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Yesterday I recorded Jeopardy! in two places at my parents' house because I was afraid something would go wrong. Tonight I recorded Jeopardy! in just one place, and it taped - but with no sound! We had to rely on the closed captioning. I wish my parents would get a DVR. They just want their old TV and cable back. They had to get an LCD TV and digital cable when their traditional TV broke.
Before we watched the show tonight, my little sister wanted to watch some of something else, so she took the Jeopardy! tape out of the VCR. I had checked to see if the show recorded properly, so I knew it was Stefan Goodreau's 5th game from of his original run on the show. I said as she was taking it out of the VCR, "Whatever you do, don't let anything happen to that. It's the 'Stefan tape.'" And she goes, "The effin' Stefan tape?" (After we watched the show, she worried that that comment would sound "disparaging" in this blog. I assure you that she did not mean it that way!)
Stefan's opponents were Emily Bruemmer and John Munson, described as a "gadabout" in his introduction. When this show originally aired, I had to look that word up!
Stefan swept a category called Visualliteration almost right away. The idea was that the two words in the answer started with the same letter, but not the same sound. Sample clue: "Security videos are usually transmitted in this manner, involving no broadcast."* By the first commercial break, Stefan had 5000, John had 200, and Emily had 1400. Emily found all three Daily Doubles in the game, and answered the one in the Jeopardy round correctly. She wagered just 600, though. Stefan was still leading at the end of the Jeopardy round, with 8400. John had -200, and Emily had 5400. John bounced back after the first category in the Double Jeopardy round, which was all about Bob Dylan. He answered four of the five clues correctly, and at the end of the category had 4600 already.
Emily tied Stefan when she answered the second Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round correctly in The Aztecs: "The principal food of the Aztecs was a thin cornmeal pancake called a tlaxcalli, this is Spanish."* Stefan was not in the lead at the end of Double Jeopardy! He had 16400, Emily had 18000, and John had 8200. The Final Jeopardy category was 25 Years and Counting, in honor of Jeopardy!'s 25th season. This was the clue: "In 2009, she was on a world tour at age 69; when Jeopardy! premiered in September 1984, she had the USA's number one hit."* Incidentally, Mr. Trebek said after the think music ended that two of the three contestants were only months old in 1984. Everyone looked pretty young to me; which two do you think he was referring to?
I guessed the same thing as Stefan, and we had it right. My sister guessed Barbra Streisand, which I do not think is a bad guess. We just checked, and Streisand is 68 years old right now. Stefan didn't wager anything, but it didn't matter, because Emily wagered 7000, and John could not have beat Stefan even he wagered everything and got it right. (John guessed Cher, and Emily guessed Madonna!) Stefan, then, became a 5-time champion and earned the right to come back for the Tournament of Champions, which ended about a week ago. He made it to the finals, and came in third overall.
Come back Monday to see if reigning champion Aaron Ammerman can win his second game.
*closed circuit, tortilla, Tina Turner
As promised (or at least foretold), I watched Jeopardy! today with my dad and mom. I don't know why I was more nervous than usual about the show recording properly on their VCR. I guess I've just been burned (plenty of times), and missing the show is an awful feeling for me. I also couldn't get it out of my head that I had said yesterday I was going to blog about today's episode, and I didn't want to come across as a flake if I wasn't able to do it. So I recorded Jeopardy! in two places in their house, and on two channels. Thankfully, it worked. I thought if it didn't, at least I could explain how I tried. I have gone to great lengths in the past so I wouldn't miss Jeopardy! - even asking an aunt in Los Angeles to record the show for me on my grandpa's VCR when my power was out for days after a tornado. I have more examples, but...
...back to the show. Today it featured 3-day champ Tom LaPorta, Elizabeth Schmitt, and Aaron Ammerman. My favorite category of the Jeopardy round was Spell Check Hell, even though it didn't turn out to be a category where you have to spell the answer. (My sisters and I are all former spelling bee champs!) Contestants seem to dread that category on the too-rare occasion that it comes up, but I look forward to it. Do you guys like it? Are there other categories you like to see? My dad's favorite category in the Jeopardy round was Astronomy, and he was bummed when there was a clue remaining in that category when the round had to end. (I know the feeling.)
All three contestants found a Daily Double today, and all three got them right. Tom found the one in the Jeopardy round, in Movie Tag Lines. That was lucky for him; I remember he said he was a movie fan on a previous episode. It was no surprise, then, that he seemed confident and wagered everything on this clue: "This 2009 comedy proclaimed, 'Some guys just can't handle Vegas.'"* After that, he was 200 from Elizabeth's lead.
Aaron found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, in Where Am I?, a category of video clues by the Clue Crew . It was a close game: Tom had 5200, Aaron had 4600, and Elizabeth had 5000. Aaron breezily picked up 2000 on this clue: "[Jimmy:] I'm at Tsukiji - a seafood market that's known as a kitchen for 12 million people in this capital city."*
Elizabeth (by process of elimination) found the third Daily Double, in International Rhyme Time. She had 7800, Tom still had 5200, and Aaron had 8600. She nailed this clue: "Hotel foyer where British policemen like to gather."* (My mom said something like, "I've been to Hobby Lobby.")
