Monday, July 8, 2013 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

[Austin Powers]

I don't get this "he's such a gentleman" because he didn't run up the score. These aren't points. This is money. HIS money. Any more of it means a chance to have a new career or get a new car or help a loved one. If his loved one gets some awful disease and he'd like to defray the costs, no one will be like "well thankfully he didn't take even more money from a billion dollar multinational, since that might have hurt the feelings of an opponent who was going to lose pretty bad anyway."

I think Ben didn't want to take a risk, and no more. And that's reasonable. It's hard to price coming back the next day. But I'd hate to think he held back because he was afraid random Americans would perceive him as having "run up the score."

[billy pilgrim]

There's a post on the Sony Facebook page from Karen Batchelor. She says she's shocked and honored to be the FJ! clue. That's gotta be pretty cool.

[This Is Kirk!]

I don't get this "he's such a gentleman" because he didn't run up the score. These aren't points. This is money. HIS money...
I think Ben didn't want to take a risk, and no more. And that's reasonable.

Totally agree.

And, in fact, I always hated the notion that it is good sportsmanship to not run up the score in sporting events, too. You got shellacked, everyone knows you got shellacked. Does it really matter if the score reflects the fact you got shellacked?

[harrumph]

I'd like to see them give out extra money for higher scores at pro sporting events.

[billy pilgrim]

I don't get this "he's such a gentleman" because he didn't run up the score. These aren't points. This is money. HIS money...
I think Ben didn't want to take a risk, and no more. And that's reasonable.

Totally agree.

And, in fact, I always hated the notion that it is good sportsmanship to not run up the score in sporting events, too. You got shellacked, everyone knows you got shellacked. Does it really matter if the score reflects the fact you got shellacked?

That depends on the spread.

[John Boy]

Maybe not the ugliest game of the season, but at least top (bottom?) 5. Yikes. Had to be the lowest combined Coryat for two challengers.

I can't argue with any of the champ's wagers, but come on!!! You've got 'em beat, pour it on! Left at least 10-15K on the table

Really. My wife, who is not exactly a J! purist, and who is generally very kind-hearted re poor play in the game, said as they went to commercial after the J! round, "Why don't they just get Donna a chair?" I could see her point. Trailing at that point by $11,200 to -$600, it didn't seem to be doing her much good to be standing there with a signaling device in her hand. And Jonathan, not much better. That's why I was wondering about Ben's DD wagers. I realize he probably didn't want to do something stupid to jeopardize a huge lead, but it certainly didn't seem it was even possible for him to drop back into the range where the other contestants might catch him.

I'm sure much of the huge lead was just because of Ben's dominance on the buzzer. He was awfully powerful in this game.

Still it was a bit shocking to see the three of them have no clue on the bottom three clues in the Heisman winners' schools category. I scooped up a quick $2400 in Lach Trash there.

Tonight's truly rare moment was when I scooped up a TS in the Rock Music category, knowing Def Leppard (sp?) for $800. As popular a category as that is, it's hard to imagine a TS in the third row, let alone one that I actually know the answer to.

Ben has now moved up to #21 on the list of all-time, regular-season money winners. Even leaving $ on the table with his wagering in this game. Yeah, he's doing all right.

[John Boy]

I was 0/5 in college football and had no idea on any of them, but I made the lucky guess on Nebraska at $1000 by just guessing a school that is not known for anything except football. I would have never had the confidence to buzz but I thought that it was kind of cool.

And we know Nebraska is one of the very, very few that fit that description, eh? OK, I think I just injured myself by sticking my tongue completely through my cheek.

[John Boy]

This was just a painful episode. Ben obviously played pretty good, but there was a lot of Lach Trash and this was mainly the product of two contestants who were not television ready.

Doing well against someone with great reflex precision is very difficult. It doesn't mean they didn't know the answers to lots of questions.

Perhaps. But when you end the first round with a score of -$600, it suggests that even when you do manage to buzz in first, you miss more than you get right.

