'Jeopardy!' Whiz Ends 74-Game Win Streak - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

AKA · 11-30-2004, 07:21 PM

'Jeopardy!' Whiz Ends 74-Game Win Streak

By David Bauder
The Associated Press

NEW YORK - "Jeopardy" whiz Ken Jennings finally met his match after a 74-game run as a pop culture icon who made brainiacs cool, beaten by a woman whose own 8-year-old daughter asked for his autograph when they first met.

As someone who always has prepared his own tax returns, Jennings was tripped up in Final Jeopardy by this answer: Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year.

The correct reply: "What is H&R Block?" But Jennings guessed Federal Express, ending his remarkable run as the biggest winner in TV game show history with a haul of $2,520,700.

Having an accountant-friend who's nearly impossible to reach at tax time paid off big-time for his conqueror, California real estate agent Nancy Zerg, who ousted the baby-faced killer competitor in the episode airing Tuesday.

During his streak that began June 2, Jennings usually had opponents so thoroughly beaten that the Final Jeopardy question was meaningless to the outcome. But Zerg was within striking range at that point, with $10,000 to Jennings' $14,400.

The champion had to think; out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Zerg had quickly written her reply.

"I was pretty sure before the music ended that was the ballgame," he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Her correct reply gave Zerg $14,001 to Jennings' $8,799.

Even before that, she had needed an unusual display of Jennings fallibility to stay in the game. He twice answered wrong on Daily Double questions, which give contestants a chance to make big wagers and increase their leads.

Maybe that's why he paused, ever so slightly, when asked in the AP interview Tuesday whether he had lost or been beaten. He then graciously gave Zerg credit.

"I would have dwelt on it if I missed something that I knew or didn't phrase it in the form of a question," said Jennings, a computer software engineer from Salt Lake City. "It was a big relief to me that I lost to someone who played a better game than me."

Zerg, a former actress who lives in Ventura, Calif., told the AP that she psyched herself up before the game by repeating to herself: "Someone's got to beat him sometime, it might as well be me."

Hanging out backstage with fellow contestants, she saw some Jennings opponents had essentially lost before the game. She heard one person say that it looked like he was playing for second, and another just wishing not to be humiliated.

"I heard another one say, `It's no great sin to lose to Ken Jennings,' and they went in and lost to Ken Jennings," she said. "I thought, `That's no way to play the game.'"

Some stats: Jennings' average daily haul was $34,063.51. He toyed with the previous daily record of $52,000 — tying it four times — before shattering it with a $75,000 win in Game 38. He gave more than 2,700 correct responses.

He combined an extraordinary breadth of knowledge, uncanny skill at sensing the precise instant to ring his buzzer, and a sharp competitive instinct hidden behind his grin and polite manner.

It made many of the games boring. But "Jeopardy!" executives aren't complaining; ratings were up 22 percent over the same period last time.

Jennings said he'd been thinking about walking away after some future milestone — 100 wins, perhaps, or $3 million or $4 million in winnings. He said there were about a dozen games where one reply made the difference between winning and losing.

"The fact that they had all fallen my way was beginning to worry me," he said, "because at some point the law of averages was going to kick in."

He wasn't prepared for how much he'd miss the daily competition, though.

"It didn't really hit me that was going to be the hard part," he said. "I thought the hard part would be the loss."

The loss is actually a distant memory and not really a secret: The show was taped in early September and news leaked right away. Video clips of his loss appeared Monday on the Internet.

Neither Jennings nor Zerg expect the record will be broken.

"It's not because things fell the right way," she said. "It's because he's that good."

Jennings, a Mormon, will donate 10 percent of his winnings to his church — and a European vacation is planned, "probably a really nice one." He'll hardly slip back into anonymity; he's visiting David Letterman and Regis Philbin this week, has a book deal and is open to any commercial sponsorship opportunities.

He's in a new tax bracket now, and H&R Block is making sure he'll always remember the company for other reasons: It has offered him free tax preparation for life.

Dutabi84 · 11-30-2004, 07:25 PM

I think I TiVoed it. It was a hell of a run.

*MIBabe03* · 11-30-2004, 07:25 PM

About damn time! He seems like the kind of guy that if you asked him something about girls, he wouldn't know the answer to it.

Brent88 · 11-30-2004, 07:26 PM

Yeah... it airs here in 34 minutes so I'll be taping. He came on the show in MAY, because I remember when I was in Florida in June he had already been on about 2 weeks.

-*Forever*- · 11-30-2004, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Desperate_Fan03
About damn time! He seems like the kind of guy that if you asked him something about girls, he wouldn't know the answer to it.

