Barstool The Dozen Trivia Season 5 Preview Part 2: Returners, New Rosters, & New Teams

Let’s continue on with the second half of The Dozen Trivia League teams. With the next eight teams closing out the 15-team league, we will see some returning teams with new faces, as well as completely new squads.

Though we don't expect at this point to see a Gruden-based team or, as reported by Nick & KB, The Ace of Spades as well. We are diligently working, though, to confirm whether these teams are in or out of the league.

With many new players in this second part of the preview, the strengths and weaknesses will be based on their content in the Barstool universe if they are new to the trivia game. Also, next up make sure to read on for the Preseason Rankings & Predictions.

Let’s wait no further and get into Part 2.

Team Minihane

Kirk Minihane – 2023 Dozen Champion, 2x MVP, reworked his team after a very disappointing season last year.

• Strengths: Movies, golf, anything before 2000

• Weaknesses: Music after 1999, trading teammates after one bad game

Robbie Fox – Former league champion, knows how to reach the pinnacle of his sport.

• Strengths: MUSIC, pop culture, and UFC

• Weaknesses: College sports & MLB

Chris Klemmer – Very hard on himself, takes trivia almost as seriously as Brandon Walker.

• Strengths: ANYTHING MLB, lots of NBA, and pop culture before 2000

• Weaknesses: Modern music, college sports, and Kirk being his team captain

Minihane’s teams are always hard to predict. While he has a very strong personal record, he also has the quickest GM trigger in the league...chances are Klemmer is one bad answer away from the trading block. Kirk is impressive to watch when the questions land in his niches.

Uptown Balls

Glenny Balls – Exciting news to see him back with his team! Former league champion and an MVP candidate for this season.

• Strengths: Celebrity Mashup (close 2nd behind Fran, though Gia is right there), MLB, NBA, and pop culture

• Weaknesses: College sports, logos, and geography

Tommy Smokes – Game show WIZARD—he knows how to win and has the will to do it.

• Strengths: MLB, anything Yankees, pop culture, some NFL/NBA

• Weaknesses: College sports, geography, and words

Hannah Montoya – NEW PLAYER ALERT...former intern, now full-time. A popular pick for many teams, she has shown a lot of strengths in pop culture with Dozen Daily questions. Exciting to see her potential to become a prominent member of the league.

• Potenial Weaknesses: Still unknown, but she could help the team in college sports, a major need for them.

Uptown Balls was already a title contender, though they were expected to lose namesake Glenny on top of Smitty in the offseason. Balls staying, plus a huge pickup in Hannah, puts them right back in the title conversation for 2025. The only question is... could there be a New York..Independent Worker...Chicago rift with this team? A storyline to keep an eye on!

Chicago

Chief – Longtime captain of Chicago, a very steady leader who can speak the White Sox Dave language.

• Strengths: MLB, college football, & NFL

• Weaknesses: Trust in White Sox Dave, some pop culture, and geography

White Sox Dave – A true wild card, similar to Cheah as the 3-point shooter that’s either pure or off the side of the backboard.

• Strengths: MLB, music, some NFL

• Weaknesses: College sports, logos, and geography

KenJac – A Dozen journeyman and one of the most-called Phone-a-Friends in the league.

• Strengths: MOVIES, also TV and NBA

• Weaknesses: College sports, geography, and some pieces of pop culture outside of movies & TV

Chicago takes on the identity of their favorite team...the Chicago Bears. How so? They just can’t seem to get out of their own way in many matches. They’ve had insanely wild playoff losses or devastating defeats that take them out of the playoffs. This will be the third year in a row with a new roster, and they have high hopes as a dark horse to finally break through and make the Final Four.

Gen XYZ

Large – A true captain, always very even-keeled and in control of the moment for his squad.

• Strengths: History, NASCAR (if asked), snacks, some pop culture, anything Notre Dame

• Weaknesses: MLB, NFL, and NBA

Vibbs – A solid player, brings modern knowledge to the squad, and can get on sneaky runs.

