Jeopardy! National College Tournament 2022

[SoMuchTV]

Can’t we all just get along?!?!

[Bastet]

20 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Where do they all rhyme?

In many areas of the country.  This comes up all the time. 

The Mary/merry/marry thing is a good place to start.

[MrAtoz]

14 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Where do they all rhyme?
My first guess is Tennessee. 

They rhyme wherever I am at the time that I hear them. 😀  But if you're asking where I'm from, it's Indiana.

It's the famous Mary-marry-merry merger, of course, and it's not at all uncommon throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Indeed, according to wikipedia, the full merger (all three words rhyming) is found in a majority of American English speakers (57%).  Which means that those of us who pronounce them the same are right, and the rest of you weirdos are wrong. 😀

Just kidding.  But seriously, dialectical variants are a thing, and it's always made categories like "Rhyme Time" and similar things somewhat problematic.  For example, while my dialect does feature the Mary-marry-merry merger, it does not feature the caught-cot merger.  So to me, the names Don and Dawn are pronounced differently, but I bet that for some of you, they sound identical.

But can we all agree that Mayim pronounces the word "singer" weirdly?

[SoMuchTV]

6 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:

They rhyme wherever I am at the time that I hear them. 😀  But if you're asking where I'm from, it's Indiana.

It's the famous Mary-marry-merry merger, of course, and it's not at all uncommon throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Indeed, according to wikipedia, the full merger (all three words rhyming) is found in a majority of American English speakers (57%).  Which means that those of us who pronounce them the same are right, and the rest of you weirdos are wrong. 😀

Just kidding.  But seriously, dialectical variants are a thing, and it's always made categories like "Rhyme Time" and similar things somewhat problematic.  For example, while my dialect does feature the Mary-marry-merry merger, it does not feature the caught-cot merger.  So to me, the names Don and Dawn are pronounced differently, but I bet that for some of you, they sound identical.

But can we all agree that Mayim pronounces the word "singer" weirdly?

My friends Don, Dawn, Erin, Aaron, Mary, and Merry all agree we should linger and point a finger at Mayim’s pronunciation of singer. Excuse me while I retire to my cot, it’s time I caught 40 winks. 

[DrSpaceman73]

I really don't like the idea of one semifinal winner being left out. 

[DrSpaceman73]

Also I don't think quarter millionaire is a real word.  At least not one anybody uses. But I'm glad they upped the winnings 

[853fisher]

I found it ultimately impossible to dislike Liz because she played well and seemed to be having a great time, but her interview was a turn-off for me.  Nearly everybody else talked about some passion or discovery, and she recited her resume.  She seemed to be gilding the lily too.  Panhellenic VP, social chair of some unnamed "other organization" (which I assume is her sorority), and her position with the Programing Council that brings presenters to campus are plenty of leadership roles to be proud of.

But not every activity you participate in outside the classroom is a "leadership role."  Campus tour guide and radio show host are certainly not.  I did both of them and found them meaningful, but would have found it insulting to the actual leaders of those organizations to present my involvement as a "leadership role."  I was very active on my campus, found the people trying to oversell what they did extremely annoying then (and found their work often perfunctory), and am obviously not over it!  So win me back next week with the kind of story everyone else had, Liz.

On 2/19/2022 at 6:29 AM, illdoc said:

Should "Gershwin" (the tie-breaker) been a BMS? Do you think she could have answered correctly, if so?

Hmmmm, maybe.  And to the second question, maybe!  Someone who didn't really "know" casting around for "_____ Gershwin" would probably land on George first.  A musician friend of mine once said that his brother gets such short thrift that some folks must think George's middle name is "Andira."

Edited February 20, 2022 by 853fisher

[MrAtoz]

4 hours ago, 853fisher said:

Hmmmm, maybe.  And to the second question, maybe!  Someone who didn't really "know" casting around for "_____ Gershwin" would probably land on George first.  A musician friend of mine once said that his brother gets such short thrift that some folks must think George's middle name is "Andira."

I think she definitely could have named George if need be.  I was watching her expression (and particularly the way she put her hand to her mouth) when the clue was revealed.  I have never seen body language that so clearly said, "Holy shit, I know this!"

[853fisher]

2 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:

I think she definitely could have named George if need be.  I was watching her expression (and particularly the way she put her hand to her mouth) when the clue was revealed.  I have never seen body language that so clearly said, "Holy shit, I know this!"

