My Yearly Humbling Begins

Andy here!

So, the Summer Hiatus Challenge has begun over at J! Board; once again, go to jboard.tv to sign up and play! Jeanie and I will be tracking various former champions and other notables through the event here at the blog! And if you're on Twitter and playing, the official hashtag is #SHC2012. There's still time to play Week 1, Day 1!

I've decided to play this year after taking a few years off; I figure that it'll help me finish it out, even if I don't do as well as the champions!

So, if you traditionally skip Kids Week because you don't like the quality of play, you missed quite a good game! I for one was impressed by the wagering in Final - I know adults that haven't played the game this well!

FJ! category: Notable Americans
FJ! clue: In addition to his 1,093 U.S. Patents, he held more than 1,200 patents awarded by other countries.

Mandy Berry: $1,950-$500=$1,450
Anna Cambron: $20,400+$16,001=$36,401
Matthew Cline: $21,290+$19,511=$40,801

We'll be back tomorrow with more fun SHC and Kids Week coverage!

Q and A with Julie Bratvold Ghanbari

     Julie played on Wednesday July 18th and Thursday July 19th.
Q: Mr. Trebek mentioned in one of your contestant interviews you have a degree from MIT?
Julie: Yes, I have a master's degree in electrical engineering.
Q: I thought you got some tough clues right: knapsack, widow, 1936, caliban, chimera, Starlight Express, the Russia Daily Double, ricin...
Julie: Thanks! I was very happy to get some of those!
     Some of them I just knew from life experience (like the "knapsack on my back" lyric, widow/orphan line placement, GWTW movie =1939), while others I knew from making flashcards of facts that seemed like potential Jeopardy! material (Caliban, chimera/centaur/satyr/griffin, Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, etc.)
     Along with the rebound for Camden -> Baltimore Orioles (which I knew only from studying, as I don't follow baseball), the get on the Russia DD was, for me, one of the moments of which I was most proud. But the ironic thing is that what I'm proud of is something that 1) wasn't visible to the viewing audience and actually made me appear less knowledgeable to them, and 2) ultimately had no effect on the outcome.
     When I I saw the river "DON", Russia immediately popped into my head. And what I am most proud of is that I somehow managed to keep from immediately blurting that out.
     And the reason I held back was that I wasn't certain why I thought it was Russia. Russia felt right, but whatever connection there was between them that made it feel right was apparently lost in the mists of time. And without knowing that connection, I was hesitant to go forward with that response and risk having the reveal be a head slapper!
     So I decided that since I had a little time I would take a super quick mental trip around the globe and just check to see if there were any other countries that "felt" as correct as Russia. Let's see ... North America - no, South America - no, Europe -hmm, the briefest of pauses at Spain, as they use don as an honorific there (Don Juan, etc.), but no good vibe, so no, Africa - no, Asia- well, I didn't think so but now I am starting to run out of time. I check the category/clue one last time to make sure I'm not violating any category rules or missing any obvious TOMs (doesn't take long with only 3 words to work with - I wonder if there are any 2-word cat/clue combos out there?) Having failed to come up with anything that felt better, I say Russia. And, instead of recognizing my deliberate strategic DD approach, Alex Trebek compliments me on my good guess . Like I said, it ended up not mattering (since it was correct) and ended up making me look like I just took a lucky guess, but I'm still proud of it!
     So, anyway, since I had gotten it right, I pretty much put it out of my mind (i.e., no reason to dwell on it). But you know how sometimes your brain continues to work on a problem at a subconscious level even when you don't think you are thinking about it? Well, maybe 3 or 4 days later while I was at lunch, all of a sudden I realized where the Russia-Don connection must have come from! I have both read and listened to the Robert K. Massey biography of Peter the Great, and I assume that the river Don must have played a role somewhere in that (either practicing with his new navy or maybe going after a port on the Black Sea - or both!). So, it turns out there was a reason I knew it, but I just didn't know what that reason was at the time so was hesitant to trust it.
Q: I too said "hypothesis" for that weird clue in the OED category.
Julie: Yeah, lots of people have told me that as well. I'm glad it didn't cost me the game. Expecting contestants to distinguish between very similarly defined words based only on recognizing direct quotes from the Oxford English Dictionary seems a bit extreme, IMHO.
Q: You mentioned on the boards that you've just moved. May I ask where, out of curiosity?
Julie: Oh, just a couple of miles. But 3 miles or 300 miles, it's still a lot of work!!
Q: Are you going to play the Summer Hiatus Challenge?
Julie: I haven't before, but I plan to this time - looking forward to it!
   
     Thanks, Julie!

Marathon Woman

      Look for my interview with yesterday's Lori Hohenleitner at the end of this post! Tomorrow, come back for my interview with Julie Bratvold Ghanbari! I'm also interviewing today's Alison Parakh and Leo Lopez. I saw a commercial for today's episode while visiting a friend in the hospital. Alison tossed her head back in apparent happiness. Was it misleading? Let's find out. Today's contestants:

