunTrivia.
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#200995 - Wed Sep 16 2009 12:44 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: Verbonica]
bucknallbabe Forum Adept Registered: Thu Oct 30 2008 Posts: 133 Loc: Bedfordshire England UK	Jonno - if the total Sports section was made up of country specific sports I would agree with your contention that the US is under-represented. However, many of the Sports quizzes are not country-specific as the sports, eg the Olympics, swimming and tennis, are played, known and reported on worldwide. If you exclude those and all the other non-country specific quizzes from the total number of Sports the picture would look very different I am sure. And where does NASCAR fit? However, there are other factors which influence this issue. For example, US sports such as baseball, football and hockey have a long tradition of statistic keeping - baseball even has it's own society with 7000 members devoted to statistics - and sports statistics are a hobby in themselves. The type of questions which are in the quizzes, such as Jersey numbers and colleges attended are irrelevant in many non US sports so there isn't the potential to redress the balance by similar quizzes. Also, and this is a qualitative observation, Sports questions do not seem to repeat as often - maybe there are proportionately more questions because there are more quizzes - does anyone know whether there are equal numbers of questions per category in each round? Because this is an issue for me, I count the number of questions in each round which are in categories which begin US, MLB or NHL - 10 is not unusual. With regard to Hardcore, like Richie I'm nipping at the heels of those in line for the badge but don't score in Sports - in the first week alone, when Sports appeared 9 times out of 14, I missed out on scoring on 4 of the games. The last time I checked, in Division 6, Sports (by far my worst category) had appeared 24 times compared to 13 for my best. My problem is that I can't see any way of actually improving my scores on US Sports questions. I'm fine on rules and terminology for most sports but I can see no way of getting to grips with jersey numbers, colleges, batting average, seasonal rankings. Anyone got any hints?
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#200996 - Wed Sep 16 2009 01:04 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: bucknallbabe]
bucknallbabe Forum Adept Registered: Thu Oct 30 2008 Posts: 133 Loc: Bedfordshire England UK	Actually, Verbonica, in the introduction to the Global Challenge, there are several references to playing against people from all over the world so I would suggest that this is a valid interpretation of the phrase. With regards to the globality of the question pool, Video Games is not in the challenge and for hardcore members, so far this challenge, Entertainment has not been asterisked. If this isn't deliberate, the odds must be amazing.
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#200997 - Wed Sep 16 2009 02:06 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: bucknallbabe]
dg_dave Star Poster Registered: Sun Oct 05 2003 Posts: 17777 Loc: Dallas, TX USA	Quote: but I can see no way of getting to grips with jersey numbers, colleges, batting average, seasonal rankings. Anyone got any hints? I only know a few jersey numbers and some stats...one that comes to mind is .406, the last full season batting average over .400, and it was done in 1941. As to which college team was # 1 in 1965, I'd have to look it up too. _________________________ The way to get things done is NOT to mind who gets the credit for doing them. --Benjamin Jowett No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. --Eleanor Roosevelt The day we lose our will to fight is the day we lose our freedom.
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#200998 - Wed Sep 16 2009 03:51 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: dg_dave]
bucknallbabe Forum Adept Registered: Thu Oct 30 2008 Posts: 133 Loc: Bedfordshire England UK	I do know one stat - Joe DiMaggio had a 56-game hitting streak in 1941 - the "streak of streaks" used as the basis of an essay on probability by Stephen Jay Gould in his book "Bully for Brontosaurus". I don't recall coming across a question on it though. Apparently he also wrote an essay on the decline of the .400 hitter. See, I have nothing against baseball or football, am just frustrated that I can't answer the kind of questions in the games!
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#200999 - Wed Sep 16 2009 09:06 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: bucknallbabe]
agony Administrator Registered: Sat Mar 29 2003 Posts: 10769 Loc: Western Canada	I would like to point out that no one is good at the statistics -jersey-number type questions. There may be a few people onsite who know these things, but in general, most Americans are just as bad at this as those from other countries. If many Americans were sailing away with those categories, getting 15/15 in 35 seconds, while the rest of the world struggled in the doldrums, the complaint would be justified. However, on the whole, Sports is a difficult category for everyone, no matter where they are from.
