Please take this Spurs Quiz

[FromWayDowntown]

I got 16/16.

I'd agree that the question about which player wasn't on the Spurs for the 1999 Championship run strikes me as a bit misleading, since Brandon Williams was waived long before the playoffs rolled around and Andrew Gaze was inactive for the entire run. I figured it must have meant which player wasn't on the roster at all for the 1999 season, but when I think of a "championship run," I usually think we're talking about playoffs.

[wildbill2u]

http://sanantonio.about.com/library/...hamps_quiz.htm

Check it for errors, etc for me, as usual. It's easier than the last one.

If you missed any of the prior quizzes, they are here.

I'm going to sleep now.

Thanks.

I'm curious as to the market for this quiz, since you apparently want help to make sure it is accurate for a wider audience. I suspect that you sell these to some sports oriented publishing market. And that's great.

If that is the case, my thought as a former college teacher is this: What is the level of Spursfan interest in that audience? Is your wider audience really going to enjoy this quiz and think it is a fair test of their fandom? Are some of the questions too arcane to keep the audience interested? Or will they be turned off?

The goal of every quiz-maker should be to leave the audience saying, "Darn, I KNEW that." on misses. A quiz taker shouldn't wind up saying, "That wasn't fair. Only Sequa Spur could answer those." A quiz has to be fun, not a research project.

For example: My guess is that very few people in any audience really care or know from memory who attempted the last shot in any series, the implication being that it wasn't made and therefore wasn't important. Most people would have to guess or go to a recorded version to get the answer--unless they have an Einstein-quality IQ like Sequa Spur and remarkable powers of memory.

I found myself growing indifferent to the quiz--and simply guessing to get it over with--as I realized that a lot of the questions simply couldn't be answered without a stat book or video for reference. I lucked out with some guesses and got 8-16. I consider myself as a hard-core fan with above average intelligence and memory so a failing score obtained by luck isn't a good sign.

Spurstalk is a pretty hard-core audience and their scores and comment reflect similar problems of memory on your quizzes. An audience with lesser fan interest would probably not enjoy the quiz at all. If your goal is to sell it and keep them coming back for more, I'd try for questions that had more general interest for a more casual fan. Just my take.

[Kori Ellis]

No, my goal isn't to sell it.

I work for About.com as their writer covering San Antonio. I write 100's of articles for them a month concerning everything about the city - events, activities, and yes, the Spurs.

In addition to standard articles, the quizzes are just part what we are to write. They vary in scope and difficulty. If you have seen the past ones posted here, some have been incredibly easy (the photo quiz), some funny obscure trivia, some stat related, etc. So they are for a variety of different audiences.

[Kori Ellis]

I got 16/16.

I'd agree that the question about which player wasn't on the Spurs for the 1999 Championship run strikes me as a bit misleading, since Brandon Williams was waived long before the playoffs rolled around and Andrew Gaze was inactive for the entire run. I figured it must have meant which player wasn't on the roster at all for the 1999 season, but when I think of a "championship run," I usually think we're talking about playoffs.

Thanks, I'm adjusting the wording of that particular question. Brandon Williams did get a ring though. Are you sure he waived long before the playoffs?

[wildbill2u]

No, my goal isn't to sell it.

I work for About.com as their writer covering San Antonio. I write 100's of articles for them a month concerning everything about the city - events, activities, and yes, the Spurs.

In addition to standard articles, the quizzes are just part what we are to write. They vary in scope and difficulty. If you have seen the past ones posted here, some have been incredibly easy (the photo quiz), some funny obscure trivia, some stat related, etc. So they are for a variety of different audiences.

Regardless of whether you get paid by About.com, every writer knows that his/her ability to get paying gigs is based on the amount and quality of his/her 'clips' and exposure.

Since the About.com audience no doubt has less intense knowledge of Spurs trivia than Spurstalk fans, I'd make the quizzes much easier. If this was easier than the last one in your opinion, I can't imagine the average about.com reader doing very well on the quizzes--and that take their interest out. Just trying to help.

