Friday, December 30, 2011 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

[Archivists]

Game Recap for Show #6280, 2011-12-30

Dave Leach game 2.

CONTESTANTS
Tom Vanderbilt, a writer from Brooklyn, New York
Lisa Spardel-Krol, an educational marketer from Watertown, Massachusetts
Dave Leach, a software analyst from Atlanta, Georgia (whose 1-day cash winnings total $15,599)

OPENING REMARKS
Alex: Thank you, Johnny. Hello, everyone, and welcome to our show. For the first time in two weeks, I am not greeting a returning champion who is named Jason. Dave is the champ today, and if he does as well as Jason did, then he, too, will walk away with $215,000 in winnings. Lisa and Tom are here as the challengers. Good luck, players. Let's go to work, shall we? You get to do all the work. I just read the clues for you in these categories...

JEOPARDY! ROUND CATEGORIES
THE 1820s (5/5)
COMPLETE THE MOVIE QUOTE (5/5)
"A"NATOMY (5/5)
THE MOST EXPENSIVE EVER (5/5)
MUSEUMS OF GERMANY (4/5, including 1 missed Daily Double)
SILENT LETTERS (3/5)

THE RIGHTS & THE WRONGS
Dave: 17 R, 1 W
Tom: 6 R (including 1 rebound), 0 W
Lisa: 4 R, 2 W (including 1 DD)

Clues revealed: 30
Triple Stumpers: 2
Jeopardy! Round Potential Lach Trash: $1,200



SCORES AT THE FIRST BREAK
Dave: $5,400
Tom: $1,400
Lisa: -$800

CONTESTANT INTERVIEWS



Alex: Uh, I was on a new--New Jersey highway with my wife, driving along. We had a strange episode at a merging incident, and I was so curious about it, I set out to investigate the sort of everyday activity that a lot of us don't know that much about.

Alex: So... was any part of the book fiction or was it all nonfiction?

Tom: All nonfiction.

Alex: Yeah?

Tom: Some of the stuff I've seen is almost fictional, it's so crazy, so...

Alex: Yeah. Any horror stories in there?

Tom: A-a few.

Alex: A few. That's why it became a best seller.

Tom: Exactly.

Alex: Okay.




Alex: Lisa Spardel-Krol from Watertown, Massachusetts.

Lisa: Mm-hmm.

Alex: --an educational marketer--

Lisa: Mm-hmm.

Alex: --who lived in New Orleans--

Lisa: Mm-hmm.

Alex: --during Katrina. And you're one of those who did not evacuate.

Lisa: I was one of the really smart ones who stayed, yes.

Alex: And how much water were you surrounded by?

Lisa: Actually, I--where I was, we didn't get any water. The water stopped about three blocks from my house.

Alex: Okay.

Lisa: So I was part of the rescue crews that also went up and started getting people on the boats to get them out.

Alex: But you had no fresh water and no power at your house.

Lisa: No, we stayed for a week after--no power, martial law, no... lots of things that--no--

Alex: Didn't you look after some dogs--

Lisa: --not a single luxury!

Alex: --some dogs that, uh, had been displaced, your neighbors' dogs?

Lisa: When we were doing the rescuing from people--

Alex: Yeah.

Lisa: --in the boats, they were bringing their pets with them and being told they couldn't bring their pets to the shelters. So we were taking the dogs with them, and we managed to reunite two really nice, elderly ladies with their dogs afterwards.

Alex: Good for you. All right.




Alex: Dave Leach is a software analyst from Georgia. Part of a club that raises money for charity by doing what?

Dave: We plan scavenger hunts in the Atlanta area. So we'll set up in an area like a park or even a college campus, and it's really more puzzles and riddles than going out and finding specific things. Uh, but everybody pays a-a little amount of money to enter, and then when we take all the proceeds and make a donation to the winning team's charity of choice. That's our first prize.

Alex: Hey, that's a great idea.

