Jeopardy! Season 31 (2014-2015)

[Jesse]

He reminded me of Jeremy Sisto.

Me too!

 

I sensed he was purposely slow playing once he had a runaway. I'm out until he's gone. I can't watch him again.

Yeah, I finally decided I thought he was trying to run out the clock, which seems like a dick move. Otherwise, he was suddenly paralyzed by trying to make a bet when (a) he's a professional gambler and (b) was DD hunting.

[peeayebee]

I don't think I've ever heard the word "deglutition" before but right away I guessed it meant swallowing.

Same here. Seems like a pretty easy guess.

 

I don't think Alex was trying to run out the clock, but his demeanor was puzzling. 

[Jeffurry]

I just wanted to add my two cents to say that Chris is a great guy (and member of the National Puzzlers' League, which is how I know him) so I was thrilled he won yesterday and sorry he lost today. Contestant Alex was interesting and I'm really curious to see if he's any more relaxed ... or less relaxed ... on Monday.

[papillon rouge]

Good Lord that was painful! I wondered what drugs he was on to make sense of his bizarre behavior! It quickly escalated!

[opus]

Missed the show tonight, but you guys have me looking forward to seeing Alex (non host) on Monday.

[Prevailing Wind]

I, too, thought he was stoned.  Considering his quest to find the DD, that excrutiating pause while considering his wager reminded me of the dog that finally caught the car he was chasing..."NOW what do I do with it?"

 

Didn't remind me of Sisto.  I *like* Sisto.  LOL.

[TaraS1]

OMG, give me back ComaKerry any day over this new champion. What the hell was all that??

My poor father couldn't concentrate on any of the clues because he kept demanding to know what the guy was doing with his hand behind his back. Meanwhile, I couldn't wait to get here and see what you guys were saying about that bizarre display LOL

[Etta Place]

I didn't catch half the clues because I kept yelling "ohmygod stop scratching your back!" at the tv.

 

He seemed like he might be terrible at math? It took a really long time for him to come up with that awful DD wager near the end of the game. But I did think it was clear once he was back in a good position, he was drawing out the selection process to get to the end of the round.

[biakbiak]

The scratching didn't bother me but I really thought he was going to jump over the podium and strangle Alex when he missed the Roman numeral DD! That would have been awesome.

[M. Darcy]

I'm guessing he was scratching his back but I kept thinking he was scratching his but. I think he was going so slow to run out the clock.

His entire presence was bizarre but WTF was his behavior when he missed the DD? That was very strange.

[irene]

If Wikipedia is correct, he is hardly "terrible at math":

... He graduated in May 2006 from Yale University with a degree in Economics and Mathematics ...

Here's a link to the wiki article,

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Jacob#External_links

[Etta Place]

Well, having a degree in Math doesn't preclude being not-so-quick/good at arithmetic.

 

Source: I'm married to a mathematician and spend a good amount of time among them.

 

But anyway, I said it because I thought he already had the runaway before the $4000 wager, and that that amount lost required him to choose the higher-dollar clue in order to regain it. I admit, though, that I'm not great at keeping track of the scores during the game so I could be wrong.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Etta Place

[Padma]

I'm guessing he was scratching his back but I kept thinking he was scratching his but. I think he was going so slow to run out the clock.

His entire presence was bizarre but WTF was his behavior when he missed the DD? That was very strange.

I thought Alex seemed like a more typical person you'd expect to see on television, a little squirmy (not extremely so) in front of the cameras, under pressure and trying to concentrate. I'm always surprised how calm and almost robotic most people are. I didn't really think he was odd (although, in retrospect, I do agree that he may have been trying to run out the clock once he had a sizeable lead. Not sporting, but sensible as a strategy.)

 

As for the DD, I had the same reaction that he did. Since it was the first answer in the category--and the answer itself contained Roman numerals--and was imo difficult to get the "trick" to--he thought answering "39" was good enough. So did I. Finding out "You're right, but you had to tell me it in Roman numerals" would, I think, be kind of annoying, especially when it was the first question in the (weirdly conceived) category.

 

I didn't mind Alex but I think he's trying consciously to appear less intelligent than he really is (including the very casual clothing) and its just making him seem awkward.

[alias1]

Well, that's what he gets for jumping around.  I thought 39 was the right answer, too, until Alex (the host) reminded him the category was roman numerals.  I thought he was going to leap off the podium and do something in protest. There's a reason most people start with the first clue in a category.  If you're not going to start at the beginning, at least don't act like a dick when you don't totally understand the category. 

 

I never minded Arthur Chu.  He was smart and well behaved.  This guy is like a monkey.  Not pleasant to watch.  Sorry, I need to apologize to monkeys.

