Steelers get turned over

Commiserations to Mark Cusick on the Steelers defeat last night.

At one stage it looked like they would tie the Packers but MVP Lennon showed true leadership qualities in pushing the Greenbay offense to crucial touchdowns. One can't help wonder how Steelers would have scored had they left Ben Roethlisberger off team. His off-field problems impacted strongly - remember Roethlisberger was accused of misconduct and the sexual assault and rape of a 20-year old college student - and he was only cleared after paying hefty fees to a bunch of maverick small-town American attorneys, Squint, Sandblasters and Dumpsters.

Top receiver was Nelson, while Mendenhall was top rusher with 64 yards and a touchdown.

Why did Mark Cusick call himself Olga?

Was this guy a Russian spy or did he just love a gymnast called Korbut?

Mark Cusick - an apology

I had a nice email from Mark enquiring if he could add comments to the blog and protesting his innocence at the near break-up in our life-long friendship which developed in November 2007.

Mark maintained that as quizmaster he did not realise the bunch of small-minded, self-obsessed juveniles he was dealing with and therefore did not approach the task with the appropriate level of authority. His approach of "let's come to an agreement" - which might work in the litigation ridden Yoonited States - clearly could not work for teams whose introduction to quizzes was via Bunny Carr on Quicksilver and who might have sat through weekends of endless ribbing in Donegal because your weakest link (usually the current MD of Capita) couldn't deliver on the year Gandhi was assassinated.

Mark - you were right - it was not your fault on that fateful night and our behaviour was disgraceful - but please remember - in a written quiz, you simply cannot accept Trinity's assertion of "yes, same here" when they have clearly written down a contrary answer. Until you understand this fundamental principle, the quiz books will remain way from your grubby little hands. See picture above.

Why did Cusick do it?

You spend 40 years building up friendships which has got you through studying in Blackrock, chamber-maiding in Dusseldorf, pipe-smoking in Donegal, the Law Courts, Belfield Bar, Mount Anville Girls and Uytewaal, hostelling in Kerry, vomiting in urinals and Zilverberg and then one fine November evening a Yank just strolls into town and tries to demolish it all. John B Keane's "The Field" all over again.

But this time not a patch of land but a quiz book - how could we have expected the American to understand what it meant to us - more than life itself as you punched the air because you, and only you, knew that the capital of Mongolia was Ulan Bator. Fuck the rest of them and that put you two ahead.

Mark, when you read this, remember - while we can't forgive you - we will forget. Bunny Carr you'll never be.