Leo, of Brooklyn, NY

Alison, of Santa Barbara, CA

Jenny Healey of Burke, VA

     I negged by saying "San Francisco fire" on this very first clue of the round, in New York Times Historic Headlines: "April 19, 1906: 'Over 500 dead, $200,000 lost in' this disaster--'nearly half the city is in ruins.'" It was the only one I missed in the category. That means I got this triple-stumper: "February 14, 1935: this man 'guilty, sentenced to death for the murder of the Lindbergh baby.'" Alison got the 1906 clue right. She and I went on to sweep The Female Lead Vocalist. At the first break, Alison had gotten 9 right and 2 wrong, and had 3600. Jenny had 1 right and 1 wrong, and had 200. One-time champ Leo had 3 right and 1 wrong, and had 1000.
     There were 5 clues left when Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning. We saw 3 of them, and the other 2 were both in Go Fish. Alison found the Daily Double with 3 clues covered, in A Hammer Fest. She'd gotten 4 right and 1 wrong since the break, and had 4600. Jenny'd gotten 4 right and had 2800. Leo had gotten 3 right and had 2400. Alison took her time and wagered 1200 on this clue: "The Soviet constitution of 1918 said that the coat of arms should include these 2 items, handles down." She and I got it right. Jenny got the next clue right for a total of 3400 at the end of the Jeopardy round.
     I got this triple-stumper off the bat in Novelists: "This French novelist's futuristic 'Paris in the Twentieth Century,' written in 1863, was found 126 years later." (It was a guess.)
     I didn't get this next clue, also a triple-stumper, but Mr. Trebek reveled in one of his "Duh!" moments and acted like the words "Polish-English" were enough (also in Novelists): "This Polish-English novelist collaborated with Ford Madox Ford on 2 novels, 'The Inheritors' & 'Romance.'" Mr. Trebek even said then, "Wanna go somewhere else?" Leo did.
     As a tennis lover, I was pretty happy about Net Flicks once I knew what it was about. I only went 2/5 though and negged on this one, saying "Match Game": "Tennis pro Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is smitten with Scar-Jo in this Woody Allen film with a tennis term title."
     Leo found the first Daily Double of the round in Novelists. He had gotten 4 right since the round began, and had 6400. Alison had gotten 1 right and had 6200. Leo wagered 2000 on this clue: "He was named for a distant cousin who was aboard a sloop during the 1814 bombardment of a Baltimore fort." Leo and I got this right.
     Jenny found the next Daily Double only a couple clues later, in Capital Steps. She had gotten 1 right since Leo's Daily Double and had 3800. Alison had also gotten 1 right and had 7800. Jenny wagered 3000 on this clue: "In 1955 it beat out Aberystwyth to become capital." I knew we were talking about Wales but blanked on the capital. Jenny said "Belfast."
     I swept "Ox" Marks the Spot and Patron Saints. There was less than one minute left in the round when the latter category began, but we saw all the clues this time. I got these two triple-stumpers in the category: "As the first person in the New World to be canonized, she's the patron saint of the Americas & of Peru in particular." And "This gospel writer is the 'beloved' patron saint of physicians."
     At the end of the round, then, Leo had gotten 5 right since Jenny's Daily Double and had 13600. Jenny had gotten 5 right and had 7600. Alison had gotten 4 right and 1 wrong, and had 10600. The Final Jeopardy category was Antarctica. This was the clue: "This country that explored the Antarctic interior is the most northerly nation to claim territory on the continent." I got it wrong on a fairly wild guess. Jenny got it right but wagered nothing. Alison got it too, after crossing it out, writing something else, crossing that out, and writing the correct response again. She added 4601, which means she'd have more than Jenny even if Jenny had doubled. Leo got it wrong and lost 7601. Alison threw her head back like in the commercial. We'll see her...in 7 weeks?! Kids Week starts Monday, followed by a six-week hiatus. Yippee.
     My Coryat today was 27600 (31000 without negs). My Coryats have been getting higher. Have yours, and if so, are we getting smarter or is the material getting easier? Other recent Coryats:
originally 1-12-11: 34400 (My Coryat the first time I played was 25600.)
originally 1-13-11: 23400 (D'oh! I didn't keep my Coryat the first time because I missed the clues before the first break.)
originally 2-7-11: 29800 (The first time I played, my Coryat was 28600.)
     And now...Lori Hohenleitner! Thanks, Lori!

Q: You were described by Johnny as an executive director for a nonprofit. Can you tell me a little more about that?
Lori: There is actually an article today about my program here.
Q: Can you explain your Daily Double and Final Jeopardy wagers?
Lori: My daily double wager was half of the distance between me and Leo.  I should have wagered more!  Final Jeopardy I was going to wager $0 and I balked at the last minute and made it a number that would hopefully get me to an even $10k.  In the post-game chat with Alex, I mentioned that and he very sincerely looked at me and said, "Lori, this is not the most important thing that will happen in your life." Of course I had several friends and family members tell me that I should have wagered $0 after they watched last night!  No kidding!  :)
Q: When I searched for you, I saw that you do some acting?
Lori: I have done a lot of community theater.  It's a fun way to continue my love for the arts. 
Q: Anything else you'd like to say?
Lori: I had a ton of fun filming Jeopardy. Doug [Thornton] and I are in touch and I hope to see him again soon.  We joke about how high my platform was during the taping.  He is 5'10" and I am 5'2".  It was interesting balancing during the show.

Up a river without a paddle

     Lots of news today, and I'm feeling overwhelmed by this busy bloggin' weekend. First: See my interview with Kate Mosesso after this recap. I expect to publish an interview with Julie Bratvold Ghanbari soon, and I'm interviewing both Leo and Lori from today's episode, as well as Alison from tomorrow's. Last but not least when it comes to interviews, Judy Nichols tells me she has a new book out, so I'll be interviewing her about that sometime soon, too.
     And as if that weren't enough, next week begins the Summer Hiatus Challenge on the Jeopardy! message boards. (Yes, a week early.) Andy and I will be covering as many champs and other notables as we can find (and that say yes). ;-) This time we'll be updating every day, and we're including expired questions, too. (Thank you, "Dad of Twins"!) The sign-up thread goes up this weekend, so that'll keep me hoppin' too.
     I'm going home for the first time in a while this weekend, so I'll have tons of weekend J! reruns to catch up on, and a few GSN ones. This stuff makes the weekly poll seem like no big deal!
     All that said, I had kind of a lot on my mind during today's episode. I sort of expected as cruddy a day as I had with my crossword puzzles. So how'd everybody do? Today's contestants:

Doug Thornton of Chesterfield, VA

Leo Lopez of Brooklyn, NY (He's a psychiatrist!)

