# Ken Jennings dethroned! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422 "2004-12-01T00:57:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/41 "2004-12-01T16:01:35Z")
Did anyone notice a little sideward glance Ken made at Nancy toward the end. I know it wasn’t devious, but it reminded me of a kid trying to cheat off another kid’s paper. It was at the end and there was no way to see her screen. It almost seemed instinctive. Like he was thinking “What did SHE put down?” With that look, I figure there is no WAY he took a dive. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/42 "2004-12-01T16:52:34Z")
I believe he mentioned in an interview that he saw her out of the corner of his eye completing her answer quickly, but I can’t find that quote now. I did find this one, though. > [@Ken Jennings](#): > > "The woman next to me just knew it immediately,’’ he said, describing his final final "Jeopardy!’’ question. "I could hear her little light pen writing, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, she knows this.’ And I had no idea.’’ I was amused that he didn’t answer any of the questions in the Seinfeld category. I suspect he never watched the show. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/43 "2004-12-01T17:01:09Z")
I’m also annoyed with the suggestions that he “threw the game”. I have sensed a bit of burn-out recently, however (not just playing, but meeting family and job obligations in Utah at the same time). That and the fact that he missed both of his Daily Doubles in Double Jeopardy probably taxed him mentally once Final Jeopardy rolled around. Oh, and H&R Block wasn’t _that_ freakin’ easy to come up with (although I got it after a few seconds of thinking). There are other white collar positions besides accounting, after all. Whew, now that he’s out of the way, the Jeopardy people can go ahead and give me a call (I’m in the contestant pool this year). ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/44 "2004-12-01T17:12:36Z")
At least one prediction was right on: [Spoken by Brad Rutter, previous Jeopardy all-time champ:](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/16/earlyshow/leisure/main630115.shtml) > [@](#): > > So what would it take to dethrone Jennings? > > “A strange combination of things,” says Rutter. “The categories would have to line up in an unfriendly manner towards him. That’s easier said than done.” > > \ > > Wednesday [in July] was the closest Jennings had to struggling with the questions. “He actually missed all three daily doubles," Rutter says. "He was betting big, too. That’s part of the game. If you bet big on a daily double, you can hurt yourself.” > > Rutter notes, “It may take another one of those, plus a player who can beat him on the buzzer a few times. _It will have to come down to somebody getting final Jeopardy right and Ken not getting it right.”_ > > The ideal person to beat him would be, “somebody who can stay with him on buzzer speed and has a similar broad base of knowledge. And a little luck, too. That’s what it will take,” Rutter says. (Italics mine.) ---
**Author:** ![Bleaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Bleaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bleaker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/45 "2004-12-01T19:10:00Z")
In discussions about Jeopardy and other game shows over the years, I find that people who know the answer to a question usually think the question is easy, regardless of its actual difficulty. > [@Jadis](#): > > The way the question was phrased, even if you didn’t know the answer on first reading, it should have been easy enough for a skilled player like KJ to figure out. > > First clue: white collar workers. What’s the most common white-collar worker? Accountant leaps to mind. > > Second clue: seasonal work. What sort of seasonal work might an accountant do? Tax preparation. > > Biggest tax preparation company? You might not get this one right (Jackson-Hewitt was the first thing that sprung to my mind), but H&R Block wasn’t that tough to come up with. > > FedEx is way out there, IMO. It’s easy to come up with a line of reasoning, find out it’s the correct answer, then say this is the only logical way to go. But what about… First clue: seasonal work. What’s the busiest time of year? The holidays. Second clue: firm with 70,000 employees. What line of business has a single company that busy during the holidays? Shipping. Popular shipping company? UPS or FedEx. Oops, it says white-collar workers… Then maybe–Crap, a few seconds left! Better just write FedEx. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/46 "2004-12-01T19:25:57Z")
I’m a pretty smart guy, but in Jennings’ position I very likely would have guessed UPS or Fedex, or a major retailing chain like Wal-Mart. The seasonal aspect of the question threw me. H&R Block is an obvious answer if you’re leaning that way but 1. I am familiar with the courier and carrier businesses so they’d be the first to pop into my head, 2. I would have thought of Christmas as the seasonal marker, not tax time, and 3. I do my own taxes. H&R Block just is not on my personal radar screen. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/47 "2004-12-01T19:44:52Z")
My first thought was FedEx. I did soon think it was tax related though because I remember hearing about an accountant in my area who is an NFL Referee (David Boston’s dad) and a CPA. He had time to be a referee because he only worked FOUR MONTHS A YEAR. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/48 "2004-12-01T20:40:44Z")
