'It is us against him'

Thousands compete in quiz show

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (AP) - Jim Oliva is known as "The Oz," the
all-knowing quiz master who is behind what is billed as the world's largest
trivia contest.

He spends his spare time in his basement office rummaging through board
games, books, videos and old baseball cards - anything that might help him stump the thousands of contestants competing in this weekend's 54-hour marathon of the mind.

Some questions representative of what Jim Oliva, "The Oz,'' might ask this weekend during the 32nd annual Stevens Point trivia contest, billed as the world's largest:

1. Who was appointed sewer commissioner of Provo Canyon, Utah, in 1976?

2. What are the names of the performing Marx brothers?

3. Even though this person was not named in the credits, who performed as "Thing'' on "The Addams Family'' TV series?

4. Who played Ward Cleaver in the TV series "Leave It to Beaver?''

5. In the movie "The Shining,'' what baseball player's name is autographed on the bat used to hit Jack Torrence in the head?

6. In the TV series "The Jersey,'' what was the name of the football player first emulated by the jersey?

Answers:

1. Robert Redford. 2. Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo and Gummo. 3. Ted Cassidy. 4. Hugh Beaumont. 5. Carl Yastrzemski. 6. Steve Young.

Source: Jim Oliva

"It is like a sleep-over, but for big kids," said Oliva, 55, who has written
questions since 1979. "This is hours of happiness and joy."
Now in its 32nd year, the contest attracts 500 teams trying to answer
questions aired on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point radio station. Eight questions are asked each hour over the radio, and teams must phone in answers within the next two songs.
The event makes for a festive weekend in Stevens Point, a college town in central Wisconsin. A parade is held before the competition, and contestants try to stay awake throughout the weekend as they revel in the atmosphere. The contest attracted 12,400 players last year.

"The town gets shakin'," said Dorea Engebretson, who has competed in the event for more than a decade.

The competition is so fierce that Oliva keeps his
garbage from his cluttered basement until after the contest to make sure any clues remain secret.

"We are fruitcakes," said Engebretson, whose team this year is called "Greased and Ready to Kick Oz." "You get together, party, drink and see if you can stay up 54 hours. I have made it 52."

She has seen people fall asleep standing up.

Former University of Wisconsin basketball coach Brad Soderberg has played regularly since he was a sixth-grader growing up in Stevens Point.

His eight-member team - once called the "Keystone Cops" - includes friends from his grade and high school days.

"I am not very good at it," Soderberg said. "But I just like to get back with my childhood buddies. It is a great diversion."

Stevens Point Police Sgt. Dan Wheeler, 40, took a week's vacation to get ready for this year's contest, which begins today. He spends the months between contests taking notes on TV commercials, TV shows and magazine ads. Wheeler said trivia stimulates his competitive instincts, in part because of Oliva.

"It is us against him."

Oliva does his part to maintain his reputation. He stockpiles thousands of magazines in his basement, some dating back to the 1930s.

He slid out a September 1988 edition of Time,
rifled through the pages and in seconds developed this question:

"What product in 1988 advertising used the
trademark slogan, 'No artificial anything?"'

Oliva paused, pleased by the query.

"Dannon Yogurt. Now that's tough. You will not find that on the Internet," he boasted.

	\| Home \| The Contest \| Team History \| Other Teams \| Links \| FAQ \| The Oz \| Site Map \|
	This page was last modified April 20, 2008 Copyright © 2000-2008 Dan Olson. All Rights Reserved. Webmaster