JEOPARDY! ROUND DAILY DOUBLE
Lisa found the Daily Double on the 25th clue. Dave had $6,400, Lisa had $200, and Tom was at $3,800. Lisa wagered $1,000.

MUSEUMS OF GERMANY $800: A Mainz museum honoring this most famous son traces the history of printing & has a replica of his press on display
(Lisa: Uh, who is Nuremberg?)

TRIPLE STUMPERS IN THE JEOPARDY! ROUND
SILENT LETTERS $400: H:
An ecstatic expression, or an emotional musical composition

SILENT LETTERS $800: S:
This title of nobility ranks just below earl
(Dave: What is marquis?)

SCORES AT THE END OF THE JEOPARDY! ROUND
Dave: $9,200
Tom: $3,800
Lisa: $200

[Archivists]

DOUBLE JEOPARDY! ROUND CATEGORIES
NATIONAL PARKS OF THE WORLD (2/4, including 1 correct Daily Double)
BRITISH NOVELS BY CHARACTERS (1/4) (Alex: We'll give you the characters.)
"RE"SEARCH (5/5) (Alex: Each correct response will begin with "R-E".)
THINK OF THE CHILDREN! (1/3)
AT BAT (4/5)
ON DECK (2/5, including 1 missed Daily Double)

THE RIGHTS & THE WRONGS
Dave: 10 R (including 1 DD), 2 W
Lisa: 1 R, 0 W
Tom: 4 R, 3 W (including 1 DD)

Clues revealed: 26
Triple Stumpers: 10
Double Jeopardy! Round Potential Lach Trash: $12,000



FIRST DOUBLE JEOPARDY! ROUND DAILY DOUBLE
Tom snagged the next Daily Double on the 6th clue. Dave had $9,200, Lisa had $200, and Tom was at $4,200. Tom made it a True Daily Double, wagering $4,200.

ON DECK $1200: A type of walk, or an upper deck on a passenger ship where folks can stroll
(Tom: Uh, um... what is the lido deck?)

SECOND DOUBLE JEOPARDY! ROUND DAILY DOUBLE
It was Dave who snatched up the last Daily Double of the game on the 21st clue. Dave had $18,800, Lisa had $1,800, and Tom had nothing in the bank. Dave wagered $3,000.

NATIONAL PARKS OF THE WORLD $1200: The largest national park lies on this island; at 375,000 square miles, it occupies about 45% of this island's area
(Alex: You got it, and you're at $21,800, and we have about a minute to go.)

TRIPLE STUMPERS IN THE DOUBLE JEOPARDY! ROUND
THINK OF THE CHILDREN! $400: Victoria & Albert:
Alice, Alfred, Arthur, Beatrice, Helena, Louise, Leopold, Victoria Adelaide & this king
(Alex: The son of Queen Victoria? [*].)

THINK OF THE CHILDREN! $800: Abraham Lincoln & Mary Todd:
Edward, Willie, Tad & this boy, the only one to survive to adulthood

ON DECK $400: Fractional term for part of a naval vessel usually reserved for officers
(Dave: Ooh. What is the command deck?)
(Tom: Forequarters? What is forequarters?)

ON DECK $1600: This term for a sailor's quarters near the bow can be said using either 2 or 3 syllables
(Alex: You can say it as [*].)

AT BAT $2000: At age 90, this Cardinal legend who hit safely over 3,600 times appeared at the 2011 World Series
(Tom: Who is Ty Cobb?)

NATIONAL PARKS OF THE WORLD $800: South Africa's Richtersveld National Park is partially located within a loop of this "colorful" river
(Alex: And in South Africa, that colorful river is [*]--makes sense.)

BRITISH NOVELS BY CHARACTERS $800: Cedric the Saxon,
Rebecca,
Lady Rowena

BRITISH NOVELS BY CHARACTERS $1200: Charles Ryder,
Lord & Lady Marchmain

BRITISH NOVELS BY CHARACTERS $2000: Christian,
Evangelist,
Mr. Worldly Wiseman
(Dave: What is Vanity Fair?)

