Answer: wire mesh

Question: What leaves a pattern on the paper that has a consistent density width and lengthwise?


Answer: Laidlines

Context: Wove paper does not exhibit "laidlines", which are small regular lines left behind on paper when it was handmade in a mould made from rows of metal wires or bamboo. Laidlines are very close together. They run perpendicular to the "chainlines", which are further apart. Handmade paper similarly exhibits "deckle edges", or rough and feathery borders.

Question: What type of lines does wove paper not exhibit?


Answer: Laidlines

Question: What are small regular lines left on paper when handmade in a mould?


Answer: chainlines

Question: What runs perpendicular to the laidlines?


Answer: Laidlines

Question: Which is lines are commonly higher in density, laidlines or chainlines?


Answer: caliper

Context: The thickness of paper is often measured by caliper, which is typically given in thousandths of an inch in the United States and in thousandths of a mm in the rest of the world. Paper may be between 0.07 and 0.18 millimetres (0.0028 and 0.0071 in) thick.

Question: What tool is often used in measuring the thickness of paper?


Answer: thousandths of an inch

Question: In the United States, what units are used when stating the measurements of paper thickness?


Answer: mm

Question: Someone measuring the thickness of paper in the UK is likely to use what unit?


Answer: 0.0028 and 0.0071 in

Question: Sated in inches, what is the common range of paper thickness?


Answer: weight

Context: Paper is often characterized by weight. In the United States, the weight assigned to a paper is the weight of a ream, 500 sheets, of varying "basic sizes", before the paper is cut into the size it is sold to end customers. For example, a ream of 20 lb, 8.5 in × 11 in (216 mm × 279 mm) paper weighs 5 pounds, because it has been cut from a larger sheet into four pieces. In the United States, printing paper is generally 20 lb, 24 lb, or 32 lb at most. Cover stock is generally 68 lb, and 110 lb or more is considered card stock.

Question: What characteristic is paper usually classified by?


Answer: a ream

Question: In the US, the weight of what is used to classify paper for sale?


Answer: card

Question: Paper rated at over 110lb is considered what type of stock?


Answer: ISO 216

Context: In Europe, and other regions using the ISO 216 paper sizing system, the weight is expressed in grammes per square metre (g/m2 or usually just g) of the paper. Printing paper is generally between 60 g and 120 g. Anything heavier than 160 g is considered card. The weight of a ream therefore depends on the dimensions of the paper and its thickness.

Question: What ISO sizing system does Europe use?


Answer: card

Question: If paper is over 160g what is it considered as?


Answer: dimensions

Question: Besides thickness, what attribute is used in stating the weight of a ream in Europe?


Answer: length and width

Context: Most commercial paper sold in North America is cut to standard paper sizes based on customary units and is defined by the length and width of a sheet of paper.

Question: Commercial paper is commonly defined by what?


Answer: standard paper sizes

Question: Most commercial paper in North America is cut in what manner?


Answer: length and width

Question: Standard paper sizes are usually described with what terms?


Answer: ISO 216

Context: The ISO 216 system used in most other countries is based on the surface area of a sheet of paper, not on a sheet's width and length. It was first adopted in Germany in 1922 and generally spread as nations adopted the metric system. The largest standard size paper is A0 (A zero), measuring one square meter (approx. 1189 × 841 mm). Two sheets of A1, placed upright side by side fit exactly into one sheet of A0 laid on its side. Similarly, two sheets of A2 fit into one sheet of A1 and so forth. Common sizes used in the office and the home are A4 and A3 (A3 is the size of two A4 sheets).

Question: Most countries besides the US use what ISO System?


Answer: Germany

Question: What country first adopted the ISO 216 standard?


Answer: A0

Question: What is the largest standard size paper?


Answer: 2

Question: How many sheets of A1 paper would cover one single piece of A0 paper?


Answer: A3

Question: What is the lowest numbered A paper that is commonly used at home?


Answer: tissue paper

Context: The density of paper ranges from 250 kg/m3 (16 lb/cu ft) for tissue paper to 1,500 kg/m3 (94 lb/cu ft) for some speciality paper. Printing paper is about 800 kg/m3 (50 lb/cu ft).

Question: What is the lightest density of paper produced?


Answer: 800 kg/m3

Question: What is the common density of printing paper?


Answer: Alum

Context: Much of the early paper made from wood pulp contained significant amounts of alum, a variety of aluminium sulfate salts that is significantly acidic. Alum was added to paper to assist in sizing, making it somewhat water resistant so that inks did not "run" or spread uncontrollably. Early papermakers did not realize that the alum they added liberally to cure almost every problem encountered in making their product would eventually be detrimental. The cellulose fibres that make up paper are hydrolyzed by acid, and the presence of alum would eventually degrade the fibres until the paper disintegrated in a process that has come to be known as "slow fire". Documents written on rag paper were significantly more stable. The use of non-acidic additives to make paper is becoming more prevalent, and the stability of these papers is less of an issue.

Question: What acidic salts were commonly found in the early types of paper produced?


Answer: sizing

Question: Early papermakers added alum to help in what process?


Answer: more stable

Question: How was rag paper superior to the early types of paper made using alum?


Answer: lignin

Context: Paper made from mechanical pulp contains significant amounts of lignin, a major component in wood. In the presence of light and oxygen, lignin reacts to give yellow materials, which is why newsprint and other mechanical paper yellows with age. Paper made from bleached kraft or sulfite pulps does not contain significant amounts of lignin and is therefore better suited for books, documents and other applications where whiteness of the paper is essential.

Question: What particle is associated with the yellowing of newspapers?


Answer: lignin

Question: A book is likely made with paper that has low amounts of what component of wood?


Answer: light and oxygen

Question: What does lignin react to to produce the yellowing you see in newspapers?


Answer: Library of Congress

Context: Paper made from wood pulp is not necessarily less durable than a rag paper. The ageing behavior of a paper is determined by its manufacture, not the original source of the fibres. Furthermore, tests sponsored by the Library of Congress prove that all paper is at risk of acid decay, because cellulose itself produces formic, acetic, lactic and oxalic acids.

Question: Who sponsored the tests that show that all papers are subject to acid decay?


Answer: oxalic

Question: Besides formic, acetic, and lactic acid, what type of acid does cellulose produce?


Answer: twice

Context: Mechanical pulping yields almost a tonne of pulp per tonne of dry wood used, which is why mechanical pulps are sometimes referred to as "high yield" pulps. With almost twice the yield as chemical pulping, mechanical pulps is often cheaper. Mass-market paperback books and newspapers tend to use mechanical papers. Book publishers tend to use acid-free paper, made from fully bleached chemical pulps for hardback and trade paperback books.

Question: How many times more yield does the mechanical pulping process produce when compared to to the chemical pulping process?


Answer: Mechanical

Question: What type of process is used to produce most paper used in paperback books?


Answer: acid-free

Question: What level of acid is usually found in the paper used by book publishers?


Answer: 400%

Context: Worldwide consumption of paper has risen by 400% in the past 40 years leading to increase in deforestation, with 35% of harvested trees being used for paper manufacture. Most paper companies also plant trees to help regrow forests. Logging of old growth forests accounts for less than 10% of wood pulp, but is one of the most controversial issues.

Question: In the last 40 years, how much has worldwide paper consumption risen?


Answer: 35%

Question: What percentage of harvested trees are used in the manufacturing of paper?


Answer: plant trees

Question: What do many paper companies do to ensure the health of forests?


Answer: 10%

Question: What percentage of wood pulp comes from old-growth trees?


Answer: 40%

Context: Paper waste accounts for up to 40% of total waste produced in the United States each year, which adds up to 71.6 million tons of paper waste per year in the United States alone. The average office worker in the US prints 31 pages every day. Americans also use on the order of 16 billion paper cups per year.

Question: What percentage of total waste can be attributed to paper?


Answer: 71.6 million

Question: How many millions of tons of paper are wasted in the US each year?


Answer: 16 billion

Question: How many paper cups are used by Americans each year?


Answer: 31

Question: How many pages are printed by the average office worker in the US each day?


Answer: bleaching

Context: Conventional bleaching of wood pulp using elemental chlorine produces and releases into the environment large amounts of chlorinated organic compounds, including chlorinated dioxins. Dioxins are recognized as a persistent environmental pollutant, regulated internationally by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Dioxins are highly toxic, and health effects on humans include reproductive, developmental, immune and hormonal problems. They are known to be carcinogenic. Over 90% of human exposure is through food, primarily meat, dairy, fish and shellfish, as dioxins accumulate in the food chain in the fatty tissue of animals.

Question: What process of papermaking is most heavily linked to the pollution?


Answer: through food

Question: How are humans commonly exposed to the byproducts of the bleaching process?


Answer: fatty tissue

Question: Where are dioxins stored in our animal sources of food?


Answer: the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Question: What agency internationally regulates dioxins?


Answer: paperfoam

Context: Some manufacturers have started using a new, significantly more environmentally friendly alternative to expanded plastic packaging. Made out of paper, and known commercially as paperfoam, the new packaging has very similar mechanical properties to some expanded plastic packaging, but is biodegradable and can also be recycled with ordinary paper.

Question: What product used in the sale ofpaper is newly used by manufacturers in an effort to be more environmentally friendly?


Answer: biodegradable

Question: What is the main benefit of using paperfoam over traditional shrink-wrap?


Answer: paper

Question: What is paperfoam primarily made of?


Answer: recycled

Question: How is paperfoam commonly disposed of?


Answer: corn protein

Context: With increasing environmental concerns about synthetic coatings (such as PFOA) and the higher prices of hydrocarbon based petrochemicals, there is a focus on zein (corn protein) as a coating for paper in high grease applications such as popcorn bags.

Question: What is newly used as a coating in high grease applications?


Answer: corn protein

Question: Popcorn bags produced modernly are likely to use what type of coating?


Answer: synthetic

Question: PFOA is what type of coating?


Answer: 1987

Context: The Arena Football League (AFL) is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster, making it the third longest-running professional football league in North America, after the Canadian Football League and the National Football League. It is played indoors on a 68-yard field (about half the distance of an NFL field), resulting in a faster-paced and higher-scoring game. The sport was invented in the early 1980s and patented by Foster, a former executive of the United States Football League and the National Football League.