[harrumph]

The lock could dissipate with just one category run in DJ, buzzer mojo can be fleeting. It's good to be conservative about a locked game.

[opusthepenguin]

Ben has now moved up to #21 on the list of all-time, regular-season money winners. Even leaving $ on the table with his wagering in this game. Yeah, he's doing all right.

He should've wagered at least $72 more to ensure a place in the top 20.

[dhkendall]

I have not posted in a while

Perhaps you need to change your username ...

I'm amazed that at my tender age of 66 Def Leopard came to me immediately.

Def Leppard.

Today, the family went to the zoo for the day. When we got to the snow leopards, my 10 year old daughter was yelling "Hey, leopard! Wake up!" When she asked why it can't hear her, I replied that "maybe it's a deaf leopard." Joke was wasted on her, even after I repeated it again right afterwards. Twice.

Kid doesn't know good humour *or* good music in my opinion. Humph.

[mam418]

I don't get this "he's such a gentleman" because he didn't run up the score. These aren't points. This is money. HIS money. Any more of it means a chance to have a new career or get a new car or help a loved one. If his loved one gets some awful disease and he'd like to defray the costs, no one will be like "well thankfully he didn't take even more money from a billion dollar multinational, since that might have hurt the feelings of an opponent who was going to lose pretty bad anyway."

I think Ben didn't want to take a risk, and no more. And that's reasonable. It's hard to price coming back the next day. But I'd hate to think he held back because he was afraid random Americans would perceive him as having "run up the score."

I totally understand his wager - my first game I had a very similar situation - 22400 to 5600 to 3200, category was the presidency. I went somewhat big (5600), got it wrong, and have been kicking myself for wagering that much with a lock for 2+ years, now. That extra 5 grand woulda been nice. (Though, had I been a 5 time champion already, I probably wouldn't have sweated a big wager as much...)

[Creed Bratton]

I was 0/5 in college football and had no idea on any of them, but I made the lucky guess on Nebraska at $1000 by just guessing a school that is not known for anything except football. I would have never had the confidence to buzz but I thought that it was kind of cool.

And we know Nebraska is one of the very, very few that fit that description, eh? OK, I think I just injured myself by sticking my tongue completely through my cheek.

Johnny Rodgers was very obvious that most college football fans would know:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtzRZxnVLU4

Grant Wistrom is a lot more obscure, but this Cornhusker was all over it. Easiest $1000 question ever for me.

[Mathew5000]

Ben's play in College Football was not as glaring as other stumpers through the game. He named Notre Dame and USC (Southern Cal - good enough) correctly to show some knowledge in the category.

CBS, Fox Sports, and USA Today Sports all posted items about this game; the Fox Sports link goes on with some YouTube clips about sports clues on Jeopardy!:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... e-football
http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootbal ... ons-071013
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/07/jeopard ... -football/

[Bamaman]

Still it was a bit shocking to see the three of them have no clue on the bottom three clues in the Heisman winners' schools category. I scooped up a quick $2400 in Lach Trash there.

Tonight's truly rare moment was when I scooped up a TS in the Rock Music category, knowing Def Leppard (sp?) for $800. As popular a category as that is, it's hard to imagine a TS in the third row, let alone one that I actually know the answer to.

So playing from the fourth podium for just four clues, you come in second place.

Sad game.

[opusthepenguin]

CBS, Fox Sports, and USA Today Sports all posted items about this game; the Fox Sports link goes on with some YouTube clips about sports clues on Jeopardy!:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... e-football
http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootbal ... ons-071013
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/07/jeopard ... -football/

The first of those is notable for providing an affirmative answer to boardie dhkendall's recent question. His question went something like "Has there ever been an article about Jeopardy that did not phrase at least one of its assertions in the form of a question and/or use the formula 'I'll take [MADE-UP CATEGORY] for $[NUMBER DIVISIBLE BY 100], Alex'?" I wonder if this is the first article every to pass (fail?) that test.

The other two articles, of course, can't resist.