BRAIN-JAM

My brain is in a jam. Ever since i went to Nedfi Brain-jam 2007 and endured the three hour torture (in fact more considering the prelims and the long wait before that), with my hopes of witnessing a great quiz (not only the prize money involved but also the desire to see great quizmasters in action), i have been seething from within. Hence this little effort of mine to channelise my thoughts (and my anger too!).

Lets start with the organizers.

1. Registration: The registration process was supposedly to start from 3PM and the participating teams were required to pay Rs 100/- as the joining fees. Nothing wrong with that. But there was a funny clause. Not more than 300 teams could register! And the information was provided on the day of registration and the time of registration preponed to 1.30 PM. My question is: Would they have denied registration to any team who would have been the unlucky one to be the 301st?

2. Prizes: There were great prizes on offer: laptop computers with digital cameras; return air tickets to Bangkok; coupons from Citi-mart for the first three teams. There were great prizes for the audience too. Does anybody know what the fourth, fifth and sixth teams get after being among the six finalists from a total of 250 teams, and slugging out on the stage for three hours? Nothing!!! And it was a Quiz with 1.5 lacs worth of prizes. Didn't they deserve anything for being among the best on that given day and not being the best?

3. Prelims: 50 questions for a quiz with 250 teams. fair enough. And a good way of elimination. But 35 slides out of 50???? Unbelievable !!! Ever heard of the word balance? I wonder if our quizmaster had heard of it?

4. The Quizmaster: Mr. Barry O'Brien was the quizmaster for most part of the show, with Mr Neil O'Brien conducting two guest rounds. Well, it seemed to me that Mr Barry was out there hosting a game show rather than one of the biggest quizzes of the region. He would make the audience sing, clap and dance, throwing away prizes in between to any person he would deem eligible. No questions asked!!! Well, maybe if someone decides to start a game show, they should ask Barry to be the host. At least, I'd recommend his name.

5. The questions: Some questions were really nice and some answers equally great. But only some. And one of my better known quizmaster friends tells me that their questions were repeated. In fact, a question was on display referring to S D Barman's centenary as this year, while the quizmaster said that to be this year. Clearly, he copied his earlier question and didn't even bother to check it twice!!!
Some questions were such that they have been repeatedly been asked in our school level quizzes. Maybe the QM under-estimated the quizzing scene here, or the quizzing scene in ghy is better than that of Kolkata.

6. The presentation: In this age of technology, I sincerely believe that a QM has to put himself above suspicion and above partiality. Neither am I accusing the QM
of partiality. But would not it be better to put the question on display than asking from prepared sheets? You have the technology, so why not use it?

7. The Rounds: Identify two personalities from a morphed image of them both. Is it Quizzing? In Barry's own words, his father doesn't approve of such rounds. Neither do I or the people I have talked to.

8 The QM again: What kind of a QM are you if you ask questions to 5 teams, then go amidst the audience asking them to do stupid things and showering goodies upon them, all the while forgetting the sixth team, who actually have to remind you to ask them their share of question when you start with the next round?

9. The Blooper: The supposedly last question of the quiz, when asked by Barry proved to be a question already asked by his father some rounds previously. Some QM, huh?


At the end of the quiz, as I returned to my uncle's place where i was staying in Ghy, I was fuming. I have participated in some quizzes and even conducted one or two. It was a really disheartening to see such a waste of a quiz. I remember one of the organizers telling the audience that the objective of the quiz was to bring the graph of quizzing in the NE region upwards. I don't doubt your ideals, Mr Organizer, but in my opinion, you failed in doing so and will continue to do so as long as you invite such a buffoon to conduct quizzes. Managing an affair like this is not only a question of the financial backing you have achieved but to use your resources well.

My best wishes to you in this regard.

Hope to see a better quiz next time .


(These are my personal views and not the views of the Quriozzity group as such. No disregard is meant to the QMs personally, specially regarding the senior Mr Brian, whom I regard highly and have nothing to complain about).

BY

VinayU
Dibrugarh