Only A True Jock Can Get 100% On This Sports Lingo Quiz

The NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals are coming close and baseball is in full swing, meaning more and more people at the dinner table are going to be talking sports. At least, they should be. Who doesn't want to talk about Aaron Judge or LeBron James?

So as people start talking more sports, you need to make sure you know the lingo they use. You don't want to be left out of these conversations because you don't know what this word or that one means, do you? I didn't think so, but that's what this quiz is for!

As we've done in other similar quizzes, there will be no nicknames for players, teams, or stadiums. We will be looking for nicknames of rivalries, however, so let's hope you know those.

Unlike other quizzes, we are going to ask you to name some very important scandals from the major sports. These are ones that all sports fans should know because of their impact on their respective sports and other professional leagues as a whole.

And as always, there will be only one correct term included among the answers. If you're brave enough to take a quiz that is potentially this hard, we respect that enough to not play any games.

Question 1

How football teams determine who gets the ball

This is at the start of every football games, even if Madden games have mostly removed this feature for some reason. Now, you get to choose before the game even loads what you want. If things worked like that in real-life, there'd obviously be no need for this. If you haven't already picked the proper answer, take a closer look at the picture and think back to when you were a kid. Or when Madden actually had it in the game.

Question 2

The Yankees-Mets Rivalry

Now, this is an easy one for me because I'm originally from New York and root for the Yankees, so I could answer this even if a stray baseball struck me in the head and gave me amnesia. Mets fans could probably do the same, though I'm sure they would like to voluntarily forget some of the team's moments from the past decade. This term was also used when the Dodgers and Giants were each back in New York, by the way.

Question 3

The investigation that alleged New England of cheating

I'm far from a science major, so I'm going to keep this simple in order to not say something wrong. In early 2015, the New England Patriots were accused of tampering with footballs so that Tom Brady would have an easier time throwing them in the cold and other poor weather conditions. This led to a legal battle for over a year and a four-game suspension for Brady to enter the 2016 season, nearly two years after the alleged incident. What was this case?

Question 4

Changing a play at the line of scrimmage

How good was Peyton Manning at this, you ask? Older Madden games actually implemented a minor feature (if you could call it that) where the computer-controlled Manning would change the play at least three or four times at the line of scrimmage. And no, change is not the proper term. It's a term that works when you say he was changing the play, but we're looking for the more official term that's included among the following four choices. That went without saying.

Question 5

Dousing someone in Gatorade is known as a...

Would you imagine that this has only been around in the mainstream for just over 30 years? It feels like a tradition that's been around for much longer, doesn't it? And no, we were never going to make this question something like, "What drink are coaches and players covered in after historic moments?" Partly because that's not truly sports lingo and partly because it's fairly obvious the drink in question is Gatorade. But is the question here truly as obvious?

Question 6

The scandal involving "Shoeless" Joe Jackson was known as..

I can imagine this being partially why some people are concerned about the recent Supreme Court ruling on legalized sports gambling. All the way back in 1919, the Chicago White Sox were accused of fixing games in the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. While "Shoeless" Joe Jackson stood by the belief he was not involved, he was punished as part of the "Eight Men Out." That's not quite the term we're looking for, though, so good luck with these choices.

Question 7

When a special first pitch is thrown out

We were originally going to use George W. Bush at Yankee Stadium after 9/11, but 50 Cent's awful first pitch in a Mets jersey is also worth discussing at some point. Other sports do something similar, like when a Hall of Famer is there for the coin toss at the Super Bowl or someone drops the puck before a hockey game, but this all comes back to baseball and the first pitch thrown by legends, celebrities, and others. What's it called?

Question 8

A complete game in fewer than 100 pitches is named after this Hall of Fame pitcher

Some might argue this falls under a sabermetric term for someone reason, but I don't at all think so. There's no math involved here other than the number of pitches thrown in a complete game. Throwing 99 pitches in nine innings equates to 11 pitches per inning, as I'm sure you're able to figure out. I can't do math and even I know that. Even if you can't recognize this pitcher outside of his uniform, you should at least know the term.