Lori Hohenleitner of Atlantic Highlands, NJ

     Since, as mentioned, I'm interviewing Lori and Leo, I hoped they'd tie for a win today. :-P
     Leo found the first Daily Double in Shakespeare. He, like Doug, had answered 2 right and had 600. Lori had answered 1 right and had 200. Leo wagered 1000 on this clue: "Shakespeare's 37 plays are traditionally classified into 3 groups: comedies, tragedies, & these." I came up with this one in the nick of time, but Leo had no trouble.
     Lori, though, answered the next 6 right. She got 4/5 in Stupid Answers: Movies, and Mr. Trebek complimented her. I went 3/5 with one neg (said "Winter" like Leo). I'm glad I didn't see a Stupid Answers category on my episode. Lori, then, answered 7 correctly since Leo's Daily Double and had 5200 at the first break. Leo had answered 2 correctly but missed 2, and had 1200.
     I swept Do You Know the "Ling"o? before Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning with 6 clues left. We did see them all. Doug did well in The Civil War by the Numbers, getting 8 right and 1 wrong since the break and giving him 5000. Lori too had 5000, having gotten 1 right and 1 wrong. Leo had 4400 after getting 4 right.
     I negged on the first clue of the round, but I got the next 14 right, including the Daily Double in Biblical Wifery. Lori found that one. She'd gotten 2 right in the round and had 6600. Leo had gotten 8 right and had 11600. Dough had gotten 2 right and had 8200. Lori wagered 2500 on this clue: "Laban promises this daughter to Jacob as a wife but substitutes Leah for her at the last minute." Lori got it right, too.
     I swept Celebrity Rhyme Time, which included this triple-stumper: "TV judge Simon's wooden rods or pins." I also swept Lesser-Known Greeks & Romans?, though I didn't pronounce this response like Leo did: "Whenever he was around, people's ears would start to ring." I've never heard it pronounced that way, in fact, but Mr. Trebek said he pronounced it correctly!
     Like Lori, I said "riverboat" on this clue in Transportation: "Built in 1914, the Belle of Louisville is the oldest continually operating one of these on an American river." Then Doug said "paddle wheel," and Mr. Trebek said "paddle wheeler or steamboat" and counted Doug right! ?!
     Mr. Trebek gave the one-minute warning with one category, Barons & Baronesses, remaining. Doug seemed to look for the Daily Double, and he needed it - neither he nor Lori had more than half Leo's amount. He did find it, with 3 clues left after that and, as noted, time running out. Doug had gotten 3 right and 1 wrong since Lori's Daily Double, and had 9000. Lori had gotten 1 wrong and had 7900. Leo had gotten 6 right and 1 wrong and had 19600. So Doug wagered 7000 on this clue: "Rudolf Erich Raspe wrote a 1785 booklet of tall tales about him; the real baron disapproved." I didn't get it but Doug did! Lori clapped and said "Awesome." Yeah, that helped her too! The next clue was a triple-stumper, and the last 2 remained covered.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Opera. This was the clue: "The swan boats in Boston's public garden were inspired by this opera in which a swan pulls a boat on the Scheldt river." This is the most painful final for me in recent memory. As noted here before, I've been to Neuschwanstein, masterpiece of King Ludwig II. I knew this was related and thought it began with an "l," but I thought I must be thinking of Ludwig and tossed that notion. I even knew it was Wagner but didn't come up with it in time, and there is no excuse, all that said. It was a triple-stumper. Lori lost 2100. Doug lost 15000. Leo lost 12401, but it's enough for a win. So will he win tomorrow and kick off season 29? We'll find out! And on we go.
     I guess I needn't have worried I'd have a rough outing: My Coryat was 32200 (35000 without negs). Recent Coryats:
originally 10-31-08: 22600 (27800 without negs)
originally 11-3-08: 24600 (29400 without negs)
originally 11-4-08: 20400 (26000 without negs)
originally 11-5-08: 25000 (28200 without negs, one of which was accidentally saying "Be Our Guest" instead of "Beauty and the Beast," even though I'm very familiar with the movie! Also, I should've swept Bodies of Water but I clammed on two of 'em.)
     Now for my Q and A with Kate Mosesso!

Q: Where was your in-person audition?
Kate: I auditioned in Washington, DC.  There was no Chicago audition, so I picked DC because my parents live there.
Q: Did you stay for the rest of the day? Also, if you taped on Wednesday, were you there the previous day?
Kate: I did not stay after taping my episode and I'm as interested as you are to see how far Andy goes!  It was such a long day on Tuesday and I was pretty drained after the taping. Yes, I sat there ALL DAY on Tuesday.  (The other unlucky contestant was Prudence Plunkett.) That was tough.  Just a long day and a lot of anxiety and then having to go back to the hotel and get ready to do it all again....yuck.  That was probably the worst part of the experience, but what can you do?
Q: Can you tell me a little about this CWIP and your involvement in it? I think that's how I found you.
Kate: CWIP is Chicago Women in Publishing, a local group that I joined about a year ago.  As Johnny Gilbert stated, I am an attorney, but I am hoping to make a transition into editorial work (returning to my roots as an English major at the University of Notre Dame).  CWIP has been a wonderful resource for me.  The group offers networking events and career development seminars and has helped me to meet people in the industry, learn about the types of publishing jobs available in Chicago, and narrow the focus of my job search.  I've recently begun doing some freelance copyediting work and hope to find a full-time editorial job soon.
Q: Anything else you'd like to say?
Kate: It's so much harder than it looks!  It doesn't matter how many answers you know- your opponents probably know them too, and beating them to the buzzer is very hard to master.  You just can't get too worked up about it- it was still so much fun.
     Thank you, Kate!

Remaining Disciplined

Andy here again today with another title defense of Andy Baggarly; his challengers today are Sue Meloy and Doug Thornton.





J! round categories: ABBREVIATED MAGAZINES, THE 1870s, I'VE GOT A 6-PACK, ON BASS & DRUMS, "GAS" UP, and ODE TRIP.

Doug went to ON BASS & DRUMS just about as soon as he got control, which was nice; I always enjoy seeing the players go to the music categories. At the end of 15, your scores were: Andy $2,200 Doug $2,000 Sue $800

I think I'd be interested in reading Andy's book about the 2010 Giants. After my own book about the 1916 A's, though!

It was Doug who got to the Daily Double under THE 1870s $800. The scores:

Andy $3,000
Doug $2,600
Sue $1,800

Doug almost made it a True Daily Double, but only bet $2,000. His clue: On June 16, 1870, this was dedicated in Atlantic City; at the end of the summer season, it was taken apart & stored. Doug, with the "what else could it be?" look on his face, gave the correct answer to move to $4,600.

Impressive get from Sue on the $1,000 clue in that category: On June 21, 1877 10 alleged members of this Irish secret society were hanged in Pennsylvania's largest mass execution.

Andy did pretty well for himself in ABBREVIATED MAGAZINES to jump back into the lead by the end of the round. After 30, we had: Andy $5,800 Doug $5,200 and Sue $3,400.

DJ! round categories: NASHVILLE, GEOGRAPHIC; LONG-RUNNING BROADWAY PLAY TITLES; BIOGRAPHIES; ___ OF ___; FLORA OF CENTRAL AMERICA; WORDS FROM ARABIC

We got through over half of the clues before we saw the first Daily Double, under BIOGRAPHIES $1200, Andy had just retaken the lead before he got to it. The scores:

Andy $11,800
Doug $11,200
Sue $8,600

He bet $1,200. His clue: Hertha Pauli's 1942 biography of this man was subtitled "Dynamite King, Architect Of Peace". His correct response put him at $13,000.

