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Manhattan Skyliners Guest Bonus

The Manhattan Skyliners Bonus is dedicated to Foo K. Mang, a member of the team in the early 1980s, who suddenly and unexpectedly passed away in late November at age 45.

Section 1: Questions about Manhattan & New York City

Let's hear it for the town that gave us our name!

  1. Fill in the 9 missing entries in this famous NYC sequence: __; __; __; __; __; __; __; 14; 18; 23; 28; 34; 42; 50; 59; 66; 72; 79; 86; 96; 103; _*_; 116; 125; 137; 145; 157; 168; 181; 191; __; 207; 215; 225; 231; 237; 242 (* - two acceptable answers)

  2. I celebrated my 10th year on Broadway in 2003. My first network appearance was with Mary Tyler Moore in 1978. I have done over 4,000 live shows. Who am I?

  3. What NYC landmark was purchased for $5 million in the 1850s?

  4. What do Jason in 1989 and Kermit the Frog in 1984 have in common?

  5. What are the original names of these buildings?
    1. GE Building (at Rockefeller Center)
    2. MetLife
    3. Trump International Hotel and Tower at #1 CPW
    4. 1 Times Square
    5. Turtle Pond
    6. Jackie Onassis Reservoir

  6. What is a unique feature built into the architecture of the MetLife building?

  7. As of September 12, 2001, what was the High Point of New York City?

  8. The NYC Subway map now differentiates the various lines by color. Blue, Red, Green, Orange, Yellow etc. But that wasn't always the case. What does and any REAL New Yorker call the different lines?

  9. What is this thing at the Manhattan side of the Queensborough bridge? (*photo*)

  10. Loss and Gain. Manhattan is not the same size as it was when Henry Hudson sailed up his river. New Yorkers have expanded the island with landfill over the past 400 years. What is the site of the largest addition? Where did it come from?

  11. Manhattan lost a big chunk of the island, too. Where, and why?

  12. Why is the name "Hudson River" inaccurate?

  13. What is distinctive about the bass that live in the Hudson River?

  14. Traditionally, the infrastructure of New York has been neglected, with money for repairs and renovation being allocated only when bridges, tunnels, roads, etc. were on the brink of collapse. However, in a case of incredible foresight and fiscal planning, there has been one project that has gone on quietly for decades and will continue for decades more to come (till about 2050). What is it?

  15. What is peculiar about Riverbank State Park?

  16. Escape from New York Excluding the 14 tunnels exclusively used for subways and trains, there are many permanent transportation structures which connect to Manhattan Island. Our research comes up with 23. Name 'em.

Section 2: Questions about Losers

Don't look now, but the Manhattan Skyliners are currently on a 32-year losing streak at Williams Trivia. We're off to a slow start, that's all. We therefore salute all those who tried and failed.

  1. What was the original name of the Manhattan Skyliners? Why did they choose that name?

  2. What was the specific reason cited by Casey Stengel for the Mets' first pick in the expansion draft that stocked their 1962 team?

  3. We were born after the Civil War and were considered a dynasty with 6 championships in 11 years. Our names have included the Colts and the Orphans. In the early 1900s, we were the first team to win back-to-back championships of our sport. Yet, we are known for our failures. Who are we?

  4. What Salt Lake City Winter Olympics Bronze medalist now has a Gold medal, and why?

  5. What NHL team only won one game in its history? What happened?

  6. There have been 3 currency introductions by the US Treasury since 1976 that have been considered failures, rejected by the American people, and rarely seen today. What are they?

  7. What do Eddie Murray in the 1980s and Mike Piazza in the 1990s have in common?

  8. Who gave up the gofer ball for Babe Ruth's record tying 59th home run in Yankee Stadium on Sept. 29th 1927, the year Ruth hit 60?