I noticed that expression too but then she didn’t seem to ring in right away so I wasn’t sure. Maybe the timing is different in terms of “when the light goes on” in the tiebreakers. Or maybe she just needed a second to get it from brain to fingers / lips. Either way it worked out for her.

[Cotypubby]

21 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

Just kidding.  But seriously, dialectical variants are a thing, and it's always made categories like "Rhyme Time" and similar things somewhat problematic.

Yeah, that’s why the pliny/shiny thing bothered me to earlier. Because when they showed Mary Berry’s photo and said she had a rhyming name, I did pause for a moment to think “Is that the right person? Because that name doesn’t rhyme.”

[The Wild Sow]

On 2/18/2022 at 8:51 PM, ams1001 said:

Mary Berry doesn't rhyme. 😉

In what world?  

I pronounce my first name exactly the same as I would wish you a Merry Christmas.  I pronounce marry (and Barry) with more of a short "ă" sound - "maaa-ree" and "Baaa-ree."  Mary, merry, contrary, berry, cherry...more of a short "ĕ" sound.  "Meh-ree," "beh-ree," "con-treh-ree," etc.  

I did kind of laugh at Pliny/shiny, because I remember reading a story in elementary school with a character called Mr. Pliny, and we all (4th graders?) called him "Mr. Pligh-nee" rhyming with shiny.  Did the contestant say "Plee-nee" or "Pleh-nee."  Or short "ĭ" Pli-nee like whinny?  To me it sounded like Pleh-nee but I'm not motivated enough to go back and listen again.

[SoMuchTV]

20 minutes ago, The Wild Sow said:

I did kind of laugh at Pliny/shiny, because I remember reading a story in elementary school with a character called Mr. Pliny, and we all (4th graders?) called him "Mr. Pligh-nee" rhyming with shiny.  Did the contestant say "Plee-nee" or "Pleh-nee."  Or short "ĭ" Pli-nee like whinny?  To me it sounded like Pleh-nee but I'm not motivated enough to go back and listen again.

The first contestant pronounced Pliny as rhyming with shiny, and was ruled incorrect.  The second pronounced it as rhyming with whinny, and got the credit.

[The Wild Sow]

12 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

The first contestant pronounced Pliny as rhyming with shiny, and was ruled incorrect.  The second pronounced it as rhyming with whinny, and got the credit.

Thanks!  Then again, conversational Latin-speakers aside, we don't really know how those old Romans pronounced things!  I usually think of Pliny, when I think of him at all, as "Plee-nee" rhyming with teeny-weenie.  But rhymes-with-whinny makes equal sense.

I took Spanish from 3rd through 7th grades, Latin in 8th grade, and French through the rest of high school  My pronunciation and accents are all over the place, and I can't speak any of them conversationally 😁

[SoMuchTV]

17 minutes ago, The Wild Sow said:

Thanks!  Then again, conversational Latin-speakers aside, we don't really know how those old Romans pronounced things!  I usually think of Pliny, when I think of him at all, as "Plee-nee" rhyming with teeny-weenie.  But rhymes-with-whinny makes equal sense.

Good point!  Jeopardy!, if you're going to have a category that relies on pronouncing something "correctly", maybe this isn't the best clue to include.

[The Wild Sow]

Vocal styles and accents do change, even within a person's lifetime.  Listen to some old-time radio broadcasts or watch a movie from the 30's or 40's - chances are you'll hear the Mid-Atlantic (or Trans-Atlantic) speech style - which was fashionable at the time and taught by vocal coaches to to actors and broadcasters, or anyone who wanted to "Speak with Distinction."

The only examples of Latin pronunciation we have are Church Latin (which I am definitely old enough to remember!),  but who knows how that may have changed over a couple of millennia!  LOL who else thought "Et cum spiri-2-2-0" was God's phone number?

 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, SoMuchTV said:

The first contestant pronounced Pliny as rhyming with shiny, and was ruled incorrect.  The second pronounced it as rhyming with whinny, and got the credit.

1 hour ago, The Wild Sow said:

conversational Latin-speakers aside, we don't really know how those old Romans pronounced things! 

I used to work with a professor whose first name was Pliny (his parents were academics too).
It is pronounced these days to rhyme with whinny, although people meeting him for the first time often needed to be corrected (I may or may not have been one of those).