Question: When was the football league established?


Answer: indoors

Question: Where is football played?


Answer: Arena Football League

Question: What does AFL sand for?


Answer: Jim Foster

Question: Who founded The AFL?


Answer: 1987

Question: In what year was the AFL founded?


Answer: 1980s

Question: In what decade was AFL sport invented?


Answer: Jim Foster

Question: Who was the founder of the Arena Football League?


Answer: 1987

Question: What was the inaugural year of the AFL?


Answer: third

Question: Where does the Arena Football League rank amongst professional football leagues in North America by longevity?


Answer: 68

Question: In yards, how large is an arena football field?


Answer: half

Question: What fraction of the size of an NFL football field is an arena football field?


Answer: 12

Context: For its 2015 season, the league consisted of 12 teams, all from the United States; however, upon the completion of the regular season, the league announced that the two teams it had assumed operation of during the season would cease all operations effective immediately; a regular season game slated between the two had previously been canceled and declared a tie. Subsequently, one of the remaining teams, the Spokane Shock, severed its ties with the league to join the competing IFL. The AFL is divided into two conferences – the American Conference and National Conference. Starting 2016, each conference will have only four teams as the champion San Jose SaberCats announced in November 2015 that they were ceasing activity for "reasons not associated with League operations."

Question: How many teams were there in the 2015 season?


Answer: 2

Question: How many conferences does the AFL have?


Answer: American Conference and National Conference

Question: What are these conferences in the AFL named?


Answer: San Jose SaberCats

Question: Which team was the Champion in the 2015 season?


Answer: 12

Question: How many teams played in the Arena Football League in the 2015 season?


Answer: Spokane Shock

Question: What team left the AFL after the 2015 season to join another league?


Answer: IFL

Question: What league did the Spokane Shock join after the 2015 season?


Answer: National Conference

Question: Along with the American Conference, what is the other conference in the AFL?


Answer: four

Question: As of 2016, how many teams does each conference have?


Answer: 16

Context: The 2016 regular season consists of an 18-week schedule during which each team plays 16 games and two bye weeks. Each team plays two or three games against the teams within its own conference, and two games (home/road) against each team interconference-wise. The 2015 season started during the last week of March and ran weekly into late August. At the end of the regular season, all teams from each conference (the conference winner and three wild card teams) play in the AFL playoffs, an eight-team single-elimination tournament that culminates with the championship game, known as the ArenaBowl. From 1987 to 2004, 2010 and 2011 and again starting in 2014, the game was played at the site of the higher seeded team. From 2005 to 2008, the games were at neutral sites, Las Vegas and New Orleans. In 2012, the league championship returned to a neutral site and ArenaBowl XXV was held at the New Orleans Arena; ArenaBowl XXVI was held in Orlando. The 2016 season will begin April 1, 2016.

Question: As of 2016, how many regular season games does an AFL team play?


Answer: 18-week

Question: How long is the AFL regular season?


Answer: March

Question: In what month did the 2015 AFL season begin?


Answer: August

Question: What month did the 2015 AFL season end?


Answer: ArenaBowl

Question: What is the name of the AFL championship game?


Answer: af2

Context: From 2000 to 2009, the AFL had its own developmental league, the af2. The AFL played 22 seasons from 1987 to 2008; internal issues caused the league to cancel its 2009 season, though the af2 did play. Later that year both the AFL and af2 were dissolved and reorganized as a new corporation comprising teams from both leagues, and the AFL returned in 2010. The Arena Football League has its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

Question: What was the name of the AFL development league?


Answer: 2000

Question: When did the AFL development league begin?


Answer: 1987

Question: When was the first AFL season played?


Answer: 2009

Question: What Arena Football League season was cancelled?


Answer: Chicago, Illinois

Question: In what city and state is the Arena Football League based?


Answer: the National Football League

Context: Jim Foster, a promotions manager with the National Football League, conceived of indoor football while watching an indoor soccer match at Madison Square Garden in 1981. While at the game, he wrote his idea on a 9x12 envelope, with sketches of the field and notes on gameplay. He presented the idea to a few friends at the NFL offices, where he received praise and encouragement for his concept. After solidifying the rules and a business plan, and supplemented with sketches by a professional artist, Foster presented his idea to various television networks. He reached an agreement with NBC for a "test game".

Question: Who was Jim Foster's employer prior to his founding the Arena Football League?


Answer: an indoor soccer match

Question: What was Jim Foster viewing when he came up with the idea for arena football?


Answer: Madison Square Garden

Question: Where was Jim Foster when he came up with the idea for arena football?


Answer: 1981

Question: In what year did Jim Foster conceive of the idea of arena football?


Answer: NBC

Question: What television network agreed to broadcast an arena football test game?


Answer: the United States Football League

Context: Plans for arena football were put on hold in 1982 as the United States Football League was launched. Foster left the NFL to accept a position in the USFL. He eventually became executive vice-president with the Chicago Blitz, where he returned to his concept of arena football. In 1983, he began organizing the test game in his spare time from his job with the Blitz. By 1985, the USFL had ceased football operations and he began devoting all his time to arena football, and on April 27, 1986, his concept was realized when the test game was played.

Question: What football league began in 1982?


Answer: Chicago Blitz

Question: What team in the USFL did Jim Foster work for?


Answer: 1985

Question: When did the USFL shut down?


Answer: April 27, 1986

Question: On what date was the arena football test game played?


Answer: executive vice-president

Question: What was Foster's job title with the Chicago Blitz?


Answer: Rockford, Illinois

Context: The test game was played in Rockford, Illinois, at the Rockford MetroCentre. Sponsors were secured, and players and coaches from local colleges were recruited to volunteer to play for the teams, the Chicago Politicians and Rockford Metros, with the guarantee of a tryout should the league take off. Interest was high enough following the initial test game that Foster decided to put on a second, "showcase", game. The second game was held on February 26, 1987 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago with a budget of $20,000, up from $4,000 in the test game. Foster also invited ESPN to send a film crew to the game; a highlights package aired on SportsCenter.

Question: In what city and state did the arena football test game take place?


Answer: Rockford MetroCentre

Question: At what venue did the test game occur?


Answer: Chicago Politicians

Question: Along with the Rockford Metros, what was the name of the other team that played in the test game?


Answer: February 26, 1987

Question: On what date did the second test game take place?


Answer: Rosemont Horizon

Question: The second test game was played in what arena?


Answer: four

Context: Following the successes of his trial-run games, Foster moved ahead with his idea for arena football. He founded the Arena Football League with four teams: the Pittsburgh Gladiators, Denver Dynamite, Washington Commandos, and Chicago Bruisers. Foster appointed legendary Darrel "Mouse" Davis, godfather of the "run and shoot" and modern pro offenses, as executive director of football operations. Davis hired the original coaches and was the architect of the league's original wide-open offensive playbooks.

Question: How many teams did the Arena Football League originally have?


Answer: Washington Commandos

Question: Along with the Chicago Bruisers, Denver Dynamite and Pittsburgh Gladiators, what team was one of the original AFL teams?


Answer: executive director of football operations

Question: What was the title of Darrell Davis in the AFL?


Answer: Mouse

Question: What was Darrell Davis' nickname?


Answer: Davis

Question: Who was responsible for hiring the first coaches of the AFL teams?


Answer: June 19, 1987

Context: The first game in Arena Football League history was played on June 19, 1987, between the Gladiators and Commandos at Pittsburgh Civic Arena in front of 12,117 fans. The game was deliberately not televised so that it could be analyzed and any follies and failures would not be subject to national public scrutiny. Following the inaugural game, tweaks and adjustments were made, and the first season continued. The Dynamite and Bruisers played in the first-ever televised AFL game the next night, on June 20, 1987, at the Rosemont Horizon in suburban Chicago on ESPN with Bob Rathbun and Lee Corso calling the play. The broadcast showed a short clip of the Commandos-Gladiators game. Each team played six games, two against each other team. The top two teams, Denver and Pittsburgh, then competed in the first-ever AFL championship game, ArenaBowl I.

Question: On what date was the inaugural game of the AFL played?


Answer: Gladiators

Question: Along with the Commandos, who played in the first Arena Football League game?


Answer: 12,117

Question: How many spectators watched the first Arena Football League game?


Answer: June 20, 1987

Question: On what date was the first AFL game that aired on television?


Answer: the Rosemont Horizon

Question: At what venue did the first televised Arena Football League game occur?


Answer: September 30, 1987

Context: On September 30, 1987, Foster filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to patent his invented sport. The patent application covered the rules of the game, specifically detailing the goalposts and rebound netting and their impact on gameplay. Foster's application was granted on March 27, 1990. The patent expired on September 30, 2007.

Question: On what date did Foster apply for a patent on arena football?


Answer: March 27, 1990

Question: When did the United States Patent and Trademark Office grant Foster's patent?


Answer: September 30, 2007

Question: On what date was the expiration of Foster's patent?


Answer: the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Question: With whom did Foster file his patent?


Answer: ESPN

Context: From the 1987 season until the late 1990s, the most exposure the league would receive was on ESPN, which aired tape-delayed games, often well after midnight, and often edited to match the alloted time slot. The league received its first taste of wide exposure in 1998, when Arena Bowl XII was televised nationally as part of ABC's old Wide World of Sports.

Question: In 1987, what television station sometimes showed arena football games?


Answer: midnight

Question: In the early years of arena football, after what hour were games often aired?


Answer: Arena Bowl XII

Question: What AFL game was broadcast on ABC?


Answer: 1998

Question: In what year did ABC broadcast an Arena Football League game?


Answer: Wide World of Sports

Question: On what ABC program was an AFL game shown?


Answer: Joe Haering

Context: On Saturday, July 23, 1989, much of America learned of the AFL for an unintended reason, when the Pittsburgh Gladiators' head coach, Joe Haering, made football history by punching commissioner Jim Foster during a game with the Chicago Bruisers. The national media ran with the story, including a photo in USA Today. The game was played between the two teams in Sacramento's Arco Arena, as part of the AFL's 'Barnstorming America' tour. Foster had walked onto the field of play to mediate an altercation between the two teams when Haering, a former NFL assistant, punched him in the jaw. Haering was suspended without pay.

Question: Who was the coach of the Pittsburgh Gladiators in 1989?