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#201000 - Wed Sep 16 2009 09:30 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: bucknallbabe]
fredsixties Enthusiast Registered: Wed Oct 01 2008 Posts: 346 Loc: Staten Island New York USA	Seems pretty simple to me. It's a question of numbers. If there are 100 U.S. Baseball questions and 10 soccer(football) questions, the baseball questions are going to show up a lot more often if it's randomly done. (Which I'm sure it is). The only way to get a balance of questions is to have the same number of questions for all sports (or any other topic) and that doesn't seem likely given the amount of quizzes submitted by U.S. participants versus other countries.
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#201001 - Wed Sep 16 2009 10:28 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: agony]
REDVIKING57 Participant Registered: Thu Apr 24 2008 Posts: 33 Loc: Leicester England UK	Just an observation: The invitation to 'write a quiz' to re-dress the balance viz-a-viz the North American 'bias' in GC Sports or Hourly Quizzes doesn't really stand up,on two counts: Currently,on-line on FT,there are 1,091 quizzes on American Football. There are 1,253 quizzes on 'Soccer' (I,too,hate that word!) and 501 on Cricket. In over two years on the site,I doubt if I've seen more than a couple of dozen questions in the GC and Hourlies on 'Soccer',and none on Cricket. But many hundreds,if not thousands,on Gridiron. This is the same in the Team games and Knockout. Secondly,obviously the volume of quizzes on a particular subject is not reflected in the selection for GC,Hourly or Daily games. The only mention of Cricket I have seen is the occassional cricketer on the 'Who Am I' game. So,I was wondering,what is the selection criteria for these quizzes? Or do you not think there is a 'North American Bias' on some categories,sport in particular? _________________________ In A Time Of Universal Deceit,Telling The Truth Is A Revolutionary Act - George Orwell.
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#201002 - Wed Sep 16 2009 12:21 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: REDVIKING57]
BxBarracuda Multiloquent Registered: Wed Sep 05 2007 Posts: 3449 Loc: Bronx New York USA	RV, In terms of the GC, as Jonno mentions above, play sports in the upper levels of the GC, you shall find a good bit of Cricket questions in there. I would say from 2 - 5 cricket questions each set.
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#201003 - Wed Sep 16 2009 12:52 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: BxBarracuda]
REDVIKING57 Participant Registered: Thu Apr 24 2008 Posts: 33 Loc: Leicester England UK	Thanks Bx. But I gave up doing any sport on GC or 'hourlies' a long time ago! Would you believe it,I just did the GC,and got a Football (soccer) question - in the History set! _________________________ In A Time Of Universal Deceit,Telling The Truth Is A Revolutionary Act - George Orwell.
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#201004 - Wed Sep 16 2009 01:21 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: REDVIKING57]
shuehorn Multiloquent Registered: Tue Jul 04 2006 Posts: 2935 Loc: Lawrenceville Georgia USA	You might want to try Sports again once you are higher in the GC, as the mixture changes and includes other sports. I am hopeless at all sports, but since I am doing Hardcore, I play everything they throw at me, anyway. _________________________ Sue (shuehorn)
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#201005 - Wed Sep 16 2009 01:31 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: shuehorn]
Nightmare Multiloquent Registered: Wed Jun 06 2001 Posts: 4515 Loc: Texas USA	And that's the attitude to have Sue! Keep plugging away and you keep rising up the ladder, while others complain without being a part of the solution by creating the quizzes that they seek. _________________________ Staff Editor ****** Your quiz score is not important. What you learned from the quiz is!