About that ruling: I do think it was wrong, but I am guessing if it looked like it was going to make a difference, they would have added back the money to her score. It seems they usually do this right before a DD wager.

It would be interesting to read about the behind-the-scenes discussions of these kinds of corrections. I'm sure there's been something published online somewhere.

And about changes in pronunciations in general: 

1. When one college student made fun of another for using the pronunciation "axe" for "ask" in casual conversation, I couldn't help interrupting to point out that Shakespeare used "axe" for "ask."
    
2. Yesterday in the grocery store a shopper asked a stocker where she could find the "Kee’ - no - ay."
   The stocker was genuinely confused, so, to be helpful, I hollered across the aisle: "Quinoa!" 
   The stocker then knew the exact aisle number to give the shopper.
   The grateful shopper sheepishly admitted ignorance, 
   but I then remarked that it will probably be pronounced that way in the future anyway,
   which seemed to amuse both the shopper and the stocker.
   
   shapeshifter pats self on back even if she's too slow for Jeopardy! responses like "Pliny."

[Ailianna]

Did someone win this thing and I just couldn't pay attention well enough to notice?

[HelenBaby]

We got weather updates this entire hour. Still going on. Damn it. 

[secnarf]

My brain was 100% checked out of this game by ~8:35, but "they shall not grow old" apparently elicits a completely automatic and reflexive response in me to state "WWI". I don't know why - never seen the documentary and I am not certain I have ever heard/read the poem the quote came from ("For the Fallen"). I think it just reminded me enough of In Flanders Fields.

I am glad this is over. 90 minutes of Jeopardy every day is way too much.

 

 

[BuckeyeLou]

38 minutes ago, Ailianna said:

Did someone win this thing and I just couldn't pay attention well enough to notice?

The young man from University of Texas at Austin was the winner.  He got most of the Daily Doubles & had quite a bit more money going into the Final-Final, so he won.

[Ailianna]

I think my DVR didn't record it. And I'm ok with it.

[ams1001]

Finals!

I got Gallium because Francium just seemed too obvious for a FJ that mentioned France in the clue (that'd be a "stupid answers" kind of clue).

I love how low-key Jaskaran is. Raymond dominated in his first two games so I was surprised he was so far behind after game 1. I liked everyone but there was just something about Jaskaran that had me rooting for him.

Edited February 23, 2022 by ams1001

[kathyk24]

4 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Finals!

I got Gallium because Francium just seemed too obvious for a FJ.

I love how low-key Jaskaran is. Raymond dominated in his first two games so I was surprised he was so far behind after game 1. I liked everyone but there was just something about Jaskaran that had me rooting for him.

I rooted for Jaskaran when he knew The Count of Monte Christo which is one of my favorite books. The Boston ABC station is interviewing Liz tonight.

[Bastet]

This was just way too much -- two games per night, in addition to a regular game.  The GOAT tournament as a prime time special during a regular season was one thing, but this didn't justify the same treatment.  Then so many of the games were littered with TS.  And then it randomly ends on a Tuesday.  I hope they'll go back to regular college tournaments as just two weeks of five episodes in the regular time slot.

I was rooting for Liz, then Jaskaran, then Raymond, but liked all of them and just wanted a good final showdown.  The first game had about a dozen TS, and was dominated by Jaskaran.  His FJ wager in the first game left open the possibility of an upset, but it was his championship to lose.  And he didn't.

I didn't do well in the first game, but not terrible, and I came up with FJ at the last second, so I'm going to go ahead and give myself credit.  In the second, I was distracted, so didn't pay much attention to their performance or mine.  Which speaks to how underwhelming this tournament was.

 

[BigDfromLA]

I hope that Jaskaran plays in the Tournament of Champions, since the Professors Tournament winner will be there. No one mentioned anything about that. 

[SHD]

It's boring when, in the multi-game finals, one person is so far ahead by the second FJ that there's nothing the others can do to catch up.

[illdoc]

17 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I got Gallium because Francium just seemed too obvious for a FJ that mentioned France in the clue (that'd be a "stupid answers" kind of clue).

I thought it was going to be a trick question and answered "Polonium" (Poland for Marie Curie). Of course, I've never had Chemistry and don't even know if Polonium is an element (or I might be thinking of Polonius from Hamlet).