Answer: Saturday

Question: What day of the week was July 23, 1989?


Answer: Jim Foster

Question: Who was the commissioner of the AFL in 1989?


Answer: USA Today

Question: What paper featured a photograph of the head coach of the Gladiators punching the commissioner of the AFL?


Answer: Arco Arena

Question: In what arena were the Gladiators playing the Bruisers on July 23, 1989?


Answer: Detroit Drive

Context: One of the league's early success stories was the Detroit Drive. A primary team for some of the AFL's most highly regarded players, including George LaFrance and Gary and Alvin Rettig, as well as being a second career chance for quarterback Art Schlichter, the Drive regularly played before sold out crowds at Joe Louis Arena, and went to the ArenaBowl every year of their existence (1988–1993). The AFL's first dynasty came to an end when their owner, Mike Ilitch (who also owned Little Caesars Pizza and the Detroit Red Wings) bought the Detroit Tigers baseball team and sold the AFL team.

Question: What team did Art Schlichter play for?


Answer: Joe Louis Arena

Question: Where did the Detroit Drive play their home games?


Answer: 1988

Question: In what year did the Drive go to their first Arena Bowl?


Answer: Mike Ilitch

Question: Who owned the Detroit Drive in this period?


Answer: Detroit Tigers

Question: What team did the owner of the Detroit Drive buy that led him to sell the Drive?


Answer: Massachusetts

Context: Although the Drive moved to Massachusetts for the 1994 season, the AFL had a number of other teams which it considered "dynasties", including the Tampa Bay Storm (the only team that has existed in some form for all twenty-eight contested seasons), their arch-rival the Orlando Predators, the now-defunct San Jose SaberCats of the present decade, and their rivals the Arizona Rattlers.

Question: Where did the Drive franchise relocate to?


Answer: 1994

Question: Before what season did the Drive move to a different state?


Answer: Storm

Question: What is the name of the AFL team based in Tampa Bay?


Answer: Orlando Predators

Question: What team is cited as a rival of the Tampa Bay franchise?


Answer: San Jose SaberCats

Question: What team was the rival of the Arizona Rattlers?


Answer: first All-Star Game

Context: In 1993, the league staged its first All-Star Game in Des Moines, Iowa, the future home of the long-running Iowa Barnstormers, as a fundraiser for flood victims in the area. The National Conference defeated the American Conference 64–40 in front of a crowd of 7,189. The second Allstar game was in Oct. 2013, with two games, the first in Honolulu, Hawai'i, the second being in Beijing, China.

Question: What notable event in the AFL first occurred in 1993?


Answer: Des Moines, Iowa

Question: In what city and state did the 1993 All-Star Game occur?


Answer: Iowa Barnstormers

Question: What AFL team would be based in Des Moines?


Answer: American Conference

Question: What conference lost the first All-Star Game?


Answer: 64

Question: How many points did the National Conference score in the first All-Star Game?


Answer: New England Sea Wolves

Context: While some teams have enjoyed considerable on-field and even financial success, many teams in the history of the league have enjoyed little success either on or off of the field of play. There are a number of franchises which existed in the form of a number of largely-unrelated teams under numerous management groups until they folded (an example is the New York CityHawks whose owners transferred the team from New York to Hartford to become the New England Sea Wolves after two seasons, then after another two seasons were sold and became the Toronto Phantoms, who lasted another two seasons until folding). There are a number of reasons why these teams failed, including financially weak ownership groups, lack of deep financial support from some owners otherwise capable of providing it, lack of media exposure, and the host city's evident lack of interest in its team or the sport as a whole.

Question: What team did the New York CityHawks become after moving to Hartford?


Answer: Toronto

Question: What city did the Sea Wolves move to?


Answer: two

Question: How many seasons were the CityHawks in New York?


Answer: two seasons

Question: How long did the Sea Wolves stay in Hartford?


Answer: two

Question: How many seasons did the Toronto Phantoms last?


Answer: Iowa Barnstormers

Context: The year 2000 brought heightened interest in the AFL. Then-St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, who was MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV, was first noticed because he played quarterback for the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers. While many sports commentators and fans continued to ridicule the league, Warner's story gave the league positive exposure, and it brought the league a new television deal with TNN, which, unlike ESPN, televised regular season games live. While it was not financially lucrative, it helped set the stage for what the league would become in the new millennium. Also, the year also brought a spin-off league, the AF2, intended to be a developmental league, comparable to the National Football League's NFL Europe. There was a lot of expansion in the 2000s. Expansion teams included the Austin Wranglers, Carolina Cobras, Los Angeles Avengers, Chicago Rush, Detroit Fury, Dallas Desperados, Colorado Crush, New Orleans VooDoo, Philadelphia Soul, Nashville Kats, Kansas City Brigade, New York Dragons and Utah Blaze. Some of these teams, including the Crush, Desperados, Kats, and VooDoo, were owned by the same group which owned the NFL teams in their host cities. The NFL purchased, but never exercised, an option to buy a major interest the AFL. Of all of these teams, only the Soul still compete in the AFL as of now.

Question: What AFL team did Kurt Warner play for?


Answer: Super Bowl XXXIV

Question: Kurt Warner was the Most Valuable Player in what Super Bowl?


Answer: St. Louis Rams

Question: What NFL team did Kurt Warner play for?


Answer: TNN

Question: What television network did the AFL sign a deal with in 2000?


Answer: VooDoo

Question: What was the name of the AFL team based in New Orleans?


Answer: 16

Context: In 2003, the season expanded to 16 games. There were also several rule changes in this period. In 2005, players were no longer allowed to run out of bounds. The only way for a player to go out of bounds presently is if he is tackled into or deliberately contacts the side boards. This was also the first year the ArenaBowl was played at a neutral site. In 2007, free substitution was allowed, ending the "iron man" era of one-platoon football. And in 2008, the "jack" linebacker was allowed to go sideboard to sideboard without being penalized for "illegal defense".

Question: How many games made up the AFL season in 2003?


Answer: 2005

Question: In what year did the rules first forbid players running out of bounds?


Answer: 2005

Question: In what year was the ArenaBowl first played at a neutral location?


Answer: 2007

Question: What year introduced the free substitution rule?


Answer: 2008

Question: What year saw a rules change that had an impact on the role of the "jack" linebacker?


Answer: David Baker

Context: After 12 years as commissioner of the AFL, David Baker retired unexpectedly on July 25, 2008, just two days before ArenaBowl XXII; deputy commissioner Ed Policy was named interim commissioner until Baker's replacement was found. Baker explained, "When I took over as commissioner, I thought it would be for one year. It turned into 12. But now it's time."

Question: Who was the commissioner of the Arena Football League for the first half of 2008?


Answer: 12

Question: For how many years did David Baker serve as commissioner of the AFL?


Answer: July 25, 2008

Question: On what date did Baker step down as commissioner of the AFL?


Answer: ArenaBowl XXII

Question: What Arena Football League event occurred two days after Baker's resignation?


Answer: Ed Policy

Question: Who temporarily served in the commissioner's post after Baker's departure?


Answer: New Orleans VooDoo

Context: In October 2008, Tom Benson announced that the New Orleans VooDoo were ceasing operations and folding "based on circumstances currently affecting the league and the team". Shortly thereafter, an article in Sports Business Journal announced that the AFL had a tentative agreement to sell a $100 million stake in the league to Platinum Equity; in exchange, Platinum Equity would create a centralized, single-entity business model that would streamline league and team operations and allow the league to be more profitable. Benson's move to shut down the VooDoo came during the Platinum Equity conference call, leading to speculation that he had folded because of the deal.

Question: What team shut down in October 2008?


Answer: Tom Benson

Question: Who made the announcement that the VooDoo were shutting down?


Answer: Platinum Equity

Question: What business wanted to buy a stake in the AFL?


Answer: $100 million

Question: How large a stake did Platinum Equity want to buy in the AFL?


Answer: Sports Business Journal

Question: What publication announced the Platinum Equity business deal?


Answer: December 2

Context: Because of the sudden loss of the New Orleans franchise, the league announced in October that the beginning of the free agency period would be delayed in order to accommodate a dispersal draft. Dates were eventually announced as December 2 for the dispersal draft and December 4 for free agency, but shortly before the draft the league issued a press release announcing the draft had been postponed one day to December 3. Shortly thereafter, another press release announced that the draft would be held on December 9 and free agency would commence on December 11. However, the draft still never took place, and instead another press release was issued stating that both the draft and free agency had been postponed indefinitely. Rumors began circulating that the league was in trouble and on the verge of folding, but owners denied those claims. It was soon revealed the players' union had agreed to cut the salary cap for the 2009 season to prevent a total cessation of operations. However, the announced Platinum Equity investment never materialized.

Question: On what date was the dispersal draft first scheduled to occur?


Answer: December 3

Question: To what date was the dispersal draft first delayed?


Answer: December 9

Question: After the second delay, when was the dispersal draft schedule to occur?


Answer: December 4

Question: When was free agency first scheduled to begin?


Answer: December 11

Question: When was free agency scheduled to begin after the delay?


Answer: tenth

Context: Although the Arenafootball2 league played its tenth season in 2009, a conference call in December 2008 resulted in enough votes from owners and cooperation from the AFLPA for the AFL to suspend the entire 2009 season in order to create "a long-term plan to improve its economic model". In doing so, the AFL became the second sports league to cancel an entire season, after the National Hockey League cancelled the 2004-05 season because of a lockout. The AFL also became the third sports league to lose its postseason (the first being Major League Baseball, which lost its postseason in 1994 because of a strike). Efforts to reformat the league's business model were placed under the leadership of Columbus Destroyers owner Jim Renacci and interim commissioner Policy.

Question: What numbered season did Arenafootball2 in 2009?


Answer: December 2008

Question: In what month and year was it decided to suspend the 2009 Arena Football League season?


Answer: 2004-05

Question: What National Hockey League season was cancelled?


Answer: a lockout

Question: What led the National Hockey League to cancel the 2004-2005 season?


Answer: Jim Renacci

Question: Who owned the Columbus Destroyers in 2008?