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#201006 - Wed Sep 16 2009 02:05 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: REDVIKING57]
whee Forum Adept Registered: Mon Aug 20 2007 Posts: 158 Loc: Castle Rock Colorado USA	Quote: Just an observation: The invitation to 'write a quiz' to re-dress the balance viz-a-viz the North American 'bias' in GC Sports or Hourly Quizzes doesn't really stand up,on two counts: Currently,on-line on FT,there are 1,091 quizzes on American Football. There are 1,253 quizzes on 'Soccer' (I,too,hate that word!) and 501 on Cricket. In over two years on the site,I doubt if I've seen more than a couple of dozen questions in the GC and Hourlies on 'Soccer',and none on Cricket. But many hundreds,if not thousands,on Gridiron. This is the same in the Team games and Knockout. Secondly,obviously the volume of quizzes on a particular subject is not reflected in the selection for GC,Hourly or Daily games. The only mention of Cricket I have seen is the occassional cricketer on the 'Who Am I' game. So,I was wondering,what is the selection criteria for these quizzes? Or do you not think there is a 'North American Bias' on some categories,sport in particular? I like both American football and cricket and have reasonable trivial knowledge in both. In general, I find the cricket question on this site are a lot harder. There are some very easy American football questions in the quizzes. This would explain why you don't see the cricket coming up until later in the challenge. This would explain why
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#201007 - Wed Sep 16 2009 04:38 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: bucknallbabe]
Jakeroo Prolific Registered: Sat Aug 30 2008 Posts: 1611 Loc: Alberta Canada	Quote: For example, US sports such as baseball, football and hockey have a long tradition of statistic keeping - I wholeheartedly agree that some folks perhaps put too much emphasis on the "statistics" side of games/sports. And you also made me giggle, because I think the Canadians, Russians, Finns, Swedes, Czechs, Germans, Swiss and ex-Soviet countries might be surprised to find out that hockey is a "U.S. Sport". Historically, American-born players haven't exactly been "spectacular" by any means on an international level (with the possible exception of the women players!). In fact, only about 0.15 % of their total population even plays hockey. Even unlikely countries like Japan, France, Italy and South Korea have active hockey teams/leagues. hmm, that just gave me an idea for QQ (no peeking now lol) _________________________________ here's my favourite "stat": "100% of the shots you don't take, don't go in" - Wayne Gretzky
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#201008 - Wed Sep 16 2009 06:00 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: Jakeroo]
flopsymopsy Multiloquent Registered: Sat May 17 2008 Posts: 2207 Loc: Northampton England UK	I shall assume it means ice hockey and not real hockey, which every right-thinking person knows is played on grass. Frankly, as a Brit, I am dreading the onset of cricket and proper football in the GC, I know as much about them as I do about baseball - which is nothing. But at least baseball answers are fairly simple: If Babe Ruth is mentioned, it's probably him. If Joe DiMaggio is mentioned it's probably him. If Cy Young is mentioned it's probably him. If all three of them are mentioned, it's the other one. _________________________ The Hubble Telescope has just picked up a sound from a fraction of a second before the Big Bang. The sound was "Uh oh".
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#201009 - Wed Sep 16 2009 06:10 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: flopsymopsy]
BxBarracuda Multiloquent Registered: Wed Sep 05 2007 Posts: 3449 Loc: Bronx New York USA	I would say you would be better then average results from that method Flopsy. You could add Jackie Robinson to that list of baseball players. In World Cup questions if Brazil is an option, I go with it.
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#201010 - Wed Sep 16 2009 11:18 PM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: BxBarracuda]
dg_dave Star Poster Registered: Sun Oct 05 2003 Posts: 17777 Loc: Dallas, TX USA	Quote: You could add Jackie Robinson to that list of baseball players. As in which player wore # 42. It's about the only jersey number I know...I think Pete Rose wore 14...? _________________________ The way to get things done is NOT to mind who gets the credit for doing them. --Benjamin Jowett No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. --Eleanor Roosevelt The day we lose our will to fight is the day we lose our freedom.