At the end of Double Jeopardy, Tom was in third place (unusual for him) with 8800, still a strong showing. Aaron led with 15000, and Elizabeth had 12900. The category was Awards and Honors. Did you notice that Mr. Trebek described the category as " Awards and Trophies" just before he read the clue? Good thing it was part of the clue and not the response: "A trophy named for this author is awarded to anyone who breaks the record for sailing a yacht around the world."* I guessed right on this one. Did you guys? (I often wonder how I compare to other people watching, so I'd love to hear from you!) Tom missed it and lost everything. Elizabeth missed it and lost 5001. Aaron got this one right, and added a whopping 11000 to his total. That drew a "Hello!" from Mr. Trebek. I like how Aaron pumped his fist like an athlete when the camera was zoomed in on him.
For those of you who get an episode of Jeopardy! on Saturday nights (turns out it is not just those of us near Omaha!), I intend to record tomorrow's episode. On two VCRS.
*The Hangover, Tokyo, bobby lobby, Jules Verne
Today's episode featured Nancy Williams, Bill Benison, and Tom LaPorta. Tom demonstrated right out of the gate why he is a 2-day Jeopardy! champ: He swept the first category played, 2 Words in One. (Sample clue: "Cleopatra's cobra plus a command to stop gives us this road surface."*)
 At the end of the Jeopardy round, Tom had 7200, Bill had 7400, and Nancy had 600. By the time Nancy found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round in Ok, Corral Me, though, she had 6200. She wagered 2000, which tied her for second place with Bill when she responded correctly on this clue: "As I'm this breed [pictured at right], you might want to keep your distance."*
Nancy also found the second Daily Double of the round. She had 11400, Tom had 11600, and Bill had 15400. She earned 1500 on it, only to end the round on a low note by losing 2000 on the very next clue! If it felt bad for us as viewers it must have felt really bad for her. Here is the Daily Double clue, in Shakespeare's Characters Described: "Queen of the Fairies."* (Thank you, high school English! Could you guys come up with this one in time?) This was the clue, in the same category, where Nancy lost 2000: "Nephew to the Lady Capulet."* We thought Bill answered this one correctly, but we were informed after the commercial break that he left the last letter off his answer. The scores going into Final Jeopardy, then, were Tom 11600, Bill 13400, and Nancy 10900.
The Final Jeopardy category was Colonial Africa. Yikes. The clue: "In 1945, Africa had only 4 independent countries; these 2 started with the same first letter."* Okay, I want to know who out there came up with this one in time, and I want to know if anyone knows what the other two countries are. I was on the wrong track, thinking one was "Liberia" and trying to come up with another African "L" country. Apparently Bill was trying the same thing. He lost a whopping 10000 on the clue. Nancy missed it too and lost 3600. Tom got it right and picked up 5000, making him a 3-day champ with a total of 50501.
Here are my scores, by the way, for Monday and Tuesday's game this week. I tried to play Wednesday, but something went wrong. The screen froze on a clue early in the Jeopardy round, and I missed most of the show. Boo!
Gordon Purcell 5997; Jenna Strickland 19900; Buddy Wright 20001; Me 20002
Tom LaPorta 16300; Amy Watts 3400; Buddy Wright 0; Me 20600
Tomorrow and Saturday, I'm expecting to watch the show with the "Jeopar-daddy!" Be sure to come back and see how we did.
*asphalt, longhorn, Titania, Tybalt, Egypt and Ethiopia
Here's the third and final segment of a chat I had with 4-time Jeopardy! champ and Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist Stephen Weingarten. This was a pleasure, and I hope this interview is the first of many with other Jeopardy! contestants/champs.
Jeanie: At the Tournament, did you have a chance to interact with your fellow contestants besides while playing? If so, what was THAT like? (Like, what kinds of things did you all talk about?)
Stephen: We got to interact quite a bit, and it was great. We all knew each others' faces already, of course, and it was great to meet everyone. The only exception was Regina [Robbins], whose first episode actually aired the first day of ToC taping! That was neat. As for what we talked about... Just lots of stuff. The game, our lives, etc. We got to take a couple of tests that they are working on to use in fututre auditions, which was fun and a topic of conversation. But we were all just mainly getting to know each other and trying to stay loose.
Jeanie: That's cool that you got to take future audition tests. It's a good idea to try them on Tournament of Champions contestants. Do you keep in touch with each other?
Stephen: Yes, we do. It's a fun club to be in!
Jeanie: Oh, that is so cool. I'm jealous! Did you get to stay for the finals of the Tournament?
Stephen: Of course! We were all there, and then we had a party on the set afterwards with cake and champagne.
Jeanie: As you know, then, finalist Jason Zollinger said on the show he'd done a "couple dozen" interviews after his original appearance on Jeopardy! Do you think you have done that many? That is, do you think that's about how many other champs have done?
Stephen: I've done a lot, but probably only about 10 or so.
Jeanie: Have you considered writing a book about your Jeopardy! experiences like some of your predecessors (Bob Harris, Chuck Forrest, Michael Dupee, to name a few)?
Stephen: No, not really. It would be hard to top Bob Harris. Speaking of, my dad and sister came to the taping, and my sister (who just graduated from medical school YESTERDAY, I'm very proud) ended up sitting next to Bob at the taping! She hasn't read the book, but she recognized him from his picture on the cover, so he was rooting for me in my game! I got to meet him, too. Great, great guy.
Jeanie: That's neat. I have his book, and I'm hoping he will write another one. Incidentally, I would buy a book that you wrote. Congratulations to your sister! What are YOU doing these days?
Stephen: Thanks. I'm mostly staying home taking care of my baby daughter, Iris. I also do some work on the side working with a young autistic man, helping him figure out how to live in a world not really made for him.
