Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. #1 DEFENSE - It is perhaps the most common element among champion teams. Whether it is employed because a team lacks the offensive talent or because the coach favors defensive tactics, defense can give a team the victory by beating the opponents into submission, rather than outplaying them with technique. For example, before the Chicago Bulls dominated the NBA in the 1990s, another team got the NBA championship based on their tough defense. In fact, their way of playing was so physical and aggressive that they were eventually nicknamed the "Bad Boys". Featuring players such as Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman, which is this Eastern Conference team?
2. #2 OFFENSE - While practical, defense is usually rather boring. What is generally preferred by crowds is offense, since most people like a skillful team that scores massively better than a defense-based team that scores meagerly. Of course, becoming champion based on offense is more difficult, since it requires a lot of individual talent.
In the 2011-12 season of La Liga, the top Spanish soccer league, Real Madrid produced an unprecedented scoring display. Cristiano Ronaldo, their top scorer that season, had 46 goals by himself, helping his team secure the championship. What was Real Madrid's amazing scoring feat?
3. #3 COACH - Although defense and offense are important, their tactics have to be developed by someone. This is where the coach enters the equation. A great coach can develop the right tactics for his team based on his players' skills, and lead his team not only to a single championship, but potentially a whole dynasty.
Vince Lombardi is probably the quintessential NFL head coach. While coaching the Green Bay Packers throughout the 1960s, he led them to several NFL championships and won the first two Super Bowls. After Lombardi's death, was the trophy given to the Super Bowl winning team renamed in his honor?
4. #4 LEADER - While a coach often serves as a general off the field, a team needs someone to guide them in the field. In gridiron (American football), the leader in the offense is the quarterback, whose personal performance often has a great impact on the performance of his team. For example, the Indianapolis Colts had to play all throughout the 2011 season without their star quarterback, and as a result dropped to a 2-14 record, from 10-6 the previous year. What is the name of this quarterback, who later joined the Denver Broncos?
5. #5 TIMING - Sometimes a team doesn't have much talent, or a top quality offense. This means that underdogs will get few chances to win big games and reach the top, so one of the things that can help them is good timing. While the favorites are underperforming, it's time for the underdogs to step up and beat the odds.
In the European Championship of 2004, or simply Euro 2004, Greece were regarded as one of the weakest teams in the competition. They had only qualified for the European Champinships once, at Euro 1980, and the World Cup once, in 1994, and failed to win a match in either tournament. However, at Euro 2004 they played to their full potential, while traditional European powerhouses faced elimination. The Greeks were also lucky, because they didn't face any of the strong northern European soccer teams, such as England, whom they had never beaten. Which were the two former European champions that Greece played against on the road to winning the tournament?
6. #6 PLAYING AT HOME - When all else fails, some teams are lucky enough to have an ace up their sleeve. A talented team and a great coach are not a guarantee for success, but having your fans by your side is always important. Even when the opponents are better, thousands of fans shouting for the home team can make the difference.
While soccer doesn't traditionally have playoffs, tournaments between national teams are hosted by one country, which has the advantage of playing in front of their fans. In the FIFA World Cup, host teams traditionally do very well. Out of the following hosts, which is the only team that failed to win the tournament?
7. #7 DETERMINATION - What happens when you are at the end of your rope, one step away from elimination, when you've reached the final but are losing, so close and yet so far from your goal? The answer is simple: Never give up. For example, Manchester United and Liverpool share one of the biggest rivalries in English soccer, but they also share the distinction of winning the UEFA Champions League (formerly the European Champions Cup) in dramatic fashion. In 2005, Liverpool came back from a 3-0 deficit to win in penalties, while in 1999 Manchester United scored two goals in stoppage (injury) time to win when all seemed lost. Who were Liverpool's and Man United's unlucky opponents respectively?
8. #8 IF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM. - This champion-making element, which pertains to individual players, is perhaps the epitome of cynicism. When a player wants to win a trophy, but his team is just not good enough, he often joins the winning side. For example, in 2012 Robin van Persie left Arsenal after eight years at the club, having failed to win the Premier League. He joined rivals Manchester United and won the premiership in his first season at Old Trafford. His case though pales in comparison to that of Portuguese legend Luis Figo. In the summer of 2000, Figo left Barcelona to join bitter rivals Real Madrid.
9. #9 HARD WORK - It might seem like the most obvious element, but in order to become a champion, a player needs to train a lot and nurture his/her talent. Roger Federer is a prime example of the success that hard work can bring. While many tennis players tend to specialize in one type of court (clay, grass etc.), Federer has attained a high level of skill in all of them. Coupled with his excellent technique, this helped Federer become the best tennis player of the 2000s. He started winning Grand Slam tournaments as early as 2003, but one of the four tournaments eluded him until 2009. Which Grand Slam was that?
10. #10 - When you are already a champion, you have to defend your title. Retaining a title, however, is much harder than winning it in the first place. This element was best expressed by coach Rudy Tomjanovich after the Houston Rockets won their second consecutive NBA Championship in 1995. "Don't ever underestimate the ___ of a champion!" Tomjanovich said. What vital body organ completes this quote?
Source: Author
Gil_Galad
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
gtho4 before going online.
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