WWDTM: Anna Kendrick, Jeff Gordon, and more!

Support for NPR and the following message come from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Investing in creative thinkers and problem solvers who help people, communities, and the planet flourish. More information is available at Hewlett.org. From NPR and WBEZ, Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me the NPR News Quiz. Hey Starbucks, put down that PSL and pick up a PS bill. I'm Bill Curtis. And here is your host, at the Studebaker Theater of the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Segal. Thank you, Bill. Thanks everybody. Now last week, as I hope you heard, we did our show in Honolulu, Hawaii. And of course our plan is to come right back here immediately to do another show for you this week. But we were worried. What if something were to happen and we couldn't get back in time? You should have listened to me and booked tickets on that tramp steamer. No better way to see the world than from the inside of a cargo hold. So just in case we got delayed in Hawaii somehow, we prepared this review of some of our best moments from earlier this year. For example, in June, we were joined live on stage by NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon. And it turns out he started winning races when he was just five years old. Yeah, I mean, I guess I just think all professional race car drivers started racing when they were five or six years old. I mean, that was pretty common for me. I grew up in California and the kids I was racing with were basically the same age. How does a five year old end up in a race car? Because my kids want one, but I say no. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I had my, so my stepfather is actually the one that introduced me to it. He was a machinist and worked on cars. And I think some friends of his would come to him to say, hey, fix my car. Can you make this piece? I'm guessing at that point, maybe they couldn't pay him. And so they said, oh, I've got this old race car that my son used to drive over here in the garage. How about I give you that? It's called a quarter midget. So it's, it's similar to a go-kart, but the engine's in the back has a roll cage seat belts, maybe somewhat safer than a go-kart and race on small oval tracks. And so yeah, he came home with that and said, hey, liquid's outside. And of course I was just eager to get in and go. So did everybody know, did you know that this was something you were going to be very good at? No idea. No, I had no clue. I'd actually, my first racing experience was previous to that. I raced BMX bikes when I was like four and a half years old. Four and a half. Yeah. What does a four and a half year old get if they win a race? They get to skip their nap? What is the prize? Well, I didn't win a race. So I wouldn't know because I realized then that I did not have the physicality to peddle a bicycle as fast as others. And when I got in the car, I'm like, I don't need that. I've got an engine. Oh yeah. So it, you know, it did come, you know, pretty quick. And I realized gain confidence and said, oh, I can do this. Right. This is actually another thing I'm very curious about. I know, for example, that on the track, you drivers are radio contact at all times with your pit. What are you talking about? It's like, oh, did you see what the president just did? I will say there were a few times in my career where I was fortunate enough to have a pretty big lead. Just a few times. And your mind starts to wonder. And I think there were a few times I know some fans or something happening up in the grandstands and I radioed to the team and say, Hey, did you see that? They're like, seriously, Jeff, you're noticing things up in the grandstand. Really? We're trying to win this race. Get back to the race. I'm going to win, but what are we going to have for dinner later? I noticed the other thing you have to remember is that, you know, these radios are being broadcast to everyone. So really? So you have to be careful of things you say. I didn't always do that well. But you try. Really? So like, let's say, and I'm sure this happened to you more than a couple times, let's say things go poorly, you spin out, maybe something catches fire, you have to be careful to say, Oh goodness, I am truly and well fudged. Yeah. That as well as if somebody else caused it. Oh, yes. And the choice things that you are thinking about saying. Really? I find that, I mean, here's the part you guys are going to love. Okay. Because you guys are comedians and I'm not, but in order for that to be broadcast, there's a button on the steering wheel. So in order for the driver to talk back to the team, you have to push the button. And these things are being broadcast. So you don't have to push the button. You could just say them. And in my case, a hundred percent of the time, I wanted to make sure I pushed the button. So