This is the second year I have run this event. There were four rounds in which all of the players participated, then anyone within 100 points of the leader (but always including the best six scores) played one more round to determine the champion. Like last year, I chose and researched the categories prior to the event. This allows me to bring pre-printed score sheets and answer sheets to avoid hopefully thorny problems that sometimes occur in this game. Because this entire group of Facts in Five players is certainly much more intelligent than I am (if only because, in five minutes, they came up with answers that I didn't think of in many months since I started coming up with categories), I had to accept some answers that I did not put on the official answer list.

This year, after having suffered the indignity of having record attendance last year yet slipping out of the Century, Facts in Five had another record 48 participants in 2002. (I attribute bringing exactly 50 score sheets for each round to be almost planning!) I don't know what this proves (maybe nothing!) but we started two hours before Slapshot this year, which made the event a convenient fit before that popular WBC classic. Several hockey sweater clad players prodded me to keep on the schedule.

For this event, I intentionally picked categories that most Americans should know at least some of the answers. (That's what I hope.) It is unavoidable in a format like this where I know most of the participants, though not all, will be Americans. Although I warned him, Edward Kendrick (from England) decided to take up the challenge. Donna Balkan, from Canada, was delighted when she saw the first round categories which included "Canadian Provinces & Territories". She was less thrilled with "Items Found on a US $1 Bill."

The answer that I really should have included on the answer sheet was Majel Barrett (Nurse Chapel, Lwuxana Troi and the ever present Voice of the Computer) in the category "Regular Actors/Actresses on Star Trek". I can't even believe I missed her! And I came up with the question!

There was no repeat of the infamous "President Ben Franklin Incident", but that didn't stop Andy Maly (though he wasn't playing this year) from yelling Poor Richard's name through the door.

Overall, scores were up this year. I hope that was because I took more care in picking the categories this year, making sure answers would be more commonly known.

After four rounds, last year's runner up Pitt Crandlemire (884) was in first, followed by Doug Hoylman (878), last year's champ Aaron Silverman (816), Randy Cox (798), Robert Cranmire (790) and Gordon Elgart (780).

Doug racked up 146 points in the final round by being the only player to sweep two categories to win the title. He also got four answers in a third category. Pitt suffered from brain lock on the last round and scored only 90 pts. to limp home in second place again. ("Always a bridesmaid" comes to mind here.) Aaron, Randy and Robert all tied with 112 pts. in the final round. Gordon (He would won if he had scored a perfect 250-he still had a chance) scored 102 to take sixth.

If you want to participate at home, here are the categories on the final round:

US Supreme Court Justices
Oscar Winning Best Pictures
Major League Team Nickname (Active members of MLB, NFL, NBA or NHL.)
State Birds
Grand Slam Tennis Champs-Women's Singles (Any winner of Wimbledon, US, French, or Australian Opens. They did not have to win all four.)

The letters are: B C M R W

You have five minutes. Don't scroll down to the bottom of the age until your time is up. Go!

Round 5--Final
B C M R W
US Supreme Court Justices (* = Chief Justice) Complete List Source: www.infoplease.com
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
John A. Campbell
John Marshall
Stanley F. Reed
Morrison R. Waite
Henry Baldwin
Benjamin N. Cardozo
Thurgood Marshall
William H. Renquist
Earl Warren
Philip Barbour
John Catron
Stanley Matthews
Owen J. Roberts
Bushrod Washington
Hugo L. Black
Salmon P. Chase
James C. Mc Reynolds
John Rutledge
James M. Wayne
Harry A. Blackmun
Samuel Chase
Joseph McKenna
Wiley B. Rutledge
Byron R. (Whizzer) White
John Blair
Tom C. Clark
John McKinley
Edward D. White *
Samuel Blatchford
John H. Clarke
John McLean
Charles E. Whittaker
Joseph P. Bradley
Nathan Clifford
Samuel F. Miller
James Wilson
Louis D. Brandeis
Benjamin R. Curtis
Sherman Minton
Levi Woodbury
William J. Brennan Jr.
William Cushing
William H. Moody
William B. Woods
David J. Brewer
Alfred Moore
Stephen G. Breyer
Frank Murphy
Henry B. Brown
Warren Burger *
Harold H. Burton
Pierce Butler
James F. Byrnes

Oscar Winning Best Pictures Complete List Source: www.imdb.com
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Casablanca (1943)
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Rain Man (1988)
West Side Story (1961)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Cavalcade (1933)
Mario Puzo's The Godfather (1972)
Rebecca (1940)
Wings (1927)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Part 2 (1974)
Rocky (1976)
Braveheart (1995)
Cimarron (1931)
Marty (1955)
Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
The Broadway Melody (1929)
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
My Fair Lady (1964)

