Some head-scratching posers for those who like to mix Christmas and sport.
- In 2013 NBA teams all wore distinct new uniforms for their Christmas Day games. What were different about these?
(a) They had sleeves for the first time.
(b) They featured corporate logos.
(c) They all had black arm bands to honour military dead.
(d) They had no player numbers on the front.
- In Australia Boxing Day is the day for sports. There is always a yacht race between Hobart, Tasmania and what Australian city?
(a) Melbourne
(b) Sydney
(c) Perth
(d) Canberra
- Every year the Santa Claus Winter Games are held in Sweden. What is NOT a sport in these games?
(a) Elf roping.
(b) Chimney climbing
(c) Porridge eating
(d) Reindeer racing
- In the 2013 Santa Winter Games, Canada was represented by a popular actor. Was it
(a) Eric Peterson, who played the grumpy Oscar on Corner Gas
(b) William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk of Star Trek
(c) John Dunsworth, also known as Mr. Lahey of Trailer Park Boys
(d) Steve Smith, who was Red Green of the Red Green Show
- In 1977 the NFL held a rare Christmas Eve game, between Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Colts. It went into double overtime with the winning touchdown immortalized by a famous catch. Its nickname was
(a) The Immaculate Reception
(b) The Ghost to the Post
(c) The Hail Mary to Larry
(d) The Grab Heard Round the World
- “The greatest hockey game ever played.” That is what they called the match-up on New Year’s Eve 1976 between the Soviet Red Army team who were touring NHL cities over the Christmas holidays and the Montreal Canadiens. What was the result?
(a) A 3-3 tie.
(b) Red Army 4 Canadiens 2
(c) Canadiens 6 Red Army 1
(d) Canadiens win 4-3 in overtime.
- In what country is it customary to play hockey after church on Christmas?
(a) Ethiopia
(b) Finland
(c) Sweden
(d) Iceland
- In World War I there was a Christmas truce between British and German troops with a soccer game played between the trenches. What was the score?
(a) Germany 3-British 2
(b) 3-3 tie
(c) Game called on account of renewed artillery fire
(d) British 3-Germans 2
- In 1862 two teams made up of members of the Union Army faced off against each other in a Christmas Day baseball game in Hilton Head, South Carolina in front of 40,000 spectators. The team representing the 165th New York Volunteer Infantry had a distinctive uniform. What made them so special?
(a) They were the first sports uniform to feature player names.
(b) They wore red fezzes with blue tassels.
(c) They sported blue balloon pants, or “bloomers”
(d) They played without shirts and their numbers were written on their skin with coal dust.
- In England in the 1500s all sports on Christmas were banned except
(a) Football
(b) Cheese-rolling
(c) Competitive drinking
(d) Archery
ANSWERS
1. Answer: D
2. Answer: B
3. Answer: D
4. Answer: C. He gave up cigarettes to train for the events and could run nearly 100 yards. The 2013 games were won by a Santa from Hong Kong.
5. Answer: B. The catch was made by Dave Casper, whose nickname was “The Ghost”.
6. Answer: A. Montreal outplayed the Soviets but Ken Dryden let in two soft ones over his left shoulder. Vladislav Tretiak was the star as Montreal outshot the Army 38-13. The photo above shows Tretiak surrounded by Pete Mahovlich and Yvan Cournoyer.
7. Answer: A. In fact the word for Christmas and the Ethiopian variety of field hockey are the same.
8. Answer: A. There is a lot of argument about the final score from different sources but everybody agrees the Germans won.
9. Answer: B. They were “Zouaves”, troops who wore uniforms like French Arab soldiers: red balloon pants, ornamental cloth jackets, white spats, and fezzes with blue tassels.
10. Answer: D