As soon as they went to FLORA OF CENTRAL AMERICA and I saw it was a video category, I figured two things: 1) The length of the clues meant we'd see stuff unrevealed; 2) there'd be a Daily Double there. I was right on Point 2, much to my chagrin, when Sue switched categories and found the final Daily Double in the $1200 slot. Amazingly, she said "Oh no!" (this is your chance to win here; do you not want to win this game, Sue?) Scores:

Andy $13,000
Doug $11,200
Sue $10,200

Her bet, in spite of her consternation about finding it: $3,000. Her clue: the aristolochia vines' foul odour attracts insects that are then trapped alive inside the flower and later released with a coating of this substance vital to the plants' reproduction. Sue found the clue about as befuddling as I did; sadly, her incorrect response put her to $7,200.



Awesomely for Sue, she was able to recover very well from her loss, cleaning up on a number of the late high-valued clues in final minute to pull herself into a battle with Andy. The final clue, in ___ OF ___ $2000: As seen on the map, this island lies between England and Ireland and lies about 20 miles south of Scotland. Andy tried for it, but his neg and Doug's rebound pulled Doug that much closer. Happily, I was wrong on Point 1 above!



Scores going into FJ!:

Sue $15,200
Andy $12,200
Doug $12,000

FJ! category: NEW OLYMPIC SPORTS

FJ! clue: This sport introduced in summer 2000 plays out over a raised area 16 1/2 feet long and 9 1/2 feet wide

Doug $12,000 + $10,000 = $22,000
Andy $12,200 - $11,801 = $399
Sue $15,200 - $9,201 - $5,999

While I got the Final instantly, I really dislike the wording of this Final. Trampoline is not a sport. It is a discipline within the sport of gymnastics.

The Olympics operate under a 3-tiered system of "sport-discipline-event".
Sport: Gymnastics
Discipline: Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Rhythmic Gymnastics
Event: Artistic Gymnastics, Women's Individual All-Around.

In fact, it was worded to the point where the correct response isn't actually correct as per the strict wording of the clue. Not that I ever think this'll happen, but I do think that we have a couple of contestants with a beef here!

Jeanie's got tomorrow's recap, while I'll be back next week!

The Rise Of The Baggarly

Hello, Jeopardy! fans! Blogger Andy back with the recap of Tuesday's game.

The challengers for Andy Baggarly: Prudence Plunkett (from the land of Palin - Wasilla, Alaska) and Zack Knowles.





I bet my co-blogger's not-so-secretly hoping that another player doesn't pass Beau in the Tournament of Champions standings, but we'll see what happens today!

Even Alex commented on Wasilla at the start of the show!

J! round categories: SPACE FIRSTS, THE RISE OF THE MOVIES, WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?, DOUBLE-LETTER WORDS, BABY NAMES, ANAGRAMMED 21ST CENTURY LEADERS

It was a reasonably nondescript opening 15, though there were some early Triple Stumpers in ANAGRAMMED 21ST CENTURY LEADERS, the final two making it rather difficult to actually confirm the scores at the first break! Those scores were:

Andy $2,600
Zach $2,000
Prudence $1,200

Those Triple Stumpers:

$600: Italy: Billion Sour Vices
$800: The United Kingdom: Wrong Orb Nod
$1000: Canada: Sharpen The Rep

It was Prudence that got to the first Daily Double, under DOUBLE-LETTER WORDS $800. The scores:

Andy $3,200
Prudence $2,400
Zach $2,200

She bet clue value, which would tie her for the lead if correct. Her clue: The Germans call Brussels sprouts "Rosenkohl", literally "rose" this. Her incorrect response, likely forgetting what Brussels sprouts are similar to, dropped her to $1,600.

Another surprising Triple Stumper (BABY NAMES $400): Among the most popular twin names for girls are these 2 that form a trio with Charity

Andy seemed to get in a bunch, but had a few negs which kept his score deflated in this round. At the end of the J! round, your scores were:

Zack $4,600
Andy $3,200
Prudence $2,800

DJ! round categories: OLD WEST LITERATURE, ALBUM COVER ART, NAUTICAL TALK, ARGENTINA, NOTABLE NAMES, and SPELLED LIKE A PLACE

The first Daily Double came early this round, and Andy got to it. Under NAUTICAL TALK $1,200, your scores were:

Zack $4,600
Andy $3,600
Prudence $2,800

His bet was $1,400. His clue, presented by Jimmy: In the Age of Sail, each country had its own cut, or style, of these triangular sails that enhanced the steering abilities of large ships. It took him awhile, but his correct response brought him to $5,000.



Zack seemed to have the best luck in getting in through the middle of the round, but it was Andy again who saw the game's last Daily Double, under NOTABLE NAMES $1600.

Running out of time, your scores:

Zack $10,200
Andy $6,600
Prudence $3,200

I like one of two bets here. The first being exactly $1,500, the second being anything above $3,600. Andy took the latter route, betting $4,000. His clue: Mark Twain published this man's memoirs in 1885 & called them "the best of any general's since Caesar". Andy's correct response jumped him back into the lead. One final Triple Stumper brought the round to a close with the following scores:

Andy $10,600
Zack $10,200
Prudence $3,200

FJ! category: 80s SITCOM CHARACTERS

FJ! clue: Creator Gary David Goldberg wrote this Republican character as unsympathetic, but the actor made him lovable


Prudence $3,200 - $3,200 = $0
Zack $10,200 - $10,200 = 0
Andy $10,600 + $9,801 = $20,401

Having given "character" and "show", I would have been very hard-pressed to not give credit for Prudence's answer at my pub quizzes, to be honest; after all, she did name the correct character and correct show, in my opinion. I'm glad that it didn't matter in the overall outcome of the game, as if it had cost Prudence the game, it might have left a sour taste in my mouth there.