Edited April 11, 2015 by SierraMist

[secnarf]

Also, when Alex (Trebek) explained the category at the very beginning, he said that the answer had to be in Roman numerals.
I get that it's frustrating, but really it was Alex's own fault for not paying attention or forgetting, and for not starting at the beginning of the category. Stuff like that happens, and in a game like Jeopardy you just have to keep going, not stall the whole game while you process that fact.

[just prin]

According to Wiki:https://en.m.wikiped...#External_links

Alex Jacob (born October 27, 1984 in Houston, Texas) is an American professional poker player.

As of 2012, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,600,000.

Rather mind-blowing. If true. Given the view he presented to all us Jeopardyites!

Edited April 11, 2015 by just prin

[Padma]

Oh, poker, that would explain a lot. I came in late and thought Alex T. was saying Alex Jacob made money from currency trading. Did he mention the poker champ thing? That makes a lot of sense re: his game play strategies. It'll be fun to watch him play to try to figure out if he's just thinking in the moment or acting out a strategy. I'm still not sure if the confusion over how to bet the DD was genuine or put on. Maybe he really -was- trying to figure out how to bet the odds on a category he didn't feel strong in. Maybe he figures a "poker face" isn't an advantage on Jeopardy.

 

The wiki aritcle said he was "known for his graciousness and sportsmanship" so I clicked on the footnote. Maybe I'll go ahead and like him after all:

http://www.wsop.com/news/article.asp?newsID=1237

[jeff6286]

You know who else has nerves, unintentional tics, and idiosyncracies that might drive some people crazy? Every person on the planet!

[JudyObscure]

I haven't watched Jeopardy in a while, but I didn't think the answers last night were always very well written. They seemed to often throw wordy somewhat related details at you in the beginning of the sentence to make it seem misleadingly obscure and needlessly indirect.

 

I agree, Padma.  We shouldn't be spending more time figuring out what the question is than we do thinking of the answer.

 

Alex reminded me of Stephen Wright and I never laughed so hard at Jeopardy in my life, mainly because I thought Alex Trebek wanted to strangle him a few times.

[just prin]

Watched one of his poker vids from a few years ago...nerves of steel and a look to match. But the stakes were higher then--over $2 million.

[Village]

Alex is freaking annoying which means he's going to last at least two weeks. Kill me now.

[proserpina65]

You know who else has nerves, unintentional tics, and idiosyncracies that might drive some people crazy? Every person on the planet!

True, and I must be blind or something because I didn't notice Alex scratching or any other particular tics.  I did notice the amount of time he took to pick a bet amount for the DD, but I put that down to him wanting to run out the clock, so to speak.  Finding out that he plays high stakes poker explains a lot.

[opus]

Did I hear correctly that one if them thought the age of consent was 14 &12?

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/exclusive-jeopardy-contestant-talks-creepy-answer-article-1.2180650

A story on the guy.

Edited April 13, 2015 by GaryE

[saber5055]

Contestant Alex cracked me up because he looked like Anyman playing the game. Everyone is always so stoic and non-moving and expressionless; I'm sure production tells them not to look at the camera and never to move anything if they can help it. Many here ranked on Keri (is that her name? The gal with the blond bobbed hair.) not moving her face or lips. Now we have Alex bobbing and weaving and scratching and with a deer-in-headlights look in his eyes. Yes, it's disturbing but also mildly refreshing. At last, someone who is reacting much as I would if I were on this national tv show displaying my brain power. Or lack of it more likely.

 

Meanwhile, I can't stand the Pompous Alex the Host. I'd watch Jitterbug Alex all day long if Pompous Alex would just shut up and stop making this show all about himself.

 

Did I hear correctly that one if them thought the age of consent was 14 &12?

 

 

That "common law" question is a good example of the poorly worded answers so rampant on this show now, discussion above.

Edited April 13, 2015 by saber5055

[possibilities]

I'm still stinging because I knew "Strunk and White"-- I have a copy of it, I've even looked at it recently and had a conversation about it, but I couldn't remember the title. I don't think I've ever heard it referred to as anything but "Strunk and White," actually. And I knew I needed the title for FJ. It was like having my brain itching.

 

Moreover, I thought Trebek made a grammatical error on the show, saying "her" when he should have said "she" and I thought that made the whole thing even more itchy.

 

I watched a week of episodes all at once and I come down on the Kaya was gutsy side. High stakes! I got "nuggets" about 2 seconds before she did.

 

Alex-the-contestant struck me as stoned, but I kind of liked that he was so knowledgeable while seemingly so utterly divorced from the show's usual social conventions. Everything from his demeanor to his attire was... not quite at the level of "fuck you" but sort of in the neighborhood of "you can't argue with my skillz, so don't quibble over the trappings" and it kind of amused me. Imagine if all the contestants were stoner/slacker types. It would make the show seem like an entirely different sort of exercise. Kevin Smith meets Alex Trebek would be a great scene in a movie. Maybe they get stuck sitting next to each other on an airplane.... Anyway, that's what I was thinking in the long pauses during Alex-the-contestant's turns.