He was on Best Week Ever once in early July. They said the category that would shatter him would be "What Girls Like"

Nice to see you picked up on that.

I'm going to miss him

Brent88 · 11-30-2004, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Desperate_Fan03
About damn time! He seems like the kind of guy that if you asked him something about girls, he wouldn't know the answer to it.

He's married and has a 2-year-old.

Brent88 · 11-30-2004, 08:28 PM

IT HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!

theshark8777 · 11-30-2004, 08:42 PM

His run started June 2. I can't believe how he lost, missing 2 daily doubles! That Final Jeopardy clue was a tough one too, the first one I thought of was the USPS, but I guess those wouldnt be white collar.

Congratulations ken!

Brent88 · 11-30-2004, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by theshark8777
His run started June 2. I can't believe how he lost, missing 2 daily doubles! That Final Jeopardy clue was a tough one too, the first one I thought of was the USPS, but I guess those wouldnt be white collar.

Congratualtions ken!

I knew it had to be a tax company because of the seasonal thing.

theshark8777 · 11-30-2004, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brent88
I knew it had to be a tax company because of the seasonal thing.

Yeah I was thinking the wrong season.

Leigh Ann · 11-30-2004, 09:03 PM

I still can't believe he lost. I've been watching Ken since June.

theshark8777 · 11-30-2004, 09:08 PM

I believe Ken is going to be on Letterman and Nightline tonight, and Regis on day this week if you guys miss him already!

Now I guess we'll find out if Nancy will be a one win wonder or if she can start a streak of her own.
I really like how the audience gasped when he missed it. I knew he was gonna miss it and i felt the same way!!

-*Forever*- · 11-30-2004, 09:09 PM

If Nancy doesn't win tomorrow, I'm gonna be SOOOOOOOOOO pissed. If you beat Ken, you have to last more than a day.

Kay Scarpetta · 11-30-2004, 09:10 PM

YES.

Brian · 11-30-2004, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by -*Forever*-
If Nancy doesn't win tomorrow, I'm gonna be SOOOOOOOOOO pissed. If you beat Ken, you have to last more than a day.

The reason he kept winning was because of his job. His job is said to be a software engineer but he also helps supply schools with trivia questions and answers for competition with other schools. He sees a lot of this stuff, so that's why he was on so long.

I saw him at a Jeopardy taping in August. My sister met him and she said he is a really nice guy. I didn't get to talk to him because the audience can't talk to contestants or else they get disqualified.

11-30-2004, 07:21 PM	#1
AKA In stereo (where available) Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Location: Southern California Posts: 16,816	'Jeopardy!' Whiz Ends 74-Game Win Streak 'Jeopardy!' Whiz Ends 74-Game Win Streak By David Bauder The Associated Press NEW YORK - "Jeopardy" whiz Ken Jennings finally met his match after a 74-game run as a pop culture icon who made brainiacs cool, beaten by a woman whose own 8-year-old daughter asked for his autograph when they first met. As someone who always has prepared his own tax returns, Jennings was tripped up in Final Jeopardy by this answer: Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year. The correct reply: "What is H&R Block?" But Jennings guessed Federal Express, ending his remarkable run as the biggest winner in TV game show history with a haul of $2,520,700. Having an accountant-friend who's nearly impossible to reach at tax time paid off big-time for his conqueror, California real estate agent Nancy Zerg, who ousted the baby-faced killer competitor in the episode airing Tuesday. During his streak that began June 2, Jennings usually had opponents so thoroughly beaten that the Final Jeopardy question was meaningless to the outcome. But Zerg was within striking range at that point, with $10,000 to Jennings' $14,400. The champion had to think; out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Zerg had quickly written her reply. "I was pretty sure before the music ended that was the ballgame," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. Her correct reply gave Zerg $14,001 to Jennings' $8,799. Even before that, she had needed an unusual display of Jennings fallibility to stay in the game. He twice answered wrong on Daily Double questions, which give contestants a chance to make big wagers and increase their leads. Maybe that's why he paused, ever so slightly, when asked in the AP interview Tuesday whether he had lost or been beaten. He then graciously gave Zerg credit. "I would have dwelt on it if I missed something that I knew or didn't phrase it in the form of a question," said Jennings, a computer software engineer from Salt Lake City. "It was a big relief to me that I lost to someone who played a better game than me." Zerg, a former actress who lives in Ventura, Calif., told the AP that she psyched herself up before the game by repeating to herself: "Someone's got to beat him sometime, it might as well be me." Hanging out backstage with fellow contestants, she saw some Jennings opponents had essentially lost before the game. She heard one person say that it looked like he was playing for second, and another just wishing not to be humiliated. "I heard another one say, `It's no great sin to lose to Ken Jennings,' and they went in and lost to Ken Jennings," she said. "I thought, `That's no way to play the game.'" Some stats: Jennings' average daily haul was $34,063.51. He toyed with the previous daily record of $52,000 — tying it four times — before shattering it with a $75,000 win in Game 38. He gave more than 2,700 correct responses. He combined an extraordinary breadth of knowledge, uncanny skill at sensing the precise instant to ring his buzzer, and a sharp competitive instinct hidden behind his grin and polite manner. It made many of the games boring. But "Jeopardy!" executives aren't complaining; ratings were up 22 percent over the same period last time. Jennings said he'd been thinking about walking away after some future milestone — 100 wins, perhaps, or $3 million or $4 million in winnings. He said there were about a dozen games where one reply made the difference between winning and losing. "The fact that they had all fallen my way was beginning to worry me," he said, "because at some point the law of averages was going to kick in." He wasn't prepared for how much he'd miss the daily competition, though. "It didn't really hit me that was going to be the hard part," he said. "I thought the hard part would be the loss." The loss is actually a distant memory and not really a secret: The show was taped in early September and news leaked right away. Video clips of his loss appeared Monday on the Internet. Neither Jennings nor Zerg expect the record will be broken. "It's not because things fell the right way," she said. "It's because he's that good." Jennings, a Mormon, will donate 10 percent of his winnings to his church — and a European vacation is planned, "probably a really nice one." He'll hardly slip back into anonymity; he's visiting David Letterman and Regis Philbin this week, has a book deal and is open to any commercial sponsorship opportunities. He's in a new tax bracket now, and H&R Block is making sure he'll always remember the company for other reasons: It has offered him free tax preparation for life.
	__________________ The artist formerly known as AKA. Also, the artist currently known as AKA.