everybody's really here. Yeah. Now you've retired. And as I said, one of the many things you do in addition to your businesses and philanthropy is you co on some racing teams, right? And how hard is it for you to like just look at the driver or watch them and just think, just let me do it. I mean, I realized things have evolved, technologies have evolved, the cars drive different today. But what I, what does happen to me and I think of my wife every, every time, because when I was racing, I would get out of the car that day. Let's say, you know, we didn't win. And she would go, I don't understand why you didn't just pass that car. This is your wife. Yeah. She's like, couldn't you just push the pedal down further and just go by? I'm like, honey, I like, it's already all the way there. Like that was as fast as I could go. So I then, while I'm watching the drivers, I'm going, just pass. Why can't you just pass that? Right. And I just in credit to your wife, just comparing to myself, at least you knew you had a pedal. That was me. Really. I'm like, come on, just do it, just do it. Just do it. I know everybody asks you guys after you've, you know, all the racers current and retired, if you speed when you're driving your car, I'm not going to ask you that. I know. You're not. Well, unless you want to tell me, do you? I just understood it was like the big cliche that all the race drivers get. Well, I mean, I'm not saying that it's that, you know, I just get in the car and say, how fast can I go? But I mean, I'm still human. Yeah, sometimes you got to go. What I really wanted to know is, what I really wanted to know is, if you're just driving, just doing an errand, maybe doing something to your kids, driving another grocery store, if you ever say to you, if you're just sitting there and going, room. I have one more question, which is that I learned how to drive on a stick shift. Nice. Does that improve your opinion of me? Yes. I have an 18 year old, soon to be 18 year old daughter and a 14 year old son. And my goal this summer is to get them to learn. My son is like going through driver's head and stuff. So maybe, my daughter, I want her to learn how to drive. Here's the question. Are you, Jeff Gordon, one of the greatest race car drivers who have ever lived, going to teach your children to drive? I mean, yes. Reluctantly, because it's probably one of the scariest things I've ever done. It's sitting in the passenger seat. While, you know, somebody has zero experience driving, is driving the vehicle. And I kind of like to be in control of the vehicle. Yeah. So that's probably the most terrified of it. My daughter was learning how to drive. Just imagine you turning to your daughter, she's 16 or whatever she is, you're like, why don't you just pass them? I just want her to use the brakes when somebody's brake lights come on. I'll be happy with that. Okay. Start there. Well, Jeff Gordon, it is such a pleasure to talk to you. We've asked you here to play a game we're calling Leave the Driving to Us. As we have discussed, you're an accomplished driver. So we thought we'd ask you three questions about passengers. Answer two out of three correctly. You'll win our prize. One of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail. Bill, who is NASCAR legend, Jeff Gordon playing for? Kelsey Woods of Wendell, North Carolina. All right. North Carolina. I'm going to take care of my Carolinians. Exactly. Here's your first question. In 2017, a taxi driver in the UK was pulled over for speeding and he laid the blame on his passengers, telling the police what? A, they kept farting and it was so bad he had to get the ride over as quickly as possible. B, one of them said, follow that car. And since there wasn't any car in sight, he sped up to find one. Or C, one said, the acid we just took will kick in in 10 minutes and whether it happens back here or at our home is up to you. Oh my gosh. My son is going to be so proud of me for picking A. Your son should be proud because you're right. Yes. Oh, nice. Yeah, he said, he said I had to get out of the car. They were farting so badly. There were three of them. So let's have some sympathy for him. All right. Very good. People love to ride on roller coasters. Of course, his passengers, including one in Arakawa, Japan, and this roller coaster is famous for being what? A, a nearly surefire way to induce labor leading to long lines of pregnant women. B, it is the slowest roller coaster in the entire country, so slow some riders didn't realize once when it had derailed and stopped cold. Or C, it's the world's only one-way roller coaster, meaning every ride ends in a long walk back to the start. Oh, Lord. Well, I don't do anything slow, so I'm not going with B. I'm going to go the one-way. No, it was actually B, the slow one. It is the slowest roller coaster in Japan. It is so slow. It's called the family coaster. Remind