Answer: interim commissioner

Context: High hopes for the AFL waned when interim commissioner Ed Policy announced his resignation, citing the obsolescence of his position in the reformatted league. Two weeks later, the Los Angeles Avengers announced that they were formally folding the franchise. One month later, the league missed the deadline to formally ratify the new collective bargaining agreement and announced that it was eliminating health insurance for the players. Progress on the return stalled, and no announcements were made regarding the future of the league.

Question: What was the job title of Ed Policy?


Answer: Los Angeles Avengers

Question: After Ed Policy resigned, what franchise closed?


Answer: Two

Question: How many weeks after Policy's resignation did the Avengers fold?


Answer: One month

Question: How long after the shuttering of the Avengers did the league fail to ratify the new collective bargaining agreement?


Answer: the obsolescence of his position in the reformatted league

Question: What reason did Policy give for his resignation?


Answer: July 20, 2009

Context: On July 20, 2009, Sports Business Journal reported that the AFL owed approximately $14 million to its creditors and were considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In early August 2009, numerous media outlets began reporting that the AFL was folding permanently and would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The league released a statement on August 4 to the effect that while the league was not folding, it was suspending league operations indefinitely. Despite this, several of the league's creditors filed papers to force a Chapter 7 liquidation if the league did not do so voluntarily. This request was granted on August 7, though converted to a Chapter 11 reorganization on August 26.

Question: On what date was it reported that the AFL was considering bankruptcy?


Answer: Sports Business Journal

Question: What publication reported that the Arena Football League was thinking about filing bankruptcy?


Answer: $14 million

Question: How much debt was the AFL reported to have as of July 20, 2009?


Answer: Chapter 11

Question: What type of bankruptcy was the league reportedly thinking about filing in July 2009?


Answer: August 4

Question: On what date did the AFL announce that it was not shutting down?


Answer: 50.1

Context: Following the suspension of the AFL's 2009 season, league officials and owners of af2 (which had played its season as scheduled) began discussing the future of arena football and the two leagues. With its 50.1 percent ownership of af2, the AFL's bankruptcy and dissolution prompted the dissolution of af2 as well. That league was formally considered disbanded on September 8, 2009, when no owner committed his or her team to the league's eleventh season by that deadline. For legal reasons, af2 league officials and owners agreed to form a new legal entity, Arena Football 1 (AF1), with former AFL teams the Arizona Rattlers and Orlando Predators joining the former af2.

Question: What percent of af2 was owned by the AFL?


Answer: September 8, 2009

Question: On what date was af2 regarded as disbanded?


Answer: Arena Football 1

Question: What legal entity was created by af2 league owners?


Answer: Arizona Rattlers

Question: Along with the Orlando Predators, what former Arena Football League team joined af2?


Answer: 2009

Question: What Arena Football League season was suspended?


Answer: Jerry Jones

Context: All assets of the Arena Football League were put up for auction. On November 11, 2009, the new league announced its intention to purchase the entire assets of the former AFL; the assets included the team names and logos of all but one of the former AFL and af2 teams. The lone exception was that of the Dallas Desperados; Desperados owner Jerry Jones had purposely designed the Desperados' properties around those of the Dallas Cowboys, making the two inseparable. The auction occurred on November 25, 2009. The assets were awarded to Arena Football 1 on December 7, 2009, with a winning bid of $6.1 million.

Question: Who owned the Dallas Desperados?


Answer: November 11, 2009

Question: When was an auction announced for the Arena Football League's assets?


Answer: November 25, 2009

Question: When did the auction for the Arena Football League's assets take place?


Answer: Arena Football 1

Question: Who won the auction for the AFL's assets?


Answer: $6.1 million

Question: What was the purchase price for the Arena Football League's assets?


Answer: February 17, 2010

Context: On February 17, 2010, AF1 announced it would use the "Arena Football League" name. The league announced plans for the upcoming season and details of its contract with NFL Network to broadcast AFL games in 2010. AF1 teams were given the option of restoring historical names to their teams. In addition to the historical teams, the league added two new expansion franchises, the Dallas Vigilantes and the Jacksonville Sharks.

Question: On what date did AF1 announce that it would be called the Arena Football League?


Answer: NFL Network

Question: What television network was contracted to show Arena Football League games in 2010?


Answer: two

Question: How many expansion teams were announced in 2010?


Answer: Jacksonville Sharks

Question: Along with the Dallas Vigilantes, what expansion team was announced in 2010?


Answer: San Jose SaberCats

Context: For the 2011 season, the Philadelphia Soul, Kansas City Brigade, San Jose SaberCats, New Orleans VooDoo, and the Georgia Force returned to the AFL after having last played in 2008. However, the Grand Rapids Rampage, Colorado Crush, Columbus Destroyers, Los Angeles Avengers, and the New York Dragons did not return. The league added one expansion team, the Pittsburgh Power. Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann was one of the team's owners. It was the first time the AFL returned to Pittsburgh since the Pittsburgh Gladiators were an original franchise in 1987 before becoming the Tampa Bay Storm. The Brigade changed its name to the Command, becoming the Kansas City Command. Even though they were returning teams, the Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings moved to New Orleans as the Voodoo, the identity formerly owned by New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. The Alabama Vipers moved to Duluth, Georgia to become the new Georgia Force (the earlier franchise of that name being a continuation of the first Nashville Kats franchise). On October 25, 2010 the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz did not return. The Milwaukee Iron also changed names to the Milwaukee Mustangs, the name of Milwaukee's original AFL team that had existed from 1994 to 2001.

Question: Along with the New Orleans VooDoo, Kansas City Brigade, Philadelphia Soul and Georgia Force, what former team returned for the 2011 season?


Answer: New York Dragons

Question: Along with the Grand Rapids Rampage, Colorado Crush, Columbus Destroyers and Los Angeles Avengers, what team did not return for the 2011 season?


Answer: Pittsburgh Power

Question: What expansion team joined the league in 2011?


Answer: Pittsburgh Steelers

Question: For what NFL team did Lynn Swann play?


Answer: Pittsburgh Gladiators

Question: What was the former name of the Tampa Bay Storm?


Answer: 25th

Context: In 2012, the AFL celebrated its silver anniversary for its 25th season of operations. The season kicked off on March 9, 2012. The Tulsa Talons moved to San Antonio, Texas and Jeffrey Vinik became owner of the Tampa Bay Storm. The Dallas Vigilantes were left off the schedule for the 2012 season with no announcement from the management, raising speculations that either the team had suspended operations for the season or was ceasing operations altogether. (Apparently the latter was the case as the organization did not field a team for the 2013 season or any subsequent one either.) Like the National Football League, the AFL postponed the free agency period to October 31 due to Hurricane Sandy.

Question: What anniversary did the Arena Football League celebrate in 2012?


Answer: March 9, 2012

Question: What was the first day of the 2015 AFL season?


Answer: San Antonio

Question: To what city did the Tulsa Talons relocate?


Answer: Jeffrey Vinik

Question: Who bought the Tampa Bay Storm in 2012?


Answer: Hurricane Sandy

Question: What event resulted in the postponement of the AFL free agency period?


Answer: December 12, 2012

Context: It was announced on December 12, 2012, that the AFL reached a partnership agreement with NET10 Wireless to be the first non-motorsports-related professional sports league in the United States to have a title sponsor, renaming it the NET10 Wireless Arena Football League. The redesigned website showed the new logo which incorporated the current AFL logo with the one from NET10 Wireless. The title sponsorship agreement ended in 2014 after a two-year partnership.

Question: On what date did the AFL announce its title sponsorship deal?


Answer: NET10 Wireless

Question: What business was the title sponsor of the AFL?


Answer: NET10 Wireless Arena Football League

Question: What was the league renamed after the title sponsorship deal?


Answer: 2014

Question: When did the AFL title sponsorship deal come to an end?


Answer: two

Question: How many years did the AFL title sponsorship deal last?


Answer: Kiss

Context: In 2013, the league expanded with the addition of two new franchises to play in 2014, the Los Angeles Kiss (owned by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the legendary rock band Kiss) and the Portland Thunder.

Question: What was the name of the Los Angeles-based team added in 2013?


Answer: Gene Simmons

Question: Along with Paul Stanley, who owned the Los Angeles Kiss?


Answer: Portland Thunder

Question: Other than the Los Angeles Kiss, what expansion team entered in the league in 2013?


Answer: Kiss

Question: Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are members of what musical group?


Answer: Mötley Crüe

Context: In 2014, the league announced the granting of a new franchise to former Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil, previously part-owner of the Jacksonville Sharks. That franchise, the Las Vegas Outlaws, were originally to play in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2015, but instead played their home games at the Thomas & Mack Center, previous home to the Las Vegas Sting and Las Vegas Gladiators. After 20 years as a familiar name to the league, an AFL mainstay, the Iowa Barnstormers, departed the league to join the Indoor Football League. The San Antonio Talons folded on October 13, 2014, after the league (which owned the team) failed to find a new owner. On November 16, 2014, despite a successful season record-wise, the Pittsburgh Power became the second team to cease operations after the 2014 season. This resulted from poor attendance. It was later announced by the league that the Power would go dormant for 2015 and were looking for new ownership.

Question: What band was Vince Neil a part of?


Answer: Outlaws

Question: What was the name of the Las Vegas team owned by Vince Neil?


Answer: MGM Grand Garden Arena

Question: What was the original intended home field of the Las Vegas Outlaws?


Answer: the Thomas & Mack Center

Question: Where did the Outlaws play their home games?


Answer: Las Vegas Sting

Question: Along with the Las Vegas Gladiators, what prior AFL team played its home games at the Thomas & Mack Center?


Answer: Jerry Kurz

Context: Jerry Kurz also stepped down as commissioner of the AFL as he was promoted to be the AFL's first president. Former Foxwoods CEO Scott Butera was hired as his successor as commissioner.

Question: Who was the first president of the AFL?


Answer: commissioner

Question: What was Jerry Kurz's job title prior to being president of the AFL?


Answer: Scott Butera

Question: Who became commissioner of the AFL after Jerry Kurz?


Answer: Foxwoods

Question: Where did Scott Butera work prior to becoming AFL commissioner?


Answer: CEO

Question: What was Scott Butera's job title prior to becoming AFL commissioner?


