Chris Matthews on Jeopardy: Sick? Tired?

[Raza]

I watched last night's (Feb 18) celebrity Jeopardy semi-final, which featured contestants Chris Matthews (of Hardball), David Duchovny (XFiles, for one) and Charles Shaughnessy.

From the very beginning (the introductions), Chris Matthews looked very ill-at-ease...I mean really, really bad. While I'm not a regular watcher of Hardball, he seems to do a good job of remaining interested and animated while hosting. Here, though, something was clearly wrong: he didn't want to be there; he was sick; something.

And his performance was awful.

Anyone have any idea what was up with him?

[Zeldar]

Just confirming I had the same curiosity.

I detest Hardball because of his strident interruptions of his "guests" which make it impossible to hear their opinions or sides of an issue. I had the same problem with Crossfire and was so overjoyed when Jon Stewart brought that show to an end.

Your proposed reasons for his pathetic showing even extended to the informal interview segment.

I do hope somebody has the inside skinny.

[Mahaloth]

Who won?

[choie]

Wow, Charles Shaughnessy is a bit of the odd man out there -- not nearly as well known as the other two. (To me he'll always be Shane Donovan from Days.)
How did he do? And who won, btw?

[John Mace]

Who won?

The British guy, by a nose.


Yeah, I was surprised how poorly he CM, although he caught a hail Mary pass on FJ. Still, he did look out of sorts.

[Zeldar]

So, did anybody find out what was bugging Chris?

[RikWriter]

So, did anybody find out what was bugging Chris?

The tingle in his leg is gone?

[panache45]

I had the same thoughts about Matthews.

[hellpaso]

We thought he looked drugged! It was very noticeable.

[SpoilerVirgin]

Wow, Charles Shaughnessy is a bit of the odd man out there -- not nearly as well known as the other two. (To me he'll always be Shane Donovan from Days.)Charles Shaughnessy was previously the Celebrity Jeopardy Champion in 1995, when he was starring in The Nanny and was a more familiar figure than he is today. He is also probably one of the most educated Celebrity Jeopardy contestants, having graduated from Eton and Cambridge.

[JThunder]

And yet he's no Sean Connery.

[SpoilerVirgin]

And yet he's no Sean Connery.Actually Sean Connery lite. He played one of several late '80's soap opera spies whose names derived from Connery's. General Hospital had Sean Donely (played by John Reilly), and Days of Our Lives had Shane Donovan (played by Charles Shaughnessy).

[PoorYorick]

And yet he's no Sean Connery.
I'll take The Rapists for $400, Alex.

[BrotherCadfael]

Sick? Tired? Not as smart as he thinks he is?