me to never go to an amusement park next time I'm in. All right. This is your last question. If you get this, you win. In 2016, on a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Kansas City, and full of Oakland Raiders fans, the pilot actually took to the PA at the end of the flight to congratulate the passengers. For what? A, they had, he felt the most creative heckles of the safety announcement he had ever heard. B, for the first time in his experience, they had drank literally all of the alcohol on board the plane. Or C, every passenger had boarded the plane, stowed their bags, and got their seatbelt buckled in eight minutes flat. Oh gosh. Oh my goodness. It's a crowd participation. It really is. B. B. Yes, it was, of course, B. Welcome to Oakland Raiders fans. Thank you. They drank all of it during one three-hour flight. So how did Jeff Gordon do? Two out of three. Chuckered flag flies everywhere. There you go. Nice. Jeff Gordon is a NASCAR legend and the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon, thank you so much for being with us on Wink-A-Wink. Jeff Gordon, everybody, living legend. When we come back, we got Anna Kendrick explaining to Paula Poundstone why she looks so familiar, and one more reason to never ever have children. That's when we come back with more, wait, wait, don't tell me, from NPR. The NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. So if you're listening to this, it means that despite our best efforts, we are still somehow stuck in Hawaii. Honestly, I am so sorry. We intended to get back to Chicago as soon as our show in Honolulu was done. I even wore my pocket at the theater, so I wouldn't have to waste time changing clothes once we got back. So as we negotiate our escape from our island prison, we're going to keep bringing you some highlights from the past year. For example, here's a bluff game we played back in March with Roy Blunt, Faith Saley, and Shantyra Jackson. Hi, this is Dustin Durant from Omaha, Nebraska. Hey, okay. So what do you do there in Omaha? Well, my wife and I keep poison dart frogs. We have over 30 different frogs. That's new. You keep poison dart frogs. Do they come when you call them? They jump at you when you spray water at them, so you got to be careful. You know what? Me too. You all been there? All right, Dustin. Well, welcome to the show. You are going to play our game in which you have to tell truth from fiction. Bill, what is Dustin's topic? Don't bring your kid to work. You may remember the day, a decade or more ago, when NPR had to take your kid to work day and somebody's kid pushed a button and took NPR off the air for more than a minute. This week, somebody's kid did something even more interesting while at their parents' place of work. Our panelists are going to tell you about it. Pick the one who's telling the truth, and you will win our prize, the weight-weighter of your choice for your voicemail. Are you ready to play? Yeah. All right. Well, let's start then with a story from Faith Saley. Last week, Sharon McGahn had to take her 12-year-old son, Oscar, with her to her admin job at Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Columbus, Ohio. Sharon told Oscar to keep quiet and stay out of trouble. He didn't. He ensconced himself in a confessional. When penitent parishioner Lorna McMahon came into the booth and said through the screen, bless me, Father, for I have sinned, Oscar froze. Then he lowered his voice and replied, tell me all the bad stuff. My child. Oscar heard confessions for an hour until he farted and laughed so hard that his mom found him. But before she did, young, fake Father Oscar doled out some punishing penances, like telling one parishioner to listen to kids bop while praying the rosary a Google Plex number of times. A 12-year-old gets taken to church by his parent and ends up taking confessions and learning a little about the world. Your next story of a kid catastrophe comes from Roy Blunt Jr. If you're a German soccer player, we learned this week, it's all very well to bring your little boy to one of your games as long as you tell him this up front. Don't bite the referee in the balls. A match between two lower level teams was about to begin. Suddenly it was called off because the only referee was in too much pain. Let the referee tell it. A small child was doing warm-up exercises alongside the players. He came closer and closer to me. Suddenly, to my complete surprise, he gave me a sharp bite in my left testicle. So give the kid a break. Maybe the thing was hanging loose. Anyways, any parent knows you can never think of everything you need to tell a child not to do. A German soccer ref gets surprised by a player's son on the pitch. Your last story of a kiddo comes from Shantyra Jackson. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, or has his friends like to call him the Met, has a long history of displaying beautiful art pieces in the welcoming children of all ages. One day, a docent brought his daughter to work only to immediately lose her. The girl had been to the museum hundreds of times, and she decided it was time to put her own spin on the exhibits. One by one, she went around replacing the placards that give details about the art in the rooms with her own handwritten honest reviews. The Egyptian room, originally known as the Temple of Dinder, was replaced with a placard that said this stuff in here is pretty cool, but don't forget about what happened in the mummy. Be chill in here. The room with the antique furniture placard changed from a Renaissance revival room to skip this room. You can't even sit on any of the couches. Throughout the day, docent were finding and removing the placards display after display. When asked why she did it, the girl said that at school they were learning how the best art is honest art. And also, I just lied and said I had permission to do this. So, one of these stories really happened. Was it from Faith Saleh, a 12-year-old who ended up taking confessions at a Catholic church? From Roy Blunt Jr., a kid at a German soccer pitch, well, not using his hands on the ball, or from Shantyra Jackson, a docent's daughter at the Metropolitan Museum, changing the placards on the art to more honest ones. Which of these is the real story of a kid at his parent's workplace? I'm going to have to go with the soccer ball incident because that's the truth is stranger than fiction, and if you're going to make it up, I don't think they go that far. All right, you've chosen Roy's story of the soccer player's son who attacked the soccer referee. Well, we spoke to someone who had an opinion on this real story. I just felt so bad for the referee and for everyone involved. That was Joey Kenworth. He's a soccer referee and broadcaster in Vancouver, Canada, talking with, I think, some apprehension about the boy who attacked the referee with his teeth in Germany. Congratulations. You got it right. You earned a point for Roy. You have won our prize, The Voice of Any One You Might Choose, from our show and your voicemail. Congratulations and well done. Thank you. Thank you. It's a pleasure being on the show. Best to your frogs. In June, we went to Portland, Maine to interview one of that city's native daughters, actor and singer, Anna Kendrick, on the stage of the historic Merrill Auditorium. Peter asked her if she had been there before. This is not your first time here in the stage of the Merrill Auditorium. No, no, no. And I'll say that everybody at the Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me team has been so, so helpful and thoughtful. And they sent me a map and a picture of the stage door, and they told me, but don't worry, a man named Colin will escort you there. And I said, I have walked all the way down Congress Street wearing lion face paint to be in a dance recital here. I have come here to stand behind Judy Collins for one song in the choir during a Christmas special that she did, wearing what can only be described as a handmade tail-esque robe. And I have come to this stage door to wait in that balcony for 45 minutes in a white button down in black pants just to sing, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, at the nutcracker. Oh my God, that's where I know you're from! That was her! That's right. Oh, this is, oh, oh, it's so exciting to see you. So, so not to find a pine on it, but you were a theater kid. Oh, can I just say that earlier, before we were recording, Paula mentioned that we, we met and that Paula did know my full name, and that even though I started listing all the movies I was in, she still didn't know me. And I just wanted to say that I was only listing the movies at her specific request. Oh yeah, no. I wasn't just, I, I, she was, I was, she wasn't just like, oh, you were Anna Kendrick and I didn't just start going up in the air, end of watch, please account, pitch perfect, have you ever, ever heard of them? That didn't happen. No, no, it was, I put Anna in the uncomfortable position. I said, well, where would I know you from? That's a terrible thing to do, Paula. It kind of was, I, I apologize, but, and then every movie she mentioned, I'm like, no, not that. I only mentioned, I, Paula, I'd like to remind you, I only mentioned one. And then I said, you know, it doesn't really matter. No. And then you took out your phone and you were scrolling. And then Paula started naming movies she liked and going, were you in that one? Anyways, I apologize for, you know, making you feel awkward. No. I love you and I love that we have a rivalry already. That's true. When you were last here, it was a few years ago, and we talked about pitch perfect. And one of the things that I am aware of is that because of those movies, a lot of kids went to college and joined a cappella. Yeah, I'm so sorry. Well, I