[shapeshifter]

I finally watched this on Hulu, stopping and starting several times to change my first little grandbaby's diaper and finishing the second half at home--so, yeah, not paying too much attention, but Hulu allows me to pause and even go back if I had to answer a phone or something. 
While changing little Benjamin's diaper I was able to answer the TS of Cobalt blue, so kudos to grandma. 👶

I also got TSs of cockapoo (sorry, @saber5055), Strangers On A Train, and beehives. If “spike” was sufficient without “golden,” I got that one too.

I thought a lot of the clues in the last game seemed easier.

 

21 hours ago, Bastet said:

I hope they'll go back to regular college tournaments as just two weeks of five episodes in the regular time slot.

Amen.
–—Stated as a secular affirmation, of course, @Bastet. 😉

 

ETA: I'm hoping they just missed editing out this one last instance of Mayim saying "Single" Jeopardy.

Edited February 24, 2022 by shapeshifter

[853fisher]

13 hours ago, BigDfromLA said:

I hope that Jaskaran plays in the Tournament of Champions, since the Professors Tournament winner will be there. No one mentioned anything about that. 

I don't know why it wasn't mentioned on the show, but the EP has said he will be invited.

[The Wild Sow]

20 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I love how low-key Jaskaran is. Raymond dominated in his first two games so I was surprised he was so far behind after game 1. I liked everyone but there was just something about Jaskaran that had me rooting for him.

Besides his obvious smarts and pleasant personality - I liked that he has the face of India and the voice of a Texas cowboy 🤠! Congrats to Jaskaran, see ya in the TOC.

ETA: And he speaks pretty good Russian too.

Edited February 24, 2022 by The Wild Sow

[ams1001]

3 hours ago, illdoc said:

I thought it was going to be a trick question and answered "Polonium" (Poland for Marie Curie). Of course, I've never had Chemistry and don't even know if Polonium is an element (or I might be thinking of Polonius from Hamlet).

It is indeed an element, discovered by Marie & Pierre and named for her home country of Poland. 

[Browncoat]

Finally got around to watching this, while I wait for TAR to start.  FJ for the first game was an instaget, but I had no idea for the second.  Most likely because I stopped giving the game my full attention.  Seriously way too much Jeopardy, especially since I was catching up on the regular show from last night, too.

I got several TS, too.

Game 1:  jousting, Univac, Cassiopeia, and haste makes waste

Game 2:  Sonic the Hedgehog, cockapoo, beehives, and Golden Spike

Congrats to Jaskaran!  He played a great game.  I was surprised that Raymond didn't do better the first game, since he was such a powerhouse in his other games, but second place is nothing to sneeze at.  I liked them all would would have been happy with any one of them winning.

However, I hope they never ever do another tournament with this format again.  The regular way of tournaments is so much better! 

[ams1001]

13 hours ago, Browncoat said:

However, I hope they never ever do another tournament with this format again.  The regular way of tournaments is so much better! 

I can do without the whole Primetime Jeopardy! concept altogether. 

[HyeChaps]

Too much time,  That's why I cannot enjoy The Chase.

[Driad]

A February 11 FJ was "This country, the largest in area entirely within Europe, borders the largest country in the world."  Does this count as a jinx for Ukraine?

[shapeshifter]

17 hours ago, Driad said:

A February 11 FJ was "This country, the largest in area entirely within Europe, borders the largest country in the world."  Does this count as a jinx for Ukraine?

I just Googled:   
     ukraine november 27, 2021
and a couple of other dates up to 2 months before that show aired (presumably close to when it was taped) to see what was in the news then. 
It seems the clue might have been written by someone reading the news. My first guess is the clue was just a fact around a country in the news that the players might know because of a presumption that players prepare for Jeopardy! in part by reading the news—–and presumably the clue writers hope most of the clues they write will not be TSs.

And the rest—as they say—is history.

[IdEatThat]

I recorded this and just watched the first night.  I agree with others that it should have just been a regular tournament in the normal time slot.  It’s too much jeopardy in one night to watch regular then this.  And it’s way too much Mayim for me.  I’m not sure it’s worth the investment of time to watch the whole thing even with the ability to FF through the (extensively long) commercials.  I don’t believe my family and friends that watch regular watched this either.  I also hate the tuba music.

  I’m on the Ken love train and hope when all is said and done he is named the one and only permanent host.