# Jeopardy! Contest of the Titans **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097 "2020-01-08T00:51:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/41 "2020-01-10T15:43:53Z")
So Ken is a riot. From the “I can’t believe I get to say this to Alex, What is OK Boomer” to “I also reek of cow-pies and Norwegianism”, I couldn’t stop laughing. ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/42 "2020-01-10T16:19:00Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > So Ken is a riot. From the “I can’t believe I get to say this to Alex, What is OK Boomer” to “I also reek of cow-pies and Norwegianism”, I couldn’t stop laughing. He’s pretty good outside of Jeopardy!, too. [This tweet from James](https://twitter.com/James_Holzhauer/status/1215452951226937344) followed by [Ken’s response](https://twitter.com/KenJennings/status/1215456737446125568) is just hysterical. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/43 "2020-01-10T16:32:44Z")
(night 3) The last Final Jeopardy question stumped all three Champions. I thought it was an incredibly hard question. Naming even one of the film directors would have been hard enough. I wonder if Brad has slacked off on studying for Jeopardy? He seems so unprepared for this tournament. Ken is getting stronger and more impressive every night. Reminds me of his history making winning streak. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/44 "2020-01-10T16:46:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > (night 3) > The last Final Jeopardy question stumped all three Champions. I thought it was an incredibly hard question. Naming even one of the film directors would have been hard enough. James and Brad threw the question since they had no chance of catching Ken. So who knows if they knew the answer. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/45 "2020-01-10T17:58:10Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > James and Brad threw the question since they had no chance of catching Ken. So who knows if they knew the answer. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t have put down the right answer if they knew it. It _was_ a tough question. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/46 "2020-01-10T18:13:14Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I can’t imagine they wouldn’t have put down the right answer if they knew it. It _was_ a tough question. I think they basically saw it as a chance to put in a shout-out with no risk, since they didn’t know if there would be another total runaway. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/47 "2020-01-10T18:54:43Z")
I loved it when Brad said “You’re welcome” to Ken. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/48 "2020-01-10T23:42:37Z")
> [@BorgHunter](#): > > He’s pretty good outside of Jeopardy!, too. [This tweet from James](https://twitter.com/James_Holzhauer/status/1215452951226937344) followed by [Ken’s response](https://twitter.com/KenJennings/status/1215456737446125568) is just hysterical. Yes, KJ is well worth following on The Twitter. mmm ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/49 "2020-01-11T07:48:10Z")
> [@racepug](#): > > Whom do you think will win the _Jeopardy_! contest between Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, and James Holzhauer that starts tonight (first one to three wins will be considered the winner)? I would not nitpick like this in almost any other thread, but that should be “\*Who \*do you think…?”. “Who” is not the object of “think” but the subject of the clause “will win…”. Just like you would say “I think he will win…” rather than “I think him will win”. > [@BorgHunter](#): > > He’s pretty good outside of Jeopardy!, too. [This tweet from James](https://twitter.com/James_Holzhauer/status/1215452951226937344) followed by [Ken’s response](https://twitter.com/KenJennings/status/1215456737446125568) is just hysterical. OMG, that’s awesome!! > [@aceplace57](#): > > (night 3) > The last Final Jeopardy question stumped all three Champions. I thought it was an incredibly hard question. Naming even one of the film directors would have been hard enough. Yeah, I’m a huge film buff/nerd, but I was stumped. I’m well familiar with the work of both directors (as well as the incorrect response, Inarritu), but the format of the question just made it too hard to pull out of thin air, given the entire history of the Oscars. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/50 "2020-01-11T12:15:52Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I would not nitpick like this in almost any other thread, but that should be “\*Who \*do you think…?”. “Who” is not the object of “think” but the subject of the clause “will win…”. Just like you would say “I think he will win…” rather than “I think him will win”. “First one to three wins” doesn’t make much sense either. I think there’s a verb missing… ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/51 "2020-01-11T14:19:28Z")
I’m jkelly_map_, so of course I’m rooting for Ken, famous map freak. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/52 "2020-01-11T15:44:07Z")
It’s frustrating that we have to wait until Tues for the tournament. It’s drawing high ratings. > **[TV Ratings: ‘Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time’ Part 3 Tops 15 Million Viewers](https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/jeopardy-the-greatest-of-all-time-part-3-tv-ratings-15-million-viewers-1203463107/amp/)** > > Part 3 of the “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” contest between three of the most prolific contestants to have ever grace the iconic game show drew big numbers yet again for ABC. Las… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/53 "2020-01-11T16:00:26Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > “First one to three wins” doesn’t make much sense either. I think there’s a verb missing… It’s in the rest of the clause you omitted for some reason: “[the] first one to three wins will be considered the winner.” I don’t see anything wrong with that. (The original omits the “the” as is not unusual in shortened colloquial constructions.) But, yes, it should be “who” not “whom” at the head of the sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/54 "2020-01-11T16:45:27Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s in the rest of the clause you omitted for some reason: > > “[the] first one to three wins will be considered the winner.” > > I don’t see anything wrong with that. (The original omits the “the” as is not unusual in shortened colloquial constructions.) But, yes, it should be “who” not “whom” at the head of the sentence. I’d further modify the sentence (solely, for the person missing something) thusly: [the] first one [to get] to three wins will be considered the winner. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/55 "2020-01-12T00:40:14Z")
What are esoteric grammar rules? ---
**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:** [January 12, 2020, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/56 "2020-01-12T03:49:40Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > What are esoteric grammar rules? All of them. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/57 "2020-01-12T15:02:49Z")
Because Brad struck it big so long ago, I was prepared to say that his problems are due to age — he mentioned recall time to Trebek, and I know from my own experience that reflexes on the buzzer are the key to winning. Then I remembered that he started as a college student. I looked them up, and it turns out he’s only 4 years older than Ken. So now I have no idea why he’s tanking so badly. Before the tournament started, I’d pegged James as the winner. Now, three games in, I’m fairly confident it will be Ken. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/58 "2020-01-13T18:26:54Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Yeah, I’m a huge film buff/nerd, but I was stumped. I’m well familiar with the work of both directors (as well as the incorrect response, Inarritu), but the format of the question just made it too hard to pull out of thin air, given the entire history of the Oscars. I didn’t get that one either, but the category was something like Oscar Winners of the 21st Century, so they weren’t dealing with the _entire_ history of the Oscars, just the last 19 years (or 18 depending on your/their level of pedanticy…pedanticality…pedanticness…). FYI, I just found [this interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHqQby5ze1M)with Ken and Brad on YouTube. I haven’t had a chance to watch it all myself, yet (there’s this annoying thing I have called “work”) but I imagine it’s interesting. ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/59 "2020-01-13T18:40:16Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > Because Brad struck it big so long ago, I was prepared to say that his problems are due to age — he mentioned recall time to Trebek, and I know from my own experience that reflexes on the buzzer are the key to winning. > > Then I remembered that he started as a college student. I looked them up, and it turns out he’s only 4 years older than Ken. So now I have no idea why he’s tanking so badly. Brad is four years _younger_ than Ken. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097/60 "2020-01-13T19:05:01Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Yeah, I’m a huge film buff/nerd, but I was stumped. I’m well familiar with the work of both directors (as well as the incorrect response, Inarritu), but the format of the question just made it too hard to pull out of thin air, given the entire history of the Oscars. I knew Cuaron was one, but I could not come up with the other. All I knew was it was \*\*not \*\*Inarritu (Birdman) or Del Toro (Shape of Water). I had completely forgotten about Ang Lee. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-contest-of-the-titans/846097.md?page=4)