Jeanie: How is your baby? I know she was born less than two weeks before your first appearance on Jeopardy!
Stephen: She's great. Very strong, wants to walk before she can crawl!
Jeanie: Do you have any advice for aspiring Jeopardy! contestants, or anything else you wanted to say?
Stephen: I definitely recommend that any fan of the show at least try the online test whenever it is offered. I mean, why not? It's fun even to try, and your dream really can come true. I loved Jeopardy! long before I made it on the show, and I love it even more now. Take the chance!
Jeanie: That's great. I know I've thanked you like a zillion times, but I want to do it one more time!
Stephen: Well, thank you too. It was fun, and I really do enjoy your blog. I hope you keep it up!
Jeanie: Thank you. I really appreciate that. I will keep it up.
Tomorrow: A recap of tomorrow's show, and my scores for this week. And FYI: I am still looking at potential guest-bloggers. Tell me if you are interested!
This is Part Two of a chat I had with 4-time Jeopardy! champ and Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist Stephen Weingarten.
Jeanie: After your shows were taped but before they aired, how many people could you tell about the outcome? Are there consequences for blabbing your results to everyone?
Stephen: They are pretty clear that you can tell people who you are very close to you (immediate family, I guess), and also pretty clear that they don't want you blabbing on Facebook or the like, but beyond that, it's funny, they don't really ever specifically tell you what you can't say, nor do they give you a rundown of consequences you could face. That said, they also don't send your check until well after your episodes air, so you certainly don't feel like doing anything that could possibly jeopardize getting your money. Also, it's fun to keep the secret.
Jeanie: I'm surprised. I even wondered if they had contestants sign something promising not to tell. I read in an article about you that losing on your original shows did not hurt. Can you describe the feeling?
Stephen: Well, I went to bed pretty early the night before, but then woke up at 3 a.m., wide awake, and couldn't really sleep after that. So I was tired. This was after my first taping day when I had won three times and $79,000. On day 2, I just didn't feel like I was as locked in as I had been the day before. And you get to know the people you are playing against pretty well, too, and they all want to win as much as you do, which makes you feel a little bad when you beat them, you know? So when I finally lost, though I was of course disappointed not to break the 5-game barrier, I also felt a wave of relief wash over me. I wasn't nervous, but it is a lot of pressure to be under. It was kind of nice to have that pressure lifted.
Jeanie: Yes. I've often wondered how people who lost on their first day feel....They will not get another chance at Jeopardy! greatness. You did win four games rather than the five that would guarantee you a place in the Tournament of Champions. How much time did you have between finding out you'd made it to the Tournament, and the taping of it? Did you do anything to prepare during that time?
Stephen: About a month, and, no, I didn't really. I SHOULD have, and most of the other contestants there reported studying, but I was pretty busy with taking care of the baby. I did watch the show every day.
Come back tomorrow night to find out what the Tournament of Champions contestants talk about when they're all together! Speaking of the Tournament, I was sorry to see Buddy Wright lose today, but with a 4-day total of $88,804, he may be in next year's Tournament. I hope so.
 Here's the first of three installments of a chat I had with Stephen Weingarten, 4-time Jeopardy! champ and 2010 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist. Stephen was also a "giant-slayer:" His first victory was a win was over another Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist, Ryan Chaffee. Stephen earned more than $98,000 over his five episodes. (Special thanks to Jon, one of my followers, for "practicing" chatting with me, as I had not used that particular program before!)
Jeanie: I read your " winner's blog" on the Jeopardy! website. How did you feel you did after the audition in Seattle?
Stephen: I felt pretty good, but I didn't have any idea if it went well or not. Part of the audition was to play a mock Jeopardy! game. Maggie Speak would call people up to the front of the room, and they would use a signalling device to compete against each other, and then answer an Alex-type question about themselves. I was called last, and, because there were only 20 people there (instead of 21 for some reason), I only had one opponent instead of two. Didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one (or if it meant nothing). What I told people afterwards who asked me how it went was that I wouldn't be surprised if they called, but that I also wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.
Jeanie: Did you have to take a Jeopardy! test that day, too?
Stephen: Yep. They had a video projector and screen, and they projected, if I recall corrrectly, 50 questions for about 15 seconds each. We all had an answer sheet to write down our responses. They then left the room to check the papers, and told us we were welcome to discuss the test among ourselves. Once we left the room, however, they asked us to keep mum about what was on the test because they give the same one to every group. Then Maggie said something like, "I mean, why would you want to help your competition anyway?" I raised my hand and said I knew why! To dilute the pool so you would face weaker players in your actual game, I said. Maggie then acted like she was mad I would say something like that. Again, I wasn't sure if she was serious or not, and it made me worry I had blown my chance just to make a joke.
Jeanie: Oh, no! At least you can take the test again and again, if you have to. Maybe the joke actually helped you. Was this the first time you tried out?
Stephen: Yep, the first time I took the online test I got a tryout, and the first time I tried out, I got the call.
Jeanie: Amazing. You said in your winner's blog that you weren't nervous when you got to the set. Were you nervous when your taping began? If so, did anything help you cope?
Stephen: I wasn't really nervous, to be honest, at least I didn't feel nervous. My forehead kept sweating a lot, which I guess means my body was acting like I was nervous, but mentally I was pretty focused on the task at hand. I just really, really wanted to win.