Answer: August 9, 2015

Context: On August 9, 2015, ESPN reported that the New Orleans VooDoo and Las Vegas Outlaws had ceased operations, effective immediately, a claim which was subsequently validated on the AFL website. On September 1, 2015, the Spokane Shock officially left the AFL and joined the IFL under the new name Spokane Empire, becoming the fifth active AFL/af2 franchise to leave for the IFL since bankruptcy (Iowa Barnstormers, Tri-Cities Fever, Green Bay Blizzard and Arkansas Twisters—now the Texas Revolution—left previously).

Question: On what date was it reported that the Las Vegas Outlaws were shutting down?


Answer: ESPN

Question: Who first reported the closure of the New Orleans VooDoo?


Answer: September 1, 2015

Question: On what date did the Spokane Shock leave the AFL?


Answer: IFL

Question: What rival league did the Spokane Shock join?


Answer: Spokane Empire

Question: What was the name of the Spokane Shock after they joined the IFL?


Answer: Friday

Context: Rumors began swirling with regards to bringing the AFL back to Austin and San Antonio, Texas. Both cities have hosted franchises in the past (Austin Wranglers, San Antonio Force and San Antonio Talons), but an AFL spokesman, BJ Pickard, was quoted as saying, "News to me." Announcements have yet to be made on any sort of expansion plans. An expected "big announcement" on Friday, October 30 at a San Antonio Spurs game never came to fruition.

Question: What day of the week was October 30, 2015?


Answer: San Antonio Spurs

Question: At what team's game was an announcement by the AFL supposed to happen on October 30?


Answer: BJ Pickard

Question: Who worked as an AFL spokesman during this period?


Answer: Austin Wranglers

Question: What prior AFL franchise was based in Austin?


Answer: San Antonio Force

Question: Along with the San Antonio Talons, what AFL franchise did San Antonio host at one time?


Answer: San Jose SaberCats

Context: On November 12, the league announced the defending champion San Jose SaberCats would be ceasing operations due to "reasons unrelated to League operations". A statement from the league indicated that the AFL is working to secure new, long-term owners for the franchise. This leaves the AFL with eight teams for 2016.

Question: Who were the defending champions of the Arena Football League?


Answer: November 12

Question: When was it announced that the SaberCats would be shutting down?


Answer: reasons unrelated to League operations

Question: What was the reason given for the closing of the SaberCats?


Answer: eight

Question: How many AFL teams are operating as of 2016?


Answer: January 6, 2016

Context: On January 6, 2016, the league took over "ownership and operational control" of the Portland Thunder from its previous owners. The AFL stated this move was made after months of trying work out an arrangement "to provide financial and operational support." On February 3, 2016, it was announced that the franchise will start from scratch and no longer be called the "Thunder" as the name and trademarks belong to former franchise owner Terry Emmert (similar to the Jerry Jones move with the Desperados). AFL commissioner Scott Butera announced that a new identity will be announced at a later date.

Question: On what date did the AFL take control of one of its teams?


Answer: Portland Thunder

Question: What team did the league take control of?


Answer: Terry Emmert

Question: Who owned the trademark to the Portland Thunder?


Answer: Jerry Jones

Question: Who owned the Desperados trademarks?


Answer: Scott Butera

Question: Who is commissioner of the Arena Football League?


Answer: December 10, 2015

Context: The league's 2016 schedule, announced on the league's website on December 10, 2015, shows an eight-team league playing a 16-game regular season over 18 weeks, with two bye weeks for each team, one on a rotational basis and the other a "universal bye" for all teams during the Independence Day weekend, the first weekend in July. All teams will qualify for the postseason, meaning that the regular season will serve only to establish seeding.

Question: On what date did the league announce its schedule for 2016?


Answer: eight

Question: How many teams are active in the AFL for 2016?


Answer: 16

Question: How many regular season games will each team play in 2016?


Answer: 18

Question: How many weeks will the 2016 regular season last?


Answer: Independence Day

Question: On the weekend of what holiday will all teams have a bye?


Answer: Las Vegas

Context: From the league's inception through ArenaBowl XVIII, the championship game was played at the home of the highest-seeded remaining team. The AFL then switched to a neutral-site championship, with ArenaBowls XIX and XX in Las Vegas. New Orleans Arena, home of the New Orleans VooDoo, served as the site of ArenaBowl XXI on July 29, 2007. This was the first professional sports championship to be staged in the city since Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. The San Jose SaberCats earned their third championship in six years by defeating the Columbus Destroyers 55–33. ArenaBowl XXI in New Orleans was deemed a success, and the city was chosen to host ArenaBowl XXII, in which the Philadelphia Soul defeated the defending champion San Jose Sabercats. In 2010, the location returned to being decided by which of the two participating teams was seeded higher. In ArenaBowl XXIII, the Spokane Shock defeated the Tampa Bay Storm at their home arena, Spokane Arena, in Spokane, Washington. In ArenaBowl XXIV, the Jacksonville Sharks, coming off of a victory in their conference final game four nights earlier, traveled to US Airways Center in Phoenix and defeated the Arizona Rattlers 73–70. ArenaBowl XXV returned to a neutral site and was once again played in New Orleans, where the Rattlers returned and defeated the Philadelphia Soul. Since 2014 the ArenaBowl has been played at the higher-seeded team.

Question: Where did ArenaBowl XX take place?


Answer: New Orleans Arena

Question: What arena was ArenaBowl XXI played in?


Answer: July 29, 2007

Question: On what date was ArenaBowl XXI played?


Answer: August 2005

Question: In what month and year did Hurricane Katrina occur?


Answer: San Jose SaberCats

Question: What team won ArenaBowl XXI?


Answer: NBC

Context: The practice of playing one or two preseason exhibition games by each team before the start of the regular season was discontinued when the NBC contract was initiated, and the regular season was extended from 14 games, the length that it had been since 1996, to 16 from 2001 to 2010, and since 2016. From 2011 to 2015, the regular season league expanded to 18 games, with each team having two bye weeks and the option of two preseason games.

Question: A contract with what television network led to the discontinuation of exhibition games in the preseason?


Answer: 14

Question: How many games was the regular season in 1996?


Answer: 16

Question: How many games were played in the 2001 regular season?


Answer: 18

Question: How many games long was the 2011 regular season?


Answer: 16

Question: How many games will each team play in the 2016 regular season?


Answer: the China American Football League

Context: In August 2012, the AFL announced a new project into China, known as the China American Football League. The CAFL project is headed up by ESPN NFL analyst and Philadelphia Soul majority owner president Ron Jaworski. The plans were to establish a six-team league that would play a 10-week schedule that was slated to start in October 2014. The AFL coaches and trainers will travel to China to help teach the rules of the sport to squads made up of Chinese and American players with the goal of starting an official Chinese arena league. Ganlan Media International were given exclusive rights to the new Chinese league.

Question: What league did the AFL found in China?


Answer: August 2012

Question: When was the AFL's China project announced?


Answer: Ron Jaworski

Question: Who is leading the China American Football League?


Answer: ESPN

Question: What television network does Ron Jaworski work for?


Answer: Philadelphia Soul

Question: What team is Ron Jaworski the majority owner of?


Answer: Martin E. Judge

Context: AFL Global and Ganlan Media were created in 2012 by businessman Martin E. Judge, founder and owner of the Judge Group. The company, called AFL Global, LLC, looks to introduce and launch professional Arena Football teams and franchises in various locations throughout the world (like NFL Europe). After their successful trip to China to help promote the game, they formally announced plans to further develop AFL China by the fall of 2014 by starting a comprehensive training program in May 2013 with exhibition games planned for the cities of Beijing and Guangzhou in October. This is the first time professional football of any kind will be played in China with the support of the Chinese government and the CRFA (Chinese Rugby Football Association). Key persons involved include founder and CEO. Martin E. Judge, partner Ron Jaworski, CAFL CEO Gary Morris and president David Niu. Ganlan Media has since dropped this name and will carry the league's name as its corporate identity.

Question: Who created Ganlan Media?


Answer: the Judge Group

Question: What company is Martin Judge the founder of?


Answer: 2012

Question: In what year was AFL Global created?


Answer: October

Question: In what month was an exhibition game planned for Guangzhou?


Answer: Gary Morris

Question: Who is the Chief Executive Officer of the China American Football League?


Answer: 2016

Context: The 2014 scheduled beginning proved to be too ambitious for the group; its official website now cites an anticipated beginning of professional play in 2016 and shows photos from a six-team collegiate tournament staged in early November, 2015

Question: When does the CAFL plan on start its first season?


Answer: 2014

Question: When was the abortive first CAFL season supposed to have taken place?


Answer: six

Question: How many teams participated in the 2015 CAFL tournament?


Answer: November

Question: In what month did the CAFL tournament occur?


Answer: May

Context: Beginning with the 2003 season, the AFL made a deal with NBC to televise league games, which was renewed for another two years in 2005. In conjunction with this, the league moved the beginning of the season from May to February (the week after the NFL's Super Bowl) and scheduled most of its games on Sunday instead of Friday or Saturday as it had in the past. In 2006, because of the XX Winter Olympic Games, the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Daytona 500, NBC scaled back from weekly coverage to scattered coverage during the regular season, but committed to a full playoff schedule ending with the 20th ArenaBowl. NBC and the Arena Football League officially severed ties on June 30, 2006, having failed to reach a new broadcast deal. Las Vegas owner Jim Ferraro stated during a radio interview that the reason why a deal failed is because ESPN refused to show highlights or even mention a product being broadcast on NBC.

Question: In what month did the AFL season originally begin?


Answer: February

Question: After the TV deal, when was the start of the AFL season moved to?


Answer: Friday or Saturday

Question: What days were AFL games traditionally played on before the TV deal?


Answer: Sunday

Question: When were most of the AFL's games played after the TV deal?


Answer: June 30, 2006

Question: On what date did the business relationship between the AFL and NBC end?


Answer: December 19, 2006

Context: On December 19, 2006, ESPN announced the purchase of a minority stake in the AFL. This deal included television rights for the ESPN family of networks. ESPN would televise a minimum of 17 regular season games, most on Monday nights, and nine playoff games, including ArenaBowl XXI on ABC. The deal resulted in added exposure on ESPN's SportsCenter. However, after the original AFL filed for bankruptcy, this arrangement did not carry over to the new AFL, which is a separate legal entity.

Question: On what date did ESPN buy a minority share of the AFL?