[BruceBowenFan]

11/16

[Kori Ellis]

Regardless of whether you get paid by About.com, every writer knows that his/her ability to get paying gigs is based on the amount and quality of his/her 'clips' and exposure.

Since the About.com audience no doubt has less intense knowledge of Spurs trivia than Spurstalk fans, I'd make the quizzes much easier. If this was easier than the last one in your opinion, I can't imagine the average about.com reader doing very well on the quizzes--and that take their interest out. Just trying to help.

Of course I get paid by About.com - I just don't get paid per quiz or anything (that's why I said I wasn't trying to sell it). I get paid a monthly salary plus incentives. I was just trying to point out that the quizzes are less than 1% of what I write for them.

But for the record, several of the past quizzes were much easier than this (average scores being over 90%). Some are hard and some are easy.

And by the way, of the 1200+ readers (not SpursTalk) that have taken THIS particular quiz so far, the average score was 12/16. And that's about what it should be for a medium/mid-level quiz.

Thanks for the input.

[FromWayDowntown]

Thanks, I'm adjusting the wording of that particular question. Brandon Williams did get a ring though. Are you sure he waived long before the playoffs?

I thought I remembered him being waived early in that season. I know that the league allowed teams to suit up 14 players for the first few games that season, and I know that Williams didn't play after that rule changed, so my recollection was that he had been waived. The Spurs media guide, though, says that Williams was with the club until August 1999. That would suggest that I was wrong about his status. I guess that while I recall him playing for the Spurs that season, I just don't really think of Brandon Williams as having been a part of that team.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Kori Ellis]

I thought I remembered him being waived early in that season. I know that the league allowed teams to suit up 14 players for the first few games that season, and I know that Williams didn't play after that rule changed, so my recollection was that he had been waived. The Spurs media guide, though, says that Williams was with the club until August 1999. That would suggest that I was wrong about his status. I guess that while I recall him playing for the Spurs that season, I just don't really think of Brandon Williams as having been a part of that team.

Sorry for the confusion.

That's okay, thanks for your help. I'll still re-word the question to indicate I'm talking about which players were on the team that year (not necessarily played during those 1999 playoffs).

[timvp]

I thought I remembered him being waived early in that season. I know that the league allowed teams to suit up 14 players for the first few games that season, and I know that Williams didn't play after that rule changed, so my recollection was that he had been waived. The Spurs media guide, though, says that Williams was with the club until August 1999. That would suggest that I was wrong about his status. I guess that while I recall him playing for the Spurs that season, I just don't really think of Brandon Williams as having been a part of that team.

Sorry for the confusion.

Interestingly enough, about a month ago I watched an interview with Brandon Williams on NBATV. He's currently the Vice President of Player Development for the NBA. He came across as a really smart guy and seems to be moving up the NBA ladder rather quickly.

They asked him about his time with the Spurs during the 1999 championship run and he said that he felt that although he didn't play in the postseason, he earned the ring as much as anybody else. He said that he played the role of Kobe Bryant and Latrell Sprewell in practice and took that job seriously, studying hours of film to get down their exact moves.

It was a pretty awesome interview considering we never heard anything from him when he was a Spur. And it's another example of an ex-Spur being successful after his career.

But yeah, with as much excitement and pride he took in that championship, he'd probably cry if he read your post about being waived before the playoffs

[Spurs Brazil]

That's okay, thanks for your help. I'll still re-word the question to indicate I'm talking about which players were on the team that year (not necessarily played during those 1999 playoffs).

Williams was with the team. You can see him going into the court in NY on game 5 to celebrate

[FromWayDowntown]

But yeah, with as much excitement and pride he took in that championship, he'd probably cry if he read your post about being waived before the playoffs

Now I really feel bad about that error. I should have checked my references before making such a bold (and wrong) statement.

[Tek_XX]

10 of 16

I guessed on all but 2

Who the can remember the last attempted field goal questions? Spurs nerds

[makedamnsure]

12/16 is my best score yett

[Obstructed_View]

I got 18 out of 16. I pwn all of you.

[howbouthemspurs]

WoW..16/16.. I thought I would get at least 3 wrong