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#201011 - Thu Sep 17 2009 03:44 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: dg_dave]
jonnowales Prolific Registered: Mon Oct 30 2006 Posts: 1493 Loc: Cardiff <br> Wales UK	Bucknallbabe - why would you exclude non-country specific quizzes from the statistics? I just worked out the number of quizzes on sports which are specific to the US (not world sports with an American spin eg American Olympic Gymnastics Gold Medallists 1972-1988) as a proportion of all quizzes on the site. It seems a fair way to do it. I probably should have included NASCAR (368 quizzes) - but it would still result in a slightly lower percentage of quizzes on US sports in relation to the US demographic at FT. The GC gives questions in certain divisions based on the percentage of right answers for that question by players. If more people get it right than wrong it'll end up in the lower divisions - if most people get it wrong, like they do for cricket and soccer (most people here after all are American) then they'll be in the later divisions. You can't really change the hierarchy.
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#201012 - Thu Sep 17 2009 06:07 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: jonnowales]
spanishliz Star Poster Registered: Thu Dec 13 2001 Posts: 17222 Loc: Ontario Canada	Quote: I shall assume it means ice hockey and not real hockey, which every right-thinking person knows is played on grass. I'm sorry, but I find this comment extremely offensive, and uncalled for, in any discussion.
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#201013 - Thu Sep 17 2009 07:43 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: whee]
satguru Forum Champion Registered: Thu Feb 17 2000 Posts: 5891 Loc: Kingsbury London UK	Quote: There are some very easy American football questions in the quizzes. This illustrates perfectly a similar point I've been addressing with writers for years and is now not allowed in new questions, easy is in the eyes of the writer and player, and in fact incredibly rare for the two opinions to coincide. For most of us this side we're more likely to know about nuclear physics or renaissance art as they do actually cross borders. I don't imagine many countries outside N. America would know anything at all about American football either but you clearly assumed we all must do. Nothing wrong but just shows how easy it is to think everyone else must share our own common knowledge. _________________________ "The data doesn't matter. We're not basing our recommendations on the data. We're basing them on the climate models." Prof. Chris Folland, Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research
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#201014 - Thu Sep 17 2009 08:51 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: satguru]
MadMags Star Poster Registered: Sat May 03 2008 Posts: 17092 Loc: Orosi Costa Rica	Quote: I shall assume it means ice hockey and not real hockey, which every right-thinking person knows is played on grass. If you'd ever been to a(n ice) hockey game and heard the slap of the puck, the sizzle and swoosh of the skates as they cut, carve and spray the ice, bodies slamming into boards, the yells of the enthusiastic fans, and felt the electricity in the chill air of the arena or outdoor rink, I think you'd agree that (ice) hockey is very real. This is not to say that pick up hockey, street hockey, roller hockey, field or any other form of hockey is not real either. Edited by MadMags (Thu Sep 17 2009 09:08 AM) _________________________ A smile is a curved line that sets things straight. ~ Anon.
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#201015 - Thu Sep 17 2009 09:08 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: spanishliz]
flopsymopsy Multiloquent Registered: Sat May 17 2008 Posts: 2207 Loc: Northampton England UK	Quote: Quote: I shall assume it means ice hockey and not real hockey, which every right-thinking person knows is played on grass. I'm sorry, but I find this comment extremely offensive, and uncalled for, in any discussion. I meant no offence, it was intended as a joke. In the same league as when we say that when Americans say 'football' they don't mean real football... oops, I've offended them now. I'm sorry if you were offended and next time I'll use three smilies to spoil the subtlety of my very British humour. _________________________ The Hubble Telescope has just picked up a sound from a fraction of a second before the Big Bang. The sound was "Uh oh".