I felt like I could win, too.
Ever wondered what it feels like to lose on Jeopardy!? Stephen tells us in part two, tomorrow night.
(not that I wanted this day to come!)...the last day of the Tournament of Champions. I am sad that we will not see these guys again. This has been a great two weeks, hasn't it?
To refresh your memories: Vijay Balse led going into Day Two with 9200. Stefan Goodreau was in second place with 5800, and Jason Zollinger had no money, only because he wagered everything on Final Jeopardy and missed it.
Did you guys know these triple-stumpers from today's game?
Caused by... for 1000: "Hypovolemic, a type of shock."*
Fashionable Words for 200: "It's the animal name for a high-heeled shoe or a slipper with no back."*
1970s TV Casts for 2000: "Buddy Ebsen, Lee Meriwether and Mark Shera; a Quinn Martin production."*
Jason found all three Daily Doubles today. The first one was the second clue of the game! When Jason found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, he wagered everything again on the clue in Treaties, and this time it paid off. The clue: "The Montreux convention of 1936 returned control of these 2 straits to Turkey."* He then had 8000, to Vijay's 4800 and Stefan's 6200.
When Jason found the second Daily Double of the round in German Literature, there was one category left on the board. He had 13600, Vijay had 6800, and Stefan had 15800. Jason lost 3000 on this clue: "During WWI, he fought on the western front and was wounded several times; he later wrote a 1929 novel about it."* At the end of Final Jeopardy, then, he had 10200, Vijay had 8800, and Stefan had 17000.
The Final Jeopardy category was From Novel to Film. No surprise, the clue was hard: "First published in 1880 and made into a film in 1907, 1925, and 1959, it was the first work of fiction blessed by a pope."* Vijay and Jason answered correctly, and Stefan missed it. He noted that he had not gotten a Final Jeopardy right in the whole tournament! He wagered 4001, which would have won him the tournament if he had answered correctly. Since he did miss it, he had a total of 18799 for the two days. Jason wagered 8700 bringing his total to 18900. Did you see the shocked expression on Jason's face? I think it was because he still came in second even though he started with nothing today.
Vijay wagered 5000 on Final Jeopardy, making his two-day total 23000, and making him the Champion of the Tournament and recipient of $250,000. Mr. Trebek reminded us that Vijay had taken the test 6 times in 16 years, and said it "paid off handsomely." Vijay said, "Yes, it did." Yesssss! Congratulations, Vijay!
I believe we are now back to the regular shows. Three-time champ Buddy Wright returns. (He has left a comment here!)
And act soon (like, NOW!): Tell me what you want to know from Tournament of Champions contestant Stephen Weingarten. I will be interviewing him soon! Also, I'm looking for someone to fill in for me on this blog for two weeks in June.
*loss of blood, mule, Bosporus and Dardanelles, Erich Maria Remarque, Ben-Hur, Barnaby Jones
I said I would update "this evening," and I have (depending on where you are, I guess). Barely!
Today was the first day of the two-day Tournament of Champions final. The finalists are Stefan Goodreau (sigh!), Vijay Balse, and Jason Zollinger. Jason was wearing his familiar tie (updated, he said) with his daughter's picture on it. Mr. Trebek pointed out that these three competed against each other in the quarterfinals, too!
I was heartened by Vijay's interview today. He said he tried out for Jeopardy! 6 times in 16 years. If you'll let me digress for just a second, I want to share this related quote from Calvin Coolidge:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than
unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone
will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
I've hung this up on a door inside my apartment, dorky though it may be!
I believe I've taken the test 9 times (although that sounds like a lot to me), beginning with the teen test in 1997. That's counting taking the online test, pass or fail. I've tried out every year since 2002, except 2008. (I had passed the online test in 2007 and was ineligible to take it the next year.)
Back to today's game: At the end of the Jeopardy round, Stefan led with 5000, while Vijay and Jason trailed with 600 and 800, respectively. Jason found the first Daily Double, just the second clue of the round. He picked up 2000 on this clue in Leaders of World War II: "Forced into exile by an Italian invasion in 1936, this emperor returned to his homeland in January 1941."* Vijay led at at the end of the Double Jeopardy round with 14600. Stefan had 9400, and Vijay had 9200. I'd love to talk wagering strategies, if anybody has any thoughts on them....
The Final Jeopardy category was African Capitals. The clue: "This west central African captial grew out of a settlement that France established for freed slaves in 1849."* All three guys missed it. I guessed the same thing as Stefan, incidentally. Did you guys know it? Poor Jason lost everything. I hate to see that. Stefan has 5800 going into day 2, and Vijay has 9200. We find out tomorrow who wins bragging rights, and $250,000!
Before I get into my scores for the week, here are two reminders I want you to consider before, during, and after tomorrow's Jeopardy!: 1) Don't forget to tell me what you want to know from Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist Stephen Weingarten, as I will be interviewing him soon. 2) I'm looking for a guest-blogger for two weeks in June.
Okay, now to make good on my promise: In Tuesday's game with Jason Zollinger, Liz Murphy, and Nick Yozamp, I had 6600 to Liz' 13600 and Jason's 13800 when Liz found this second Daily Double of the round in the category "Eu" Vey: "He whipped the Continental Army into shape in the 1770s; the Ohio ville named for him lost the Prussian pronunciation."* I had wagered 6500 to try and catch up, but I missed it! Then a clue or two later I forgot the category was Rhyme Time and answered only half of the correct response to this 1600 clue: "Within the structure seen here lies the tube that passes food from pharynx to stomach."*
I didn't get any of the three remaining clues right, so I was in the hole for Final Jeopardy.
