Ken Jennings breaks all Jeopardy records.
07-21-04, 09:57 AM
#301
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I worked with a guy that tried out for it. Watching it at work, he would answer 99% right and always before the contestant. Pretty impressive. Anyway, he said he missed 1 or 2 questions more than you are allowed during the tryout.
07-21-04, 09:58 AM
#302
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Originally posted by Michael Corvin
I worked with a guy that tried out for it. Watching it at work, he would answer 99% right and always before the contestant. Pretty impressive. Anyway, he said he missed 1 or 2 questions more than you are allowed during the tryout.
I worked with a guy that tried out for it. Watching it at work, he would answer 99% right and always before the contestant. Pretty impressive. Anyway, he said he missed 1 or 2 questions more than you are allowed during the tryout.
I think you have to get 40/50 in the initial tryout.
07-21-04, 10:12 AM
#303
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Ken Jennings has done it!!
The record has been broken. Way to go!
The highest cumulative amount won by a single JEOPARDY! player is $1,155,102 in cash, received by Brad Rutter of Lancaster, PA in 2001-2002.
Current winning for Ken now stands at $1,164,660
The record has been broken. Way to go!
The highest cumulative amount won by a single JEOPARDY! player is $1,155,102 in cash, received by Brad Rutter of Lancaster, PA in 2001-2002.
Current winning for Ken now stands at $1,164,660
07-21-04, 12:36 PM
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Originally posted by Red Dog
Well if anyone was waiting for the easy question episode to see if leveling the field would lead to Ken's demise, last night's was the one. I knew about 80% of those questions last night.
Of course, then they throw in Opera in FJ to balance it all out.
I actually knew that Rossini composed The William Tell Overture (before I saw his name later in the question). Of course, knowing what language it was composed in......
Well if anyone was waiting for the easy question episode to see if leveling the field would lead to Ken's demise, last night's was the one. I knew about 80% of those questions last night.
Of course, then they throw in Opera in FJ to balance it all out.
I actually knew that Rossini composed The William Tell Overture (before I saw his name later in the question). Of course, knowing what language it was composed in......
And I even got FJ
(although I have no clue why I knew the answer was French.... 
)
07-21-04, 01:10 PM
#306
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Sport's Guy's take on Ken Jennings:
The Summer of the Jeopardy Guy
By Bill Simmons
Page 2
"Jeopardy!" answer: he dutifully followed the game show exploits of a grating software engineer from Salt Lake City.
"Jeopardy!" question: who is ... aw, forget it. It's me, okay? I'm obsessed with the Jeopardy Guy. Watching this Mormon assassin emerge as the MJ of nerds has been the highlight of my summer. He's earned the coveted No.1 spot on my TiVo Season Pass, as well as acronym status: the Sports Gal and I refer to him as the JG. I wish I were kidding. Watching him pocket a million-plus during his astounding 35-game winning streak -- still going as I write this -- we alternately revered him and hoped Alex Trebek would punch him in the face.
Yes, he's a smarmy know-it-all with the personality of a hall monitor, the kind of guy everyone hides from at a Christmas party. But he has "it" -- that indefinable quality you have when you know you're good, when you're in the zone and taking everyone for a ride. The '86 Celts had it. They toyed with teams before ripping their hearts out, Temple of Doom style. The JG does too. Not since the pre-nanny Tiger has somebody laid the smack down like this. He doesn't beat people, he dismantles them.
There's something comforting about seeing the JG's smiling, Stepford mug every night, and the way he shakes his head in disbelief as Trebek announces his absurd money total. (Of course, the number should be higher. Isn't this streak 10 times more impressive than someone rattling off 10 answers on Regis' Millionaire show?) Maybe he's boring; maybe he's unlikable. But like the truly great ones, he raises his game when it matters. Who else can you count on to do that these days?
I can remember him being tested only once in the past month. On June 25, a bald musician named Michael pulled within $200 near the end of Round 2. It was like seeing Douglas whistling jabs at Tyson. The normally unflappable Trebek pulled a Kevin Harlan, yelping, "We got a game!"
Not for long. The JG calmly padded his lead heading into commercial, then fended the bald guy off in Final Jeopardy. Definitely an ESPN Classic moment. As we awaited his final answer (What is leprosy?), the JG stared into the camera like Stephen A. Smith, playing up the drama before breaking into an exaggerated Dr. Evil smile when the correct response was revealed. As always, the Sports Gal summed up everyone's feelings: "I hope he gets eaten by a tiger."
He chugged along untouched for the next three weeks, nailing every category imaginable, TV's version of DiMaggio. Searching for challenges, the JG honed some annoying ploys, including expressing doubt when he responds (you know, to raise everyone's hopes before dashing them); adding drawings to Final Jeopardy answer cards (like Jimmy Carter's front teeth); and his "Oh, what the heck?" arrogance during Daily Doubles, when he says stuff like, "I don't know the first thing about the history of nuclear fusion in Croatia ... I better wager just $9,500." There hasn't been a villain this good since Billy Zabka. Even Alex seems to enjoy him; their dorky Ali-Cosell routine is funnier than any sitcom.