• Strengths: NBA, pop culture, logos, modern music, some modern MLB/NFL

• Weaknesses: College sports, anything pre-2010s

Big Ev – A journeyman in The Dozen league, brings a winning pedigree, though hasn't reached the pinnacle.

• Strengths: College sports, college logos, anything Ohio State, some pro sports (mainly NBA)

• Weaknesses: Pop culture, geography, and history

Gen XYZ addressed their departure very well... with of course losing Jake Marsh, their college sports guru, they bring in Big Ev, another big-time college guy. This is a team that no one will have as top 5, but on the flip side, they’ll be the team no one wants to face in the playoffs. They have a solid, all-around squad to make a run.

Now onto 3 brand new squads to the Dozen ranks, many compromised of veterans, lets take a look

Charity Case

Mintzy – The assumption is he is the captain of this squad, which is going to be quite the event every match. He could answer a question… for either team on any given night.

• Strengths: College football, NFL, NBA, some pop culture/music

• Weaknesses: Not knowing who the question is for, and WiFi

Gia Mariano – A veteran who will give Fran a run for her money as the top Celebrity Mashup player.

• Strengths: Celebrity Mashup, music, and most pop culture questions

• Weaknesses: Most sports questions & geography

Rudy Junda – Former Rookie of the Year, fell off considerably on a winless team last year...excited for a fresh start!

• Strengths: NHL, pop culture, Lord of the Rings, video games

• Weaknesses: ALL other pro sports leagues...for instance, NBA, NFL, and MLB

A new team to The Dozen ranks, this one leaves many more questions than answers.

The potential is very much there...it’s just a matter of whether they can put it all together.

All three have shown the ability to dominate their categories, but they are also coming off tough 2024 seasons.

The Ryders

Rico Bosco – Former league champion, coming off a down year...could have celebrated a little too hard and come in unprepared. Is this his comeback as a now captain?

• Strengths: College basketball, college football, and anything to do with basketball coaches’ phone numbers

• Weaknesses: Himself, reputation as a team jumper?, geography

Kelly Keegs – Coming off a personally dominant season that put her in MVP talks, now signs up with an all-New York team with high hopes.

• Strengths: Celebrity Mashup, music, movies, anything Harry Potter or Taylor Swift

• Weaknesses: Anything sports-related or geography

Kevin Clancy – Steps away from captaincy after an abysmal season the only way is up from his 2024 performance.

• Strengths: NFL, MLB, and pop culture & music

• Weaknesses: College sports and distractions off-camera during matches

This squad is an all-New York team, full of players who have had great success in the past.

However, they have also been part of teams that have had crumbling moments (Ziti, Minihane, URMom, Chicago…).

So… can this be the combo needed to finally find team success over individual success?

Mostly Trivia

Mark Titus – The captain who tried to make a trade that almost disbanded the league...now in the offseason, he forms his own squad.

• Strengths: ANYTHING college basketball, NBA, and also some movies, music, and TV

• Weaknesses: NFL, MLB, geography, and Celebrity Mashup

TJ Hitchings – Has been in and out of the league over the past few years, but seems to finally have a guaranteed spot.

• Strengths: Video games, pop culture, TikTok trends, some music & Celebrity Mashup

• Weaknesses: MLB, NFL, and some college sports

Ebo – In his time, he has done a lot to carry his team...this will be the first time he plays with such a balanced attack.

• Strengths: MLB, music, NBA, and some other sports

• Weaknesses: Pop culture and most non-sports categories

A surprise team, but a close-knit squad known for their tag..."Family." This could be the best of the three new squads joining The Dozen this year. Maybe still a ways away from title contention, but surely not a team you want to see on your side of a live show or playoff bracket.

With that, this closes out our team preview portion of the series. A lot of exciting moments await us in Season 5 of The Dozen. With three new teams looking to make a splash, while others have retooled themselves to have the depth to compete with the elite squads. In Part 3, which will be released tomorrow, we will take a look at the preseason predictions for the playoffs, Final Four, champions, and even individual awards!