Tournament of Champions update:

1. Monica Thieu $100,000 (College Champion)
2. Patrick Quinn $100,000 (Teacher's Champion)
3. Jason Keller $213,900 (9 wins)
4. Joel Pool $116,800 (6 wins)
5. Dave Leach $98,054 (6 wins)
6. David Menchaca $115,503 (5 wins)
7. David Gard $84,700 (4 wins)
8. Dan McShane $62,001 (4 wins)
9. Patrick Morrison $80,701 (3 wins)
10. Francis Lansangan $78,401 (3 wins)
11. Matt Samberg $61,402 (3 wins)
12. Andy Baggarly $60,402 (3 wins)
13. Stephanie Fontaine $54,500 (3 wins)
14. Joey Falco $53,999 (3 wins)
15. Beau Henson $51,203 (3 wins)
---
16. Margaret Swanson $48,000 (3 wins)
17. Claudia Gray $45,202 (3 wins)
18. Dan Adkison $37,400 (3 wins)
19. Jacob Silverman $35,998 (3 wins)
20. Jessamine Price $26,803 (3 wins)

I'll be back with tomorrow's recap, see you then!

And now the British Open...

     ...which in real-life ended on the same day as the Tour de France!
     We're kickin' off a brand-new week! I don't know if you saw this week's commercial on the Jeopardy! site, but when I looked for it this morning it sorta faked me out about today's episode. See what I mean...
     Today's contestants:

Liz Frost of Issaquah, WA

Andy Baggarly of Palo Alto, CA

Kate Mosesso of Chicago, IL

     A Twitter friend was just asking me, what's up with all the British stuff on Jeopardy! lately? I hadn't really noticed, but the first category introduced today? The Queen's English. I swept it! And to continue with British stuff, I got this triple-stumper in Numerical Novel by Characters: "Sydney Carton, Charles Darnay." My sister loves to recall how it was the last book ever assigned to me in high school, and I just couldn't find the desire to read it. (Sorry, Mrs. Hofeditz.) Andy left the category after that one. A mistake...?
     Andy and Kate went back and forth with correct responses at first, but he wound up answering 9 (5400) to her 3 (1200) by the first break. Liz had answered once (600), and there were no negs yet.
     I got this triple-stumper in Macadamia: "The way growers usually tell that macadamias are ripe is they wait until the nuts do this." Kate answered the next clue, then went back to Numerical Novel by Characters. That last clue of the category was the Daily Double. She had answered one right since the break, as had Andy. She had 2000 and he had 5800. Kate wagered 1000 on this clue: "Aureliano Buendia & the ghost of Prudencio Aguilar." I'd heard something about this on the radio today, but I didn't get it and wouldn't have. Kate got it.
     At the end of the round, Andy had gotten 4 right since Kate's Daily Double and had 7200. Kate had gotten 2 right and had 4400. Liz had gotten 5 right and had 4200.
     I was a little surprised they didn't ask for a "be more specific" on this clue in Movie Fighters: "He spent 4 years training to play 'Irish' Micky Ward in 'The Fighter.'" Andy selected so quickly it was almost like he was afraid Mr. Trebek was going to ask.
     When Liz found the first Daily Double in Official Languages, she'd gotten quite a few clues, 8, and had 11400. Andy had gotten 3 and had 10800. Kate had gotten 3 as well, and had 7200. Liz wagered 2000 on this clue: "Haiti: French & the Haitian type of this vernacular language." She and I got it right.
     I said "a brick short" on this clue in Crazy Talk: "Delivering 99 rectangular blocks of baked clay when you should have had 100." I didn't count mine when they barely accepted Andy's "a brick short of a load." (Mr. Trebek said "a full load." Andy found the other Daily Double in the round, in Sculpture. He'd regained the lead, having gotten 3 right since Liz's Daily Double. He had 16000 to Kate's 9200 (2 right) and Liz's 11800 (1 right and 1 wrong). He too wagered 2000 on this clue: "In 2011 the scales went missing from a statue representing this in front of Lousiville's Metro Hall." He sputtered "Libra" and Mr. Trebek said "no," but apparently he said "justice" in time, and was ruled correct.
     There was one category left, Scottish Rulers. Three were triple-stumpers, including this one I got and thought was over-valued: "In 1072, at about age 12, Duncan II was sent as a hostage to this Norman king, who kept him for several years." Liz got one of the other two, and Andy got the other. Andy had 18800, Kate had 9200, and Liz had 12200. The Final Jeopardy category was Political Literature. This was the clue: "The key message to this title figure in an Italian work is 'It is far safer to be feared than loved.'" I slam-dunked this one, having read about it in Mental Floss when I was preparing to be on the show myself. Kate missed it and lost everything. Liz got it and added 8000! But Andy too got it right and added 5601. He wins, and gave a little fist-pump.
     My Coryat today was 21400 (29000 without negs).
     So will Andy the blogger alter the ToC list tomorrow after Andy the contestant has played??

Q and A with Kimberley Stephenson

     Kimberly played on Tuesday, July 17th!

Q: So you work at Azusa Pacific University. I'll bet you were glad your Final was about the Bible! And you bet it all without knowing that. Incidentally, I used to live in West Covina! Do you ever go to Burrito Village? (I don't know if it's still there.) It was owned by my former co-worker.
Kimberley: Never been to Burrito Village, but I am partial to La Tolteca in Azusa. 
     I was excited to see that the final clue mentioned King David, since I'd actually read the story about him and Abigail in 1 Samuel not too long ago! As for the bet, I was trailing Blythe and Dan by quite a bit going into Final Jeopardy, and I knew they could both beat me with conservative wagers even if they got the question wrong. So I figured I didn't have anything to lose by wagering everything, and I got lucky with the final clue. I was definitely surprised that Dan bet so much, especially since the category was so broad!
Q: I thought you did well to know "rupees" and "dinars." Did you study currency for the show?
Kimberley: I really didn't study much of anything before the show outside of the names of England's kings and queens and some lists of classic literature titles. That was partly due to nervousness about being on the show, but mostly due to the fact that I had a lot of real studying to do--I was working on my MBA at the time of the taping (I've since graduated) in addition to working full-time.
     I think my MBA coursework helped me with the currency questions, as did the Asian and Middle Eastern history classes I took in college.
Q:Did you stay for the rest of the day's episodes?
Kimberley: I did not stay for the rest of the day's episodes, for two reasons: first, I was kind of spent after my show (it's nerve-wracking up there!), and second, I had already watched a full day's taping several months before (I was the local alternate for a day).
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to say?
Kimberley: I'd like to mention the name of the software program I talked about in my "meet the contestant" anecdote. I've had several people track me down online since the show aired asking about the Linux program that my husband wrote to catalog his book collection, so I figure there might be some interest. :) The program is called Tellico, and can be downloaded for free from http://tellico-project.org/
     My family and I watched Jeopardy! together almost every day when I was growing up, so actually getting the chance to be on the show was amazing and surreal. I'll wrap it up by saying that I've been really touched by how supportive and excited my family, friends, and co-workers have been even though I finished third. That certainly softens the blow of losing, and makes me feel pretty good about the whole experience!
     Thank you, Kimberley! 