At this point, the JG is doing everything but making cell phone calls or throwing in a load of laundry during the show, as he goads opponents into taking crazy risks. Last Thursday, a competitor named Tom wagered all but $200 of his $6,200 nest egg on a Daily Double. You do that when you're going against the best. It's like bunting to break up a Koufax perfect game. Tom heard the question, hemmed and hawed, winced a few times, then threw out a "guess" ... and nailed it. Uh-oh. That's the JG's move. This was like John Starks sticking out his tongue and dunking on MJ. Certain lines should not be crossed. Even Alex's voice hushed.
You can guess what happened next. Trailing by $1,400 with half the board remaining, the JG rolled up the sleeves of his professor's jacket and went to work: six straight answers for six grand. When a flustered Tom botched the next one, the JG answered it correctly, exhaling for good measure. By the end of the second round, he'd tripled Tom's total, practically preening as they headed into commercial. The lesson, as always: don't wake up a sleeping corduroy giant.
Will the JG ever lose? I see it ending like Gagne's save streak -- a close game, then some sort of fluke and everyone standing around in disbelief. Either that, or one of the other contestants pummels him to death. "I can't even look at him anymore," the Sports Gal hissed last week. "His face is so punchable." But isn't that the point? We need villains, even if they come in the form of a wispy computer geek.
That's why I will always remember the summer of the JG.
By Bill Simmons
Page 2
"Jeopardy!" answer: he dutifully followed the game show exploits of a grating software engineer from Salt Lake City.
"Jeopardy!" question: who is ... aw, forget it. It's me, okay? I'm obsessed with the Jeopardy Guy. Watching this Mormon assassin emerge as the MJ of nerds has been the highlight of my summer. He's earned the coveted No.1 spot on my TiVo Season Pass, as well as acronym status: the Sports Gal and I refer to him as the JG. I wish I were kidding. Watching him pocket a million-plus during his astounding 35-game winning streak -- still going as I write this -- we alternately revered him and hoped Alex Trebek would punch him in the face.
Yes, he's a smarmy know-it-all with the personality of a hall monitor, the kind of guy everyone hides from at a Christmas party. But he has "it" -- that indefinable quality you have when you know you're good, when you're in the zone and taking everyone for a ride. The '86 Celts had it. They toyed with teams before ripping their hearts out, Temple of Doom style. The JG does too. Not since the pre-nanny Tiger has somebody laid the smack down like this. He doesn't beat people, he dismantles them.
There's something comforting about seeing the JG's smiling, Stepford mug every night, and the way he shakes his head in disbelief as Trebek announces his absurd money total. (Of course, the number should be higher. Isn't this streak 10 times more impressive than someone rattling off 10 answers on Regis' Millionaire show?) Maybe he's boring; maybe he's unlikable. But like the truly great ones, he raises his game when it matters. Who else can you count on to do that these days?
I can remember him being tested only once in the past month. On June 25, a bald musician named Michael pulled within $200 near the end of Round 2. It was like seeing Douglas whistling jabs at Tyson. The normally unflappable Trebek pulled a Kevin Harlan, yelping, "We got a game!"
Not for long. The JG calmly padded his lead heading into commercial, then fended the bald guy off in Final Jeopardy. Definitely an ESPN Classic moment. As we awaited his final answer (What is leprosy?), the JG stared into the camera like Stephen A. Smith, playing up the drama before breaking into an exaggerated Dr. Evil smile when the correct response was revealed. As always, the Sports Gal summed up everyone's feelings: "I hope he gets eaten by a tiger."
He chugged along untouched for the next three weeks, nailing every category imaginable, TV's version of DiMaggio. Searching for challenges, the JG honed some annoying ploys, including expressing doubt when he responds (you know, to raise everyone's hopes before dashing them); adding drawings to Final Jeopardy answer cards (like Jimmy Carter's front teeth); and his "Oh, what the heck?" arrogance during Daily Doubles, when he says stuff like, "I don't know the first thing about the history of nuclear fusion in Croatia ... I better wager just $9,500." There hasn't been a villain this good since Billy Zabka. Even Alex seems to enjoy him; their dorky Ali-Cosell routine is funnier than any sitcom.
At this point, the JG is doing everything but making cell phone calls or throwing in a load of laundry during the show, as he goads opponents into taking crazy risks. Last Thursday, a competitor named Tom wagered all but $200 of his $6,200 nest egg on a Daily Double. You do that when you're going against the best. It's like bunting to break up a Koufax perfect game. Tom heard the question, hemmed and hawed, winced a few times, then threw out a "guess" ... and nailed it. Uh-oh. That's the JG's move. This was like John Starks sticking out his tongue and dunking on MJ. Certain lines should not be crossed. Even Alex's voice hushed.
