Best Covert Move that Backfired - Know Nothings
Figuring that their van would be taken, and that they
d either have
to find it or have it back quickly, one member of the Know Nothings stowed
away in the van. Forty minutes cramped under the seat later, he ended
up in Berkeley. There, while work was being done on the van, he opened
the door and made a run for it, with nobody the wiser. Unfortunately,
the team couldn't really capitalize because they needed the slats, couldn't
make it too obvious, and were an honest bunch. The best part of the
story might be that the stowaway later found out that the person who drove
their van actually works for him.
1. Blood & Bones
"We'd like to confirm 1028 Folsom, ice machine . This rookie team was so sure they had the answer, they called the confirmation line. We told them no. Undeterred, they called back just minutes later to confirm "ice breeze". Wrong again. We here at GC would love to know how they found these solutions.
2. Unknown
"We're confirming Herman Plaza." This team figured the clue was "just in Herman Plaza". We at GC were wondering when someone would call asking whether the clue was "just in her man plaza", and whose man plaza they needed to explore.
3. Red 5
"We're on Hickey and we're calling in". That's right, they got "Hickey and call in". They were actually right near the next clue site.
4. Joint Venture
"North Berkeley Bar". They could not figure out which bar they
needed to go to.
Cruelty to Animals Award – Mystic Fish
Quote from the Know Nothings:
"May the members of Mystic Fish one day find themselves sealed in a
game van with all exits hermetically welded shut. And may the powers
that put them there affix to said van a 'humorous' banner to inform all
who read it of the Fish's lack of worth."
Update: As of June 2001, the perpetrators of this incident are no longer on team Mystic Fish.
Fish Lovers Award – Know Nothings
This team diligently collected all the abandoned fish and brought them
to GC when they finished in a big Gatorade bottle full of water.
Of course, now GC had a loud aquarium with even more fish. Read on.
Best Use for Tub of Fish left at GC – Blood & Bones
Just when the air filter on the abandoned aquarium was threatening to
spoil our viewing of The Matrix, Blood & Bones arrived. One of
their members was happy to take the tub and use the fish as feeder fish
for his pet. Everyone was happy.
We are more than impressed with the performance of these two hardcore
gamers cruising around in a Porsche Boxter. They proved that while
waves of tiredness can cripple the whole team, it is possible to finish
with a team of two. They had us in stitches here at GC, recounting
tales of their space saving techniques and completing the jigsaw puzzle
on the asphalt in the wind.
This rookie team drove about 130 miles more than the best navigators,
and about 70 miles more than anyone else. Some interesting choices
included crossing the bay to get a bible and driving from Felton to Los
Gatos to solve the clue that then took them to Castle Rock.
Who Needs BART Award – Blackbird Pie
Serious style points go to Blackbird Pie for eschewing BART and taking
the J ("jay") to Glen Canyon Park.
Living up to Team Name Award – Mystic Fish
Unable to find the clue in Fremont, this team hopped right into the
water to look for it. Nice day for a swim, eh?
Once again, RadiKS showed just how slow a team could be, rolling in
at 4:30am on Monday morning. They were down to 2 people, but we heard
no complaints from those left. How do they do it? And how do
we do it? Perhaps GC should get this award.
Least Trust in Game Control – Max Power
This team refused to eat the red pill in the Mystery Machine, perhaps
fearing that we laced the poor, innocent Jelly Belly. They looked
very afraid and eventually told us they would save it for later.
This was the closest anyone came to taking the blue pill.
Source for Best Quote of the Night – Evil Masterminds
"The Evil Masterminds have Devil's Dick's Stick." Dave, upon hearing
from the Evil Masterminds that they took the wrong slat, turned to the
rest of GC and uttered this sentence, which we can guarantee has never
been said before by anyone.
Best Clue Site Renaming out of Frustration – Doh Boys
"We're <expletive> going to the <expletive> Bulging Ass Water
Temple." Apparently, they were off by a letter and it took a while
to get the answer.
Premature Induction Award – Smoking High Monks
Confirming they had all they needed, the Monks called and said "We have
just received a roll of New Hampshire quarters."
Art Connoisseur Award – Smoking High Monks
This team called to let us know that actually, one of the paintings
we had as a Rembrandt had recently been determined to be a fraud.
Most Familiar Voice Award – Puzzle Fighters
With 32 individual calls, this team was by far the one we heard from
the most. I suppose this is the anti-RadiKS approach.
Matrix Junkie Award – Puzzle Fighters
This team finished the quiz in North Berkeley the fastest.
Most Innovative Way to Solve Final Matrix Puzzle – Devil's Dick
When asked what they had tried, they replied,
We've basically been
sitting here throwing the sticks at each other like monkeys."
Think Before you Act Award – Team Advil
They called from Hickey and Callan to confirm non-desecration of the
graveyard. "We had a moral dilemma", they admitted, on whether to
jump the fence.