Thursday, December 29, 2011 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

[Bamaman]

The category was "D-O", so I thought it would be words starting with D and ending with O, due to the hyphen. I know they were trying for the Banana Boat theme, but he could have explained it.

I don't recall the wagers, but I think Jason could not win by betting zero, so a big bet was called for. If he had gotten it right, I can only imagine the "he got lucky" posts that would have followed due to her miss.

[whoisalexjacob]

Good run Jason. I have to say that DD was disappointing to watch (both DDs in the 2nd round, actually). I wonder if he just knew he was toast in the category. He did preserve his chances to win on a single get, so maybe he was thinking along those lines. Or maybe he just panicked and picked 3000 like every other contestant. I'll admit that I couldn't pull Truman, but it felt like something I "should know".

The door was left open for Jason to escape again but somehow he couldn't pull McMurtry. I guess the board is having a tough time with it too. To me it seemed obvious and I assumed a triple get was coming. I guess if you don't think of the guy, you don't think of the guy.

How many times does Trebek say, "you know, if you made this a true daily double, you could take the lead" and the person laughs like it's the most ridiculous thing ever. "Uh, no, that's not gonna happen. 3000." Anecdotally it seems like every time that exchange happens, it's an insta-get for the player.

The last 9-game winner won from 3rd place in his first game, so yeah, being so adamant that Jason has been so lucky is kinda weird, imo.

[opusthepenguin]

Whiffed on FJ, going with John Jakes. Would have taken me a few guesses to get to McMurtry.

I went with John Jakes too, but in my case it was two guesses past McMurtry. I wrote McMurtry first. Then I wrote Louis L'Amour. Then I wrote John Jakes because it sounded like his kind of title. As the think music ended, I crossed out the first two and put all my money on Jakes. At least I didn't choose L'Amour. He died in 1988.

[Paucle]

"Farewell and well done" to Jason, congrats to Dave.

Agreed. This was a fun game to watch.

And to Jennifer...ouch. It really is rare to see one lousy letter cost someone over $20K. But the ruling was correct. That was hard to watch, and I can't imagine what it must be like to be in her skin today.

I know it's a silly way to look at it but I hope hope hope for her sake that it was an error in knowledge and not in spelling! That is, I hope she always thought the name was McMurty and spelled it "correctly" as opposed to knowing his name and mentally eliding the R when spelling.

[dmleach]

Wow, thank you so much for all the congrats, everybody! It was truly a thrill to be there. I was having the time of my life onstage, and I'm pleased that the fun I was having came through on camera so well.

I will say wholeheartedly that the experience of being on the show has been made infinitely better by all the friends I made out in Culver City. All the Hooligans have been cheering one another on, both through Facebook as well as a private Google Group I set up when I got home back in November. The last thing I expected to come home with was a dozen new friends. When you get the call, I can't recommend highly enough giving out your contact information to the other players. Stay in touch afterward - you'll be glad you did.

Good luck today to our fellow boardie Dave, who was so tickled upon entering the Jeopardy! studio that he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Absolutely true. I deny nothing.

Of course, the local station here showed a promo for this week on Sunday morning around 7AM, which showed Dave at the champ's podium.

Yes, my best friend's parents saw this the night before my show aired. They'd been trying to get me to give away the secret ever since I played in early November, then Sony thwarted me at the last minute. I'm with you: I wish they wouldn't spoil things in the promos, but I also realize that apart from friends of contestants and us dedicated fans, nobody really cares about having the show spoiled.

I guess "Alice Through the Looking-Glass" is an acceptable title?

There was a rather long pause in taping when I hit the Daily Double at the end of the round. Of course knowing that I had the DD coming, the pause felt like forever; for all I know it could have been about ten seconds long in reality. I think this response may have been what they were verifying. FWIW, thinking back on it I know chapter one of Alice in Wonderland is about her spotting the White Rabbit and falling down the hole. I keyed in on the fact that "glass" was used in the clue instead of "mirror," and figured that meant "Through the Looking Glass" couldn't be the correct answer.

What a heartbreaking finish.

That was hard to watch, and I can't imagine what it must be like to be in her skin today.

I agree wholeheartedly. Even as the beneficiary of the finish, it was a heartbreaker. To her credit, Jennifer has been unbelievably gracious; certainly much more than I'd have been in that situation. When she says she has no regrets and loves having a cocktail party story about the single letter that cost her twenty-two grand, she's completely sincere. Jen mentioned that her next game show ambition is Millionaire, and I hope she makes it and mops up (heaven knows she's been beating the stuffing out of me at Facebook Millionaire for weeks now).