 

I was surprised by how many times this week the game seemed to move so slowly and yet they managed to clear the board.

[secnarf]

I'm not sure exactly how far in advance the games are recorded, but Alex's chess story seemed like a particularly poor choice given this recent event: http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2015/04/dumont_boy_jumped_out_window_after_chess_game_poli.html. My guess is that it was filmed before this happened, though.

Also really surprised that Carlos missed "diplomatic immunity".

Alex was much less annoying today, though watching him still made me want to scratch my back a lot :P

[ottoDbusdriver]

The DDs were really easy today -- and Alex the contestant capitalized by going all in.

 

Also really surprised that Carlos missed "diplomatic immunity".

 

When Carlos answered with "what is du jour ?" for that DD, I had to double-check the category to make sure the category wasn't 'Soup'.

[mojoween]

I wonder about the taping too because I'm pretty sure "American Sniper" is no longer in theaters. And that story kind of petered out when Carlos said he hadn't seen it.

Contestant Alex drives me BONKERS. I didn't see Friday so this is my first crack at him and oy. It's the monotone. Freaking monotone. If he would put some inflection in his voice I probably wouldn't be so ornery. My son also thought he was stoned.

It's my own personal quirk and I know this but when the DD's are gone, board-hopping irritates me.

[truthaboutluv]

When Carlos answered with "what is du jour ?" for that DD, I had to double-check the category to make sure the category wasn't 'Soup'.

lol, seriously I knew the answer immediately which means it was not that hard.

Edited April 14, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Tabasco Cat]

In the immortal words of Gordon Ramsey, "Wow wow wow wow wow". I hope Itchy Alex isn't around too long. He is very difficult to watch. Also thought he was delaying on purpose towards the end of Friday's game. He bet $0 tonight, which was fine, but his long shout-out response to FJ struck me as being a bit disrespectful to the show. There's no way he didn't know the correct answer imo.

[biakbiak]

On Twitter Alex said the first so was taped on January 28th.

[CarpeDiem54]

My back is itching like mad. I may have to go take a shower. That FJ answer by Mr. Cootie Bitten Stoner was ridiculous. I agree, it was disrespectful to the show.

I got FJ but it was a wild guess. I have no clue how I knew that.

I've never heard of "ginned" up charges instead of trumped up charges.

[Moose135]

On Twitter Alex said the first so was taped on January 28th.

 

I thought in tonight's game there was a question that referred to "late coach" Dean Smith.  Smith passed away on February 7.

 

I wonder about the taping too because I'm pretty sure "American Sniper" is no longer in theaters. And that story kind of petered out when Carlos said he hadn't seen it.

 

But it did get some coverage in the run up to the Academy Awards, which was in late February, so I can understand why it might come up. And yes, it did kill the story when he said he hadn't seen it.

[mojoween]

Did it mention Smith's passing? I thought the question gave his win total but didn't mention he had died.

[dcalley]

I thought in tonight's game there was a question that referred to "late coach" Dean Smith.  Smith passed away on February 7.

The show can and does edit clues when someone dies between taping and airdate and it doesn't affect the game. I remember it has come up before, but I can't remember the person.

[opus]

It didn't matter in the runaway game, but we're all okay with blac?

[Bazinga]

 

but we're all okay with blac

No, it was not a spelling error, she simply ran out of time.  Blac is in no way the same as the Black Sea.  I wonder if they would have been as generous in the ruling if it were not a runaway.

[biakbiak]

It did say late in the Dean Smith clue but I am just going by what Alex (the contestant) said he filmed the show on Twitter.

[secnarf]

No, it was not a spelling error, she simply ran out of time.  Blac is in no way the same as the Black Sea.  I wonder if they would have been as generous in the ruling if it were not a runaway.

It can affect second vs third place though.

I always feel bad for something like that because you obviously know they knew the right answer, but timing is part of it too. Even if she'd written "blac sea" or something I'd be fine with calling that a spelling error, but I think calling "blac" a spelling error for "black sea" is quite a stretch.

[Bastet]

Once again, I am out of step with most of y'all when it comes to reacting to contestants -- Alex (whom I did not see until tonight) barely registered with me.  The back scratching was the only thing that made me take notice.  And I didn't read any disrespect into his FJ answer; I had no freakin' clue, so it doesn't strike me as outside the realm of possibility a contestant wouldn't have even a decent guess and thus, write a shout-out rather than an actual answer.  It's not my favorite thing whenever it's done, but I find it pretty benign.