11-30-2004, 07:25 PM	#3
MIBabe03 Loving Swingtown! Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 28, 2002 Location: TX Posts: 4,646	About damn time! He seems like the kind of guy that if you asked him something about girls, he wouldn't know the answer to it.
	__________________ Laura and Mario November 10, 2006

11-30-2004, 07:26 PM	#4
Brent88 Member Forum Star Join Date: Aug 01, 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 16,174	Yeah... it airs here in 34 minutes so I'll be taping. He came on the show in MAY, because I remember when I was in Florida in June he had already been on about 2 weeks.
	__________________ Brent

11-30-2004, 08:42 PM	#8
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	His run started June 2. I can't believe how he lost, missing 2 daily doubles! That Final Jeopardy clue was a tough one too, the first one I thought of was the USPS, but I guess those wouldnt be white collar. Congratulations ken!
	__________________ Who ate all the pecan Sandies?? Last edited by theshark8777; 11-30-2004 at 08:57 PM.

11-30-2004, 09:10 PM	#14
Kay Scarpetta Defy Gravity 8.26.05 Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 04, 2001 Location: La Vie Boheme Posts: 28,013	YES.
	__________________ The people who think they know everything about Broadway make me laugh. They've never seen a Broadway play in their life. "oh mi godddd RENT's a mooovie! lyke 525600 minuuuuuuutes!" No. To be a Broadway Freak, you must live, eat, sleep, study, devout, think, obsess, dream, believe Broadway. You must know original & revival casts, soundtracks, performance runs, dates, theatres, numbers, how many Tony Awards A Chorus Line won. You must be Broadway. That's right bitches. I AM Broadway.

11-30-2004, 07:25 PM	#2
Dutabi84 kittens must die Forum Star Join Date: Apr 22, 2003 Location: MN/TX Posts: 11,026	I think I TiVoed it. It was a hell of a run.

11-30-2004, 08:28 PM	#7
Brent88 Member Forum Star Join Date: Aug 01, 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 16,174	IT HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!

11-30-2004, 09:03 PM	#11
Leigh Ann Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 15, 2002 Posts: 2,189	I still can't believe he lost. I've been watching Ken since June.

11-30-2004, 09:08 PM	#12
theshark8777 Hats for Bats Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: northeast Ohio. Posts: 5,315	I believe Ken is going to be on Letterman and Nightline tonight, and Regis on day this week if you guys miss him already! Now I guess we'll find out if Nancy will be a one win wonder or if she can start a streak of her own. I really like how the audience gasped when he missed it. I knew he was gonna miss it and i felt the same way!!

11-30-2004, 09:09 PM	#13
-Forever- <3333333333333333333 Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 22, 2001 Location: Manlius, NY in reality. Deerfield Beach, FL in my heart. Posts: 28,001	If Nancy doesn't win tomorrow, I'm gonna be SOOOOOOOOOO pissed. If you beat Ken, you have to last more than a day.