ClownDown 2008 Teams

Season 2007 2008

Hittin' da bottle

Team Members: Jack & Coke

Season: 2008

Relationship: It's going alright so far

Occupations: Feel good'r & Mixer

Hometowns: Lynchburg, Tennessee & Atlanta, Georgia

Knowledge of Chicago: Somewhere between Appalachia and the Rockies.

Why we will win: It's not about winning or losing but how you play the game.

Curiously Strong

Team Members: Amy Stewart & Leslie Weinger

Season: 2008

Relationship: Friends

Occupations: Animal Control & Mixologist

Hometowns: Chicago, IL & Chicago, IL

Knowledge of Chicago: Bars and clean bathrooms!

Why we will win: Because we intend to bribe the judges

Parker Posey Film Society

Team Members: Brian & Annie

Season: 2008

Relationship: former roomates AND (still) friends

Occupations: asking for money & farmer's wife

Hometowns: flat pizza place & child of the corn

Knowledge of Chicago: everything we've learned has been through past clowndown participation and sibling osmosis.

Why we will win: Parker Posey wants us to

Garden State Warriors

Team Members: Bedford & Jane

Season: 2008

Relationship: Yankees hater and Yankees fan

Occupations: I-290 expert & CTA expert

Hometowns: New Jersey & New Jersey

Knowledge of Chicago: Bars with wing specials, beer specials, and MLB package. And live music at Jesse's!

Why we will win: It's not a coincidence that there is an "NJ" in ninja.

Better Off Buzzed

Team Members: Kristin Kratt & Erika Fay

Season: 2008

Relationship: Friends

Occupations: QVC hand and neck model & Stunt woman

Hometowns: QC! & Opp

Knowledge of Chicago: We have been around the block a few times....

Why we will win: Because we can drink you bitches under the table

"WICKED"

Team Members: Glinda & Elfie

Season: 2008

Relationship: Sister-Friends

Occupations: Enchantress & Pot Stirrer

Hometowns: Emerald City - Northside & Emerald City - West Side

Knowledge of Chicago: Well....... it ain't Kansas!

Why we will win: Because we have Heart, Brains and a helluva lot of C-C-C-Courage!

The Hired Help

Team Members: Brooke & Rachael

Season: 2008

Relationship: Coworkers/Friends

Occupations: Special Events & Development

Hometowns: Oak Lawn & Marietta, OH

Knowledge of Chicago: Just enough to get us around town...

Why we will win: Because we HAVE to place better than we did last year. That was warm up - this time we'll be ready. Now that we know eating & drinking in large q...

The Bodacious Bodini Brothers

Team Members: Riccardo & Marco Bodini

Season: 2008

Relationship: Siamese Siblings

Occupations: Autoferrotranviere & Otorinolaringoiatra

Hometowns: Cremona, Italy & Cremona, Italy

Knowledge of Chicago: In Italian, it means “I shit on it.”

Why we will win: Riccardo can't run and Marco has no sense of direction. No, wait: Marco can run and Riccardo has a great sense of direction. Yeah, that's better.

The Camelot Cuddlers Ultimatum

Team Members: Maneesha Date Jacoby & Damian Jacoby

Season: 2008

Relationship: 4-Time defending Master and Mistress Southern Illinois Renaissance Faire

Occupations: Beer wench & Stable boy

Hometowns: Schaumburg (Medieval Times Castle) & Schaumburg (Medieval Times Castle)

Knowledge of Chicago: Spent many early morning hours at Excalibur

Why we will win: Probably won't...couldn't even come up with anything new for the signup...

Windy City Swillers

Team Members: Rand & McNally

Season: 2008

Relationship: One's single, one's not

Occupations: Map Maker & Publisher

Hometowns: Chicago & Tulsa

Knowledge of Chicago: Wrote the book on it.

Why we will win: If it was 1804, Lewis and Clark would be asking US for directions.

NC 17

Team Members: Anne Bracken & Kelly Smith

Season: 2008

Relationship: Friends

Occupations: HHS Inspector General's Office & Communications UofC

Hometowns: Minneapolis, MN & Petoskey, MI

Knowledge of Chicago: Anne's lived here forever!

Why we will win: Because Anne is moving to DC and this is her last hurrah!

Ain't Got A Clue (part 2)

Team Members: Michael & Brian

Season: 2008

Relationship: Friends

Occupations: Drug prescriber & Drug dealer (sorta)

Hometowns: Chicago, IL & Indianapolis, IN

Knowledge of Chicago: The name "Chicago" is the French rendering of the Miami-Illinois name shikaakwa, meaning “wild leek”. Etymologically, the sound /shikaakwa/ in Mi...

Why we will win: We're not the Cubs!