Question 9

A football drill named after a state

Football is heavy in this state - and no, we're not talking about Ohio, where the practicing Bengals shown in this picture come from - so maybe that's where the name comes from. Unfortunately for those who enjoyed this drill, many coaches are stopping it because of concerns about concussions and brain damage, which is probably the right call given middle schoolers were participating in this. If you played football, you will almost certainly know what this drill is, as well as how painful it could be.

Question 10

The rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan featured a "war" for this long

Ohio State and Michigan have one of the greatest rivalries in college football, regardless of who you think the better team is. Even if both of these teams are having disappointing seasons, you know that this game - almost always at the end of November - is going to be intense and be a full fight until the clock hits triple zeroes...or goes into overtime. The rivalry between these two teams had a "war" that went for these many years.

Question 11

A golden sombrero refers to how many strikeouts by a hitter?

I'll be honest: Google Images still comes up with some curious stockart and images. I was expecting a legitimate golden sombrero, but this drawing is good enough, right? Strikeouts in a baseball game are rising and we're not far off from a starting pitcher setting a record with 21 punchouts, although changing bullpen philosophies could make that harder. Anyways, lingo in baseball involves a player donning a sombrero when they strike out a certain amount of times. What is a golden sombrero?

Question 12

This four-part hockey play is one of the hardest in the sport

Actually, this probably is the hardest shot in the sport, so work with me here. First, the player winds up his hockey stick to shoulder height - or even higher - and then uses his weight to bend the stick and build energy. Then, when face of the stick blade strikes the puck, said player releases all of that energy through the puck. Finally, the player follows through, ending up with the stick pointed in the direction of wherever he's shooting at and, hopefully, scores.

Question 13

The groundbreaking 2007 report alleging many All-Stars of steroid use

We all knew that steroids were bad and we had an idea that certain players were juicing - Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa chiefly among them - but this December 2007 report changed everything. All-Star players like Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada and others were named in this report by whistleblowers, former trainers, and others. This led to Clemens fighting his ex-trainer in court, players apologizing, and much more. What was this report by a former U.S. senator named?

Question 14

A cup of coffee refers to...

We could have used a player here, but I very much prefer the shot of coffee, even if I personally don't (and can't) have caffeine. "Groupie" is more of a music term, we know, but athletes have used it as well to describe the suitors that come their way. We usually hear this term later in the season when rookies hit the MLB, NBA, or NHL level. Which of these answers is the correct one. Seriously, don't rule the groupie one out.

Question 15

Another name for the no-huddle offense

This seems a bit easier than asking "what does one call an offense that does not huddle?" With that, you have two options - the no-huddle offense and one of these two choices, which goes against one of the rules we put in the intro - so let's keep things simple. One of these options is essentially a synonym for the no-huddle offense, so let's quickly get on with it and get this right. Quickness is the goal here, friends.

Question 16

The Cubs-White Sox rivalry is officially known as

It might be a few years before both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox are contending again - the Cubs are doing fine this year and the White Sox are deep into a multi-year rebuild - but it can still be fun to watch these two play for city pride. It's the same thing with the Yankees and Mets, who will play next month with the latter potentially under .500. Which of the following names is the official term for this rivalry?

Question 17

An inside-the-park home run is also known as

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks recently became the first Bronx Bomber with two inside-the-park home runs since Mickey Mantle in 1958. Mantle and the Yankees won the World Series that year. Hicks and the Yankees surely look like World Series contenders this year. Mantle had three home runs of that type in a time with much bigger ballparks, by the way. Will Hicks also get to three? We'll see. What is another term for a home run that doesn't leave the stadium?

Question 18

What death-related term applies to some sports programs?

This rarely happens to sports programs anymore because of how harsh a penalty it is, but there were thoughts that both Penn State and Baylor could lose their football teams with this applied after their individual sexual assault scandals. Penn State served a short postseason ban and Baylor is struggling after the Art Briles era came to a premature end, which could be a fate worse than this. That's all based on your point of view, of course. What's the answer?

Question 19

A "dirty" hockey play which can cause serious injury

We say "dirty" in quotation marks because this can sometimes happen without intent. This play is when one player swings their hockey stick at another regardless of contact, or breaks an opposing player's stick with their own. The resulting penalty may range from something minor to something much worse depending on the injury, perceived intent, and other factors. Mistakes happen, but more often than not, this happens when someone is trying to play dirty. Which of the following answers is correct?