I know it's a silly way to look at it but I hope hope hope for her sake that it was an error in knowledge and not in spelling!

I don't want to steal Jen's stories in case she does come join us here, but she told me afterward that she knows someone with the last name McMurty (minus the R) and confused them under the lights.

Congrats to Dave on the win! It is awesome to see someone who is a boardie and from Atlanta take down a superchamp.... Jason looked like he ran out of steam up there and struggled with the buzzer.

Thanks, Steven! I saw someone I didn't recognize pop his head in the room at our party last night. That wasn't you, was it? As for Jason's buzzer skills, I noticed watching him over these ten games that he tended to be much more dominant in the first round than the second. Perhaps that's just my impression; I'd be interested in looking back at the Archive's stats. At any rate, perhaps the fact that the J! round was so even between the three of us contributed to his defeat.

So, do we think *today* is Jason's mother's birthday, or was it the day of the taping?

Her birthday is December 29. Jason was chatting with Maggie about doing the birthday greeting on the way from the studio to the green room before our game. I joked with Jason at that time that I didn't want to make his mama cry on her birthday. I hope she didn't!

Very disappointed that the contestants ran away from 'Third Most Popular' even when it was obvious that the last DD was there. Precalled Anderson and Perot for the category.

I'm pleased to say I precalled Anderson too, and was actually quite surprised when it ended up being in the $2000 spot. I figured it was cheaper knowledge than that.

Dave's guess of A-Rod for Jeter ... Rio instead of Sao Paolo ... getting the Meyer clue?

Argh. My best friend was quizzing me with games out of the Archive in the hotel lobby the morning before the taping, and on a similar question I confused A-Rod and Jeter in exactly the same way. I swear I heard Mischelle groan from the audience when I blew it a second time on the same day. As for Rio, I knew in the back of my mind that Sao Paulo was the most populous city, but I was confusing it in my mind with Brasilia and had myself convinced it was landlocked, and therefore had no beach where you could get sunburned. And as for getting a "Twilight" question correct, well, I like to say that there's no shame, only bucks.

The category was "D-O", so I thought it would be words starting with D and ending with O, due to the hyphen.

Yep - I wasn't quite sure at first either, and was hesitant to go on domestic tranquility in the top row because of it.

[John Boy]

I guess if you don't think of the guy, you don't think of the guy.

That's my explanation, any number of times. May have to make it my mantra....

[Zee2]

Re the clue referring to Chauvin in the Napoleonic forces and the eponym derived from his name, there was no answer (question) possible except CHAUVINISM, but the clue itself was far-fetched and I would say too much so, as Chauvinism refers to excessive love for country or home, but to apply it to "gender," as the clue did, I find totally wrong.

[bomtr]

Re the clue referring to Chauvin in the Napoleonic forces and the eponym derived from his name, there was no answer (question) possible except CHAUVINISM, but the clue itself was far-fetched and I would say too much so, as Chauvinism refers to excessive love for country or home, but to apply it to "gender," as the clue did, I find totally wrong.

Have you never been called--or called someone else; I don't know your gender--a 'chauvinist pig?' Was a pretty widespread cliche at one time and was specific to gender.

[opusthepenguin]

Very disappointed that the contestants ran away from 'Third Most Popular' even when it was obvious that the last DD was there. Precalled Anderson and Perot for the category.

I'm pleased to say I precalled Anderson too, and was actually quite surprised when it ended up being in the $2000 spot. I figured it was cheaper knowledge than that.

Mrs. Penguin and I both pre-called Anderson. Then, when he came up, we both said "Who is Carter?" Sigh. We forgot that Carter may have been the reason for Anderson's run, but he wasn't the winner in that race.

[opusthepenguin]

As for Rio, I knew in the back of my mind that Sao Paulo was the most populous city, but I was confusing it in my mind with Brasilia and had myself convinced it was landlocked, and therefore had no beach where you could get sunburned.

Dude, you are like my twin on that one. That was exactly my wrong reasoning.

[opusthepenguin]

Re the clue referring to Chauvin in the Napoleonic forces and the eponym derived from his name, there was no answer (question) possible except CHAUVINISM, but the clue itself was far-fetched and I would say too much so, as Chauvinism refers to excessive love for country or home, but to apply it to "gender," as the clue did, I find totally wrong.