TBD

Team Members: Mary Barry & Andrea Minder

Season: 2008

Relationship: cousins

Occupations: attorney & Nurse

Hometowns: Taylorville, Illinois & Springfield, Illinois

Knowledge of Chicago: adequate

Why we will win: it would annoy others

The Superior Friends

Team Members: Ringleader (aka Lane) & Miss Adventure

Season: 2008

Relationship: Members of the Justice Guild of Middle America

Occupations: Hooking up citizens with rings to save every function. & Finding trouble where it ain't.

Hometowns: Saturn & Uranus (Go ahead, say something about it)

Knowledge of Chicago: Everything x-ray vision can reveal.

Why we will win: Purity of heart.

Freakin' Geekers

Team Members: KD & Aim

Season: 2008

Relationship: Former fellow 5th grade winter campers

Occupations: Supervillain & Plucky Sidekick

Hometowns: Haslett, MI & Haslett, MI

Knowledge of Chicago: Have compass and orienteering merit badges. We're safe as kittens.

Why we will win: We have capes! And a cat with MC Hammer pants.

East meets West

Team Members: Melissa West & Surge Sen

Season: 2008

Relationship: Engaged

Occupations: Spanish Teacher & G-man

Hometowns: Northbrook, IL & Rock Hill, SC

Knowledge of Chicago: Melissa has friends in every nook and neighborhood from here to the Sudan, she speaks a dozen languages, knows every local custom, she'll blend in,...

Why we will win: We got the tools, we got the talent! Besides after being involved in the planning of the previous ClownDowns, and my friendship with the planners,...

team C.E.L.E.B

Team Members: Carl Baginskis & Erika Lebedevs

Season: 2008

Relationship: lunch mates

Occupations: Sheperd & Butt model

Hometowns: Chicago & Downers Grove

Knowledge of Chicago: we still get tripped up by the spelling, otherwise we are at a genius level

Why we will win: We don't agree on anything, and she never listens to me, so we figure that's a perfect mix for this kinda thing.

Team BenJoo (Team BJ)

Team Members: Katy & Jason

Season: 2008

Relationship: Husband and Wife

Occupations: Teacher & Academic Advisor

Hometowns: Geneva & Geneva

Knowledge of Chicago: Katy and Jason have now lived here for a year, and while Katy is directionally challenged, Jason is pretty good with directions. All Katy knows is...

Why we will win: We're NOT!!!! However we will use all resources possible to get where we are going. We don't want other teams to be jealous of how fast we COULD ...

Spictacular

Team Members: Amanda & Orlando

Season: 2008

Relationship: Alcoholic & Enabler

Occupations: luchadora & unemployed break dancer

Hometowns: Wrigleyville & White Sox Nation

Knowledge of Chicago: Chicago spelled backwards is ogacihc.

Why we will win: Because the evil monkey says so!

Code Monkeys

Team Members: Gemma Ros & Aditya Kashyap

Season: 2008

Relationship: Brunch buddies

Occupations: Dread Pirate & American Desi

Hometowns: New York, NY & New York, NY

Knowledge of Chicago: There's a baseball team there, right?

Why we will win: Because we've got Miracle Max on our side.

The Hitchhikers

Team Members: Jacki Hitchings & Jason Hitchings

Season: 2008

Relationship: Brother and SIster

Occupations: Examiner & Attorney

Hometowns: City & Suburbs

Knowledge of Chicago: Yes, we have knowledge of Chicago

Why we will win: Ever heard of the tortoise and the hare?!?

Did That Just Happen?!?!

Team Members: LL & HH

Season: 2008

Relationship: currently unattached...looking??

Occupations: disaster magnet & crisis manager

Hometowns: CP & CP

Knowledge of Chicago: It's the American city with the highest per capita consumption of Twinkies.

Why we will win: Because LL won't let us lose.

We've Been Training for Decades....

Team Members: Caroline & Rebecca

Season: 2008

Relationship: Sisters

Occupations: Younger Sis & Older Sis

Hometowns: Monmouth, IL & Monmouth, IL

Knowledge of Chicago: Rebecca recently moved to Chi and has lived in the city for almost an entire month. WATCH OUT!

Why we will win: ummm......

Happily Ever After

Team Members: Joel & Niki

Season: 2008

Relationship: Engaged

Occupations: Engaged & TBD

Hometowns: Chicago & Lemont

Knowledge of Chicago: Extensive

Why we will win: In our minds we're already at the finish line.

Long Duk Dong & Marlene

Team Members: Roger Ong & Noreen Dillon

Season: 2008

Relationship: Foreign Exchange Student and New Style American Girlfriend

Occupations: Physician Assistant & Surgical Technologist

Hometowns: Novi, MI & Novi, MI

Knowledge of Chicago: It is located somewhere near Shermer, Illinois

Why we will win: Marlene can run the 40 in 5 flat (flat?) and the Donger is really bitchin'!!

The ChicagoLandRovers

Team Members: Laura & Chris

Season: 2008

Relationship: Suburan Escapee and City Boy

Occupations: dollars and sense & defending the homeland

Hometowns: 60043 & 60618

Knowledge of Chicago: Laura made her get away from the Northern burbs of Chicago, a mere 15 years ago. Chris has never lived in the burbs, though he did live in Texas ...