NATIONAL PARKS OF THE WORLD $2000: The 3 "lakes of" this Irish national park are Upper Lake, Muckross Lake & Lough Leane

SCORES ENTERING FINAL JEOPARDY!
Dave: $19,800 (lock game)
Lisa: $1,800
Tom: $400

FINAL JEOPARDY! CATEGORY
ROCK ICONS

VENUSIAN MONOLOGUES/MARTIAN CHRONICLES
Lock for first place; lock for second place.
Dave: Wager between $0 (venusian) and $16,199 (martian), and enjoy your victory.
Lisa: Wager between $0 (venusian) and $999 (martian), and enjoy 2nd place.
Tom: You've no hope of catching up... unless Lisa does something stupid. So risk $399.

FINAL JEOPARDY! CLUE
While he's had 12 top 10 hits on Billboard, including 7 from a 1984 album, he's never had a No. 1 single

FINAL SCORES
Tom: $400 - $400 = $0 (Who is Jackson) (3rd place: $1,000)
Lisa: $1,800 - $10 = $1,790 (Who is Prince?) (2nd place: $2,000)
Dave: $19,800 - $716 = $19,084 (Who is Prince?) (2-day champion: $34,683)
(Alex: [Revealing Tom's response] No, Michael Jackson is incorrect if that's the one you were referring to.)
...
(Alex: Born in the U.S.A. was the album.)

Total Potential Lach Trash: $13,200

GAME DYNAMICS


CORYAT SCORES
Dave: $18,000, 27 R (including 1 DD), 3 W
Tom: $4,600, 10 R, 3 W (including 1 DD)
Lisa: $2,800, 5 R, 2 W (including 1 DD)
Combined Coryat: $25,400

BATTING AVERAGES
Dave: 27/59 = .458
Tom: 10/59 = .169
Lisa: 5/59 = .085
Team: 42/63 = .667

MISCELLANEOUS INTERESTING CLUES
SILENT LETTERS $600: C-H:
Named for a German botanist, this drooping flower seen here lends its name to a vivid, purplish-red color

SILENT LETTERS $1000: B:
He's the Zap Comix artist whose distinctive satirical work is seen here
(Lisa: Who is Harry Crumb?)

THE MOST EXPENSIVE EVER $800: The most expensive silent movie-era film ever made was this $4 million epic; did we mention the chariot race?
(Alex: The silent one.)

THE 1820s $1000: The first issue of this "incisive" British medical journal was published on October 5, 1823
[Dave gave the response without the definite article.]

ON DECK $2000: As its name indicates, this 3-letter deck on old warships had cannons end to end
(Alex: That's the second correct response in Double Jeopardy! so far. We're on a roll.)

CORRECT RESPONSES
Gutenberg
rhapsody
viscount
the promenade deck
Greenland
Edward
Robert Todd Lincoln
the quarterdeck
forecastle (or fo'c'stle)
Stan "The Man" Musial
the Orange River
Ivanhoe
Brideshead Revisited
Pilgrim's Progress
Killarney National Park
Bruce Springsteen
fuschia
Robert Crumb (or R. Crumb)
Ben-Hur
The Lancet
the gun deck

[ej!fan]

So, was it just me (and today's contestants), or was that the worst DJ round ever?
Followed by the easiest triple stumper FJ ever.

[jeff6286]

Rock Icons
While he's had 12 Top 10 hits on Billboard, including 7 from a 1984 album, he's never had a No. 1 single.

Spoiler

Who is Bruce Springsteen? Tom said [Michael] Jackson, while Lisa and Dave both said Prince. (Sadly neither attempted to draw the unpronounceable symbol that once represented him.)

