I’ve never used the term in the title before, actually anywhere, so here it is defined if you need it.
First, if you’ll indulge me: Since no one’s posted on this forum besides me in more than two years (not this blog…the link!), I figure I’d better get it out there somehow if I want a response. I have more questions but I’ll wait to see if anyone answers. “Enough said,” as my Twitter friend says a lot!
After this recap, my Q & A with Leslie Page!
Today’s contestants:
 |
| Stephanie Fontaine of Arlington, VA |
 |
| Jennifer Morgan of Norcross, GA |
 |
| Prabhu Balasubramanian of Mountain View, CA |
Stephanie found the first Daily Double at the bottom of the first category played, At the Beach. She had gotten 1 right and 1 wrong and had 400. Prabhu had gotten 2 right and had 1000. Jennifer got the first clue right, then 2 wrong, and had -1000. Stephanie wagered 600 on this clue: “The brand Gordon & Smith began by making these in a Pacific Beach, California garage in 1959.” Stephanie and I got it right.
I got this triple-stumper in Facts about Authors: “Best known for his stories about Bertie Wooster & this valet, P.G. Wodehouse was interned in Berlin for most of WWII.” This was the last clue before the first break. Jennifer had gotten 2 more wrong since the Daily Double, and had -2400. Prabhu had gotten 1 wrong and went 4/5 in Illinois, for 2200. Stephanie had gotten 1 right and 1 wrong and had 1000.
I got this triple-stumper in “Pic” Me, and wound up sweeping the category: “Virile drifter Hal Carter comes to a Kansas town in this William Inge play.”
There were 4 clues left in the round when Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning. I was proud of Stephanie for cutting him off in order to get to the next clue. I was sweeping Chairmen of the Federal Reserve when the round ended, including this triple-stumper (I said “stock market crash”): “Roy A. Young’s tenure included this Oct. 24, 1929 event that shook the economy; less than a year later, Roy was gone.” Stephanie had gotten 7 right since the break, and had 5400. Prabhu had gotten 4 right and 1 wrong and had 3000, and poor Jennifer, who seemed ill-prepared to put it mildly, had gotten 1 more wrong for a total of 5 negs in the round. She was in the hole 3000. Mr. Trebek said, “She won’t be in the hole for long. You’ll see.” Let’s…
When I saw Oscar-Winning Directors of the 1980s, I was hoping to see the movie “Amadeus” there, as it was fresh in my mind from just having seen it in a crossword puzzle. (The clue was, Best Picture winner of the 1980s.) Alas, it wasn’t on the show, but I couldn’t have done better: 4/4, including these 3 triple-stumpers:
- “Oliver Stone, for a Vietnam movie (1989).”
- “Robert Redford (1980).”
- “Warren Beatty (1981).”
When I first watched the show, I felt that Stephanie left the category to give Jennifer a break, as she’d negged on the above three. By then, she was 6600 in the hole. But really, none of them were doing well in the category. Anyway, it helped Jennifer to leave the category, as she got the next clue right.
I got this triple-stumper in Australian History: “This notorious bushranger’s words prior to being hanged at the Melbourne jail in 1880 were ‘Such is life.'”
Prabhu found the first Daily Double in the round, in Scientific Theories. He’d gotten 4 right and 1 wrong since the round began, and had 5800. Stephanie had gotten 2 right and 1 wrong, and had 5400. Jennifer had gotten 1 right and 3 wrong, and had -6200. Prabhu wagered 3000 on this clue: “When it comes to this, the weakest of the 4 known forces, it’s more than just a theory–it’s the law.” Prabhu thought about it a while and got it right.
I got this triple-stumper in What Do You “Gn”ow, and swept the category then: “Unlike schist & various other banded rocks, this rock doesn’t readily break along its layers.” Then I got this one in Famous African-Americans: “He worked on a Ford assembly line & as a prizefighter before founding Motown Records.” Then this one at the last second in the same category: “Living in rags paid off–in 1976 he was honored with a special Pulitzer citation for his contribution to American music.” I almost didn’t ring in because I had no clue that he was black.