Major League Sports Team Names (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) Complete List
Bears (Chicago)
Canadiens (Montreal)
Magic (Orlando)
Raiders (Oakland)
Warriors (Golden State/Oakland)
Bengals (Cincinnati)
Canucks (Vancouver)
Maple Leafs (Toronto)
Rams (St. Louis)
White Sox (Chicago)
Bills (Buffalo)
Capitols (Washington)
Mariners (Seattle)
Rangers (Texas)
Wild (Minnesota)
Blackhawks (Chicago)
Cardinals (St. Louis/Arizona)
Marlins (Florida)
Raptors (Toronto)
Wizards (Washington)
Blazers (Portland)
Cavaliers (Cleveland)
Mavericks (Dallas)
Ravens (Baltimore)
Blue Jackets (Columbus)
Celtics (Boston)
Mets/Metropolitans (New York)
Red Sox (Boston)
Blue Jays (Toronto)
Chargers (San Diego)
Red Wings (Detroit)
Blues (St. Louis)
Chiefs (Kansas City)
Reds (Cincinnati)
Braves (Atlanta)
Clippers (Los Angeles)
Redskins (Washington)
Brewers (Milwaukee)
Colts (Indianapolis)
Rockets (Houston)
Broncos (Denver)
Cowboys (Dallas)
Rockies (Colorado)
Browns (Cleveland)
Coyotes (Phoenix)
Royals (Kansas City)
Bruins (Boston)
Cubs (Chicago)
Buccaneers (Tampa Bay)
Bucks (Milwaukee)
Bulls (Chicago)

State Birds Complete List Source: www.infoplease.com
Baltimore Oriole (MD)
Cactus Wren (AZ)
Meadowlark (WY)
Rhode Island Red (RI)
Western Meadowlark (ND,NE, OR,KS,MT)
Blue Hen Chicken (DE)
California Gull (UT)
Mockingbird (TX,MS,AR,TN,FL)
Ringed-Necked Pheasant (SD)
Willow Goldfinch (WA)
Bluebird (NY, MO)
California Valley Quail (CA)
Mountain Bluebird (ID, NV)
Roadrunner (NM)
Willow Ptarmigan (AK)
Brown Thrasher (GA)
Cardinal (WV,OH,IN,NC,VA,IL,KY)
Robin (MI, WI, CT)
Woodthrush (DC)
Carolina Wren (SC)
Ruffed Grouse (PA)
Wren (Cactus (AZ), Carolina(SC))
Chickadee (ME, MA)
Chicken (DE Blue Hen, RI Red)
Common Loon (MN)

Grand Slam Tennis Champs - Women's Singles Complete List Source: www.infoplease.com
Sue Barker (F1976)
Mabel Cahill (US 1891, 92)
Iva Majoli (F 1997)
Kerry Reid (A 1977)
Virginia Wade (A 1972; US 1968; W1977)
Pauline Betz (US 42-44,46;W46)
Jennifer Capriati (A 2001,02; F2001)
Molla Mallory (US 1920-22, 1926)
Mary Reitano (A1959)
Maud B. Wallach (US 1908)
Blanche Bingley (W1886)
Mary Carter (A1956)
Hana Mandlikova (A 1980,87; F81; US85)
Lena Rice (W1890)
Maud Watson (W 1884,85)
Molla Bjurstedt (US 1915-18)
Evonne (Goolagong) Cawley
Alice Marble (US 1936, 38-40, W1939)
Nancy Richey (A1967; W1968)
Emily Westacott (A1939)
Shirley Bloomer (F1957) (A1976,77; W1980)
Conchita Martinez (W1994)
Muriel Robb (W19020
Hazel Wightman (US 1919)
Nancye Bolton (A 1946-48, 1951)
Dorothea Chambers (W1910-1,13-4)
Simone Mathieu (F1938-9)
Ellen Roosevelt (US 1890)
Serena Williams (F2002; W2002; US 1999)
Dora Boothby (W1909)
Maureen Connolly (Slam 1953)
Myrtle McAteer (US 1900)
Dorothy Round (A1935; W1934,37)
Venus Williams (US 2000-1; W2000-1)
Kea Bouman (F1927) (A53; F53-54, US 51-53, W52-54)
Mall Molesworth (A1922-3)
Virginia Ruzici (F1978)
Helen Wills
Esna Boyd (A1927)
Sarah Cooke (US 1941, 1945)
Helen (Wills) Moody (F1928,9; US 1923-5, 27, 28,30; W27-29)
Louise Brough
Charlotte Cooper (W1895, 96, 98) (F30,32; US 31; W 30,32,33,35,38)
Nancye Wynne (A 1937, 1940) (A1950;US1947;W1948-50,55)
Margaret (Smith) Court (Slam 1970)
Elizabeth Moore (US 1896,1901, 03, 05)
Mary Browne (US 1912-14) (A 69-71,73;F 69,70,73;
Angela Mortimer (A1958; F1955; W1961)
Maria Bueno US 68-70, 73; W 70) (US 1959,63,64,66;W 59,60,64)
Dorothy Bundy (A1938)
Coral Buttsworth (A 1931,32)