I got an e-mail today with these impressive statistics about Ken’s run. (It was sent on Tuesday, so it doesn’t include the last show). Earnings through Nov. 29: $2,520,700 2,613 correct answers out of 2,848 attempted (not including Final Jeopardy). That’s 91.7% right! 2,575 First Ring-ins 93 Category Sweeps – more than one for each show! 132 Daily Doubles correct out of 157 attempted: 84% right. 51: Final Jeopardys correct out of 74 attempts: 69% right. Quite a record. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/49 "2004-12-01T21:03:35Z")
I’d be interested to see how often he had to come from behind in Final Jeopardy. Also, how many times someone else failed to make it to Final Jeopardy while he was on the show. There was a segement on CNN at lunch that showed a party in the DC area where Ken’s Roadkill gathered to watch his last show. The title of the segment was SOUR GRAPES. INDEED! ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/50 "2004-12-01T21:22:18Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > I’d be interested to see how often he had to come from behind in Final Jeopardy. > > Also, how many times someone else failed to make it to Final Jeopardy while he was on the show. > > There was a segement on CNN at lunch that showed a party in the DC area where Ken’s Roadkill gathered to watch his last show. The title of the segment was SOUR GRAPES. > > INDEED! He never traiiled going into Final Jeopardy. The closest anyone had ever been to him after 2 rounds was the very first day, when he was ahead by just under $2,000. ---
**Author:** ![Treviathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@Treviathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treviathan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/51 "2004-12-02T01:05:51Z")
Not that this is much of a spoiler, but… [spoiler]After twenty-four hours, the Nancy Zerg dynasty has come to an end. She finished in third place today, with $2. [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/52 "2004-12-02T01:33:44Z")
h and r block may not be the first thing that would come to mind. my mum thought that it would be the irs. there are many seasonal jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/53 "2004-12-02T01:40:25Z")
> [@Treviathan](#): > > Not that this is much of a spoiler, but… > > [spoiler]After twenty-four hours, the Nancy Zerg dynasty has come to an end. > > She finished in third place today, with $2. > [/spoiler] I could have told you that yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/54 "2004-12-02T11:49:21Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > Not quite so fast. [According to this](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=494&ncid=762&e=1&u=/ap/20041201/ap_en_tv/tv_jennings_loses), Ken plans on writing a book. If that does well, maybe he can quit his day job. Looks like I underestimated the tax bite. I had guessed about $950 thousand, and your source says it will be $1.04 million. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/55 "2004-12-02T13:38:56Z")
> [@Saint Sparky](#): > > He better take them up on their offer! Utah has some pretty regressive taxes he’d want to avoid! A [regressive tax](http://www.irs.gov/app/understandingTaxes/jsp/tools_glossary.jsp#link_to_R) takes a larger percentage of income from low-income groups than from high-income groups. Since Ken has a very high income this year wouldn’t he prefer a regressive tax to a progressive one? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/56 "2004-12-02T13:47:51Z")
Ken was on WOR radio this morning. He was asked to describe his weirdest experience in NYC: Some guy walked up to him and said “You’re Ken Jennings. I’ve got to get your autograph. This is the only book I have. Please sign it.” The book was “The History of Farting.” ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/57 "2004-12-02T22:37:34Z")
I’m in the current contestant pool myself. My eye doctor–who looked very much like Alex Trebek when he operated on my eye in the 1907s–always asks me if I’ll be on; I’ve promised him that when they call me to appear I’ll call the doctor’s office right away. When I had my eye exam this year, however, the ophthalmologist said I might not have a chance against [Jennings]. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/58 "2004-12-02T22:39:22Z")
Excuse me–1970s. :o ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/59 "2004-12-02T23:57:50Z")
H&R Block (or something else tax-related) might be somewhat obvious if one starts one’s deductions with “white collar”. But personally, I started my reasoning with “seasonal”. When I think of seasonal employees, the first thing I think of is recreation and leisure activities, and the second is the Christmas season. My guess was Disneyworld. OK, so that’d probably be more purple-and-green collar, but I wasn’t sure exactly how the collar terms are defined. Add to this the fact that anyone, no matter how good, is going to make a mistake occasionally, and anyone who makes mistakes occasionally is occasionally going to make enough of them in one game to lose. There’s no more reason to assume that Ken threw his game than there is to assume that a centinarian who eventually dies committed suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422/60 "2004-12-03T00:26:07Z")
I like what Jennings said… After his first few wins he was used to the lights, and the people, it wasn’t affecting him anymore. But the other contestants were in awe of what was going on around them. He said that gave him an edge right off the bat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-jennings-dethroned/277422.md?page=4)