Question 20

The Red Sox trading Babe Ruth led to the curse of the...

This is one of the easier ones on here even if you aren't a big baseball fan, so let's see if you can get this right. After the 1919 season, Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee traded pitcher/outfielder Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees allegedly in return for money that would create the play No, No, Nanette. Ruth became the all-time home run king with the Yankees and the Red Sox didn't win a World Series until 2004. What was the curse called?

Question 21

Catching a player between two bases is called a...

This play can happen between first and second, second and third, or third and home, usually on bad baserunning plays. Why can't it happen between home and first, you ask? The runner turning around to run back to home plate is illegal, so that's the simplest answer we can give. It is possible to escape a moment like this and wind up safe, but that usually needs a bad throw or a mistake by the one receiving the ball. What's this play known as?

Question 22

This dangerous hockey play is known as...

It's plays like this that made me want to stay far away from hockey. This infraction or violation is where a player checks an opponent by using the shaft of his or her stick with both hands. You can cause someone serious damage with a stick - it's a weapon, same as a baseball bat - and if you hit someone in the wrong place while doing this play, I don't want to see what the end result is. What is this play?

Question 23

The 2013 PED scandal involving Alex Rodriguez and other players was called...

This, in the eyes of many baseball fans, was the final chapter of the steroid era. After then-San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera and then-Oakland Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon were suspended in August 2012 for being involved with this clinic, more suspensions followed in 2013. Alex Rodriguez was the most notable, as he was suspended for all of the 2014 season as a result. You don't need to know the specifics of this case other than what the clinic was called.

Question 24

A manager or coach who could be fired is on the...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter falls into this term as his team is one of baseball's worst this season and seem to be tanking for a high pick in next year's draft. Does that mean Showalter will be fired just yet? Probably not, though it's hard to see him lasting in Baltimore much longer. Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria, Tampa's Kevin Cash, and Miami's Don Mattingly could all join this club in the coming weeks. What's this term officially known as?

Question 25

A block of this sort is known as a....

There's another name for this block that is not among the other choices and that's the chop block, though we're looking for a different name here. The difference between the chop block and this is that the chop block can be done by any offensive player to a defensive player anywhere from the upper body to his knees. This block, as you see in the picture, is simply going for someone's knees. Now do you see why people think it's dirty?

Question 26

Throwing high and tight to a batter is known as...

Many pitchers used to do this as an intimidation tactic, especially on younger, less experienced hitters. Now, pitchers who do this are usually called "dirty" and it can even result in an automatic ejection depending on the scenario. This is nothing more than intimidation, unlike when a pitcher actually tries to drill someone in the head with a beanball. That rules out beanball if you were wondering why that wasn't on here, by the way. What's the correct answer here?

Question 27

This elbow surgery is named for this All-Star pitcher

We'll give you another tip if you haven't automatically figured this one out yet: the pitcher in question also played for the New York Yankees during his playing career, though he was not with them when he had this surgery. This is a procedure that has become almost tradition in the past 20 years with many, many pitchers undergoing it each year after blowing their elbows out. Which of the following ex-Yankees had elbow surgery (technically their UCL) named after them?

Question 28

This type of play happens after penalties

And this is why you need to read descriptions in all quizzes, because we actually can explain things better here. So when you have a hockey player serving a penalty, that means the opposing team has ore players. Because up to two players per side may serve in the penalty box, this type of play can happen with five players on one team and only three on the other. This is an easy one for any hockey fan, so good luck!

Question 29

Ending a baseball game comeback style, including by home run, is known as a...

This term can be used in other sports as well, though basketball obviously has buzzer-beater and football more often than not just uses game-winning. As baseball lacks a clock, there's no buzzer involved. You can win a game in the bottom of the ninth - or extra innings - with a base hit hit, a walk, an error, whatever. But everyone cares when there's a game-ending home run, which is best known as this term. You have to know this.

Question 30

The Marlins-Rays rivalry is known as the...

Former Rays manger Joe Maddon didn't see this as a series, once saying, I really don't honestly believe the fans see it as being a rivalry, I really don't. The best way to get that done is to include us in the same league or the same division. That might stir something up." Fans of these teams consider it to be somewhat of a rivalry when both teams are playing well, which may not be for a while. What's this series known as?

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