Dave Leach: $19,800-$716=$19,084...now a 2-day champion with $34,683
Tom Vanderbilt: $400-$400=$0
Lisa Spardel-Krol: $1,800-$10=$1,790

Could this be a record for lowest total amount wagered in a Final Jeopardy! with all 3 players participating? Only $1,126 was risked by all three players combined.

[Doug527]

I hate how Friday's show is always preempted in my area for a football chat show, and it won't air until 2:30AM. Can't wait for the football season to be over so my J! routine can be restored!

[xxaaaxx]

So, was it just me (and today's contestants), or was that the worst DJ round ever?
Followed by the easiest triple stumper FJ ever.

There have been worse, but that was painful. Let's burn the tapes and never speak of it again.

"Hmm, need to study this subject more...f*** it, let's go with Springsteen!" Again, whatever. I'll take it.

[bpmod]

So, was it just me (and today's contestants), or was that the worst DJ round ever?
Followed by the easiest triple stumper FJ ever.

It wasn't just you.

That is one of the few FJ! categories where I would go all-in no matter what my lead. But...

I could not believe either response. I was fully expecting a triple get once I saw the softball clue.

Brian

[Tehshigelisok]

19/30, 4/26.

DJ! was rocky, yes, but not the worst. I don't think I even need to reiterate which game would have the worst DJ!

The name-spam in Children for $400 was just asking for a TS.

Interestingly, I got 4/5 in five categories. Missed 1820s for $400 (said lighter), Movie Quotes for $1,000 (almost guessed "bumpy ride" instead of "night"), fountain pen on Most Expensive for $400 and Rhapsody at $400 in Silent Letter.

Amusing freudian slip from me. "A"natomy for $1,000, I said "What are areolae?... damn, it, that's not right. Alv-something." Also couldn't spit out Gutenberg even though it was right there.

Not a clue on FJ!

[alietr]

I take back my comment. Apparently they don't want to give money away! That was just plain brutal.

Easy FJ?!?!? You're kidding, right? There was absolutely no TOM in that one.

[bpmod]

Easy FJ?!?!? You're kidding, right? There was absolutely no TOM in that one.

OK. Easy if you were anywhere near a radio or any other source of 'music' in 1984.

Ironically, I became a huge Springsteen fan around that time in spite of that album, the absolute worst work of his career. But, compared to most other crap music of the era, it ranks extremely high on the scale of good solid rock music.

Brian

[Roadgeek Adam]

It took me 20 seconds to figure out the artist, but I got Springsteen because of the second half of the clue (the lack of #1 hits). However, that DJ Round just felt plain cruel. Nice to see Dave keep a good face on the entire time. Didn't feel so bad when you're laughing.

[Tehshigelisok]

But, compared to other crap music of the era, it ranks extremely high on the scale of good solid rock music.

Hell, compared to what's out there in 2011, even this song sounds like a freaking masterpiece.

Whenever my sister listens to the local Top 40 station (more like Top 5 amirite?), I ponder making a drinking game for every song that has "party", "tonight" or "dance" anywhere in it. Then I realize that "Tonight Tonight" by Hot Chelle Rae alone would cause massive alcohol poisoning.

However, I am VERY pleased that "Rolling in the Deep" was the biggest hit of the year. That song just SOUNDS cool, and not just because there aren't any synths or auto-tune in sight. Nor is it about dancing and partying tonight.

[lisa0012]

Easy FJ?!?!? You're kidding, right? There was absolutely no TOM in that one.

I played off the board, and the category was my TOM when the clue alone didn't do it for me (I'm borderline too young for this one). Rock icon + mid 80s took me straight to the Boss.

[messyjesse]

My girlfriend preguessed Springsteen. I would be lying if I said that her preguess didn't make it easier for me, but I'd like to think that I would have eventually narrowed it down to Michael Jackson and Bruce before eliminating MJ because he isn't a "rock icon" as much as he's the King of Pop. So I'm counting it. Prince wasn't a bad guess, but the album in question was a pretty damn big deal in '84, especially with the whole Reagan thing.

