# Jeopardy, Admit it: Jennings Ain't All Dat **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 31, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371 "2004-12-31T03:58:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/1 "2004-12-31T03:58:36Z")
Have you heard about the new Tournament of Mega-Champions to air in May of next year? Apparently almost 150 5-time champions are going to participate. Once they’ve whittled the field down to two contenders, those two will go up against Ken Jennings. Bah! You call that a competition? Throw Utah-boy in the mix with the rest of 'em! Don’t give him a 30-round bye! That’s not fair at all! Some of those 5-timers would’ve gone as far as he did, given the opportunity (my money’s on Frank Spangenberg). If the producers really believed in the little golden boy, they’d make him compete along with the rest. Instead they’re afraid he’d get bounced in the 2nd round. Cowards! ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/2 "2004-12-31T04:10:23Z")
Of course he’d get bounced early. Jeopardy is a pale shadow of what it once was. It’s closer to teen or celebrity Jeopardy now. Way more pop culture questions than there used to be. :mad: Personally, I wish they’d make him run the gauntlet of the five timers. Give him old school Jeopardy answers. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/3 "2004-12-31T04:17:08Z")
Well, even though I know Spangenberg or Chuck Forrest or any number of five-timers could have racked up 70+ wins had the limit not existed in their day, I can readily understand saving Jennings for the final round just for the sake of ratings. Since he’s by far the most famous _Jeopardy!_ champ to date, him getting creamed early would make general interest plummet. In any case, I have to admit enjoying the prospect of seeing Utah-boy splattered but good. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/4 "2004-12-31T04:55:15Z")
Any of these folks get my full measure of respect, considering my own rather modest showing when it was my turn. At least I was able to eke out second place. I treat it like the Academy Awards, where it’s an honor just to be nominated. These folks, OTOH, took home the statue multiple times. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/5 "2004-12-31T05:22:17Z")
Regrettably, I’ve never had a shot at Jeopardy. I’d like to think that I would do well if given the chance to compete. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/6 "2004-12-31T05:25:42Z")
While many 5-time winners _might_ have done better than Ken Jennings, there is one difference. KEN ACTUALLY DID IT! Let all the 5-time winners put up or shut up. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/7 "2004-12-31T05:36:17Z")
I only watched him once but what impressed me was not that he had all the answers but that he was so fast on the draw AND with the right answers, which is a rare combination. But while the kid’s got breadth I don’t think he has depth and some of the champs from the Art Fleming days would wipe the mat with him. [aside] At least Fleming made no bones about how he didn’t know all the questions. I can’t bear watching that sanctamonious, Canadian SOB pretending he knows more than all of the contestants. [/aside] ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/8 "2004-12-31T05:37:24Z")
> [@if6was9](#): > > While many 5-time winners _might_ have done better than Ken Jennings, there is one difference. KEN ACTUALLY DID IT! Let all the 5-time winners put up or shut up. How do you suppose they do that, apart from the competition mentioned? Ken Jennings, the other champions, and myself are all barred from ever appearing on the show again, except by invitation by the show. It’s part of the contract we signed before we appeared. If you’re a five time champ and haven’t been called to appear in this series, you can only wonder. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/9 "2004-12-31T05:43:54Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > How do you suppose they do that, apart from the competition mentioned? > > Ken Jennings, the other champions, and myself are all barred from ever appearing on the show again, except by invitation by the show. It’s part of the contract we signed before we appeared. > > If you’re a five time champ and haven’t been called to appear in this series, you can only wonder. 🙂 Point taken. I was really impressed with Jennings, but I’ll hush now. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/10 "2004-12-31T06:16:25Z")
Let’s run a few numbers. Every day there are three contestants on _Jeopardy!_; each has a one-in-three chance of winning. (1/3)[sup]5[/sup] = 1/243. Thus for every contestant who comes on, there’s approximately a 1 in 250 chance that he/she will win 5 in a row, _just randomly_. You figure 250 shows a year, usually two new contestants per show (because one sticks around from the previous day), and you can pretty much expect to have two people a year win five times in a row. But Jennings won, what was it, 74 times in a row? The odds of that happening randomly are, according to my Windows calculator, _ **1** _\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 202,755,595,904,452,569,706,561,330,872,954,000 That’s 4.932 x 10[sup]-36[/sup]. That’s "one in a million billion billion times the number of peope who have [ever lived](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_085.html) on Earth. " Granted, most of those five-time champs were obviously smarter than the average bear; no doubt many of them would have gone on to win more games, and some even to rack up lengthy winning streaks. I’m not trying to take anything away from the five-time champs who went on under the old rules and were forced to step down after five wins. I’m sure it must be galling as hell to have been forced to quit and then to watch Jennings winning over and over again. But the fact that past winners were forced to stop after five wins **does not even remotely suggest that they could have done what Ken Jennings did**. For fuck’s sake, the guy did something really astonishing; I will never understand why everyone seems to hate him so much. I suppose it’s a way of trying to hold onto some kind of superiority, but all it does is make you look petty and jealous. Show some class and get over yourselves. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/11 "2004-12-31T07:40:41Z")