Why we will win: One works in "derivatives" the other in "homeland security." Need we say more?

The Double Deuce

Team Members: J. Dalton & W. Garrett

Season: 2008

Relationship: Mentor & Apprentice

Occupations: Professional Cooler & Professional Cooler (ret.)

Hometowns: Jasper, MO & Parts Unknown

Knowledge of Chicago: Us two in Chicago is like putting an elevator in an outhouse...we just don't belong.

Why we will win: All we have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start an...

Volunteer Hoosier

Team Members: Myra Gammon & Nancy Henderson

Season: 2008

Relationship: Friends

Occupations: Sales & Sales

Hometowns: Memphis, Tennessee & Odon, Indiana

Knowledge of Chicago: Myra is new to town, less than 6 months, Nancy has been here a while, but one think we have in common with Chicago is a very intimate knowledge of ...

Why we will win: Because we are smart, cute and we'll cry if we don't. Besides, isn't there beer at the finish?!

Tortfeasors

Team Members: Brooke Aronin & Karen Kothari

Season: 2008

Relationship: Friends

Occupations: Examiner/Attorney & Examiner/Attorney

Hometowns: Racine, WI & Des Moines, IA

Knowledge of Chicago: County jail

Why we will win: Ankle tracker has a GPS...and we have TWO!

Daphne and Velma

Team Members: Theresa Valadez & Bethany Neckvatal

Season: 2008

Relationship: Running Buddies

Occupations: Project Manager & Director, Financial Services

Hometowns: Chicago & Andover, Minnesota

Knowledge of Chicago: Between the two of us we've lived here 44 years. Not to mention expert knowledge of the bus/train system and some fabulous legs.

Why we will win: We are going to win because we are super sleuths and we have nothing to lose!!!

More Cowbell

Team Members: Bessie Borden & Daisy Duke

Season: 2008

Relationship: Carnivores

Occupations: Milkmaid & Mechanical Bull Rider

Hometowns: The Region & Mo-Town

Knowledge of Chicago: Been on a lot of pub crawls......name a bar, any bar, and we'll show you the way.

Why we will win: We won't, but it's all about having fun AND the after party.

Sugar & Spice

Team Members: Mark Serlo & Haroula Drakes

Season: 2008

Relationship: BF & GF

Occupations: Spice & Sugar

Hometowns: Tampa & Chicago

Knowledge of Chicago: We have a compass in one hand and in the other is our GPS... it could be a long day!

Why we will win: One of us is related to "Captain America" and the other is related to the "Energizer Bunny"...that’s one heck of an unstoppable combination! How m...

Cosmopolitan Warrior

Team Members: Nik 'Holiday' Bronder & Todd 'Blackjack' Laureano

Season: 2008

Relationship: Army Buddies

Occupations: Paper Pusher & Staple Shooter

Hometowns: Columbus & New Jersey

Knowledge of Chicago: Who needs knowledge when you have a pack of lucky strikes and a machine gun.

Why we will win: Our natural sense of survival, that was honed after spending 7 years in a Jordanian prison (3 of which were spent secretly tunneling towards the Sy...

Melt In Your Mouth

Team Members: M & M

Season: 2008

Relationship: More than friends

Occupations: He-Man & She-Ra

Hometowns: Eternia & Etheria

Knowledge of Chicago: The lake is east right?

Why we will win: By the power of Grayskull . . .

Crack Smokin Monkeys

Team Members: Luisa Sepulveda & Laura Hallman

Season: 2008

Relationship: Soul Sistas

Occupations: Master of the legal domain & Hand Job Giver

Hometowns: Cicero, IL & Omaha

Knowledge of Chicago: ok, we got one gal who was born and raised, and another transplant from Nebraska, Go Huskers!!

Why we will win: Because not only do we know this town, but we can drink most under the table. And we know where to get the best smack in town. Because as they sa...

Weekend at Bernie Mac's

Team Members: Tom Hawkins & Kevin Kasarksi

Season: 2008

Relationship: Best friends

Occupations: Actuary & Kitchen Design

Hometowns: Lombard & Island Lake

Knowledge of Chicago: Carol's Pub has incredible late nights

Why we will win: Kevin just finished his 4th iron man competition. Tom rides the EL to work.

The Sneaky Jackhammers

Team Members: Megan Langley & David Marder

Season: 2008

Relationship: Soulmates

Occupations: IT Administrative Assistant & Purchasing Manager

Hometowns: Vernon Hills & Vernon Hills

Knowledge of Chicago: One teammate grew up in the city, he is a Southside fan...the other lived Downtown and using public transportation was her life...and is a Northsid...

Why we will win: Cause we are sneaky and know who to get the job done! David can eat anyone under the table and Megan and drink them!