was gonna ask, geez, how do you feel about that legacy? I feel okay about it. I'm into people's hyper specific interests and passions. And like, it doesn't matter how dorky it is. I think if you're good at it and you care about it, that's amazing. I will say that over the course, you know, we made three movies and so I met a decent amount of a cappella people in the course of that time. And I was very surprised how many of them said, yeah, but I mean, the original versions of the song are always better. Right. What are we doing? You know, like, if we're listening to a song, maybe the thing that makes the sound of a drum should be the drum. So, yeah, it's a self-deprecating community and that's also admirable, I think. Oh, really? So those jokes are being made by the a cappella people? Yeah. Right. I mean, I hope, my God, I hope it wasn't just three people in the rest of the a cappella community are like, well, you're dead to us now. One of the things you've done since the last time we talked to you and as you directed your first film and I heard that you did that and I was like, oh, I'm sure it's like the incredibly charming, sophisticated romantic comedy that I would expect from someone like yourself. It is a movie called Woman of the Hour and it is a real life story about a woman who goes on, played by herself, who goes on the dating game back in the 70s when that was a thing and gets matched with a serial killer. Yeah, true story. True story. It's a true story? Yeah, girl. Yes, Paula, you should see the film. Yeah. She's going to watch the movie and go, where do I know her? Because Paula is a very sophisticated woman of taste and that's why she doesn't know any of my films. I'm just going to point out, given your vast success in fame, it's annoying that you're funnier than we are. Well, Anna Kendrick, it is so much fun to talk to you here in your hometown and this time we have invited you here to play a game we're calling Pitch Perfect Meet Female Dog Perfect. So as we have gone over, you were in the Pitch Perfect movies. I love a joke that you have to go, so as we were saying, you were in the Pitch Perfect movies, so we thought that we'd ask you about dog shows. Answer three questions about dog shows and you'll win our prize. One of our listeners, the voice of anyone they choose for their voicemail. Bill, who is Anna Kendrick playing for? Holly Long of Bittiford, Maine. All right, we're made for it. Bittiford. Come on, Bittiford. Here's your first question. Show dogs are registered under very elaborate names that reflect their you know, parentage. What was the name of the winner of the 2014 Savannah dog show? A, snitches get stitches by daylight. B, starfires spank me hard, call me crazy. Or C, President Polk's burrito of joyful abundance. Oh, this makes me so, the fact that it's any one of them makes me really delighted. But I, oh, I guess I'll say A. You're going to say A, snitches get stitches by daylight. No, I'm afraid it was starfires spank me hard, call me crazy. Who is, that is the one that I was like, well, that's definitely not it. But yes, it was. A lovely Pomeranian, by the way, we are told. All right, you have two more chances. Not a problem. At the 2021 Westminster dog show, Ripple, the Boston Terrier was well on the way to winning the agility competition, you know, they're running with the obstacle course. When what happened? A, her trainer tripped over his own feet and fell right on her. B, she was distracted by a spectator who pulled out a slim gym and left the course. Or C, she suddenly stopped reconsidering what she was doing with her brief life and just walked away. Well, well, I really hope it's C. So I'm going to say C. You, you, you're hope as a sort of dramatic scene, a moment. Yes. Is the dogs running them through, let's imagine how a capsule of dogs zip, zip, zip, you've seen them go. All right, you disagree. I get it. What should I say? Wonderful. Then A. They're right. A. Wait, have you all seen this? No. This would be, by the way, a great final scene. That's the one I really didn't want to see. And yet, was the dog okay? Only answer if the answer is yes. I am proud to tell you that if you see the video and you can, the trainer trips and falls onto her, but she is perfectly fine. And in a quite lovely moment before continuing her course, she stops and checks on him to make sure he's fine. That's very sweet. All right, Anna. Now, you've got one more chance. If you get it right, you win it all. A dog show that was staged at a high school in Spain in 2019 had a surprise ending. When what happened? A, the winner was revealed to be a small rat with excellent makeup. B, one of the dogs busted three students for drug possession. C, the students tried to feed the dogs food from their own cafeteria and they all refused. Well, I'm hearing E. So, clearly, annunciation lessons for all of you. I do want to say C. I'll stick