I was in fourth, but not in the hole, going into Final Jeopardy on Wednesday. I had 6600 to Justin Bernbach's 13400, Andy Srinivasan's 10000, and Vijay Balse's 23600. Mr. Trebek announced that the Final Jeopardy category was Opera, and then followed it with a weird operatic vocalization. This was the clue: "The aria 'Pour Mon Ame' by Donizetti includes 9 of these; a few tenors have earned the nickname 'King of' them."* If anyone knew this, please tell me. All three guys got it wrong. I did too, but I feel a little better having guessed the same thing as Justin. I wagered nothing in Final Jeopardy, and ended up in second place.
Finally, in case she's reading this: "Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag" to my big sis, Sister Emily. (Is that really how you say "Happy birthday" in German?) She is 32 today. Much love, and I miss you!
*Haile Selassie, Libreville, von Steuben, sarcophagus esophagus, high Cs
(And yes, I know I am one myself)...I am considering utilizing a guest-blogger for two weeks in June. If you...
- love Jeopardy! (duh)
- are interested (double duh)
- are reliable
- can spell
...please leave a comment, e-mail me at thejeopardyfan@gmail.com, or contact me via Twitter (@vamosdavid). Or if you know someone with these traits, please send them my way. Thank you! An update on the Tournament of Champions is coming this evening.
BIG, exciting news: Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist Stephen Weingarten has graciously agreed to be interviewed for this blog! Mr. Weingarten is a four-time champ from the current season. He was also a "giant-slayer:" His first victory was a win was over another Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist, Ryan Chaffee. He earned more than $98,000 over his five episodes. Tell me: What is it you want to know from him? Leave me a comment.
In other Jeopardy! news, today was the first day of the Tournament of Champions semifinals. I'm not going to pretend I didn't have a favorite in Stefan Goodreau! I like him more with every episode. What's not to like? He's funny, he's cool under pressure, he's tall, he's almost always smiling, he can win on Jeopardy!....
Oh, there were two other contestants today: Terry Linwood and Dave Belote. I like Terry, too, because he makes the Sign of the Cross after a victory. Terry was a winner from last week, while Stefan and Dave were wild-cards. Stefan was off to a bit of a slow start. When Dave found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round (also the last clue before the first commercial break), Stefan had no money, while Terry had 1800 and Dave had 4800. Dave lost 2400 on this clue in Cut!: "The forte is the lower, sturdier part of a sword; this upper, weaker part of the blade also refers to any human flaw."* I thought this one was tough. Did any of you know it? I'll be impressed!
Stefan, at 2000, was still in third place going into Double Jeopardy. Terry had 6000, and Dave had 3400. Stefan dove into the Chemistry category right away, which I liked. He answered two of three clues correctly in that category before finding a Daily Double. He earned 1600 on this clue: "It's the conversion of a carboyhdrate such as sugar into an acid or an alcohol."*
When there was one category remaining in the round (Lesser-Known Art and Artists), Stefan appeared to be searching for the Daily Double. When that category began, he was nipping at Terry's 14800 heels with 11200, while Dave had 7800. The Daily Double wound up being in the 800 slot (!), and the last clue in the round. Terry found it, after Stefan had selected the bottom three clues in that category! Terry was leading by 2000, which is also what he wagered. The clue was a softball: "He's been thrown from his horse and struck blind in Parmigianino's painting of 'The Conversion of' this man."* Terry knew it. Did you guys know it, too? Terry, then, ended the round with 17200. Stefan had 13200, and Terry still had 7800.
The Final Jeopardy category was 20th Century Thinkers. I guessed correctly on this one: "Refusing to imprison this man for demonstrating during the 1960s, de Gaulle said, 'One does not arrest Voltaire.'"* Only Dave got this one right. He picked up 213. Why, incidentally, do you think he wagered like that? I personally feel like the Tournament of Champions is not the time for cutesy wagers. But I'm kind of glad he did that this time: If he had wagered just 1400, he'd have won. Stefan lost 4001, while Terry lost 9201 (ouch!), making STEFAN the winner today, and a finalist in the Tournament of Champions! I think that Justin Bernbach and Liz Murphy may be his toughest competitors, and I see on Jeopardy!'s website that they are not playing in the same game in the semifinals. Here's another chance for you to make predictions. I wanna see 'em!
*foible, fermentation, Saul of Tarsus, Jean-Paul Sartre
My heart was on a roller coaster today: First it skipped a beat when my DVR indicated it recorded an episode of Jeopardy! on the Game Show Network! I dropped what I was going to watch and pressed "play," only to learn it was an episode of The Match Game. But maybe this is a sign of good things to come.
My heart stopped completely at 4:30, but this time I was expecting it and could revive myself: Stefan Goodreau, Jason Zollinger, and Vijay Balse were competing for the remaining spots in next week's semifinals of the Tournament of Champions. Vijay found the Daily Double toward the end the Jeopardy round, in the category Gods Among Us. He wagered all of his 2400, which would have brought him close to Stefan's 5000 lead if he hadn't gotten it wrong: "These nuclear missiles, first put on U.S. subs in 1970, preceded Trident missiles."* At the end of the Jeopardy round, Stefan led with 8000, while Vijay had 400 and Jason had 2800.