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#201016 - Thu Sep 17 2009 09:11 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: MadMags]
lesley153 Mainstay Registered: Fri Sep 07 2007 Posts: 699 Loc: Bedford England UK	Saying - for instance - hockey, when you mean ice hockey, makes it even harder for people who are floundering. Not that I know anything about either of them, but I remember playing (normal) hockey on the school field (grass) and hating every minute of it. _________________________ I appreciate people who are civil, whether they mean it or not. I think: Be civil. Do not cherish your opinion over my feelings. There's a vanity to candor that isn't really worth it. Be kind. ~ Richard Greenberg
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#201017 - Thu Sep 17 2009 09:15 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: lesley153]
agony Administrator Registered: Sat Mar 29 2003 Posts: 10769 Loc: Western Canada	Kinda like saying "hockey" when you mean "field hockey"... I think if we all remember that we are part of a larger world, and that things we take for granted might not be obvious to others, we can work around these things.
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#201018 - Thu Sep 17 2009 09:17 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: MadMags]
TabbyTom Forum Champion Registered: Wed Oct 17 2001 Posts: 7990 Loc: Hastings Sussex England UK	Quote: I shall assume it means ice hockey and not real hockey, which every right-thinking person knows is played on grass. The North American usage with "hockey" is no different from the world-wide usage with "tennis". The game played at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows is lawn tennis, even if the court is clay or tarmac. But because it is far better known than the original game, it has become simply "tennis", and we have to call the original "real tennis" or "royal tennis" (if, indeed, we ever need to mention it at all) . Similarly, in areas where ice-hockey attracts more attention than the original game, it's natural enough that it should take over the original name. _________________________ Dilige et quod vis fac
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#201019 - Thu Sep 17 2009 09:19 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: lesley153]
MadMags Star Poster Registered: Sat May 03 2008 Posts: 17092 Loc: Orosi Costa Rica	By 'normal' hockey, I'm assuming you are referring to field hockey, as I see nothing abnormal about ice hockey, nor the various other variations of hockey. I think we need to keep in mind that this is an international site, and should use the proper names, not the shortcut ones, so as not to confuse or offend our other respected members. _________________________ A smile is a curved line that sets things straight. ~ Anon.
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#201020 - Thu Sep 17 2009 10:30 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: MadMags]
BxBarracuda Multiloquent Registered: Wed Sep 05 2007 Posts: 3449 Loc: Bronx New York USA	Handball is another sport that fits the category of having different meanings from the game I grew up playing in America in parks and schoolyards, to the one that is played in the Olympics. Outside of the Olympics I never knew of that style of Handball. Growing up, handball was played one on one usually, alternately hitting the ball against a wall and keeping it in the boundary lines.
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#201021 - Thu Sep 17 2009 10:41 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: BxBarracuda]
Snowman Prolific Registered: Wed Oct 31 2007 Posts: 1437 Loc: London England UK	That sounds a lot like the game that we call "Fives" _________________________ Editor: People and General
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#201022 - Thu Sep 17 2009 11:20 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: Snowman]
kyleisalive Multiloquent Registered: Mon Mar 07 2005 Posts: 4960 Loc: Canada, eh!	In Canada, 'Hockey'/'Ice Hockey' is played on ice. 'Field Hockey' is played in a field, and 'Ball Hockey' is played on pavement or a court. I don't think there's many of us here who grew up thinking different...Ice Hockey's just one of those parts of our sporting culture. Edited by kyleisalive (Thu Sep 17 2009 11:21 AM) _________________________ Senior FT Editor (Video Games, Television, Music, and Entertainment) Chat Board Moderator (Author's Lounge) Amazing Trivia Race Taskmaster/Commission Hander-Outer
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#201023 - Thu Sep 17 2009 11:53 AM Re: "Americacentricity" of quizzes [Re: kyleisalive]
BxBarracuda Multiloquent Registered: Wed Sep 05 2007 Posts: 3449 Loc: Bronx New York USA	Yes, what I was talking about is a variation of "fives". Outdoors it is played with just one flat wall, two lines to note the side boundaries, and two horizontal line markers, the further back one is an out line, the other down the middle of the side lines is the service line. Some courts I have seen don't have a service line, and sometimes not a back out line. Indoors it played in room, though indoors raquets, not tennis, are used more often.
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