Mr. Trebek gave the 1-minute warning with 7 clues and $10000 left, plenty for Jennifer to get out of the hole, who had -2600 at the time. Prabhu found the next Daily Double with 3 clues after that one, and Jennifer hadn’t gotten any of the 3 previous clues. So she’d need the next 3 right just to play in the final. The Daily Double was in Religious Matters. Prabhu had gotten 2 right since the last Daily Double and had 11200. Stephanie had gotten 5 right since the last Daily Double and had 9800. Jennifer had gotten 3 right. Prabhu wagered 3000. (What would you have wagered?) This was the clue: “Her book ‘The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany’ was published posthumously in 1913.” Prabhu took some time, unfortunately for Jennifer, and didn’t get it. (I knew this one.) Stephanie got the next clue right, which wound up being the last one. Therefore Jennifer was out of her misery, and we said goodbye to her before the final. Stephanie had 11800 and Prabhu had 8200.
So I have the All-Star Game on as I’m blogging. Joe Buck just asked what is the greatest deficit a team’s overcome to win the All-Star Game. That got me to wondering: What’s the greatest deficit a J! player’s overcome to make the final?
I know a guy who every time he tells someone he lost on Jeopardy!, he adds, “…but I was sick.” Maybe Christy and Jennifer were sick.
I like thinking of the wagering strategy today, on the Daily Doubles too. I’ll let the wonks over at the boards deal with those. In Stephanie’s case, I think I’d have made the traditional cover wager. In Prabhu’s case, I think I’d have wagered 1000 expecting Stephanie to make that bet and be wrong.
The Final Jeopardy category was Entrepreneurs. This was the clue: “In 1989 he said, ‘You can’t just ask customers what they want…By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new!'” Like Prabhu on the Daily Doubles, I thought about this a long time…and got the correct response! Prabhu got it too and added 999 (sorta what
I was talking about). Stephanie got it wrong and lost 4800, enough to lose. So, like Matt Samberg before her, she loses just after edging out Beau Henson for the ToC. And I shake my head ruefully. If we must, let’s look at the ToC list. (Thanks Andy, for keeping this so well.)
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. Stephanie Fontaine $56,500 (3 wins)
13. Joey Falco $53,999 (3 wins)
14. Beau Henson $51,203 (3 wins)
15. Margaret Swanson $48,000 (3 wins)
—
16. Claudia Gray $45,202 (3 wins)
17. Dan Adkison $37,400 (3 wins)
18. Jacob Silverman $35,998 (3 wins)
19. Jessamine Price $26,803 (3 wins)
It just occurred to me we have a Dave and 2 Davids so far.
My Coryat today was 26600 (33200 without negs). Is it wrong that I’m kinda curious to see both Christy’s from yesterday, and Jennifer’s Coryats on the archive?
Other recent Coryats of mine:
originally 10-17-08: 20800 (22000 without negs)
originally 10-20-08: 24400 (28600 without negs)
Now, here’s Leslie Page! Thank you, Leslie!
Q: I wish they hadn’t accepted Matt’s “What is sing?” after Mr. Trebek ruled you correct, then incorrect because of the phrasing. How do you feel about it?
Leslie: What can I say about my phrasing error, it’s the one thing you don’t want to do and yet in the moment I didn’t even realize I had done it. I think I was more upset with myself for making that mistake than anything else.
Q: I too said “headlights” and “teeny weeny.”
Leslie: I’m glad to know that someone else thought of “teeny weeny” rather than “peewee” and “headlights” just seemed to make sense but I suppose I shouldn’t have rung in if I wasn’t sure.
Q: Did you stay to watch the rest of the day’s episodes?
Leslie: I didn’t stay to watch the taping of the rest of the episodes. I was finished by about noon and it was a beautiful, warm February day in Los Angeles so we headed out to the beach for the afternoon.
Q: Do you watch the show every day? How many times had you tried out?
Leslie: I watch the show almost every day and have been for years. I was chosen to be a contestant after the second time I tried out.
Q: Do you have anything else you’d like to say?
Leslie: The whole thing was an incredible experience. The first time I took the online test I never really thought it would lead to anything and was so excited to actually get to play Jeopardy. The staff who produce the show do an amazing job of preparing the contestants so, even though there is a lot to remember in addition to giving the correct answers and phrasing them in the form of a question, you feel as if you have as good a shot at winning as your opponents.