Vijay found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, too. He was working on a nice comeback with 6400, while Stefan had 9600 and Jason had 4800. This time, he answered this clue correctly in Spy Novels: "John LeCarre introduced British agent Alec Leamas in this 1963 novel."* He added 2000 to his score with that one.
Jason, too, wagered 2000 on the second Daily Double, almost the last clue in the round in Healthy Living with Dr. Oz: "From the Latin for 'underchamber,' this gland's health is vital, as it influences your appetite, your sex drive, and also maintains normal body temperature."* He missed it, though. At the end of Double Jeopardy, everyone was in good shape. Vijay had 15600, Stefan had 14800, and Jason had 9200.
The Final Jeopardy category was The 50 States. The clue: "It's the only state from which rainwater flows to the Pacific, the Atlantic, and Hudson Bay."* I didn't have time to think about this one because I was scrambling to write it down, but it's probably for the best. Did you guys get it? Jason was the only one to get it right. He wagered 2300, while Stefan lost 1225 and Vijay lost 500. Vijay, then, finished with the highest total, at 15100.
My heart was put through its paces for the last time today (I hope!) when I saw that, at 13575 and 11500 respectively, Stefan's and Jason's scores were easily high enough to qualify them for the wild-card spots. Stefan was so giddy he stumbled while walking toward Mr. Trebek (but he recovered nicely). Just like with Jane Curtin last week, it pleases me to see someone so enthusiastic about succeeding on Jeopardy!
Yesterday, I predicted that these three guys would all make it into the semifinals, and THEY DID. (Hey, I did ask you for predictions!) But I'll congratulate them and not me (anymore). On to next week! Here's who we will see:
Winners: Liz Murphy, Terry Linwood, Andy Srinivasan, Justin Bernbach, Vijay Balse
Non-winners: Dave Belote, Nick Yozamp, Stefan Goodreau, Jason Zollinger
*Poseidon, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, hypothalamus, Montana
Four days of the Tournament of Champions are now complete. Are you guys amazed by the (generally) low scores of "non-winners" this week? Here they are, and I've put the four highest scores in bold (as there are four wild card spots for high scorers among those who didn't win their games):
Ryan Chaffee 1800
Patrick Tucker 4700
Nick Yozamp 16400
Stephen Weingarten 50
Regina Robbins 4600
Dave Belote 4999
Christine Valada 2400
Joey Beachum 0
Tomorrow's contestants are Stefan Goodreau, Jason Zollinger, and Vijay Balse. With scores like those above (and with the talent of these three champions), I feel confident that all three of them will appear in the second week of the tournament. Any predictions?
When I consider the scores above, I feel better admitting how tricky The Tournament of Champions has been. It's only during the Tournament of Champions that I'm even stumped by the categories, like today's The Hecuba, You Say. It makes me think that the contestants are really special. What do you think it's like to hang out with them? What do you think they talk about when they are all together?
These scores also make me wish that I had seen through the two games that I played on my Jeopardy Challenger. They really weren't so bad! And I have read over and over that you really want to succeed, you can't worry about what it's gonna look like when you fail. That's why I wanted to post my scores in the first place, because I really, really, want to succeed on Jeopardy! So somehow I feel worse yet better than ever: I have failed both in getting winning scores and in posting my scores at all. BUT, there is next week. I expect to be playing on my Challenger at least twice, and I will post my scores no matter what.
Finally, Mr. Trebek mentioned that former 5-time champ (and Tournament of Champions finalist!) Bob Harris was in the audience today. I have his book, Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy! I enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
Ah, the first day of the Tournament of Champions. I'd been looking forward to this for a while. Today's episode did not disappoint. Today's contestants were College champion Patrick Tucker of Missouri (I couldn't place him without a college sweatshirt on!), Liz Murphy of Pennsylvania (had longer hair than on her first episodes), and Ryan Chaffee of California (looked the same, except happier than ever to be there...at first).
At my parents' today, my mom was the star. She answered two clues that no one at home or on the show got right, and a couple more that we at home couldn't answer. The first triple-stumper she got was for 400 in A Visit to Antarctica: "In Antarctica, iceberg formation is at its most spectacular, as huge masses break off from continental glaciers, a process called this."* The second one was for 1600 in Let's Get Dressed in the 1920s: "After a referendum in Reedy, West Virginia, women were allowed to wear these golf pants worn by men only."* Did you guys know those? She also nailed clues about Bananas Foster and director John Ford.
Liz found all three Daily Doubles in today's game, and she got them all correct! She picked up 1000 (more money than she had at the time) on this clue in Nonfiction: "The 2009 Pulitzer for history went to Annette Gordon-Reed for 'The Hemingses of' this home."* When Liz found both the first and the second Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round, she had more than three times what her nearest opponent had. Three times! On the first Daily Double, she wagered 3200 on this clue in Bays: "During one tide cycle, more than 100 billion tons of seawater flow in and out of this bay between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia."* She wagered 2000 on this clue in International Organizations: "BSEC is the economic cooperation zone named for this body of water; its 12 members include Bulgaria."* As you might have guessed, Liz had the game out of reach by the time Double Jeopardy ended. She had 17400, while Ryan had 7800, and we thought Patrick had 3200, until the judges added insult to injury by deciding not to accept his response to a previous clue after all. He went into Final Jeopardy with 2400.
