From the Stevens Point Journal April 13, 2004:

Village Idiots have played Trivia since '73

BY JOURNAL STAFF

Trivia team Insider
Team Name: The Village Idiots, submitted by Cindy Berg.

How the team got its name: The group played first in residence halls, moved on to the Village Apartments (the inspiration for our team name), then on to homes of local members. We have been known as The Village Idiots since 1978.
How many players are on the team: About 20 "regulars."
How long they've played: Since 1973.

The highest the team has placed: Until the 1990s, The Village Idiots regularly placed in the top 15 teams. Since then, we've hovered in the lower 30s.

Their most-prized reference tool: Trivia has changed dramatically since the Internet, but we still have several "golden" reference books. We actually preferred the days of note card files, libraries of books and pure dumb luck.

Team traditions: Each year, it seems one of our team members can't be with us for the weekend. It has become a tradition to endlessly harass the absent Idiot via phone messages and e-mails.

The first Idiot to fall asleep is always decorated and photographed.

It is also tradition for four or five of us, who haven't slept all weekend, to show up at Country Kitchen at 1 a.m. Monday with a bowling trophy - then we watch as all the crisp, alert Network members file in with their first-place trophy.

High point of your team's career: The Village Idiots have always made it a point to try to differentiate ourselves from other Trivia teams. One year, we had a helium tank and took turns calling in answers in our finest munchkin voices. Another year, instead of picking up our last Trivia Stone clue in a car, we showed up with six guys pulling a boat through the line.

Low point of your team's career: Every year when we discuss how we'll play Trivia in 25 years. We've always pictured ourselves with walkers, in the lounge of a local nursing home, arguing over false teeth and adult diapers and totally forgetting to phone in the answer. But now, after seeing "Bubba Ho-Tep," (this year's Trivia kickoff movie) we may have to reconsider.


The Journal will be running a Trivia team profile each day this week leading up to the 35th annual contest, which starts Friday night.