Tour de France...and Spain and Germany

     Oooh, what a fun episode today. I'm looking forward to this.
     But first, speaking of fun and looking forward to something, I think I am almost as excited as Andy that he's directing a Scrabble tournament today (Saturday) in Toronto. And guess who else is gonna be there. Future ToCer (and oh yeah, crossword enthusiast) Jason Keller. I wish I could be there, too, even though I don't play Scrabble!
     Today's contestants:

Mike McStravick of Houston, TX
(He looks like Taylor Hicks today, right down to the purple clothes.)

Andy Baggarly of Palo Alto, CA

Lisa Farricker of Winchester, VA
(Instant bonus points for being a nursing student!)

     Did anyone else get deja vu when the category Inventive Ad Words was revealed? Okay, it was probably just me. Incidentally I've challenged myself a couple of times to remember every category in my game. When I look right now, I'm like, "What???" I've barely looked at anything related to my game, including the game itself. I think I've repressed the memory of much of it! Looking at the category now, I know the correct response to every clue. Ringing in first is another story! My sister told me right after my game she thought the one I got, was a good get. Although she didn't put it that way.
     I went 4/5 today in Inventive Ad Words, clamming on this one: "How could you 'fuelgettabouttit' when it came to a print ad for this car brand's Equinox SUV."
     To me it seemed that Mike lightened up today, but he did look like he was gonna drill a hole through the board with his eyes when he went for the 1000 clue in Military Matters off the bat. And good for him for getting that rather convoluted clue right:

     We just talked about this girl, also in Inventive Ad Words: "Fox branded this star of 'New Girl' as 'adorkable.'"

     I plowed through Celebrity Books before the first break. At that time, Mike had gotten 3 right and had . Lisa had gotten 6 right and had 3800. Andy had gotten 5 right and 1 wrong and had 1600.

     Nice contestant interviews today. I agree with contestant Andy about athletes accused of doping being inducted into Halls of Fame. (I don't know how hopefully-future-contestant and bloggin' partner Andy feels!) :-) And Lisa met her husband Abraham when she was reading a book of the same name near him. Mike talked about Texas barbecue.

     Andy found the Daily Double of the round in Forests. He'd gotten 2 right since the break and had 2400. Mike had gotten 1 right and had 2200. Andy wagered 1600 on this clue: "At 4898 feet, Feldberg is the highest point in this German forest known for its mineral springs." I'm lucky to have been to the Black Forest, and I got this one right (guess though it was). Andy got it too!

     Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning at the top of Inside Shakespeare. Luckily the clues were short and we got through them all. Sorry if you're sick of this, but I really did see "TIGERSHARK" in a crossword puzzle today. ("There are tiger & nurse varieties of this critter.")

     Andy got 6 right since his Daily Double, and ended the round with 7800. Lisa had gotten 2 right and had 5000. Mike had gotten 3 right and had 4200.

     I've blogged about this movie (I've also read some of the book), and in fact I just saw a clue about it in a Jeopardy! rerun yesterday. But I clammed on this one today in McWriters: "The film 'No Country for Old Men' was based on a novel by him."

     Andy found the first Daily Double of the round, in Birds of a Feather. He'd gotten 3 right and had 9800. Lisa had gotten 2 right and 1 wrong and had 6200. Mike had gotten 8 right, and had 13400. Mr. Trebek said then that Mike had been "very dominant in the last set of clues." Andy wagered 2200 on this clue: "Little Spotted, North Island Brown, South Island Brown." He and I got it wrong, but then it was his turn to be dominant - He got 5 right before finding the next Daily Double. Lisa had gotten 2 wrong and had 4200. Andy wagered 3000 of his 10400 on this clue in Street Smarts: "This capital's Gran Via was renamed Avenida Jose Antonio, after the founder of the Fascist party." Luckily once again, I've been to this capital and got this right. Andy did not. 

     I've been to Berlin, too, and confidently rang in and promptly negged on this clue, still in Street Smarts: "In Berlin Wilhelmstrasse runs parallel to this other major street bearing the name of a German emperor." Mike got this one. 

     Before the end of the round, Mike and Andy had each gotten 1 right, and the latter had also gotten 1 wrong. They had 15400 and 7800 respectively. Lisa had gotten 3 right and had 7400. Mr. Trebek pointed out that had Andy not gotten the last clue of the round, Mike would've had a lock on the game.

     The Final Jeopardy category was Recent Films. I was hopeless on this one: "One of its first lines is 'I won't talk! I won't say a word!!!'" Lisa and Mike got it wrong, and Andy got it right! He was confident, bobbing his head to the think music. Lisa lost all but 100 dollars. Andy doubled, so of course he's lucky he was right. On the other hand, Mike only lost 1000, so Andy's very lucky he wagered like he did! By the skin of his teeth, Andy's the new champion (and he seemed to appreciate that). We'll see him Monday.

     My Coryat today was 21600 (28600 without negs). Tomorrow, look for my Q and A with Kimberley Stephenson! 

Calling all angels

      Before today's recap, a Jeopardy! family member, Vince Gatton, needs our help: He tweeted on Wednesday that he's raising money for his aunt and her son, who have recently lost their jobs and have hefty medical bills. (Details here.) Come on Jeopardy! fans, let's unite and help them make their goal, shall we? And by the way, I'd not have gotten this clue on a recent rerun if I hadn't had to look up "George Bailey" in Vince's tweet (in Movies on my Tivo DVR): "Angels talking about George Bailey/I can't stand to watch that Mr. Potter/An angel gets his wings." Incidentally it was the only clue I got in the category, despite having review this one for the blog. (Heck, I could write a whole post about each of these episodes! I've had a lot to say.)
     So, is Julie gonna make it two today? Let's find out. Today's contestants:

Shelly Green of Woodmere, NY

Julie Bratvold Ghanbari of San Diego, CA (She has a degree from MIT!)

