The Quizbowl Resource Center

All coaches in Richmond and Norfolk areas,

The TV "Battle of the Brains" is hosting its qualifier tests in the near future. The Richmond area test is June 4 at L.C. Bird High School in Chesterfield. I am not as sure about the Norfolk area test (seeing that I am in Richmond). The taping and airing season starts in October.

As ususal, the top 28 teams will be automatically seeded, and the bottom eight will compete in a special play-in round to determine the #8 seeds in each of the four brackets.

Once more on the test, current senior players are not eligible to take this test. Therefore, coaches must have players for the 2005-2006 season ready by June 4.

Just my opinion, but that's pretty inconvenient. You do qualifier tests before people go on to the summer? Wow. I guess you're limited by your taping schedule.

I admit it's much MUCH better than a questionnaire to coaches on how good you think your team is. But still... is there any way to do an honor-code qualifying test instead?

I am not affiliated with the company that produces the show. I am merely a former player who played on the show in three seasons.

The test is scheduled against the NAQT high school nationals that three area teams are going to? Who is making these decisions?

Weiner, I think they're assuming the seniors will make up the Nationals teams, and the underclassmen will be available for the test.

solonqb wrote:Weiner, I think they're assuming the seniors will make up the Nationals teams, and the underclassmen will be available for the test.

I know for a fact that isn't the case for at least 1 of the schools involved.

I assume that the producers who scheduled these qualifiers didn't even know about the NAQT tournament. There's no reason for them to defer to that. Besides, it goes up against 's tournament...

I know its an issue for at least two teams, Charlottesville and Gov School. Gov School is deep enough to still have four to take the test, but we've been forced to draw from our coach's English class. We told Julian, who runs it, but he seems to think his hands are tied by the Lottery. The test used to be held in the fall, and that was great. Anyone know why it had to be changed?

Well, they should know about it. After all, NAQT is their source for the questions they use on Battle of the Brains.

I have no clue why they moved it. It made more sense to have it in September or early October, as it would be easier to sneak in ineligible seniors to take the test if it is held before graduation. Therefore, honesty of using underclassmen would be easier if the test were still held in September.

Also, the threat of hurricanes might be an issue for the test moving. Virginia seems to always gets pelted by a major storm in September.

Byko wrote:Well, they should know about it. After all, NAQT is their source for the questions they use on Battle of the Brains.

Well, just because they buy questions doesn't mean they necessarily know. Heck, if they had 's questions, they'd conflict with his DC regional.

Wait... they're already conflicting with that. :eyebrow:

you know something, i wonder if they actually knew from the start this would conflict with national tournaments, but they wanted it that way to help out the weak teams that don't go to tournaments. if they did that's kind of cheap, i mean it's only for seeding, which doesn't make a big difference anyway. utterly ridonkulous

Matt Morrison wrote:you know something, i wonder if they actually knew from the start this would conflict with national tournaments, but they wanted it that way to help out the weak teams that don't go to tournaments. if they did that's kind of cheap, i mean it's only for seeding, which doesn't make a big difference anyway. utterly ridonkulous

It isn't fair for the teams who wind up facing them, either, instead of a legitimate #10 or #12 seed (or wherever the B teams for C-ville or MW end up getting seeded.)

The results and pairings for the 2005-2006 season of Battle of the Brains are ready and posted on http://www.battleofthebrains.net .

did BoB actually change the crazy bracketing it used to have? The 1st and 3rd teams and the 2nd and 4th teams used to play in the third round, thus guaranteeing two top teams would be knocked out early. someone loooked at the bracketing back then and realized that the 11th seeded team was the easiest slot to have - you didn't play a team ranked higher than you until something like the semifinals.

They did not change the crazy bracketing, which left C'ville, the second seed, playing MW (1st) in the semis, and arguably one of the top four teams in the quarterfinals. One of our players offered to show Julian a better bracket, but Julian didn't take him up on the offer, so its crazy brackets again next year.

Could someone please post the pairings/seedings? For some reason I can't access the site.

Albemarle Melissa Brown

Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot Lee Ware

Caroline Cathy Burke / Nancy Coffield

Charlottesville Patricia Vandever

Chesapeake Bay Governor's Elizabeth R. Brown

Clover Hill Marcia Borden

Colonial Forge Aaron P. Tlumack

Covenant Roger Munsick / Vickie Gottlaub

Douglas Freeman Brian Kieran / Laura Casdorph

Hanover Susie Bellows

Henrico Tiffany Puryear

Hermitage Gail Wood

Highland Springs Kimberly W. Bartle

James Monroe Bob Blackburn

King William Megan Epp

L.C. Bird Suzy Bolton

Maggie Walker Governor's John Barnes

Manchester Judy Dorazio

Matoaca Barbara MacIntyre

Mills Godwin Paige Whitten / Bobby Knaupp

Monticello Barry Keith

New Kent Melissa D. Atkinson

North Cross Anthony Curtis / Mike Fitzsimmons

Orange Cynthia DeCanio

Powhatan David Fuller / Nancy Burgett

Prince Edward Kathryn Orth / Linwood Davis

Riverbend Joseph Frye

St. Anne's - Belfield Kevin Levin

St. Catherine's Steve Cambisios

St. Christopher's Dr. Wayne E. Boese

Spotswood Gary Lancaster

Spotsylvania Susan Robinson

Stafford Barbara Rankin

Steward Carrie Vandervelde

Thomas Dale Sharon Benson

West Point Wini Barron

10/01/2005 West Point vs. Caroline

10/08/2005 Hanover vs. Thomas Dale

10/15/2005 Highland Springs vs.
Orange County

10/22/2005 L.C. Bird vs. Spotsylvania

10/29/2005 Stafford vs. Covenant

11/05/2005 Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot
vs. Albemarle

11/12/2005 Monticello vs. Prince Edward

11/19/2005 Charlottesville vs. New Kent

11/26/2005 James Monroe vs. Hermitage

12/03/2005 Clover Hill vs. Colonial Forge

12/10/2005 King William vs. Steward

12/17/2005 Chesapeake Bay Gov.'s School
vs. Matoaca

12/24/2005 St. Catherine's vs. Riverbend

12/31/2005 Spotswood vs. Manchester

01/07/2006 Henrico vs. Powhatan

01/14/2006 North Cross vs.
St. Anne's-Belfield

01/21/2006 Douglas Freeman vs.
Highest play-in

01/28/2006 Mills Godwin vs.
2nd Highest play-in

02/04/2006 St. Christopher's vs.
2nd Lowest play-in

02/11/2006 Maggie Walker Gov.'s School vs.
Lowest play-in