with C. You're going to stick with C. Oh my God. The way you're looking at me, fine. Yes, it's B. It is B. It was a demonstration of police dogs and the dogs did their job. Wow. Well, ultimately, how did Anna Kendrick do on our quiz? Two out of three. She wins again. Anna Kendrick is an Oscar Tony and Emmy nominated actor and a proud native of Portland, Maine. She was named a director to watch by variety for her debut, Women of the Hour, which you can stream now on Netflix. Anna Kendrick, what an absolute joy to have you here. Give it up for your hometown girl. Coming up, either we burst into the doors of the theater freshly, tan and out of breath just back from Hawaii or we'll bring you some more never-before-heard goodies from our show plus Iowa basketball legend, Jan Jensen. Oh, the suspense. That's when we return with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts building in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Peter Segal of all. Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody. Thank you so much. Well, I guess at this point I just have to admit it, we weren't able to make it back from Hawaii in time to do a new show for you this week, but I want you to know, no matter where we are right now and how delicious the Mai Tai we're drinking is, we truly wish we were here with you. I'm so sad about it, I just ordered a second Mai Tai. So to make up for it, here's some delightful fun we have with our panelists in the last year. Maz, Maine, recently issued new license plates with an image of a pine tree, but a lot of people who have received it say it actually looks like a what? Merigawanna? Nuh-huh. Give me a hand. I'll give you a hand. The old one, the one it replaced, had a bird. This one is flipping a bird. Oh, it looks like the middle finger. It does. So they say the new Maine license plates feature a majestic pine tree, and a lot of people look at the top of the pine tree and they say, well, it looks like it's giving you the finger. Now, the artist who drew that for the state says it's ridiculous. That's just a figment of your imagination. And if you need to see a real middle finger to compare it to, just drive into Maine with a Massachusetts license plate. Shane, authorities are reporting a huge increase in the volume and the sophistication of people who are smuggling contraband into where? Into where? Into the Senate floor. Smuggling contraband into the United States? No. Smuggling contraband into public high schools? No. Huge uptake. Can I have a hand? Sure. I mean, contraband smuggled in includes candy, snacks, and extra string for crafting friendship bracelets. Oh, to summer camps? Yes, to summer camps. How dare they? Most camps have strict bands on outside candy and snacks, but that does not stop parents of campers from trying. This summer, they have been caught, for example, hollowing out books and loading them up with candy. One parent filled a tampon box with chocolate bars, resealed it, looked like it had never been opened. So they'll do anything. While mom says, well, you know, it's just not parents visiting day if I'm not swallowing balloons filled with Skittles first. I think that a mom putting candy in a tampon box should be allowed. That's medicine. One camper. Actually, the camp counselors are like, these guys are impressive. One person bought a monopoly game, opened it up, took out all the parts in the game, and put in all just packed it with candy, closed it and sealed it with a heater on cellophane to make it look like it was store, still store bought. Another person stuffed a soccer ball with candy. A third packed two whole sleeves of Oreos into a kilo of heroin. Yeah. It's time for a new game we're calling Medical Bills. What fun. Every week we see a headline that says somebody racked up a huge medical bill after being treated for something. We're going to ask you about a few bills people have received. You guess what they were treated for. And then if you get yours right, you get a point and we're going to go quick. Let's go. Okay. Okay. Roy, from this week, finish this headline from Yahoo News. Woman faces more than $20,000 in medical bills after what? Depression. After a bat flew into her mouth. Oh, my God. That's what I was going to say. She's okay. Here's the takeaway from the story. I know what bats taste like now. It's an earthy, sweet kind of flavor. But you know the flip side is now she's going to start fighting crime. Her life is never going to be the same again, my friend. All right, Nagin from CBS News in 2017. South Dakota Man accumulated $1,000 in medical bills when he became ill after drinking what? Oh, elephant piss. A can of Coca-Cola that had a dead mouse in it. Here's the key takeaway. This is absolutely true. Coca-Cola refused to pay the man's bills because they argued in the six weeks between bottling and when he drank it, the Coca-Cola would have definitely dissolved