Posted on 11/22/2004 9:32:36 PM PST by Congressman Billybob
Leo Durocher got a bad rap. He didn’t quite say, “Nice guys finish last.” Besides, sometimes nice guys do finish first. No, I’m not talking about any politician, or pro athlete, or entertainer. Nope, I’m talking about someone you all know, and I’m certain you’re all rooting for.
Ken Jennings is a nice guy, and he’s already finished in first place.
His incredible run is rumored on the Internet to have gone about 71 consecutive shows and about $2.6 million in winnings. The trade press says the show where he loses has already been taped, and will air in about a week. It will be a glorious defeat, because Ken is already the greatest winner on any quiz show, ever.
So where’s the news in this article? Hang onto your pencils, your books and your chairs. Here it is:
Last Friday they had tryouts for Jeopardy! at Biltmore Square Mall south of Asheville, North Carolina. Like most of you, my wife and I are Jeopardy! junkies, plopping down in front of the TV and calling out the answers with high accuracy, almost every weeknight. So of course we planned to try out.
I got to the Mall at 10 a.m., for tryouts scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. There were already seven others in line: four ladies from Asheville, and three men from other parts of North Carolina who’d come a long way to try out. We started a sign-up list to protect our positions in line. As a lawyer, author and former professor, I thought my chances excellent, since those occupations have all done well in the past.
My wife was planning to come over right after she picked up her daughter at school. By the time she got there, more than 1,000 of the ultimately 1,500 would-be contestants were in line. So I searched the line, found them, and gave her my wrist band as number 8 in line. This was not just chivalry but practicality. I thought she’d do better than I would.
And so it turned out.
The first 1,500 people in line were brought in groups of 20 to a roped-off area in the Mall. Each got a quiz of ten questions, which varied of course from person to person and from group to group. The Jeopardy! staff didn’t tell contestants exactly how they scored. Kem was sure that she got nine of the ten correct (she skipped one question). That was enough to earn an invitation to come back for the full test the following morning; out of the hundreds quizzed, only 70 went on to the next round on Saturday.
The full test was fifty questions. Again, staff did not give out the exact results. They did say that passing that test required “something more than 70%.” Kem thinks she missed just four of those questions. It was enough.
Here’s a suggestion of the answers that she faced in the pre-test on Friday and the written, video-displayed tests on Saturday. (Rules forbid a precise statement of answers and questions.) Correct questions are at the end:
A: He was the 19th century author of “Twice-Told Tales.”
A: A lass named Fiona is the heroine of this Lerner & Lowe Broadway musical.
A: The Shoemaker-Levy comet collided with this planet in 1994.
A: This band was in the can with its lead singer, Shirley Manson.
My wife was one of the 15 contestants who passed both tests, and did well in the trial runs of the Jeopardy! show in a conference room at a local hotel on Saturday. The Jeopardy! folks were careful to say that nothing is guaranteed. But all that stands between her and an appearance on the show in Los Angeles is a phone call from the producer.
So keep your eyes pealed for another “nice guy,” this one named Kem, not Ken. I’ll keep you posted. With great pride.
[Q: Who is Hawthorne? Q: What is “Brigadoon?” Q: What is Jupiter? Q: Who are Garbage? I wouldn’t have a guess about the last one if my life depended on it.]
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About the Author: John Armor is a First Amendment attorney and author who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. CongressmanBillybob@earthlink.net
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Q. In her 1960 commencement speech at Radcliffe, she began with the word "Water."
Thanks.
Being an Alabama native, I would've been able to answer that one. I remember that from her biography.
I couldn't figure out why Rachel Carson would be a good guess in lieu of Helen Keller.
I would venture to guess two reasons.
1. All three are kids who were indoctrinated from their earilest years the see Carson (who is responsible for more deaths than Hitler and Stalin combined) as some sort of eco hero.
2. The show was recorded in Pittsburgh, which was Carson's birthplace.
Famous titties for 200 Alexsh.
He's from a red state. I thought we were all DUMB.....
"He's from a red state. I thought we were all DUMB....."
LOL! Good point! I actually never thought of that before.
I noticed the same as well. Most of the questions have gotten lots easier since Jennings has been on.
Was this an intentional snare for sexists? Perhaps 'psychiatrists' and 'writing utensil' being mightier... is the expected interpretation. All I know is a quick parse by me resulted in : The 'sexual abusers' ... and The 'male organ' mightier. And I thought mightier than WHAT?
Naah, must be just me!
... which is exactly how they parsed them in a Jeopardy parody on SNL a decade or so ago.
If you're interested, today is rumored to be the day that the episode airs in which the champ goes down to defeat.
http://www.tvguide.com
I heard yesterday that tonight(Tuesday) is his last night, can anyone verify this?
So, if I think someone is arrogant then I am threatened by him?
Hmmmm Interesting logic.
LOL! My mom picked up a used set from a garage sale and was amazed when I start at "A" and read my way through. From then on any kind of reference books she saw she bought for me. I still buy and read (for the most part) The World Almanac every year.
I used to have to play Trivial Pursuit with a handicap but as I get older the pop culture categories stump me every time.
I did hear on cable news yesterday that it's tonight. I don't remember which network it was however, I rotate frequently btwn Fox, pMSNBC, and CNN, it was one of them.
Meanwhile he's sure been fun to watch and envy(sort of). I'm not sure I would ever want to know that much, LOL.
Anyone remember the Cheers episode where Cliff got on the show?
Cliff's final Jeopardy response was "people who have never been in my kitchen." That response became a category on the actual show.
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