  9. What do the names Saturn, Nomad, Jaguar, Lynx, and Pippin have in common?

  10. What bridge collapsed after being open for just over 4 months?

  11. One of the largest Massachusetts employers of the 1970s and 1980s was Digital Equipment Corporation. If you'd joined Digital Equipment Corporation in 1980, and stayed with the company through its name change and subsequent acquisitions, what companies would you have worked for?

  12. Perhaps the biggest show biz loser of 1993 even had a theater named after him. Alas, his TV show was cancelled after a few pathetic weeks. Who?

  13. What dubious financial distinction befell Finland in 2003? And, similarly, Uzbekistan?

  14. The year is 1983, and PC clones are starting to take market share from the IBM PC. A major clone maker goes public that year in an eagerly awaited IPO. The stock goes public and immediately soars. That afternoon, the CEO drives his brand new Ferrari off a cliff and dies. The company dies soon after. What is the name of the company and the CEO?

  15. This is obviously the Mother Of All Bonus Questions. What unlikely source popularized the phrase "The Mother of All....." which has become a pervasive part of the American lexicon?

  16. What achievement were the Manhattan Skyliners celebrating in May, 1994?

Section 3: Questions about Berkshire County and its environs

This section represents our revenge for 32 years of unanswerable Williamsiana trivia. There is more to the Beautiful Berkshires than the campus!

  1. What Berkshires summer festival that celebrated its 70th year this summer is located on what was once a stop on the Underground Railroad?

  2. What kind of game delay to a minor league baseball game is unique to Berkshire County?

  3. What do Bo Derek in 1980 and Olympia Dukakis in 1975 have in common?

  4. What Berkshires summer series that will be celebrating its 50th year in 2004 has featured people (and future Papa Charlie's sandwiches) such as James Belushi, Dick Cavett, Mary Tyler Moore, and Marisa Tomei?

  5. Q. What are these places?

    1. New Boston
    2. Coltsville
    3. Interlaken
    4. Ashley Falls
    5. Mill River
    6. Braytonville
    7. Steamsville
    8. East Hoosic
    9. Seekonk
    10. Blackinton

  6. Strange architecture The present-day businesses don't seem to belong in these Williamstown landmarks. If you look carefully, you should be able figure out what they were originally built for. a) Michael's Pizzeria; b) Alcaro Motors; c) Williamstown Financial Center; d) Textron Financial

  7. The best way to drive to Williamstown from NYC is to take the beautiful and interesting (especially late at night, with deer playing "chicken") Taconic State Parkway. The highest altitude on the both the Northbound and Southbound sections are clearly marked. What are they?

  8. Why have you seen these cities on a sign in Berkshire County? 1) Ballina, Ireland; 2) Cava de Tirreni, Italy; and 3) Malpaisillo, Nicaragua

Your Backyard: a little history

The Mt. Greylock Reservation is one of the oldest state parks in the country. It includes a nature preserve, The Hopper. Surrounded on 3 sides by steep slopes, the Hopper is a unique geologic formation containing 150-year-old red spruce. (It also happens to literally be in the Manhattan Skyliners' backyard!) And Williams College maintains the trails.

  1. Where are the only two spots one can legally camp in the Hopper?

  2. Name the two waterfalls in the Hopper.

  3. What persistent problem has plagued the War Memorial Monument throughout its life, finally leading to a complete disassembly and reassembly as a solution? (Which naturally did not fix the problem!)

  4. What is distinctive about the Round's Rock Trail?

  5. One of the reasons people come to the Berkshires is the allure of nearby downhill skiing. The mountains of Berkshire county aren't as big as Vermont's, but they are a lot closer. Name all the ski areas in Berkshire county (or within 10 miles of its border) that have been operational during the life of the Manhattan Skyliners. All non-operating ski areas are still visible.

  6. What Northern Berkshire County resident was featured on U.S. currency?

  7. Where did the Battle of Bennington take place?

  8. Other than their movie star looks, what do Gwyneth Paltrow and the Manhattan Skyliners have in common?