that mouse. All right, Brian from CBS News, a San Diego hiker received a $153,000 medical bill after he what? After he was bitten by a tarantula. Oh, come on, man. Snake bite. I'm going to give it to you. After he attempted to take a quote, rattlesnake selfie. For you, Roy, from MassLive in 2024, Massachusetts woman gets hospital bill for $56,000 after she what? She tried to buy health insurance after she got sick. She felt sorry for a raccoon and tried to help it cross the street. And here's the takeaway. The raccoon did not want her help. Thanks for playing our medical bill game. Finally, in July, we went to Des Moines, Iowa, where we got to talk to Jan Jensen, the coach of the legendary University of Iowa women's basketball team. As it turns out, Jan is not only a basketball champion herself, but a descendant of champions. Among the many things I learned this week, Coach Jensen, is that Iowa is in fact more or less the birthplace of women's basketball. Is that not right? It really is. In fact, my grandmother was the MVP of the 1921 state tournament. Your grandmother? Absolutely. Yeah, my grandmother. And didn't your grandmother had a great nickname? She did. She was named Lottie, because she scored a lot of points. So an enlightened state, not a very creative one, but that's okay. I mean, I'm sorry. I mean, I have these images in my head of what the 20s were like, especially for women. Do they have to play in bustles? I mean, they played in bloomers. They played in bloomers and they had like a sash. I actually have her uniform. No, really? Yes. And I have the ball of which they played with. No. And it's a it, it, they weren't dribbling back then. It almost looked like a leather, like a football. Right. So I didn't really start talking to her about her history until I was getting recruited. And she never shared it until I pried it out of her. Wait a minute, wait a minute, because I happen to know you were one of like the greatest high school basketball players in the nation, right? I read that you had like a national record for points scored or something like that. And your grandmother never mentioned during all those years. Oh, basketball, you know, funny thing. I forgot to mention 1921 state champion. No, my mind being old. No, she did not. She mentioned it casually, but she didn't like, you know, wasn't until I truly really pried the stories out of her. I knew she played. I saw her Hall of Fame trophy. Of course. And it was at her home. And my mother used to tell a story that when I was really little, I looked up at that trophy. I said, mom, I'm going to get a trophy like that someday. Right. And my mom said, I bet you will. And I did. I bet you did. When we were talking, they did a news special, the Iowa Girls Athletic Union. And it was on Iowa Public Television, which is awesome. And they also did a six on six special, right? So they were talking about the things. But the cool thing, my grandmother, she critiqued it. She said that it was much too physical and we showed way too much skin. Oh, really? She was very, she thought it was very risque. Really? Your grandmother was like, in my day, we played in bloomers and we liked it. We showed no ankle. That's right. Let's talk about your coaching career. You spent 23 years as an assistant coach at Iowa before becoming head coach last year. And during that time, you coached the global phenomenon, Caitlin Clark. So what was that like? You know, it was, I don't think we'll fully unpack it until, well, certainly I won't until I slow down, right? Because someone asked me, what was it like to coach Caitlin Clark? And I said everything you think it was in a matter of a minute because she's passionate. You know, she's, you know, fun. She's feisty. She shoots it from the parking lot. You know, she makes a dazzling pass. She challenges you. She's a jokester. And then as you're going through it, you know, building a team, to me, that's the most beautiful thing is, and you know this on your show, you know, you got you, you're leading the school. Oh, I am definitely the Caitlin Clark of this organization. I'm so glad. I'm so glad. I'm so glad that somebody has finally noticed my center of thought. I'm now your favorite guest you've ever had. Really? I think, let's talk more about that. No, anyway, so go on, please. Well, just the building the team and the culture. And I think that's why a lot of people have enjoyed watching Iowa Women's Basketball way back when we were at Drake. Our staff was together at Drake is what we believe is just really playing with joy, playing hard. And I believe the best thing in life is if you can get a team, I'd like to think if you can get a society to be celebrators of each other. That's the hardest thing. So one of your jobs is to motivate a player who's struggling. That's part of the deal. So let's say I, as you have identified the Caitlin Clark of this show, let's