   

Mike McStravick of Houston, TX

     Mr. Trebek kicked off the show by announcing that there will be a Back-to-School Week beginning in another week and a half. My friend Robert tells me these are new episodes.
     Mike found the Daily Double of the round before the first break. We'd seen 2 clues where 2 contestants negged. Mike had gotten 5 right and 1 neg and had 2800. Julie had 2 negs and 2 right, and had 200. Shelly had 1 neg and 2 right, and had 600. Mike wagered 1200 on this clue in Money Talks: "This type of variable income tax increases as the amount to be taxed increases."  Mike got it right but as for me, this was the first of all 3 Daily Doubles where I'd never even heard of the material in the clue or the response. Shelly got 2 more right and had 2400 before the first break.
     Weird coincidence - I ran out of time during the commercial break to transfer mine of these from my computer to my phone (in Photography): "Types of these cards used in digital cameras include MicroSD, SDHC & Compactflash."
     Now, if there's been a contestant slower to select than Julie, I sure don't know who it is. (To be fair, Mike was very slow, too.) I don't understand this - I mean the contestant coordinators drill it into your head and practically plead with you to select quickly. I mean, I'd almost be afraid not to. And why were Julie and Mike so wary of Rhyme Hub? It's an easy 5/5. Julie seemed to drag out selecting from there as if maybe she wouldn't have to if she did. And Mike never did seem to be having a good time. We did manage to finish the round. At the end of the round, Shelly had gotten 4 right since the break and had 3800. Mike had gotten 9 right and had 8800. Julie had gotten 3 right and had 2600.
     Julie found the first Daily Double of Double Jeopardy. She'd gotten 2 right and had 3800. Shelly had gotten 1 wrong and had 3000. Julie wagered 3000 on this clue in River Country: "The Don (about 1200 miles)." She got it right. The length of the river should've been a clue for me.
     The next clue was a triple-stumper I got, in the same category: "The Fraser (about 850 miles)." The next clue was a common crossword word, but I wouldn't have gotten it if Mike hadn't negged first: "The Ebro."
     Shelly found the next Daily Double, in Mad Men. He'd gotten 2 right and 2 wrong since Julie's last Daily Double, and had 3400. Mike had gotten 3 right and 2 wrong and had 8000, and Julie had gotten 4 right and had 11600. Shelly wagered 1600 on this clue: "This general's reckless courage at the 1779 night assault that took Stony Point earned him his nickname." Shelly got it right away!
     Not surprisingly, we had 7 clues left when Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning. Four of them remained covered at the end of the round! Shelly had gotten 3 right and 1 wrong since his Daily Double, and had 7000. Julie had gotten 2 right and had 14400. Mike had gotten 3 right and 1 wrong and had 10400.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Anthropology. This was the clue: "The most famous resident of the National Museum of Ethiopia is the very old young lady named this." Like the Daily Doubles today, I don't know what this is referring to. Shelly and Mike did, though. Shelly added 3500. Mike doubled his score. Julie lost 6401, and thus Mike becomes your new champion.
     Mike didn't find a Daily Double today. Maybe tomorrow, at which time we'll also find out if he selects clues a little more quickly. (And by the way, Mike, if you're reading this, this guy is looking for you.)
     My Coryat today was 22600 (26200 without negs). Recent Coryats:
originally 10-27-08: 17200 (22600 without negs, although I'm not sure I should've accepted "fluorination" or "Evil Flowers")
originally 10-28-08: 30600 (35800 without negs. I was 27/30 in this J! round, and no negs in that round!)
originally 10-29-08: 22800 (29000 without negs)
originally 10-30-08: 21000 (25400 without negs)

Leaving the premises

     Today's contestants:

Dan Burke of Chicago, IL

Julie Bratvold Ghanbari of San Diego, CA

Elisa Leigan of San Luis Obispo, CA

     This third clue was a painful miss for me because not only have I been there more than once, I was just there last month!:

In Addressing the Ballpark: "333 West Camden Street." I said what Dan did! He got 4/5 in the category.
     Julie, a stay-at-home mom, found the Daily Double of the round, in Mysteries & Thrillers. She'd gotten 2 right and had 1200. Elisa had gotten 1 right and had 200. Dan had gotten 4 right and the 1 neg and had 2200.  Julie wagered all of it on this clue: "Chapter 1 of this classic is 'Spade & Archer.'" I got this one right but Julie didn't.
     I got this triple-stumper in Potpourri, which Mr. Trebek followed with one of his "Are you kidding me?" looks that are getting more frequent: "If you roll a standard 6-sided die & a 2 comes up, this number is on the bottom." I think I'll add this one to the weekly poll.
     At the first break, Julie had gotten 1 right since her Daily Double and had 1000. Elisa had gotten 1 right and 1 wrong and had 600. Dan had gotten 3 right and had 4000.
     I got this triple-stumper in Begins and Ends with "K": "Your relatives." Mr. Trebek said that was "a little tougher"!
     There were eight clues left when Mr. Trebek gave the 1-minute warning.
     I swept No Bed but Bath & Beyond. I could not believe this was a clue in the category: "Hello, ladies...'The man your man could smell like' was Isaiah Mustafa as he pitched (shirtlessly) this product." This was a clue in a crossword puzzle I was working just before watching Jeopardy!: "Old Spice commercial actor Mustafa." I doubt I'd have gotten this right without that puzzle! Vamos!
     I was peeved when Dan left one clue left in the category and skipped to Chinese Zodiac Animals. But I wound up getting the three clues we saw there correct, too. Then I was peeved when Julie took a looonnnggg time to choose a clue since time was running out with 3 clues left, and I was on a roll. I know I'd have gotten the last two clues in the category. At the end of the round, Elisa had gotten 1 wrong and 5 right since the break and had 3800. Julie had gotten 4 right and had 3000, and Dan had gotten 1 wrong and 3 right and had 5800.
     I eyed The OED Sez with suspicion because this tweeted clue kicked my butt today. (I wanna add that one to the poll! I mean, did anyone get that, for real?) But I wound up going 4/5 in the category, saying what Julie did on this clue: "A 'proposition which forms the basis for a...theory...a starting point for reasoning.'" It was her first neg of the game. That does it, I'm adding this to the poll too. Here's what my dictionary says for "hypothesis" (at least definition #1): "a proposition tentatively assumed in order to draw out its logical or empirical consequences and so test its accord with facts that are known or may be determined." And for "premise": "a proposition antecedently supposed or proved : a basis of argument." (It goes on a little bit, and if you need more just ask and I'll throw it in a comment.)
     Julie went 4/5 in "C" Monsters including the Daily Double. I was writing the categories on my scoresheet and didn't realize it was spelled that way until she answered the first clue in the category. (I got it right anyway.) She'd gotten 4 right in the round when she found it, and had 7400. Dan had gotten 3 right and had 8200. Julie wagered 2000 on this clue: "The Greeks said this fire-breather was part lion, part dragon & part goat--but maybe it was a figment of their imagination."
     It's an Olympic Year! was a whole category of neg bait for me, but I managed to get 2 right and neg once. I stayed clam on this one that all 3 contestants negged on: "The U-2 Incident; Incidentally, U2's Bono is born."
     There were 6 clues left in the round when Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning. (Sigh.) The next clue was the next Daily Double, which Julie again found in Opus & Opera. She's gotten 2 right and 2 wrong since her last Daily Double and had 12200. Dan had also gotten 2 right and 2 wrong, and had 9000. Elisa had gotten 3 right and 2 wrong and had 2200. Julie wagered 2500 on this clue: "His Opus 68 is 'from the Bohemian forest,' composed around 1883." I got this one right! Julie did not, but she got the last two clues of the round right and ended with 10900.
     The Final Jeopardy category was British History. This was the clue: "This 17th century king was the last British monarch to enter the House of Commons." Don't ask me how I got this right. I had a vague notion that I'd heard this before, but it was a pretty wild stab. Julie was the only contestant to get this one right, and since she was in the lead it follows that she won! (Incidentally, she added 7101.) Elisa didn't wager anything, and Dan wagered 8997. We'll see Julie tomorrow.
     My Coryat today was 17600 (25000 without negs).
     Now, thanks to my friend Robert, I knew that Julie is a boardie and thus I have a way to ask her if she'd like to answer questions for the blog. I hope she says yes. I kinda have a lot of questions already. I have to admit I thought she lost today after seeing how she changed her rank. But...I figured out why she changed her rank to that. :-) I didn't watch my commercial. I wonder if I was even on it.
     Recent Coryats:
originally 10-21-08: 21800 (28200 without negs) (Does this guy look exactly like David Madden or what?)
originally 10-22-08: 22000 (26000 without negs)
originally 10-23-08: 31400 (35400 without negs) (And this guy looks a lot like one of David's staff.)
originally 10-24-08: 21000 (27600 without negs)
     Now for my Q & A with woman-of-few-words, Liza Veeneman!

