Altoona Mirror, December 31, 2017

It's that time of year again -- the last week in the last month.
Time to vacuum the pine needles, hunt for 75% discounts on picked over Christmas merchandise and -- oh yes, thank you, Lord -- send the kids back to school.
But before any of that happens, it's time to tackle the year-end quiz. Look back on the old year and test your recall with the traditional dozen puzzlers. Grab a pair of sharpened No. 2 pencils, and have at it. The clock is now running.
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1. Who had the biggest impact on the Pirates' season?
a. Clint Hurdle.
b. Neal Huntington.
c. Starling Marte's pharmacist.
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2. James Harrison will be remembered for:
a. That 100-yard Super Bowl touchdown.
b. All the sacks.
c. The least-sentimental departure since Todd Graham.
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3. The World Series is:
a. The championship round.
b. The Fall Classic.
c. A myth to any Pirates fan under 45.
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4. What is the nation's biggest problem?
a. Distrust of government.
b. Failing infrastructure.
c. Nobody seems to care about "service fees" added to ticket prices.
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5. What could get Jung-Ho Kang back to the Pirates?
a. Diplomacy.
b. Mercy.
c. Uber.
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6. Pitt signed football coach Pat Narduzzi to a seven-year extension. This guarantees:
a. Stability.
b. Recruiting efficiency.
c. He'll be here for at least two more seasons.
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7. What's the one certain way to embarrass a player?
a. Bench him.
b. Call a penalty on him.
c. Give him an award for cooperating with the media.
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8. What's the one good thing about NFL replay review delays?
a. It gets the play right.
b. It keeps the officials accountable.
c. It gives the Steelers radio crew time to figure out who caught the pass.
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9. What record will never be broken?
a. Cy Young's 511 career wins.
b. Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game.
c. Marvin Lewis' 15 seasons as a head coach without winning a playoff game.
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10. What engineering marvel is being studied at Carnegie-Mellon?
a. Robotics.
b. 3-D printers.
c. Rich Walsh's hair.
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11. You're a old-time Steelers fan if you remember when:
a. Chuck Noll coached the team.
b. Bobby Layne was quarterback.
c. Their games kicked off at 1 o'clock on Sundays.
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12. The Pirates want Gregory Polanco to:
a. Change his training routine.
b. Modify his diet.
c. Stop and ask for directions when running the bases.
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(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)