# Merv Griffin announces that something "amazing" is going to happen... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842 "2004-05-18T20:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/401 "2004-07-22T21:53:41Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > Well, now that you take your accumulated money home with you, rather than a trip for two to Sunny Acapulco, it made a big difference to the poor lady’s saving account. Since she had no chance to touch Ken, she should have bet a dollar on the DD, then nothing in Final and be assured of going home a few thousand richer. Uh, what? I thought part of this thread discussed making this a rule, meaning it isn’t now. I thought 2nd and 3rd took home a fixed amount of cash, like $3000/$2000. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/402 "2004-07-22T22:13:28Z")
Man, I missed this the past couple weeks. Today’s drama: Ken had $42,000 going into FJ. Forty-two sporkin’ thousand bucks (far, far more than either of the other two contestants). He bids $10,000, nails FJ (and is the only one to do so) and ties the $52,000 record AGAIN. Just do the deed already! Interesting Final Jeopardy! question today: What two twentieth-century US presidents had middle names that are the same as the last names of two other presidents (not necessarily twentieth-century, though)? ANSWER: William Jefferson Clinton and Ronald Wilson Reagan ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/403 "2004-07-22T22:15:19Z")
But ONLY the champion keeps the cash. I never have liked that rule, but that’s how it is. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/404 "2004-07-22T22:31:57Z")
Damn. :smack: I guess I was misinformated about the fixed consolation prizes…in lieu of the trips and such that they used to give away. Still, if you can’t touch Ken, don’t blow your chance to lock up 2nd place! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/405 "2004-07-22T22:35:13Z")
Did Alex say today that tomorrow is the last episode of the season? Holy crap… ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/406 "2004-07-23T00:03:04Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > Man, I missed this the past couple weeks. Today’s drama: > > Ken had $42,000 going into FJ. Forty-two sporkin’ thousand bucks (far, far more than either of the other two contestants). He bids $10,000, nails FJ (and is the only one to do so) and ties the $52,000 record AGAIN. Just do the deed already! I’m almost glad he’s not. Alex’s reactions are always fun. > [@](#): > > Interesting Final Jeopardy! question today: > > What two twentieth-century US presidents had middle names that are the same as the last names of two other presidents (not necessarily twentieth-century, though)? ANSWER: William Jefferson Clinton and Ronald Wilson Reagan That was a good one. I got half of it Clinton, missed the other half. Completely blanked, in fact. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/407 "2004-07-23T00:10:46Z")
Why on Earth is he doing the thing mentioned in the spoilers? Isn’t he losing money that way? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/408 "2004-07-23T00:22:55Z")
I think part of it is he’s enjoying taunting Alex. Also he’s afraid of losing money he’s already earned. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/409 "2004-07-23T00:47:06Z")
On Wednesday’s show (7/21), one clue said that Belgium was divided into three regions: Wallonia, Flanders, and this one. Ken Jennings said, “Bruxelles”, and gave the correct French pronunciation (_brooks-ell_). But Alex said he was wrong. Huh? As you can see by my user name, my ancestry is Walloon, and I have cousins in that third region, whom I have visited. The English term is the Brussels-Capital Region or the Brussels Region, the French term is _Région de Bruxelles-Capitale_, and the Dutch term is _Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest_. Given that the word “region” was already supplied by the clue, why was _Bruxelles_ wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/410 "2004-07-23T13:36:44Z")
> [@aaslatten](#): > > Why on Earth is he doing the thing mentioned in the spoilers? Isn’t he losing money that way? Ken posts on the official Jeopardy message board (yes, it’s him, he was posting there before his streak began). He has said that he doesn’t want to break that particular record just for the sake of breaking it. He is content to tie and not steal the previous record holder’s thunder. He said something like “There are plenty of other records to break.” (And he seems happy enough to tackle those.) I loved Alex’s comment about applauding a run of “STUPID ANSWERS.” Also the video demonstration of Photoshop a week or so ago that involved putting Alex’s mustache back. 😃 ---