Answer: 17

Question: At minimum, how many regular season games did the AFL agree to broadcast?


Answer: Monday

Question: On what day would most of the games televised on the ESPN networks be played?


Answer: ABC

Question: What network broadcast ArenaBowl XXI?


Answer: nine

Question: Under the deal, how many AFL playoff games did ESPN broadcast each year?


Answer: Fox Sports

Context: The AFL also had a regional-cable deal with FSN, where FSN regional affiliates in AFL markets carried local team games. In some areas, such as with the Arizona Rattlers, Fox Sports affiliates still carry the games.

Question: Affiliates of what network broadcast Arizona Rattlers games?


Answer: FSN

Question: What cable network did the AFL sign a regional contract with?


Answer: 2010

Context: After its return in 2010, the AFL had its national television deal with the NFL Network for a weekly Friday night game. All AFL games not on the NFL Network could be seen for free online, provided by Ustream.

Question: After a hiatus, in what year did the AFL begin operations again?


Answer: NFL Network

Question: What cable television network signed a broadcast deal with the AFL in 2010?


Answer: Friday

Question: On what day would AFL games be shown on NFL Network?


Answer: Ustream

Question: What streaming service broadcast AFL games that were not on NFL Network?


Answer: free

Question: What was the cost to watch AFL games on Ustream?


Answer: 2012

Context: The NFL Network ceased airing Arena Football League games partway through the 2012 season as a result of ongoing labor problems within the league. Briefly, the games were broadcast on a tape delay to prevent the embarrassment that would result should the players stage a work stoppage immediately prior to a scheduled broadcast. (In at least once incidence this actually happened, resulting in a non-competitive game being played with replacement players, and further such incidents were threatened.) Once the labor issues were resolved, the NFL Network resumed the practice of broadcasting a live Friday night game. NFL Network dropped the league at the end of the 2012 season.

Question: In what year did AFL games temporarily cease to be broadcast on NFL Network?


Answer: ongoing labor problems

Question: Why did the temporary cessation of game broadcasts occur?


Answer: the labor issues were resolved

Question: Why did the NFL Network begin to broadcast games again?


Answer: Friday

Question: On what day was an AFL game broadcast live on NFL Network?


Answer: night

Question: At what time of day was an AFL game shown on Fridays on NFL Network?


Answer: CBS Sports Network

Context: For the 2013 season, the league's new national broadcast partner was the CBS Sports Network. CBSSN would air 19 regular season games and two playoff games. CBS would also air the ArenaBowl, marking the first time since 2008 that the league's finale aired on network television. Regular season CBSSN broadcast games are usually on Saturday nights. As the games are being shown live, the start times are not uniform as with most football broadcast packages, but vary with the time zone in which the home team is located. This means that the AFL may appear either prior to or following the CBSSN's featured Major League Lacrosse game.

Question: Who was the AFL's 2013 national broadcast partner?


Answer: 19

Question: How many regular season games were shown by CBS Sports Network in 2013?


Answer: two

Question: How many 2013 playoff games did CBSSN broadcast?


Answer: CBS

Question: On what channel was the 2013 ArenaBowl broadcast?


Answer: Saturday

Question: In 2013, on what day were Arena Football League games usually broadcast on CBS Sports Network?


Answer: ESPN

Context: Starting in 2014, ESPN returned to the AFL as broadcast partners, with weekly games being shown on CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS along with all games being broadcast on ESPN3 for free live on WatchESPN. ArenaBowl XXVII was also broadcast on ESPN. Most teams also have a local TV station broadcast their games locally and all games are available on local radio.

Question: Who was the Arena Football League's 2014 broadcast partner?


Answer: WatchESPN

Question: What app were Arena Football League games broadcast on in 2014?


Answer: CBS Sports Network

Question: Along with the ESPN networks, on what network were 2014 AFL games broadcast?


Answer: ESPN

Question: On what channel could one watch ArenaBowl XXVII live?


Answer: Arena Football

Context: The first video game based on the AFL was Arena Football for the C-64 released in 1988. On May 18, 2000, Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed was released by Midway Games for the PlayStation game console. On February 7, 2006 EA Sports released Arena Football for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. EA Sports released another AFL video game, titled Arena Football: Road to Glory, on February 21, 2007, for the PlayStation 2.

Question: What was the first Arena Football League video game?


Answer: the C-64

Question: For what system was the first Arena Football League video game released?


Answer: 1988

Question: In what year was the first Arena Football League video game released?


Answer: May 18, 2000

Question: On what date was Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed released?


Answer: Midway Games

Question: Who made Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed?


Answer: Jeff Foley

Context: In 2001, Jeff Foley published War on the Floor: An Average Guy Plays in the Arena Football League and Lives to Write About It. The book details a journalist's two preseasons (1999 and 2000) as an offensive specialist/writer with the now-defunct Albany Firebirds. The 5-foot-6 (170 cm), self-described "unathletic writer" played in three preseason games and had one catch for −2 yards.

Question: Who wrote War on the Floor: An Average Guy Plays in the Arena Football League and Lives to Write About It?


Answer: 2001

Question: In what year was War on the Floor released?


Answer: Albany Firebirds

Question: What team did Jeff Foley play for?


Answer: three

Question: How many games did Jeff Foley play in?


Answer: 2000

Question: Along with 1999, in what preseason did Foley play for the Firebirds?


Answer: 2010

Context: The AFL currently runs as under the single-entity model, with the league owning the rights to the teams, players, and coaches. The single-entity model was adopted in 2010 when the league emerged from bankruptcy. Prior to that, the league followed the franchise model more common in North American professional sports leagues; each team essentially operated as its own business and the league itself was a separate entity which in exchange for franchise fees paid by the team owners provided rules, officials, scheduling and the other elements of organizational structure. A pool of money is allotted to teams to aid in travel costs.

Question: In what year did the AFL begin operating under the single-entity model?


Answer: the league

Question: Who owns the rights to the players under the single-entity model?


Answer: franchise model

Question: What model of ownership is commonly used in American professional sports?


Answer: 10,000–11,000

Context: Average attendance for AFL games were around 10,000–11,000 per game in the 1990s, though during the recession connected to the dot-com bubble and the September 11, 2001 attacks average attendance dropped below 10,000 for several years. From the start of the 2004 season until the final season of the original league in 2008, average attendance was above 12,000, with 12,392 in 2007. Eleven of the seventeen teams in operation in 2007 had average attendance figures over 13,000. In 2008, the overall attendance average increased to 12,957, with eight teams exceeding 13,000 per game.

Question: What was the normal per game attendance of AFL games in the 1990s?


Answer: the September 11, 2001 attacks

Question: Along with the recession, what event is held to have decreased per-game attendance below 10,000?


Answer: 12,392

Question: What was the average per-game attendance in 2007?


Answer: 12,957

Question: In 2008, what was the average attendance for an AFL game?


Answer: eight

Question: During the 2008 season, how many teams averaged more than 13,000 spectators per game?


Answer: 8,135

Context: In 2010, the first year of the reconstituted league following bankruptcy, the overall attendance average decreased to 8,135, with only one team (Tampa Bay) exceeding 13,000 per game.

Question: What was the AFL's average per-game attendance in 2010?


Answer: one

Question: In the 2010 season, how many teams drew an average of more than 13,000 fans per game?


Answer: Tampa Bay

Question: What team drew more than 13,000 fans per game in 2010?


Answer: easy listening

Context: Adult contemporary music (AC) is a style of music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, rhythm and blues, quiet storm, and rock influence. Adult contemporary is rather a continuation of the easy listening and soft rock style that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s with some adjustments that reflect the evolution of pop/rock music.

Question: Along with pop, soul, rhythm and blues, quiet storm, and rock, what musical style influenced adult contemporary?


Answer: soft rock

Question: What was the prevailing style of adult contemporary music in the 1970s?


Answer: vocal

Question: What type of adult contemporary music was popular in the 1960s?


Answer: Adult contemporary

Question: What does the acronym AC stand for?


Answer: soft rock

Question: Along with easy listening, adult contemporary is a modern day continuation of what style of music?


Answer: melody

Context: Adult contemporary tends to have lush, soothing and highly polished qualities where emphasis on melody and harmonies is accentuated. It is usually melodic enough to get a listener's attention, and is inoffensive and pleasurable enough to work well as background music. Like most of pop music, its songs tend to be written in a basic format employing a verse–chorus structure.

Question: Along with harmonies, what aspect of music is emphasized in adult contemporary?


Answer: verse–chorus structure

Question: What is the typical structure of an adult contemporary song?


Answer: pop music

Question: With what broader style of music does adult contemporary share its structure?


Answer: inoffensive

Question: Along with being pleasurable, what trait makes adult contemporary appropriate for background music?


Answer: romantic sentimental ballads

Context: Adult contemporary is heavy on romantic sentimental ballads which mostly use acoustic instruments (though bass guitar is usually used) such as acoustic guitars, pianos, saxophones, and sometimes an orchestral set. The electric guitars are normally faint and high-pitched. However, recent adult contemporary music may usually feature synthesizers (and other electronics, such as drum machines).

Question: What type of song is frequently seen in the adult contemporary genre?


Answer: drum machines

Question: Along with synthesizers, what electronic instruments sometimes appear in modern adult contemporary?


Answer: acoustic

Question: What general type of instruments tend to be used in adult contemporary?


Answer: bass guitar

Question: What electric instrument is often seen in adult contemporary?


Answer: high-pitched

Question: Along with being faint, what characteristic is usually present in electric guitars used in adult contemporary?


Answer: 25–44

Context: AC radio stations may play mainstream music, but they will exclude hip hop, dance tracks, hard rock, and some forms of teen pop, as they are less popular amongst the target demographic of these radio stations, which is intended for an adult audience. AC radio often targets the 25–44 age group, the demographic that has received the most attention from advertisers since the 1960s. A common practice in recent years is that many adult contemporary stations play less newer music because they also give ample airtime to hits of the past, so the de-emphasis on new songs slows the progression of the AC chart.

Question: What age group does adult contemporary radio typically focus on?


Answer: hip hop

Question: Along with teen pop, dance and hard rock, what form of music is typically not heard on AC radio?


Answer: 1960s

Question: When did advertisers begin to focus on the adult contemporary age demographic?


