I watched Jeopardy! tonight in especially good spirits. I think it’s because I have my taxes done. Phew!
I was busy writing down the contestant’s names when I heard David Hoskins of Mississippi identified as a “guybrarian.” I was so alarmed that I looked up at the screen, and indeed, that’s how closed captioning had spelled it. I was sure Mr. Trebek would ask him about it! When he didn’t, I sort of hoped David would win so maybe Mr. Trebek would ask him tomorrow. I would look it up, but I want to hear from you, readers, if you have ever heard of this and what it means.
I also hoped David would win (or heck, anybody else!) because I found his opponent Emily Bryk of New York so irritating. At first she just copped an obvious attitude, but as the game progressed, especially in Double Jeopardy, it seemed like she felt like she could show off, and she was trying to. She got cockier every minute, even feigning shock and asking Mr. Trebek after being read a Daily Double clue, “You think I should know this?” Here was the clue, in Fashion Designers: “Giorgio Armani puts on fashion shows at his pallazzo on Via Borgonuovo in this northern Italian city.”* Then of course, she acted like she was picking a random city and said, “Really?” when told she was right. Judging by his flat response I don’t think Mr. Trebek was amused either, but only he knows.
Rounding out the contestant panel (if I may call it that) was 1-day champ Brandon Hathaway from Augusta, Georgia. I wonder if he’ll be watching himself on Jeopardy! this week or, like many other Americans (not me), The Masters.
Speaking of sports, I was very surprised when no one came up with a correct response (or an incorrect one) on this $1000 clue in Fun at the Ballpark (I must have made a face like Emily’s at the aforementioned Daily Double): “In a 1983 game, the presence of this substance on George Brett’s bat caused controversy at Yankee Stadium.” Now in my mind, the image of Brett storming out of the dugout and having to be restrained is one of the most famous and memorable scenes in the history of baseball. And NO, I would not have been old enough to remember it when it happened. Do you guys know this one without peeking at the correct response? Somebody say yes!
Emily got her comeuppance in Final Jeopardy. She was in the lead with $17000. Brandon had $13600, and David had $7400. No one (including me) came up with a correct response to this clue in The Animal Kingdom: “The coelacanth and the ivory-billed woodpecker are sometimes referred to as this Biblican man ‘species.'” A toughie, it turned out. David lost everything on that clue. Brandon lost $6000, but it was still enough to beat drama queen Emily, who lost $10201.
P.S. Sorry, gotta keep mentioning my contest. Become a follower of this blog and you’ll be eligible!
*Milan, pine tar, Lazarus