Thanks to my Bio 212 class, I swept the Anatomy category fairly comfortably. Botched "bumpy night" though (went with "bumpy ride," ugh). Gutenberg was way too easy for the $800 spot (they even threw a mention of his printing press into the clue). Don't know how Lisa could've missed that.

DJ was definitely a mess. Some very strange categories ("On Deck" in particular), and that children one was a disaster. Got the obligatory sports sweep though with "At Bat" to pad my Coryat (that I wasn't keeping). I'm actually surprised they only left four clues up on the board.

I'm glad they got to all the DDs, even if it ultimately didn't make much of a difference. I'm curious, has there ever been a game where time ran out with a DD being the last clue and the board was under the control of a second-place player that could have taken the lead with it? Or do they always squeeze in that last DD if it's the last clue, even if time runs out on the round? I actually can't recall a time that a single clue was left on the board when I'd only seen one DD to that point.

[Snaxx]

FJ: I immediately came up with the right answer, knowing he had no #1s as of the 90s, and the 1984 album clue confirmed it.
OTOH, not sure of any TOM, except "Rock" icons. Both of the contestant's answers had albums in the 1983-4 range with (at least nearly) as many hits, but I'd figure the category would be "Pop" Icons if either of them.

[econgator]

DJ was weird. I run On Deck and At Bat and then 0-fer British Novel Characters.

FJ was an instaget, although technically Springsteen has a #1 hit as he wrote "Blinded By the Light".

[dhkendall]

My girlfriend preguessed Springsteen. I would be lying if I said that her preguess didn't make it easier for me, but I'd like to think that I would have eventually narrowed it down to Michael Jackson and Bruce before eliminating MJ because he isn't a "rock icon" as much as he's the King of Pop. So I'm counting it. Prince wasn't a bad guess, but the album in question was a pretty damn big deal in '84, especially with the whole Reagan thing.

I got stuck on MJ for a lot of it, but ruled him out due to the "lack of number ones" part. Never got to Springsteen, forget who I settled on (had a detour at Van Halen, but realized they were looking for an individual), was going through people who were popular at the time, but never settled on The Boss. (Made my week's FJ get rate abysmal, lurid details tomorrow)

[messyjesse]

My girlfriend preguessed Springsteen. I would be lying if I said that her preguess didn't make it easier for me, but I'd like to think that I would have eventually narrowed it down to Michael Jackson and Bruce before eliminating MJ because he isn't a "rock icon" as much as he's the King of Pop. So I'm counting it. Prince wasn't a bad guess, but the album in question was a pretty damn big deal in '84, especially with the whole Reagan thing.

I got stuck on MJ for a lot of it, but ruled him out due to the "lack of number ones" part. Never got to Springsteen, forget who I settled on (had a detour at Van Halen, but realized they were looking for an individual), was going through people who were popular at the time, but never settled on The Boss. (Made my week's FJ get rate abysmal, lurid details tomorrow)

Van Halen actually briefly crossed my mind, but that's only because I listened to that album (1984) on my iPod at lunch today.

[Bamaman]

I learned Springsteen never had a #1 from a sporcle quiz, so it was an instaget, not sure if I could have puzzled it out otherwise. Prince wasn't a bad guess, as Purple Rain was in that era.

Yes, it was a pretty bad FJ. I thought we might have a single player FJ for a moment. alex was off a bit as well. When he said they'd had two correct DJ clues, there had actually been three.

The Children category was fine with me. You chould know the British monarchs if you get on the show and the first one, though wordy, was just asking who was king after Victoria. Robert Lincoln should also be well known. I missed running the abbreviated category when I couldn't pull out Ham's other brother.

Ty Cobb a Cardinal who attended the 2011 World Series? That's worse than putting A-Rod at short.

[jepkid97]

Finally, Springsteen! DJ was annoying to both watch and play along, so I really miss Jason.