Q: You went to the Agatha Christie category and you did well.

Liza: I began reading Agatha Christie books when I was in junior high school. I loved the first ones I read, and by now have read all of them.

Q: Did I detect an accent?

Liza: Yes; I grew up in Lexington, KY.

Q: Did you stay to watch the rest of the day's episodes?

Liza: Yes, I stayed to watch the rest of the episodes.

Q: Anything else you'd like to say?

Liza: Jeopardy was an unforgettable experience from the online test onward. I had the time of my life!

Blythe's Gambit?

Andy back for the second game of this week; Kimberley Stephenson and Dan Burke are the challengers for 1-day champion Blythe Rodgers today.





Kimberley's going to be answering questions from Jeanie in case anyone's got any!

J! round categories: CHEMICAL ELEMENTS, THINK FAST!, HISTOR"E", SMART WORDS, ROUGH REVIEWS ON ROTTEN TOMATOES, A DOLLAR IS WORTH ABOUT...

Blythe and Kimberley kept CHEMICAL ELEMENTS to themselves, but it was Dan that found the Daily Double at the bottom of the second category in play, HISTOR"E". Scores:

Blythe $2,000
Kimberley $1,800
Dan $1,200

It was early, so Dan went for the True Daily Double: His clue: In the 980s he managed to make Greenland sound pleasant enough to get fellow Icelanders to join him there. Sadly, Dan picked the son, so Dan fell back to $0. He rebuilt his score a good bit during SMART WORDS, though. At the end of 15:

Blythe $3,200
Kimberley $2,200
Dan $1,400

It was a pretty good, although reasonably uneventful, second half of the round. We got through all 30, though, and the scores were as follows:

Kimberley $4,200
Blythe $3,800
Dan $2,200

DJ! round categories: COUNTRY MUSIC DUET PARTNERS, AT THE "CORE", CONSTITUTION SIGNERS BY STATE, HOMOPHONES, ARTHUR, CANTERBURY TALES TELLERS

I started to wonder a little bit when CANTERBURY TALES TELLERS $400 fell as a Triple Stumper: Prior to telling his tale, the Man of Law mentions this author by name & some of his works. Needless to saw, Dan got out of that category very quickly.

Dan and Kimberly went back and forth trading the lead through the middle of the round, but Dan surged ahead and Blythe managed to tie herself with Kimberley when she found the first Daily Double under CONSTITUTION SIGNERS BY STATE $1600. Scores:

Dan $12,200
Kimberley $8,200
Blythe $8,200

I'm thinking that I'd probably bet $5,000 here. Blythe, just like yesterday, bet $3,000. Her clue: William Paterson. Her correct response brought her to $11,200.

After finishing out CONSTITUTION, Blythe went hunting in Canterbury Tales, going to $1200 but missed, ceding control over to Dan, who found the Daily Double in the $1600 slot. Scores at this point:

Dan $13,400
Blythe $11,200
Kimberley $8,200

Dan bet $2000. His clue: The teller of the first tale, he's participated in several battles of the Great Crusades. Dan's incorrect response dropped him to $11,400.

Blythe and Dan traded the lead over the last four clues, leading to the following scores going into Final Jeopardy:

Blythe $14,800
Dan $13,400
Kimberley $8,200

FJ! category: FIRST NAMES

FJ! clue: A wife of King David & 2 of our early First Ladies shared this name derived from Hebrew from "My Father's Joy"

Kimberley 8200 + 8200 = 16400
Dan 13400 + 13398 = 26798
Blythe 14800 + 5200 = 20000

You could hear Blythe's reaction when Dan's bet was revealed. Though "betting small" was certainly an option here, considering the Wagering Calculator at the J! Archive suggests $5,199 maximum for Dan, I don't think you can pin a small bet on a challenger like that (unless they've somehow indicated that they might make that bet). And thus Dan is our new champion and Blythe is headed home.

I got Final immediately; Jeanie'll have tomorrow's blog. I'll be back next week!