The Brothers

They came from Texas. Not so abruptly as some--their accents muted by years living in the city--but there was something about them that betrayed it all the same. I had been trying to get them to join our team for weeks, and finally there they were, drinking matching bottles of beer. I was late again, and they looked over in unison as I hoofed it through the propped open door.

They were a fine pair. Their beers, half finished and perspiring, were about the only things that matched about them. Despite the fact that they shared parents, physically they were as dissimilar as any two brothers I've known.

The first, thin as a steel pipe, greeted me with a half-nod. His hair, which fell down to his shoulders if left unchecked, was pulled into a tight pony tail. His were the eyes of a dreamer, always looking over your head, almost medicated, but he heard every word. That much was clear to anyone who knew him well enough. Whether his comportment was practiced or an accident of his nature, it was not a haze he walked through; it was a wall where he could hide.

His brother ran one hand over his newly shaved head. He was the older of the two but stood shorter than his brother by a couple inches. If you closed your eyes when he spoke, he sounded exactly like Paulie Shore. All the focus that his brother lacked, or appeared to lack, he possessed, apparent for anyone to see. When he spoke, he did so deliberately, waste not want not.

In truth, the team was mostly new this week. Our new teammates seemed promising enough. And we were as numerous as we'd been in weeks. Word had circulated about trivia night and everyone was ready for the game to begin.

We began quickly, easily answering questions about Milli Vanilli and Beanie Babies. We struggled with the third question of round one, but came up with the answer to, "What brand name means 'Lions Brew' in German" (Löwen Bräu). Our first and only mistake of the first half came when we couldn't figure out what the J stands for in JRR Tolkien (John).

At halftime we led. I could tell the new members of the team were enjoying our success, but I also knew too well that things could change quickly. They did, and quickly too. We couldn't answer the question, "What current baseball team started as the original Baltimore Orioles in 1901" (The Yankees) or a multiple choice question about The Pink Panther. If anyone ever asks you, Attack of the Pink Panther was not a real Pink Panther movie.

The Brothers held their own. When the group is big, it's easy to fade into the crowd, to not let your voice be heard, but The Brothers came through. They knew the active ingredient in Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and who won the last back to back college basketball national championships (Florida). And they were enjoying themselves too. Our newest converts celebrated each correct answer as though it were their first.

Before the final question, we were in second place with 56 points. First had 60, third 55 and two teams had 49. The questions was, "Put the following sit-coms in order from most to fewest episodes: Will and Grace, Cheers, Friends, Seinfeld." More interesting, perhaps, than our answer (Cheers, Friends, Seinfeld, Will and Grace) or the correct answer (Cheers, Friends, Will and Grace, Seinfeld) were the betting strategies of us and the other teams.

Everyone got the question wrong. We were quite uncertain about our answer and bet four points, enough to catch the 1st place team if they bet zero, pass them if they bet anything and got the question wrong provided we got it right, or pass them if they bet the maximum and got the question wrong. The team in first bet one point, assuming each team would bet enough to pass them if they bet zero. The team in third, however, bet 2 points, covering us if we bet zero and they got the question right, also giving them a chance to beat us if we bet something and both of us got it wrong.

I'm not sure what to think about everyone's betting strategy. I think everyone could have bet something different and justified it well, but I also find sense in what they did bet. In the end it was as tough a decision as any question we faced, a fitting trial for untested troops.

Halftime Question:
Google Glass is an example of technology abbreviated by the initials OHMD. What do they stand for?