Answer: newer music

Question: What type of music are AC stations noted as playing less of versus hits of the past?


Answer: soft AC

Context: Over the years, AC has spawned subgenres including "hot AC", "soft AC" (also known as "lite AC"), "urban AC", "rhythmic AC", and "Christian AC" (a softer type of contemporary Christian music). Some stations play only "hot AC", "soft AC", or only one of the variety of subgenres. Therefore, it is not usually considered a specific genre of music; it is merely an assemblage of selected tracks from musicians of many different genres.

Question: What is lite AC otherwise known as?


Answer: contemporary Christian music

Question: What is Christian AC a subgenre of?


Answer: rhythmic AC

Question: Along with hot, soft, urban and Christian AC, what is another prominent time of adult contemporary music?


Answer: 1960s

Context: Adult contemporary traces its roots to the 1960s easy listening format, which adopted a 70-80% instrumental - 20-30% vocal mix. A few offered 90% instrumentals, and a handful were entirely instrumental. The easy listening format, as it was first known, was born of a desire by some radio stations in the late 1950s and early 1960s to continue playing current hit songs but distinguish themselves from being branded as "rock and roll" stations. Billboard first published the Easy Listening chart July 17, 1961, with 20 songs; the first number one was "Boll Weevil Song" by Brook Benton. The chart described itself as "not too far out in either direction".

Question: From what decade of easy listening radio does adult contemporary trace its heritage?


Answer: 70-80%

Question: Generally speaking, what percentage of music on easy listening stations was instrumental?


Answer: July 17, 1961

Question: On what date was the Billboard easy listening chart first published?


Answer: 20

Question: How many songs were on the first Billboard easy listening chart?


Answer: Brook Benton

Question: Who performed the first #1 on the easy listening chart?


Answer: Connie Francis

Context: Initially, the vocalists consisted of artists such as Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, Connie Francis, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, and others. The custom recordings were usually instrumental versions of current or recent rock and roll or pop hit songs, a move intended to give the stations more mass appeal without selling out. Some stations would also occasionally play earlier big band-era recordings from the 1940s and early 1950s.

Question: Along with Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, and Perry Como, who was a prominent early adult contemporary radio artist?


Answer: instrumental

Question: What type of covers of pop and rock songs were usually played on adult contemporary?


Answer: big band-era recordings

Question: What songs from the 1940s and 1950s would adult contemporary stations play?


Answer: the Hot 100 chart

Context: After 1965, differences between the Hot 100 chart and the Easy Listening chart became more pronounced. Better reflecting what middle of the road stations were actually playing, the composition of the chart changed dramatically. As rock music continued to harden, there was much less crossover between the Hot 100 and Easy Listening chart than there had been in the early half of the 1960s. Roger Miller, Barbra Streisand and Bobby Vinton were among the chart's most popular performers.

Question: What chart did the Easy Listening chart begin to diverge from?


Answer: 1965

Question: In what year did the Easy Listening and Hot 100 charts begin to diverge?


Answer: Bobby Vinton

Question: Along with Roger Miller and Barbra Streisand, who was a successful Easy Listening artist in this era?


Answer: rock music continued to harden

Question: Why did the crossover between Hot 100 and Easy Listening decrease?


Answer: 1950s

Context: One big impetus for the development of the AC radio format was that, when rock and roll music first became popular in the mid-1950s, many more conservative radio stations wanted to continue to play current hit songs while shying away from rock. These middle of the road (or "MOR") stations also frequently included older, pre-rock-era adult standards and big band titles to further appeal to adult listeners who had grown up with those songs.

Question: During what decade did rock and roll music first rise to popularity?


Answer: middle of the road

Question: What does the acronym MOR stand for?


Answer: big band titles

Question: Along with pre-rock standards, what type of older songs did MOR stations play?


Answer: beautiful music

Context: Another big impetus for the evolution of the AC radio format was the popularity of easy listening or "beautiful music" stations, stations with music specifically designed to be purely ambient. Whereas most easy listening music was instrumental, created by relatively unknown artists, and rarely purchased, AC was an attempt to create a similar "lite" format by choosing certain tracks (both hit singles and album cuts) of popular artists.

Question: What was another term for easy listening stations?


Answer: instrumental

Question: Easy listening was predominately what type of music?


Answer: hit singles and album cuts

Question: What types of tracks from popular artists did adult contemporary radio play?


Answer: lite

Question: What type of format were adult contemporary and easy listening stations meant to share?


Answer: 1965

Context: Hard rock had been established as a mainstream genre by 1965. From the end of the 1960s, it became common to divide mainstream rock music into soft and hard rock, with both emerging as major radio formats in the US. Soft rock was often derived from folk rock, using acoustic instruments and putting more emphasis on melody and harmonies. Major artists included Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Cat Stevens, James Taylor and Bread.

Question: As of what year was hard rock a mainstream type of music?


Answer: hard rock

Question: Along with soft rock, what type of music made up mainstream rock music in the late 1960s?


Answer: acoustic

Question: What type of instruments were prominent in soft rock?


Answer: folk rock

Question: What genre of music was soft rock descended from?


Answer: James Taylor

Question: Along with Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Cat Stevens and Bread, who was a prominent soft rock artist of this era?


Answer: 1960s

Context: The Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts became more similar again toward the end of the 1960s and into the early and mid-1970s, when the texture of much of the music played on Top 40 radio once more began to soften. The adult contemporary format began evolving into the sound that later defined it, with rock-oriented acts as Chicago, The Eagles, and Elton John becoming associated with the format.

Question: At the end of what decade did the Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts begin to converge?


Answer: 1970s

Question: During the middle and early parts of what decade did the similarity of Easy Listening and Hot 100 increase?


Answer: began to soften

Question: How did Top 40 radio what ifmusic change during this era?


Answer: Chicago

Question: With Elton John and the Eagles, what was a prominent adult contemporary artist in this period?


Answer: the mid-to-late 1970s

Context: Soft rock reached its commercial peak in the mid-to-late 1970s with acts such as Toto, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Air Supply, Seals and Crofts, America and the reformed Fleetwood Mac, whose Rumours (1977) was the best-selling album of the decade. By 1977, some radio stations, like New York's WTFM and NBC-owned WYNY, had switched to an all-soft rock format. By the 1980s, tastes had changed and radio formats reflected this change, including musical artists such as Journey. Walter Sabo and his team at NBC brought in major personalities from the AM Band to the FM Band taking the format from a background to a foreground listening experience. The addition of major radio stars such as Dan Daniel, Steve O'Brien, Dick Summers, Don Bleu and Tom Parker made it possible to fully monetize the format and provide the foundation for financial success enjoyed to this day

Question: During what period was adult contemporary its most commercially successful?


Answer: Fleetwood Mac

Question: What artist released the best selling album of the 1970s?


Answer: 1977

Question: In what year was the best selling album of the 1970s released?


Answer: WYNY

Question: What radio stationed owned by NBC played only soft rock?


Answer: Walter Sabo

Question: Who was a prominent figure at NBC's radio division?


Answer: disco

Context: Radio stations played Top 40 hits regardless of genre; although, most were in the same genre until the mid-1970s when different forms of popular music started to target different demographic groups, such as disco vs. hard rock. This evolved into specialized radio stations that played specific genres of music, and generally followed the evolution of artists in those genres.

Question: What genre of music was was listening to by a different demographic than hard rock?


Answer: 1970s

Question: In what decade did genres begin to diverge on the basis of demographic groups?


Answer: Billy Joel

Context: By the early 1970s, softer songs by artists like The Carpenters, Anne Murray, John Denver, Barry Manilow, and even Streisand, began to be played more often on "Top 40" radio and others were added to the mix on many AC stations. Also, some of these stations even played softer songs by Elvis Presley, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, and other rock-based artists.

Question: Along with Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Rod Stewart and Elvis Presley, what rock musician sometimes had songs featured on adult contemporary radio?


Answer: the early 1970s

Question: During what period were artists like Anne Murray and Barbra Streisand featured on Top 40 radio?


Answer: R&B

Context: Much of the music recorded by singer-songwriters such as Diana Ross, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Carole King and Janis Ian got as much, if not more, airplay on this format than on Top 40 stations. Easy Listening radio also began including songs by artists who had begun in other genres, such as rock and roll or R&B. In addition, several early disco songs, did well on the Adult Contemporary format.

Question: Along with rock and roll, what genre of music was sometimes featured on Easy Listening radio?


Answer: disco

Question: What genre of music was surprisingly successful on adult contemporary radio?


Answer: singer-songwriters

Question: What type of musicians were artists such as Diana Ross, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Carole King and Janis Ian?


Answer: April 7, 1979

Context: On April 7, 1979, the Easy Listening chart officially became known as Adult Contemporary, and those two words have remained consistent in the name of the chart ever since. Adult contemporary music became one of the most popular radio formats of the 1980s. The growth of AC was a natural result of the generation that first listened to the more "specialized" music of the mid-late 1970s growing older and not being interested in the heavy metal and rap/hip-hop music that a new generation helped to play a significant role in the Top 40 charts by the end of the decade.

Question: When did the Adult Contemporary chart receive its current name?


Answer: the Easy Listening chart

Question: What was the Adult Contemporary chart previously known as?


Answer: heavy metal

Question: Along with rap/hip-hop, what genre of music were aging listeners not as interested in?


Answer: 1980s

Question: During what decade did adult contemporary become a very popular format for radio?


Answer: Michael Jackson

Context: Mainstream AC itself has evolved in a similar fashion over the years; traditional AC artists like Barbra Streisand, the Carpenters, Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow, John Denver, and Olivia Newton-John found it harder to have major Top 40 hits as the 1980s wore on, and due to the influence of MTV, artists who were staples of the Contemporary Hit Radio format, such as Richard Marx, Michael Jackson, Bonnie Tyler, George Michael, Phil Collins, and Laura Branigan began crossing over to the AC charts with greater frequency. Collins has been described by AllMusic as "one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond". However, with the combination of MTV and AC radio, adult contemporary appeared harder to define as a genre, with established soft-rock artists of the past still charting pop hits and receiving airplay alongside mainstream radio fare from newer artists at the time.

Question: Along with Richard Marx, Bonnie Tyler, George Michael, Phil Collins, and Laura Branigan, what artist was also frequently played on Contemporary Hit Radio stations?