The real question is, how far could SDMB member [5 time champ](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=294160) go? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/12 "2004-12-31T08:53:59Z")
The guy did do something astonishing, but it’s not like going at it each day is like going at it for your first time. A veteran gets the advantage, particularly on a show like that one, of learning button timing and such; he learns not to be nervous, he stops making rookie mistakes like forgetting to answer in the form of a question, he gets used to the lights, etc. While there might also be a lot of pressure mounting as you win again and again and again, it’s fair to say that a returning champion does have certain advantages over challengers, and that those advantages only grow over time. Particularly that button timing thing, which I hear is particularly tricky. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/13 "2004-12-31T13:32:12Z")
All of which should make it harder for Ken Jennings in this new tournament if they have him just play in the final round or two. While I don’t love the idea of keeping Ken out of it, I am sure it wasn’t something he insisted on, but was rather the brainchild of the Jeopardy marketing department. I am looking forward to it, and **jackelope** , rest assured that many of us really like and respect the Stormin’ Mormon. He was an amazing player and truly seems like a nice guy. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/14 "2004-12-31T14:12:50Z")
Truly, I’m really pitting the producers, not Jennings. His demeanor was quite charming. But as someone who’s watched the show for years, it is annoying to see one particular player treated as a demi-god when so many others deserved it as well. Anybody else remember that teen champ, the one who looked like a heavy metal fan & just wiped the floor with the competition? I can’t recall his name, but he was astonishing. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/15 "2004-12-31T14:55:06Z")
Ken Jennings actually DID win 74 in a row. It is impossible to say that many of the other 5 timers would have as well. In fact, I consider it highly unlikely. How many players have made it to 10 wins since the rule change? How many 5 time champs could have won 5 more games - 14 more times in a row? What Ken did is not just unliekl, it is close to impossible, regardless of how easy or difficicult you believe the answers when he played to be. To win 74 games, you need to know something about everything, and then some more after that. Not to disrespect any 5 time winner which is such an amazing accomplishment, but to casually say that"so and so would have made it if given a chance" is not only next to impossible, but also greatly diminishes what was the **best ever streak in 50 years of game show history.** Period. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/16 "2004-12-31T16:45:21Z")
Well, said, **Curious Canuck**. One more point: Jennings didn’t just “win” 74 times in a row; in probably 90% of those games he won by enormous margins. I watch the show every day, and on most days Ken could have wagered $0 and written “What is my dick” for Final Jeopardy and still been a huge winner. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/17 "2004-12-31T16:51:36Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > Well, said, **Curious Canuck**. One more point: > > Jennings didn’t just “win” 74 times in a row; in probably 90% of those games he won by enormous margins. I watch the show every day, and on most days Ken could have wagered $0 and written “What is my dick” for Final Jeopardy and still been a huge winner. He could have kept answering “What’s a ho?” and I would have laughed every single time. I do feel a bit bad though cause he was here in my town of Ottawa the weekend before he lost that taping. I guess Canada got to him. I hope he isn’t bitter. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/18 "2004-12-31T16:54:59Z")
This is going to drive me crazy if I don’t say something about it. Please ignore the comma between “well” and “said” in my prior post. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/19 "2004-12-31T16:56:25Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > This is going to drive me crazy if I don’t say something about it. > > Please ignore the comma between “well” and “said” in my prior post. > > Thank you. As long as you agree that “unliekl” is the proper, yet unlikely, alternative way to spell “unlikely” ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371/20 "2004-12-31T16:58:33Z")
> [@CuriousCanuck](#): > > As long as you agree that “unliekl” is the proper, yet unlikely, alternative way to spell “unlikely” I just figured it was a Canada thing. Like saying _zed_ for _zee_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-admit-it-jennings-aint-all-dat/282371.md?page=2)