**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:** [July 23, 2004, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/411 "2004-07-23T15:29:14Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > On Wednesday’s show (7/21), one clue said that Belgium was divided into three regions: Wallonia, Flanders, and this one. Ken Jennings said, “Bruxelles”, and gave the correct French pronunciation (_brooks-ell_). But Alex said he was wrong. Huh? As you can see by my user name, my ancestry is Walloon, and I have cousins in that third region, whom I have visited. The English term is the Brussels-Capital Region or the Brussels Region, the French term is _Région de Bruxelles-Capitale_, and the Dutch term is _Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest_. > > Given that the word “region” was already supplied by the clue, why was _Bruxelles_ wrong? I thought he put a Z sound in the middle, not a KS, like “Broozels.” It sounded to me like he was going for Bruxelles and just didn’t quite make it. I thought that decision was questionable, but then we’ve found other cases where they gave him the benefit of the doubt. So it balances out. ---
**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:** [July 24, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/412 "2004-07-24T02:29:08Z")
All hail King Ken! So now we know why no one has spilled the beans. It’s not over yet. Thirty-eight shows and over $1.3 million. And he finally broke the $52,000 limit! $75,000! I suspect it’ll be a long time before that record is broken! The next record coming up is the number of shows: 46. And he might very well beat the British Millionaire champ in total winnings, too. (At this moment one pound sterling is about US$1.83.) That would only take about 14 or 15 more shows at his current average, just about the time he passes the 46-show record. How convenient! So what does Ken do post-Jeopardy? Do you suppose we could get him to run for president? Hands up everyone who’d rather vote for Jenkins than Bush or Kerry? ---
**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/413 "2004-07-24T02:32:36Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > He has said that he doesn’t want to break that particular record just for the sake of breaking it. He is content to tie and not steal the previous record holder’s thunder. He said something like “There are plenty of other records to break.” (And he seems happy enough to tackle those.) NEWS FLASH, not only did he steal the previous record holders thunder today. He struck like lightening while doing it. His one day total was $75,000. Way to go Ken! Can’t wait to see him back in 6 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/414 "2004-07-24T03:28:25Z")
I wonder if they’ll try to shorten the lag between taping and airing. There’s no way the secret will be kept this time, unless they don’t have a studio audience (and it would be difficult even then). Might be a good time to do a prime-time, live (or short tape delay) series of shows until the run is over. ---
**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:** [July 24, 2004, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/415 "2004-07-24T06:41:17Z")
It was hard for me to not post before everyone else had a chance to see it yesterday (I see it at 5:00 CET, 6 hours ahead of EDT). Of note: Ken’s $75,000 performance not only breaks the one day total record, it also breaks the LONG standing one day total mark adjusted for value inflation. (The previous record, before the doubling of values in the two rounds was $34,000…$68,000 in the current format). Not only that, he set the 5 day weekly total record with over $220,000 for the week! (Also breaks the adjusted mark). Amazing. How long can he go? Jman ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/416 "2004-07-24T09:45:45Z")
Well, Mr. Griffin, I gotta admit that I was skeptical. You hear this kind of hype all the time. It’s really “just the most amazing thing” indeed. Thanks for bringing us Ken! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/417 "2004-07-24T09:52:27Z")
Question: can anyone recall whether Ken ever went into Final Jeopardy without having more than twice his nearest competitor? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/418 "2004-07-24T11:12:40Z")
I remember a couple of “squeakers,” where he didn’t have more than double of Contestent #2. He’s got six weeks to either a)keep studying and brush up on more arcane trivia or b)get out of practice and crash and burn on the first day of the new season. Thanks, Ken. You got me back into watching Jeopardy! again. BTW, I got the Final Jeopardy question right on the season finale. 😃 Anyone notice how quick Ken is on the signaling button? I’ve noticed several times where he’s rang in, only to struggle to answer the question. Most times he’s gotten it right. Is he also using the signaling button when he’s not sure of the answer, just to get in first? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/419 "2004-07-24T11:20:10Z")
> [@Ivyglass](#): > > BTW, I got the Final Jeopardy question right on the season finale. Me, too! — although, admittedly, I selected the two easy ones: Hamlet and Macbeth. :o ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842/420 "2004-07-24T11:35:45Z")
I picked _Hamlet_ (duh) and _Richard III_. Stupid thing is, I’ve never read or seen performed _Richard III_. It just “sounded” right. Funny the bits and pieces your mind picks up, storing away until they’re needed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merv-griffin-announces-that-something-amazing-is-going-to-happen/245842.md?page=22)