You can guess what happened next. Trailing by $1,400 with half the board remaining, the JG rolled up the sleeves of his professor's jacket and went to work: six straight answers for six grand. When a flustered Tom botched the next one, the JG answered it correctly, exhaling for good measure. By the end of the second round, he'd tripled Tom's total, practically preening as they headed into commercial. The lesson, as always: don't wake up a sleeping corduroy giant.
Will the JG ever lose? I see it ending like Gagne's save streak -- a close game, then some sort of fluke and everyone standing around in disbelief. Either that, or one of the other contestants pummels him to death. "I can't even look at him anymore," the Sports Gal hissed last week. "His face is so punchable." But isn't that the point? We need villains, even if they come in the form of a wispy computer geek.
That's why I will always remember the summer of the JG.
07-21-04, 08:02 PM
#310
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The consecutive quiz game show streak is 46. Anybody know which game show this was? Was it one of the tainted ones or legitimate? I was thinking Tic Tac Dough.
07-21-04, 08:12 PM
#311
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he had what....$11,200 before either of the other two got a single question tonight? simply incredible.....
I'll ask again....has there been any hint out there of when he goes down? They've done a mighty impressive job keeping this under wraps....
I'll ask again....has there been any hint out there of when he goes down? They've done a mighty impressive job keeping this under wraps....
07-21-04, 08:25 PM
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Originally posted by Red Dog
The consecutive quiz game show streak is 46. Anybody know which game show this was? Was it one of the tainted ones or legitimate? I was thinking Tic Tac Dough.
The consecutive quiz game show streak is 46. Anybody know which game show this was? Was it one of the tainted ones or legitimate? I was thinking Tic Tac Dough.
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek often mentions the other possible records that Jennings could break. Included in the records Jennings still has ahead of him (not all of which Trebek has mentioned):
- Most consecutive appearances on a syndicated game show (currently 46 days by Thom McKee on Tic Tac Dough in 1980)
- Most consecutive appearances on a game show (currently 75 days by Ian Lygo on 100% in 1998)
- Highest total winnings on a game show: (currently US $2,180,000 by Kevin Olmstead on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2001)
07-21-04, 08:42 PM
#313
I really admired the woman for making that last big bet. Ken was clearly going to win, so why not. That's the only way he's gonna get beat. Someone with half his take will bet the lot on a Final Jepardy Ken will miss, and they'll snake ahead of him by a few hundred dollars.
I kinda wished the guy from yesterday could have tied Ken. He could become Ken's sidekick, and have more "Nerd conferences" as Ken called them.
I kinda wished the guy from yesterday could have tied Ken. He could become Ken's sidekick, and have more "Nerd conferences" as Ken called them.
07-21-04, 08:46 PM
#314
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I think I remember Thom McKee on Tic Tac Dough even though I was only 9 at the time. My mom used to watch it every night. I was addicted to that show and it was exception to my 1 hour of TV per day rule at the time. I can only wonder how much stuff I learned watching Wink conduct Q&A. The thing about that 46 day streak is that there were usually at least 2 games per episode. Granted, a far easier game to win (3 right answers), but at the same time, a far easier game to lose - one wrong answer and you could easily be toast.
07-21-04, 10:31 PM
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I'm curious as to how long he has been playing....i figure they film more than one show a day, but he's probably been there several weeks. Doesn't this guy want to go home, maybe that he has enough $$ by now?
07-22-04, 09:09 AM
#317
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Originally posted by twikoff
Ive actually caught parts of the shows the past couple days
including the ending
pretty damn impressive
Ive actually caught parts of the shows the past couple days
including the ending
pretty damn impressive
twikoff, actually made a post outside of the sports forum?
07-22-04, 09:54 AM
#318
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Originally posted by Crocker Jarmen
I really admired the woman for making that last big bet. Ken was clearly going to win, so why not.
I really admired the woman for making that last big bet. Ken was clearly going to win, so why not.
07-22-04, 10:14 AM
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Talk about good fun... this is good transition stuff while sports programming and tv in general are pretty slow now. This is the first thing I look for on my ReplayTV each night. He really is the MJ of the gameshow circuit.
07-22-04, 12:26 PM
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Originally posted by Joeboo835
Didn't the guy on Tic Tac Dough win like 12 cars or something?
Didn't the guy on Tic Tac Dough win like 12 cars or something?
Something like that. I think for every 5th win, you won a car. He also must have won a ton of trips because many of the bonus-Dragon rounds featured trips as the main prize.
edit: He won 8 cars, according to an interview here:
http://www.tvgameshows.net/thommckee.htm
Last edited by Red Dog; 07-22-04 at 12:33 PM.