say I'm not doing well. Let's say I'm not playing to my astonishing potential. How would you say to me, like, you know, what would be your learned coach? Well, for you particularly, I promise you, get your head out of your... For you. Really? But now, for these lovely people over here, I would say, you know what, you got it. You can do it. I believe in you. You get over here. Well, Coach Jensen, we are delighted to have you. Well, I'm delighted to be here. Speaking of games, we, speaking of games, we have invited you here to play a game that this time we're calling... Let's go a courton. You spend all your time in the basketball court, so we thought we'd ask you about the other kind of courting, finding a spouse. So we're going to ask you three questions about courting rituals from around the world. Get too right. You want a prize for one of our listeners, Bill, who is Coach Jensen playing for? Matthew Kodis of De Bois, Iowa. All right. All right. Ready to go? Here's your first question. In the Puritan communities in New England, back in the 1600s, courting couples would have to sit apart in a small room with a family member there to chaperone at all times. So for privacy, these couples used what? A, a six-foot-long speaking tube, which one person held to their ear while the other person talked into the other side. B, an elaborate code using only eye blinks and squinting. Or C, wooing leaves, which was a medicinal herb you would put in grandma's tea so she'd fall asleep and you could talk freely. Oh gosh. Okay. I'm feeling maybe, are you feeling maybe one? I'm feeling one. Yeah, it was the speaking tube. Yes. Yes. Let's go. Grandma would sit there. I'm beginning to get a sense of your style on the court side. Yeah. They sit there, they hold the tube and they speak. Little help for my buddies. Yeah. Okay. All right. All right. That was very good. Here's your second question. Pumpkins had a traditional role in courtship in medieval Ukraine. What was it? A, what was called love bowling. Women would roll a pumpkin down the largest hill in town and the first man at Noctover would be her betrothed. B, if a woman turned down a marriage proposal, she would give their suitor a pumpkin as a kind of consolation prize, but everyone who saw him walking home with it would know he just got rejected. Or C, suitors wore pumpkins over their heads to the town dance to ensure that matches were not just about physical appearance. Oh, golly. Kind of a medieval Ukrainian version of love. What was that again? They're yelling B. I like that. That's correct. How did you know? That's right. In my back, all of you. The consolation pumpkin or the pumpkin of shame. Men would only, this is true, men would only propose at night so they wouldn't be seen carrying the pumpkin home. Here's your last question. In 19th century rural Austria, available women presented men who they liked with a challenge to prove their worth. What was it? A, she would feed a ring to a particular sheep and the man would have to first guess the sheep and then get the ring back. B, after a town dance, the woman would offer the man she fancied an apple slice that she had held in her armpit during the whole dance to see if he would eat it. Or C, she would write a particular tongue twister love poem which the man was expected to recite after drinking four beers in one hour. I think it's B. And it is B. Yes! Three for three. I've been stressing about this the whole day. I'd like to win. Three for three. Let's go. Bill, how did Coach Jensen do in our quiz? What else? A perfect score. Yeah! It's all of you! Thank you. Dan Jensen is the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes Women's Basketball team. Coach Dan Jensen, thank you so much for being on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. Give it up for Coach Jensen. That's it for our Prisoners of Paradise edition. I can guarantee you we'll be back with a new show next week. Mahalo listeners, Mahalo. Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is a production of NPR and WBZ, Chicago, an association with urgent haircut productions Doug Berman, Benevolent Overlord. Philip Godica writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman and our tour manager is Shayna Donald. BJ Litterman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Grombos and Lillian King. Special thanks to Monica Hickey. Peter Gwynne was thrown into a volcano. Our visual host is Emma Choi, technical directions from Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillog and the executive producer of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is Mike Danforth. Thanks to everybody you heard on this week's show. All of our panelists, our guests, our fill-in hosts and scorekeepers and of course, Mr. Bill Curtis. Thanks to all of you for listening. I am Peter Segel. We'll be back next week with the Farmers' Pan of Your Dreams. This is NPR.