Answer: MTV

Question: What television station was responsible for the increasing success of Contemporary Hit Radio artists on the AC charts?


Answer: John Denver

Question: Along with Barbra Streisand, the Carpenters, Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow and Olivia Newton-John, what adult contemporary staple found it more difficult to score chart hits in the 1980s?


Answer: Phil Collins

Question: Who did Allmusic refer to as "one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond"?


Answer: disco or new wave

Context: The amount of crossover between the AC chart and the Hot 100 has varied based on how much the passing pop music trends of the times appealed to adult listeners. Not many disco or new wave songs were particularly successful on the AC chart during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and much of the hip-hop and harder rock music featured on CHR formats later in the decade would have been unacceptable on AC radio.

Question: In the 1970s, what two genres were not particularly successful on the adult contemporary charts?


Answer: hip-hop and harder rock music

Question: What genres, featured on the CHR radio format, were rarely found on adult contemporary radio?


Answer: 1980s

Question: During what decade did hip-hop begin to be featured on the radio?


Answer: ballad-oriented rock

Context: Although dance-oriented, electronic pop and ballad-oriented rock dominated the 1980s, soft rock songs still enjoyed a mild success thanks to artists like Sheena Easton, Amy Grant, Lionel Richie, Christopher Cross, Dan Hill, Leo Sayer, Billy Ocean, Julio Iglesias, Bertie Higgins and Tommy Page. No song spent more than six weeks at #1 on this chart during the 1980s, with nine songs accomplishing that feat. Two of these were by Lionel Richie, "You Are" in 1983 and "Hello" in 1984, which also reached #1 on the Hot 100.

Question: Along with electronic pop, what type of music was the most successful in the 1980s?


Answer: soft rock

Question: What genre did the music of Billy Ocean belong to?


Answer: six weeks

Question: What was the longest that a song spent at #1 on the adult contemporary charts in the 1980s?


Answer: 1983

Question: In what year did Lionel Richie record "You Are"?


Answer: Hot 100

Question: Aside from the adult contemporary chart, on what other chart did Lionel Richie's "Hello" reach the top spot?


Answer: Linda Ronstadt

Context: In 1989, Linda Ronstadt released Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind, described by critics as "the first true Adult Contemporary album of the decade", featuring American soul singer Aaron Neville on several of the twelve tracks. The album was certified Triple Platinum in the United States alone and became a major success throughout the globe. The Grammy Award-winning singles, "Don't Know Much" and "All My Life", were both long-running #1 Adult Contemporary hits. Several additional singles from the disc made the AC Top 10 as well. The album won over many critics in the need to define AC, and appeared to change the tolerance and acceptance of AC music into mainstream day to day radio play.

Question: What artist issued the album known as "the first true Adult Contemporary album of the decade"?


Answer: 1989

Question: In what year was the album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind released?


Answer: Aaron Neville

Question: What male singer featured on several songs from Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind?


Answer: Triple Platinum

Question: What certification did Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind receive?


Answer: "All My Life"

Question: Along with "Don't Know Much," what single won a Grammy?


Answer: 1990s

Context: The early 1990s marked the softening of urban R&B at the same time alternative rock emerged and traditional pop saw a significant resurgence. This in part led to a widening of the market, not only allowing to cater to more niche markets, but it also became customary for artists to make AC-friendly singles.

Question: What decade saw the emergence of alternative rock?


Answer: softening

Question: What happened to urban R&B in the early 1990s?


Answer: widening of the market

Question: The resurgence of traditional pop was one of the factors that led to what change in the music market?


Answer: 1980s

Context: Unlike the majority of 1980s mainstream singers, the 1990s mainstream pop/R&B singers such as All-4-One, Boyz II Men, Rob Thomas, Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys and Savage Garden generally crossed over to the AC charts. Latin pop artists such as Lynda Thomas, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Selena, Enrique Iglesias and Luis Miguel also enjoyed success in the AC charts.

Question: Mainstream artists from what decade generally did not have success on the adult contemporary charts?


Answer: Savage Garden

Question: Along with All-4-One, Boyz II Men, Rob Thomas, Christina Aguilera and Backstreet Boys, what 90s artists were notable in the pop/R&B genre?


Answer: Latin pop

Question: What genre of music did Lynda Thomas, Ricky Martin, Selena, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias and Luis Miguel make?


Answer: multiple number ones

Context: In addition to Celine Dion, who has had significant success on this chart, other artists with multiple number ones on the AC chart in the 1990s include Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, Whitney Houston and Shania Twain. Newer female singer-songwriters such as Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Jewel, Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow also broke through on the AC chart during this time.

Question: What milestone did Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, Whitney Houston and Shania Twain share on the 1990s adult contemporary charts?


Answer: Jewel

Question: Along with Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow, what female singer-songwriter had chart success in the 1990s?


Answer: AC

Question: On what chart did Whitney Houston see success?


Answer: Adult Top 40

Context: In 1996, Billboard created a new chart called Adult Top 40, which reflects programming on radio stations that exists somewhere between "adult contemporary" music and "pop" music. Although they are sometimes mistaken for each other, the Adult Contemporary chart and the Adult Top 40 chart are separate charts, and songs reaching one chart might not reach the other. In addition, hot AC is another subgenre of radio programming that is distinct from the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart as it exists today, despite the apparent similarity in name.

Question: What was the name of the chart created by Billboard in 1996?


Answer: "adult contemporary" music and "pop" music

Question: Adult Top 40 represented a midpoint between what two radio formats?


Answer: Adult Contemporary

Question: What chart is the Adult Top 40 chart sometimes confused with?


Answer: hot AC

Question: What radio programming genre is sometimes confused with the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart?


Answer: Barry Mayo

Context: In response to the pressure on Hot AC, a new kind of AC format cropped up among American radio recently. The urban adult contemporary format (a term coined by Barry Mayo) usually attracts a large number of African Americans and sometimes Caucasian listeners through playing a great deal of R&B (without any form of rapping), gospel music, classic soul and dance music (including disco).

Question: Who invented the term "urban adult contemporary format"?


Answer: African Americans

Question: What demographic group is the urban adult contemporary format marketed to?


Answer: rapping

Question: What style of singing is absent from R&B played on urban adult contemporary format stations?


Answer: classic soul

Question: Along with R&B, gospel and dance music, what type of music is represented on urban adult contemporary stations?


Answer: Hot AC

Question: Urban adult contemporary music came into being because of pressure on what previously existing format?


Answer: Toni Braxton

Context: Another format, rhythmic AC, in addition to playing all the popular hot and soft AC music, past and present, places a heavy emphasis on disco as well as 1980s and 1990s dance hits, such as those by Amber, C&C Music Factory and Black Box, and includes dance remixes of pop songs, such as the Soul Solution mix of Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart".

Question: Who performed the song "Unbreak My Heart"?


Answer: Amber

Question: What is the name of a notable dance artist along with C&C Music Factory and Black Box?


Answer: rhythmic AC

Question: What radio station format plays soft AC, hot AC, disco and dance?


Answer: Soul Solution

Question: What artist notably remixed "Unbreak My Heart"?


Answer: smooth jazz

Context: In its early years of existence, the smooth jazz format was considered to be a form of AC, although it was mainly instrumental, and related a stronger resemblance to the soft AC-styled music. For many years, artists like George Benson, Kenny G and Dave Koz had crossover hits that were played on both smooth jazz and soft AC stations.

Question: What radio station format was sometimes regarded as a type of adult contemporary?


Answer: instrumental

Question: What type of music was predominantly played on smooth jazz stations?


Answer: George Benson

Question: Along with Kenny G and Dave Koz, what artist was featured on smooth jazz stations?


Answer: soft AC

Question: What other format of station were smooth jazz artists sometimes featured on?


Answer: senior vice president for adult music

Context: A notable pattern that developed during the 2000s and 2010s has been for certain pop songs to have lengthy runs on AC charts, even after the songs have fallen off the Hot 100. Adrian Moreira, senior vice president for adult music for RCA Music Group, said, "We've seen a fairly tidal shift in what AC will play". Rather than emphasizing older songs, adult contemporary was playing many of the same songs as top 40 and adult top 40, but only after the hits had become established. An article on MTV's website by Corey Moss describes this trend: "In other words, AC stations are where pop songs go to die a very long death. Or, to optimists, to get a second life."

Question: What is Adrian Moreira's job title?


Answer: RCA Music Group

Question: For what company does Adrian Moreira work?


Answer: Corey Moss

Question: Who wrote, "In other words, AC stations are where pop songs go to die a very long death. Or, to optimists, to get a second life"?


Answer: MTV's website

Question: Where was Corey Moss' article published?


Answer: after the hits had become established

Question: When do adult contemporary stations begin to play Top 40 songs?


Answer: less and less new music fits their bill

Context: With the mixture of radio friendly AC tunes with some rock and pop fare also landing on the pop charts, mainstream songs won over many critics in the need to define AC, and appeared to change the tolerance and acceptance of AC music into mainstream day to day radio play. Part of the reason why more and more hot AC stations are forced to change is that less and less new music fits their bill; most new rock is too alternative for mainstream radio and most new pop is now influenced heavily by dance-pop and electronic dance music.

Question: Who have hot AC format radio stations had to change the music they play?


Answer: dance-pop and electronic dance music

Question: By what two genres are modern pop songs heavily influenced?


Answer: too alternative

Question: Why is new rock not suitable for mainstream radio?


Answer: the "Candlelight Mix"

Context: A popular trend in this era was remixing dance music hits into adult contemporary ballads, especially in the US, (for example, the "Candlelight Mix" versions of "Heaven" by DJ Sammy, "Listen To Your Heart" by D.H.T., and "Everytime We Touch" by Cascada). Adult contemporary has long characterized itself as family-friendly, but edited versions of "Perfect" by P!nk and "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green showed up in the format in 2011.

Question: What was the name of DJ Sammy's mix of "Heaven"?


Answer: D.H.T.

Question: Who recorded the song "Listen To Your Heart"?


Answer: Cascada

Question: Who is known for the song "Everytime We Touch"?


Answer: Cee Lo Green

Question: What artist performed the song "Forget You"?


Answer: edited

Question: What version of P!nk's "Perfect" appeared on adult contemporary radio in 2011?