For those that don't know the format of the Tournament of Champions: Nine people from this week will advance into next week: the five winners from each day, plus the four contestants who had the highest scores among "non-winners." (Hey, if that word's good enough for Mr. Trebek to say, it's good enough for me to say.) Therefore, Patrick and especially Ryan still had plenty to think about when they wagered for Final Jeopardy.
Today's Final Jeopardy category was English Literary History. This was the clue: "Immediately before the Caroline era came this one, also from the monarch's Latin name."* Patrick was the only one who came up with a correct response. He wagered 2300. Liz wagered nothing, a move I always find classy among players who have a lock on the game. Ryan wagered 6000. With final scores of 1800 and 4700 respectively, I will predict we won't see Ryan or Patrick next week.
Looking forward to tomorrow's episode!
*calving, knickers, Monticello, the Bay of Fundy, the Black Sea, Jacobean
(IMPORTANT - Please see the comments for a correction to this entry.) I am home for Mother's Day weekend. That means I get to watch Jeopardy! my favorite way - with my dad! He was way into the show today - so into it that he didn't notice when other people in the room answered correctly along with him. This happened not once, but twice!
This episode originally aired in July of last year. The champion, Stefan Goodreau of California, was still on the show when this season began. That means we should be seeing him in the Tournament of Champions, which begins Monday. What a perfect way to get ready for the Tournament!
I also watched today's episode with my sister, also visiting from out of town. (She asked me not to use her name, but said I could use my nickname for her, Peaches, which refers to her lovely skin.) Peaches was brave enough to use a Jeopardy! Challenger today, for her first time. She competed against Sarah Linn of California (who Peaches says looks like Anne Hathaway), Brent Philyaw of Georgia, and Goodreau, who had won one game. I remember Goodreau, and I like him. I like his sense of humor and his casual attitude. Example: His response to this Daily Double in A Round of Gulf: "In 1989, over 11 million gallons of oil spilled into this sound in the Gulf of Alaska."* The response: "The Sound of Silence." That elicited an "Oh, brother!" from my dad. Stefan also drew laughs from the audience after he missed this Daily Double in the Jeopardy round, in the category Say It in Latin: "From the chair of authority."* The next clue he selected was from That's Just Ducky! And he said it as one would who just lost everything on a Daily Double. At the end of the Jeopardy round, Stefan and Sarah each had 1800, and Brent had 6000. Peaches had 3400.
Stefan made a comeback, though. He dominated in the Double Jeopardy round, and he had the game out of reach (not counting Peaches) by the end of Double Jeopardy. He had 15400, Brent had 6400, and Sarah had 4200. Peaches had 10080. Here is the clue in Books Inspired by History: "'Follow the Drinking Gourd' tells how slaves escaped to freedom guided by a song about this star group."* Peaches wagered 5322, I think in part because I said Stefan might not wager anything, since he had the win locked up. Stefan got Final Jeopardy right, and he wagered 1617. Peaches and Sarah both got it right, and Brent got it wrong.
Speaking of wrong, Peaches and I want to know what you think about this situation that sometimes comes up on the show: Sarah answered a clue and was told she was wrong. Brent then gave the response they wanted. Later, Mr. Trebek said they were crediting Sarah with a correct response after all. Peaches wondered why Brent's correct response wasn't negated then; that is, the money taken away. I just told her that's not how they do it. She didn't seem to think that was fair. What do you think? She suggested I post a poll, and I think that is a great idea! I will give you two weeks to respond.
In closing, before I became a "Blog of Note," - thank you again, Blogger! - I had expressed my dismay that the Game Show Network is no longer showing Jeopardy!, at least at this time. I had asked readers to join me in contacting Game Show Network about it, encouraging them to bring it back and also to show episodes from the 80s and 90s and even from the Art Fleming days. I'd like to renew that request to you, now that I have more readers. And I'd love to know about it if they respond!
*Prince William Sound, ex cathedra, the Big Dipper
Cheech Marin was the winner of the first Celebrity Jeopardy tournament, Mr. Trebek reminded us (twice). So it was surprising to me that he struggled to keep up with Michael McKean and Jane Curtin from the word "Select." Going into Double Jeopardy on Day One, Michael had 8800, Cheech had 3200, and Jane had 3800. Jane answered the first two clues of Double Jeopardy correct, in Americans in Paris, then nailed the Daily Double in that category: "In March 1971, this rocker closed the door on his band and moved to Paris to focus on his poetry."* She added 3000 to her 5000. Incidentally, I love Jane's enthusiasm and look of delight when she gets a tough clue or a Daily Double right, and rightfully so! I love, too, how on Day Two she said she has loved every minute of her experience. You go, girl. Jane then found the other Daily Double in the round, in I Could Use Some Self-Help. She picked up another 3000 on this clue: "'The Art of Happiness' was written by this Asian man who was picked out for his present job at the age of 2."
Going into Final Jeopardy on Day One, Cheech trailed with 11600. Michael and Jane were neck-and-neck with 21600 and 19000, respectively. The Final Jeopardy category was American Literature. The clue: "A contemporary review of this 1851 novel said, 'Who would have looked for...poetry in blubber?'" Cheech seemed to misunderstand the clue, as he responded with the author of the correct novel. He lost 5000 of his already-third-place total. Michael and Jane both responded correctly, and both added 10000 to their totals. Remember, their totals from Days One and Two are added together to determine the winner of the tournament. How do you think you'd have wagered in a situation like this? I wonder about that when I'm watching a two-day final. Should contestants be conservative? Should they take a risk? I don't know what I would do, but I hope to find myself in such a position one day (and have figured it out by then, of course!)
