First things first: I want to point out to you the new weekly poll! underneath the daily post.
Mr. Trebek mentioned at the top of the show that Joel Pool became a champion on Monday, and he wondered whether he’d still be champion this Monday. Shall we find out?
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| Jim Virtel, graduate student of philosophy from Lemont, IL |
The contestants:
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| Joel Pool, real estate developer from Oakland, CA |
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| Jennifer Arceneaux, grant writer from Los Angeles, CA |
I love Jennifer’s shirt, by the way. You can’t really see it in this picture but it has a fitted waist. And Jim bears a striking resemblance to “Boy Meets World”‘s Rider Strong. (Here’s an interesting article I found on Jim, by the way. I left a comment there!)
I was very happy to see the too-seldom utilized spelling category (Spelling with the Stars). But I crashed there, and in fact it was all downhill. On a bicycle with no brakes, and no helmet.
I had clammed on all four clues leading to the Daily Double, which Jim found in Capital & Country: Same First Letter. He and Jennifer had each gotten one right, and Joel had gotten two right. All had 400. Jim wagered 1000 on this clue: “City and country where NATO is headquartered.” Jim did not have a response, and neither did I.
This was a triple-stumper in Spelling with the Stars: “The Doors & Patti Smith have both recorded the Van Morrison song shouting this gal’s name.” Unfortunately I had given that correct response to this previous clue in the same category: “The Kinks met this title gal at a club down in old Soho.”
At the first break, Joel had 3200 and Jim had 1400. Each had gotten four right since Jim’s Daily Double. Jennifer had 800 with one right since the Daily Double.
The object of this first clue after the break is not so new, is it? (Category New Words and Phrases, which I managed to sweep):
I got this triple-stumper in the general-sounding History: “Clause 39 of this influenced Britain’s Habeas Corpus Act of 1679.” And I got this one in Southpaws: “Perhaps he used his left hand when, as legend says, he cut the Gordian Knot in 333 B.C.”
At the end of the round, Joel had 9000 (7 right since the break), Jim had 600 (2 right and 2 wrong), and Jennifer had 1600 (3 right).
Jim found the first Daily Double of Double Jeopardy in Business Schools. He had 3000 (4 right since the round began). Joel had 10200 (1 right), and Jennifer still had 1600. Jim wagered it all (I like his style) on this softball: “The Kenan-Flagler Business School occupies a 191,000-sq.-ft. building on the Chapel Hill campus of this university.” He got it right.
I got this one in There’s Something on the Air thanks to my interview with Stefan Goodreau late last year. (Hey, this is the perfect opportunity to point out the list of champ interviews on the left side of the page!) “Sucker Punch and Fence Flapper are qualifiers on this ABC stunt show.”
Jim found the next Daily Double in Fun with Elements. He had 12000 (5 right with 1 neg since his last Daily Double). Joel had 11800 (also 5 right but 2 negs), and Jennifer had 6000 (3 right). Jim wagered 2000 on this clue: “Bauxite is where you’ll find this element, the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust.” Jim got it right! Mr. Trebek then gave the less-than-a-minute warning with one full category, Virgil, remaining. We did see all the clues today! Jim ended the round with 14800 (3 right and one neg in that last category). Joel still had 11800, and Jennifer had 5200 (one neg).
The Final Jeopardy category was Military Matters. This was the clue: “In 1934 the lease for this place was increased to $4,085 per year; since 1959 the checks haven’t been cashed.” I think I got this right, if you’ll accept this. A disappointed-looking Jennifer got this one right! She wagered 1800. Joel didn’t have a response and lost 3100. I guess he was just trying to have more than Jim’s 14800. Poor Jim said “Fort Knox” and lost 8801, which would’ve given him the win if he and Joel had gotten it right. So we will see Joel on Monday. Now he leaps ahead quite a few people on the list of ToC candidates:
Jason Keller/9 wins/$215900
Dave Leach/6 wins/$100054
Joel Pool/4 5! wins/$95300
David Gard/4 wins/$85700
Dan McShane/4 wins/$64001
Patrick Morrison/3 wins/$82701
Francis Lansangan/3 wins/$80401
Joey Falco/3 wins/$55999
Beau Henson/3 wins/$53203
Dan Adkison/3 wins/$38400
Jacob Silverman/3 wins/37998
Jessamine Price/3 wins/$28803
I’m ashamed of my Coryat today, but this should give you an idea: It would’ve been 11200 higher if I’d clammed on my negs. I’m only going that far in case this episode reruns someday, and I can compare how I did. I had two negs in the Jeopardy round and oh, a whole bunch in Double Jeopardy, where they hurt the most.