1. Who is Andy Gropp?
2. How long has spectacular quizzing been around?
When I was on the board of WBQA, Andy Gropp started a quiz that allowed adults to quiz that had only 2 people on a team. I heard about it and was interested in participating. Upon doing some research, I learned what he normally does is so different that what we do normally, that his Old Timer’s Quiz was not really an option that I could easily slide into, but I started playing around with the rules. And while changes have been made, the basic set of rules we have today has been around since 2003.
3. Do you see any major flaws in the quiz rules?
Obviously, I like the rules.:) I think when tournaments become reliant upon quizzes that give wins and losses, rather than points, the adjustments that they make can adjust the way the game is played. That is why I prefer all wins and losses quizzing to be 2-team, but that often isn’t as exciting for the fans.
4. I have a quizzer who hates spectacular quizzing because one can only answer four questions, what should I tell him?
Get used to the feeling. Anyone who can get frustrated by being limited at the top levels of Spectacular quizzing will be similarly frustrated in traditional quizzing. 4 out of 15 is 27% of the questions, which is right in between the ratio they can get at the 4 majors (25% in SCQANIT & ANYC and 30% at CI & AACS). The quizzes are quicker, so the exit seems quicker, but that also means the next quiz where you can come in again is also much quicker.
5. What do you think is the most enjoyable aspect of spectacular style quizzing that conventional quizzing lacks?
Because it is based on points, each quiz has less stress and the opponents are not the “enemy” in as direct of a way. This allows people to be much more laid back and enjoy the fellowship more.
6. Why should people bother quizzing spectacular tournaments?
There is no other style tournament where you are free to socialize between quizzes and not worry about strategic errors. Frankly, there is very little strategy. This is why quizzes never “drag” even when they are slower than normal.
7. Who was the best spectacular team you have ever seen?
It has to be one of the teams I was on.;) Actually, I think the team of Reid and you was the most dominant. I think that because the margins are so tight, usually there are no upsets in the top 5. Last year was the exception.
8. I have a quizzer who wants to be the next Judge Judy, she is obsessed with appealing and she wants to sue you because spectacular tournaments do not allow appeals. What do you tell her? (In clean terms)
I think the process of appealing is an important one. I also believe that focusing on it is a mistake. While I would make the argument that it is a flawed strategy, because the best quiz-masters cannot be “mind tricked” into accepting your answer. It is much more profitable to learn the verses. While you may get through weaker quizmasters and teams, challenging is not a way to beat the good teams in the finals. Whether or not you accept that argument, it is undeniable that the power of the Word of God is far more important eternally than knowing the rules or how to appeal. I’d rather build treasure where verses profit than treasures where appealing may profit.
9. Who would be your dream team for a spectacular tournament?
A spectacular tournament is the one tournament where I think it is less important who my teammate is and more important who the other quizzers are. I’d love to have quizzers from every generation in the finals talking to each other about the impact Bible Quiz is making at that stage of everyone’s life.
10. Why did you invent spectacular style quizzing?
So I could quiz again. I wanted motivation to memorize more verses again. Unfortunately, it has grown to the extent that I am almost always unable to do so. I need to be better at training other people to do what I do.