 

Chick Hearn as a TS surprised me, but then I remembered not everyone lives in Los Angeles.  The contestant who couldn't come up with the diplomatic immunity DD really surprised me (especially since I found that entire international law category too easy for DJ), but otherwise I thought it was a pretty good game. 

[Prevailing Wind]

I was wondering if the mic's battery pack is attached at the back and it's annoying Contestant Alex...and that's what all the reach around stuff is about.

[opus]

It can affect second vs third place though.

I always feel bad for something like that because you obviously know they knew the right answer, but timing is part of it too. Even if she'd written "blac sea" or something I'd be fine with calling that a spelling error, but I think calling "blac" a spelling error for "black sea" is quite a stretch.

Jack Blac agrees with you.

[chessiegal]

I'm warming up to Alex the Contestant. He bothered me on Friday's show, but not today. He came across as a more of a likeable nerd, more relaxed, and has an impressive knowledge base. I didn't see any signs of trying to slow the game today.

 

Can I please see him play against Arthur Chu? That I would definitely watch.

[GreekGeek]

This was my first look at Contestant Alex and he must have been much more twitchy on Friday, to judge by everyone's reactions, although I did wonder why he kept scratching his back. Maybe he had a rash or a mosquito bite? I don't remember getting an uncomfortable mic battery pack, so I doubt that was bothering him.

 

I too was surprised that "Blac" was considered acceptable. Although they have never penalized for spelling errors, they have in the past not given credit if the contestant did not finish writing. Like the "last name only" issue, they really should be consistent. There was a woman a couple of years ago who wrote "Waitin for Godot" and she lost the points.

 

The chess story was bad timing. (Although I wonder how much national coverage the suicide has received.) I thought it was a bit unfair to put Carlos on the spot about "American Sniper." Any time a movie is the least bit politically polarizing, you're damned if you like it and damned if you don't.

[jeff6286]

The spelling rule is that if the word can be pronounced the same as the right answer, it can be counted as correct. "Blac" is not a word, but there is no reasonable way to pronounce it other than the same as "Black". So it's correct, it is an easy call. She did dodge a bit of a bullet as there are probably not many FJ responses for which you could leave off the last letter and still get ruled correct. If she had said "Black Sea and Caspia", it would be wrong, even though it is obvious what she was going for. 

Edited April 14, 2015 by jeff6286

[GreekGeek]

To those of you who  have been on the show, I think I've seen that the contestants are asked not to make shoutouts on their FJ answers, as well as no political comments in general.  Is that right or did I just dream it...

Alex much more tolerable tonight (the contestant, not the host)

We were told not to plug our place of business or do anything else that could be considered free advertising--if, for instance, someone makes money with crafts. Political statements are frowned on, though you can sometimes get a glimpse of someone's political views if they discuss causes they've worked for. Also, if someone is running for public office, they can't mention it. But I don't know if there's much they can do about what people write in FJ. I know people write "What is Hi Mom" and the like. Back when there was a scandal about Joe Biden lifting someone else's remarks in a speech, someone wrote, "Who is Joe 'Xerox' Biden?"

Edited April 14, 2015 by GreekGeek

[HelenBaby]

I thought in tonight's game there was a question that referred to "late coach" Dean Smith.  Smith passed away on February 7.

 

 

But it did get some coverage in the run up to the Academy Awards, which was in late February, so I can understand why it might come up. And yes, it did kill the story when he said he hadn't seen it.

When I was a contestant, my taping was almost 2 months prior to air date (I taped on Nov 18 and aired Jan 15) so it's quite possible that this was taped after Dean's death. Or it could have been edited.

[peeayebee]

I too was surprised that "Blac" was considered acceptable.

 

I wasn't able to watch the show. Was this FJ? What was the clue? What did Alex write?

[teebax]

Once again, I am out of step with most of y'all when it comes to reacting to contestants -- Alex (whom I did not see until tonight) barely registered with me.  The back scratching was the only thing that made me take notice.  And I didn't read any disrespect into his FJ answer; I had no freakin' clue, so it doesn't strike me as outside the realm of possibility a contestant wouldn't have even a decent guess and thus, write a shout-out rather than an actual answer.

I watched after reading the board to see if Alex either lost or was more tolerable, and he was infinitely better Monday than he was on Friday. My main issue with him was actually the slow-playing, and he didn't need to do that during Monday's episode. We'll see how he behaves if a competitor is closer to him and it's not a blowout.

The fact that he can be quick and decisive when selecting the next clue just cements my opinion that he purposely slow played on Friday. He didn't start going slowly on Friday until he had a runaway. Also, they may have said something to him about it after the game. Who knows?

[Etta Place]

 

When Carlos answered with "what is du jour ?" for that DD, I had to double-check the category to make sure the category wasn't 'Soup'.

I was thrown for a minute too but then I realized he was saying "de jure."