Bale out

     Today's contestants:

Tim Wagner

Brian McEntee (Anybody think he looks like Novak Djokovic?)

Linda Percy

     Brian took down 4-time champ Mark Runsvold in an impressive win yesterday.
     This game felt like it was kicking my butt from the beginning.  I had an "uh-oh" feeling, like I wasn't in the groove.  The very first clue, in Roles in 2010 Best Picture Nominees, was rough for both me and Brian.  This was the clue: "'Irish' Micky Ward, known to turn southpaw on occasion."  Now, no explanation had been given, and Brian responded "Mark Wahlberg."  When his response was ruled incorrect, I said "Christian Bale."  The clue was a triple-stumper, and Mr. Trebek said the correct response was "The Fighter."  After Brian's interview, Mr. Trebek said: "...We didn't say that you had to go for the film.  You gave us the name of the star, Mark Wahlberg so because we made a mistake we're crediting you with a correct response."  It was perfectly reasonable that Brian would've expected to give the person playing the character.  I've counted my response wrong, even though I had the right movie, since Christian Bale played "Dicky Eklund."  (I have not seen the movie.)  Then the next clue was about a movie I've said I will not see: "Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain."  In fact I didn't see any of the movies in the category, and I didn't get any of the clues right.  I did watch the Oscars, but I guess it didn't help this time.
     At the first break, Brian had 2400 (once his "Mark Wahlberg" response was accepted), Linda had 1200, and Tim had 3800.  I went on to miss four in Rhyming Nicknames, and three in General Relativity, though there were some I was just a little gunshy on.  Tim found the Daily Double, the last clue of the round, in Name That Bible Guy.  He had 6800, Brian had 4800, and Linda had 2000.  Tim wagered 1000 on this clue: "He 'said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.'"  We both got it right.
     The Double Jeopardy round started a little better.  I got 4/5 in Letter Perfect, and I swept Dam It! if "Aswan Dam" is the same as "Aswan High Dam."  I can't ask on the new Jeopardy! message boards because there is no thread yet for today's episode.  If you have a comment, I'd like to see it.  This was the clue: "It supplies about 15% of Egypt's electric power."  I did find this on ask.com.
     Linda found the first Daily Double of the round in Dam It!  She had 4400, Brian had 5600, and Tim had 9400.  Linda wagered 1000 on this clue: "Norris Dam, completed in 1936, was the first dam built by this New Deal Agency."  She got it right.
     Brian found the next Daily Double a few clues later, in Paintings in the Prado.  He had 8000, Linda had 5400, and Tim had 9400.  Brian wagered 2000 on this clue: "Spaniards well represented include Velazquez and this later great, with works like 'Saturn Devouring One of His Sons.'"  Brian got it right, and I missed it.  I missed four in that category, and I missed four in Auto Tunes, Story Within a Story, and British Titles of Nobility.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Famous Americans.  The scores were close: Brian had 13600, Linda had 15800, and Tim had 16200.  This was the clue: "In 1909 he sent the message 'Stars and Stripes nailed to the pole.'"  The correct response crossed my mind, but I went with something else, unfortunately.  Brian said the same thing I did but lost nothing.  Linda got the right response and doubled her score!  Tim got it wrong and lost all but 200.  "ZergCam," a rarity, captured Linda's surprised reaction when Tim's incorrect response was revealed:

     We'll see Linda on Monday.  Despite how shaky my performance seemed, my Coryat was 19200.  I'll take it, today.  Linda's Coryat was 16400, Tim's was 16200, and Brian's was 12400.
     Coryats from earlier this week:
7-20: Zac Youngblood 15000    Maria Boyland 10800    Mark Runsvold 22200    Me 37800 (my highest ever!)
7-21: Brian McEntee 24800    Samer Ismail 6200    Mark Runsvold 16400    Me 29400