On Day Two, I was pleased when Cheech found the Daily Double with about a minute left in the Jeopardy round. At that time, he was leading with 4600, while Michael had 1600 and Jane had 2200. Unfortunately, Cheech lost 2000 on it in Brands That Sound Like Verbs: "This 6-letter telecom company sounds fleet of foot."
Cheech lost his slim lead in the Double Jeopardy round. At Final Jeopardy on Day Two, Michael had 12100, Cheech had 6000, and Jane had 10000. Their totals from Day One were 31600 (Michael), 6600 (Cheech), and 29000 (Jane). If I were Michael, I'd have wagered 5301. That is the minimum he would need to beat Jane if she did all she could and doubled her score to 20000 on Day Two. She would have 49000 for the two days. If Michael wagered 5301 and answered correctly, he would have 17401. Add that to 31600, and he'd have 49001. (Make sense?)
As it were, Michael wagered (and lost) 8000 on this clue in Middle East Countries: "In 1949, this kingdom dropped the word 'trans' from the beginning of its name." Jane, too, missed this one, and lost 9999. Cheech had the pleasure of being the only one to answer this one correctly, and he doubled his score that day to 12000. (Did you guys know this one?) That makes the totals of the two days...Michael 35700, Cheech 18600, and Jane 29001. Michael wins! And as predicted, screams rang out from the audience. And most importantly, he won 1 million dollars for his charity, the International Myeloma Foundation.
Next up, the Tournament of Champions. It merits bold-print! Is anyone else excited?
*Jim Morrison, the Dalai Lama, Moby Dick, Sprint, Jordan
Today the third spot in the finals of the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational was decided. The contestants were Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Kaczmarek, and Cheech Marin. All three proved their mettle. At the end of the Jeopardy round, Neil and Jane were tied at 3800, and Cheech had 7000. In the Double Jeopardy round, Neil wisely wagered it all on a Daily Double in Rhyme Time: "A radio personality who provokes and pushes the limits of decency."* I might have gotten it with a little more time. Neil did get it and doubled his score. Jane found the other Daily Double late in the round, with two clues remaining on the board. She (also wisely, as it turned out) wagered 5000 of her 8600 on this clue in Mayors: "In the 1800s, Josiah Quincy, his son, and grandson all served as mayor of this capital." She got it right. Cheech answered the last clue of the round correctly for 2000, also in Mayors: "The song of Italian immigrants, he served in the House of Representatives before becoming NYC's mayor in 1934." So Cheech was in the lead with 16200. Neil had 12000, and Jane had 15200.
The Final Jeopardy category was Movie History. I suspect the crew was hoping for big wagers, and they got them from two of the celebrities. Here is the clue (ding!): "During the making of this classic, sets from 'King Kong' and 'The Gardens of Allah' were intentionally burned down." I didn't get this one, but all three celebrities did. Neil again wagered it all and doubled his score. Jane wagered only 1001, giving her a $1 lead over Cheech, but he wagered a whopping 15000, giving him a spot in the 2-day finals along with Jane Curtin and Michael McKean. Three comedians! Any predictions this time? It should be a good one, although I kind of wish Neil Patrick Harris and Isaac Mizrahi were going to be there.
Finally: I had a comment on the last entry from a woman who watches Jeopardy in Honduras. I noticed that many people are reading this blog from other countries, according to the graphic at the bottom of this page. I'm curious; does anyone out there watch Jeopardy! in Germany?
*shock jock, Boston, LaGuardia
This is the final week of the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational. I haven't loved the celebrity episodes in the past, because the clues are at least thought to be a little easier. Today, I thought they were pretty tough, especially in American Dramatists and Directors' First Features! I was impressed by the performance of all three contestants: Charles Shaughnessy, Isaac Mizrahi, and Michael McKean. They deserve to be in the final week. Going into Final Jeopardy, Isaac had 14600, Charles had 18000, and Michael had 19600. He picked up 2800 on the last clue of the round, the Daily Double (although he insisted twice, "I know nothing!"). In Forbes' Richest People: "The appropriately named Li Ka-Shing is the richest man from this island territory that changed hands in 1997."*
As a proud Nebraskan, I had to laugh that no one got this clue correct, for 1200 in Forbes' Richest People (and I think this is the only one that all three guys couldn't get!): "Last year's No. 2, this Nebraskan dropped to No. 3 with a mere $47 billion." Did you guys know that one? What about this Final Jeopardy clue, in Official State Songs?: "In 1953, it became the only state whose official song was written for a Broadway musical." I have to admit I missed this one! Isaac and Michael answered correctly, while Charles missed it. Michael wagered 17500, enough to win. The crowd (okay, Annette O'Toole according to Mr. Trebek) went wild! Makes you wonder how she'll react if he wins the finals on Friday. Tomorrow's contestants are Cheech Marin, Neil Patrick Harris, and Jane Kaczmarek. Any predictions?
*Hong Kong, Warren Buffett, Oklahoma
...professora gonzalles! Congratulations, and sincere thanks to everyone who participated. To those who didn't win, don't worry. A new contest is in the works!
By the way, did Mr. Trebek have new glasses on yesterday? Or do I need glasses?
Today is your last chance to enter my contest. Just become a follower of this blog for a chance to win a beautiful canvas bag with a Jeopardy logo on it. Tell everyone you know! And thanks for stopping by!
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