Count of Monte Cristo Not The Inventor Of The Monte Cristo Sandwich
Camas, WA-Defending 4A State Knowledge Bowl Champions Lewis and Clark High School lost their bid for the championship after incorrectly stating that the Count of Monte Cristo was, "the guy who invented the Monte Cristo sandwich."
In the Final Round of the Washington State Knowledge Bowl Tournament Lewis and Clark faced Knowledge Bowl Heavyweights Kamiaken and Capital High Schools. As the round progressed, it became close between Capital and Lewis and Clark. After the standard 48 questions, a tiebreaker round began between the two teams. After the initial 3-question tiebreaker, both teams had answered one question correctly. After this, the match became sudden death.
After six questions went unanswered by each team the question was asked, "Who was the Count of Monte Cristo." As both teams scrambled to ring in, Lewis and Clark beat Capital to the punch. All eyes on the team turned to the team's literature and Pop Culture expert Senior Joel York. After thinking for a short period of time he was, "pretty sure that was the inventor of the Monte Cristo sandwich." Though his teammates were skeptical, they offered it as an answer, only to be informed that it was wrong from a laughing judge.
The question was given to Capital High School's team whose team captain and Literature, Math, and History expert Forrest Ulmer, correctly answered, "Edmond Dantes", winning the state championship for the school from Olympia.
York's teammates were shocked at the loss. "[Joel's] answers have been right in the clutch so many times in the last two years," said fellow Senior Ben Masterson, "He's never wrong."
In addition to shock at the defending 4A champions' defeat, much discussion has been made as to why such a massive error might have occurred. Both of the leading theories revolve around the fact that York's secondary area of expertise is popular culture.
The first theory is that York confused the Count of Monte Cristo with real life English aristocrat John Montagu. Montagu, who was the 4th Earl of Sandwich's title, is the source of the word sandwich, whose creation is attributed to the Earl as a way for him to eat whilst he gambled.
The second and less followed theory is that an ad campaign from 3 years ago led to confusion in York's Pop Culture filled head. In the summer of 2003 Arby's® Restaurants introduced their Monte Cristo sandwich. Along with the new menu item was introduced an anthropomorphized sandwich voiced by Jean Reno, known as the Count of Monty Cristo®. The count sought revenge against the Arby's Oven Mitt® who had wronged him many years earlier, in a series of adds which aired until early 2004 and concluded with the Oven Mitt's® suicide. After the add campaigns conclusion Arby's® found themselves without their mascot and revealed in a new series of ads that the previous campaign had been a dream had by the Oven Mitt® after reading Alexandre Dumas' classic 1844 novel.
Despite the loss, Lewis and Clark's team members remained positive. "After all" said Junior Jimmy Hu, "there's always next year."
In the Final Round of the Washington State Knowledge Bowl Tournament Lewis and Clark faced Knowledge Bowl Heavyweights Kamiaken and Capital High Schools. As the round progressed, it became close between Capital and Lewis and Clark. After the standard 48 questions, a tiebreaker round began between the two teams. After the initial 3-question tiebreaker, both teams had answered one question correctly. After this, the match became sudden death.
After six questions went unanswered by each team the question was asked, "Who was the Count of Monte Cristo." As both teams scrambled to ring in, Lewis and Clark beat Capital to the punch. All eyes on the team turned to the team's literature and Pop Culture expert Senior Joel York. After thinking for a short period of time he was, "pretty sure that was the inventor of the Monte Cristo sandwich." Though his teammates were skeptical, they offered it as an answer, only to be informed that it was wrong from a laughing judge.
The question was given to Capital High School's team whose team captain and Literature, Math, and History expert Forrest Ulmer, correctly answered, "Edmond Dantes", winning the state championship for the school from Olympia.
York's teammates were shocked at the loss. "[Joel's] answers have been right in the clutch so many times in the last two years," said fellow Senior Ben Masterson, "He's never wrong."
In addition to shock at the defending 4A champions' defeat, much discussion has been made as to why such a massive error might have occurred. Both of the leading theories revolve around the fact that York's secondary area of expertise is popular culture.
The first theory is that York confused the Count of Monte Cristo with real life English aristocrat John Montagu. Montagu, who was the 4th Earl of Sandwich's title, is the source of the word sandwich, whose creation is attributed to the Earl as a way for him to eat whilst he gambled.
The second and less followed theory is that an ad campaign from 3 years ago led to confusion in York's Pop Culture filled head. In the summer of 2003 Arby's® Restaurants introduced their Monte Cristo sandwich. Along with the new menu item was introduced an anthropomorphized sandwich voiced by Jean Reno, known as the Count of Monty Cristo®. The count sought revenge against the Arby's Oven Mitt® who had wronged him many years earlier, in a series of adds which aired until early 2004 and concluded with the Oven Mitt's® suicide. After the add campaigns conclusion Arby's® found themselves without their mascot and revealed in a new series of ads that the previous campaign had been a dream had by the Oven Mitt® after reading Alexandre Dumas' classic 1844 novel.
Despite the loss, Lewis and Clark's team members remained positive. "After all" said Junior Jimmy Hu, "there's always next year."
posted by Patrick at 6:06 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home