Have you never been called--or called someone else; I don't know your gender--a 'chauvinist pig?' Was a pretty widespread cliche at one time and was specific to gender.

The word "male" was often prepended to that phrase, but not always. Everyone understood what you meant either way. "Male (or occasionally female) chauvinist" was the first definition I ever knew for "chauvinist". I was in high school before I learned there was another definition.

[Volante]

I'm glad to see I'm with good company on McCulloch. When McMurt(r)y was revealed I had an, "Oh, yeah, that makes sens...wait wrong?! What the..."
I'm not overly familiar with McMurtry.

Not been a good week with the FJs for me. 1-4 so far.

[Vanya]

What in the world was Jason thinking on that final DD wager? That absolutely cements my feelings about his silver-ness in the UTOC. Yes, he's extremely smart. Yes, he's good on the buzzer. So is everyone else at that level. If he wagers like that, he's one-and-done.

Whiffed on FJ, going with John Jakes. Would have taken me a few guesses to get to McMurtry.

Kinda new to the boards, and new to looking at Jeopardy as more than entertainment, what would have been a more strategic wager?

At that point he has to go all-in, or nearly so. But it wasn't a terrible wager, as a miss still leaves him with a remote chance to win the game (if he is the only one answering correctly), and a get prevents the "crush" (giving him more than 2/3rds of Dave's score).

[Tehshigelisok]

12/30, 7/27.

My brain must've been in off mode. Let's see, Sceintist and physicist. Duh, I got nothin'. Derp derp. Duh, where's Transylvania again? Duh, how could anyone have been president at the same time as Lincoln? Duh, what's the other big city in Brazil besides Rio? Holy snotballs, was I whiffing on a lot of easy ones.

I usually do well in Kiddie Lit, but Eloise? The hell is THAT? And at $200?!?! Good God, were they picking obscurities there.

(But then watch. Next time Kiddie Lit comes up, I'll be rubbing it in everyone's face that I picked up Lach Trash on, say, Silverwing.)

And yet again we fail to finish DJ!, thanks both to Alex yammering on and on about the opera, and Jason taking 3 hours to figure out his freaking DD wager.

I have an idea. Why not just put 25 clues in DJ!? </sarcasm>

Total NHOI on FJ! As usual.

[legendneverdies]

"Farewell and well done" to Jason, congrats to Dave. And to Jennifer...ouch. It really is rare to see one lousy letter cost someone over $20K. But the ruling was correct.

That was hard to watch, and I can't imagine what it must be like to be in her skin today.

FUnny I was looking at Lisa Osterman game two's FJ! on Youtube from June 2005, the show before Vilnuis instead of Vilnius cost her game three.

[Zee2]

Opus and Bomtr,

Thanks for reminding me of "male chauvinist pigs." It's been a long time. I knew the original meaning for years before the modern usage became current . I am a woman, but I never called anyone that and I apologize for being a purist. I still tend to say "tuition fee" because "tuition" means teaching, and never use "fruition" in its modern sense of full development. I'm an old fuddy duddy. And I always remember the "Vilnuis" outcome, and regret the decision of the judges.

[cinemaniax7]

I wonder if he just knew he was toast in the category. He did preserve his chances to win on a single get, so maybe he was thinking along those lines. Or maybe he just panicked and picked 3000 like every other contestant. I'll admit that I couldn't pull Truman, but it felt like something I "should know". The door was left open for Jason to escape again but somehow he couldn't pull McMurtry. I guess the board is having a tough time with it too. To me it seemed obvious and I assumed a triple get was coming. I guess if you don't think of the guy, you don't think of the guy.

Jason has shown in FJ he knows how to wager, but I was downright baffled by the $3000 bet on the DD. Granted, it was an awful category, but what did Jason have to lose by going all in? He'd already won more than $200k, so it's not like he would be walking away with nothing if he didn't come up with Truman. I know it's a tough bet to make for "ordinary" players (especially newcomers to the show), but it seemed like a no-brainer for the champ to make the all-in bet and put himself in position for the win.

[Tehshigelisok]

Alex didn't make any Ken Jennings references during all of Jason's run, did he? I don't recall any.

[StevenH]

Alex didn't make any Ken Jennings references during all of Jason's run, did he? I don't recall any.

That's actually a good question....I don't think that he did. That could be a reason why Jason was able to reach 9 wins!