The Jeopardy! All-Star Games

[Bazinga]

On 2/28/2019 at 10:37 PM, peeayebee said:

but Willie and Cal were major enuf that no specification was needed. (IMO)

Not to be disagreeable, I am not sure what you mean by "major enuf" or really why that should be the criteria for needing a BMS?  Yes, the right responses are more important then the alternative responses.  But the alternatives are known and could be confused with the correct choices. 

Yes, Cal is the bigger star and the right response, but Billy was a baseball player of the same era.  No one is going to ask about Billy, but he does exist, is famous in his own right (does commentary on MLB network and Sirius radio) and someone could confuse the two.  Would Roger know the right answer if asked to be more specific?  I would say yes, but that doesn't mean it should not be asked.  In short, there are two baseball paying Ripkens.  As for Loman, there are various Lomans in the play.  Yes, Willie Loman is the lead but Biff Loman is important to the play.  Alex Jacob seemed hesitant in his response (probably running through Arthur Miller plays and characters).  I do think he was intentionally being non-specific in saying just Loman. 

To add another, Gordie Howe had sons who played hockey.  Yes, he is the major one (as evidenced by "Mr. Hockey") but there are other hockey players in the same family named Howe.

All three needed first names, IMO.

Is Wynton Marsalis major enuf for a bare Marsalis response?   Think Branford and maybe a few other family members might disagree.

I don't think major is the correct criteria.  If there is another viable response, though wrong and maybe lesser known, need to be asked to be more specific, IMO.

Edited March 2, 2019 by Bazinga

[Prevailing Wind]

AJ knew the answer; he just stood there, letting the clock tick, before he came up with the correct response. Did he learn nothing from his Amundsen gaffe?  A few minutes later, "Gamesmanship" - I loved Roger's dig about some of it appearing there.

I, too, am one of the smartasses who said, "Lew Alcindor."  

I recently read The Jungle Book for the first time; you'd think some of it would stick with me. Nooooo... the only double-talk I could think of was "half a league, half a league" and I was absolutely certain that was wrong.

[biakbiak]

I had no clue for FJ. Never read The Jungle Book and non-American poetry isn’t a strong suit. It’s nice that tomorrow was will still be close.

[Toothbrush]

TS I got were The Philippines, wet hen, George Balanchine, & FJ.

Poor Alan was just beside himself after FJ. The answer probably came to him when it was too late, and then there's the added pressure of feeling like you've et your team down. I wanted to give him a hug. 

15 hours ago, 2727 said:

 I'm liking Leonard best so far. He's one smooth dude.

 I like Leonard too. He reminds me of a Jackson brother circa 1970. I can see him in white pants, vest, & high heels dancing behind Michael. 

[TaraS1]

11 hours ago, mojoween said:

Is Colby always that annoying?

Yes.  A thousand times yes.  Every time I think I hate Austin or Arthur Chu the most, Colby reappears with his stupid smirking.

I'm praying Team Buzzy comes back and takes the wild card.

[Katy M]

Is it weird that I've been rooting for Ken Jennings' team the entire time?  Because for some reason I feel that's wrong.

[proserpina65]

Man, that was a seriously difficult FJ.  I've read parts of The Jungle Book, including the chapters with Shere Khan, I've seen both the cartoon version and the more recent live-action one, and was even cycling through character names (again, including Shere Khan), and still didn't get it.  I just never made the William Blake connection, although I am familiar with the poem.  And damn it, why did Alan have to have the same problem?  He could've crushed both Austin's and Buzzy's teams like a bug.

I will say, I had a pretty bad game all around.

Edited March 1, 2019 by proserpina65
spelling

[proserpina65]

14 hours ago, Bazinga said:

Also Cal Ripken's brother Billy was a baseball player. 

Often a better one than Cal, and certainly a nicer person.  (Yes, I've met them.  Their uncle used to work for my mom's car mechanic.)

For me, the hierarchy of annoying contestants goes: Austin at the top, Buzzy slightly behind, and Colby a distant third.  (Arthur Chu would slot in there between Buzzy and Colby.)  Even Serial Killer Matt is so much less annoying when compared to Austin and Buzzy; probably because he can't help having a smile which makes me think of a serial killer, whereas they can help being douchenozzles.  So I hope Colby's team wins even though I don't like Colby.

[DrSpaceman]

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

Is it weird that I've been rooting for Ken Jennings' team the entire time?  Because for some reason I feel that's wrong.

No, not wrong at all.  I want them to win

I will be shocked if the Ken/Matt pairing loses.  They were just killing it in their game

Don't really care for the woman on their team, I forget her name, but doesn't matter.  You put those two in their and I can't see how they get beat. 

Colby is by far the most annoying contestant this time. 

Austin and Buzzy have not bother me at all in this tourney

Also not just Billy Ripken, but there is also Cal Ripken, Sr., a coach, their dad.  Technically you should have to say Cal Ripken, Jr for that answer. 

No idea on FJ

[saber5055]

15 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I could not think of 'wet hen'. I came up with wet duck then wet goose then... nothing.

Or, to quote Ken Jennings ... wet fish.

15 hours ago, Bazinga said:

Alex seemed hesitant in his response (probably running through Arthur Miller plays and characters). 

More likely waiting for the judges' okay-or-nay via his earpiece.

12 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

Poor Alan was just beside himself after FJ. The answer probably came to him when it was too late, and then there's the added pressure of feeling like you've let your team down. I wanted to give him a hug. 

I know. I felt so sorry for him. I can't imagine the stress of being on a superstar's team and then tanking my only chance. I mean, it's JUST one million dollars at stake. No big deal, right? I'd almost rather not play than live with that forever.

I think these clues have been progressively more difficult. While yeah, I got the simple TS of wet hen, I couldn't answer about 90 percent of the other clues. Even FJ was an asterisk for these brainiacs.

I do enjoy the fast play and no messing around. Boards have been cleared every game, so that's a plus -- revealing more clues I can't answer!

[Dobian]

I just threw up my hands in Final Jeopardy, I can see why they all drew a blank.  Betting all your money when you are leading on day one though?  Not a great strategy.  Even if you think you know the category, it's still a roll of the dice that you will know the question they are going to ask you.  Better to just bet a few thousand and guarantee you go into day two with a healthy starting amount.  And then bet the farm if you have to on day two Final Jeopardy.

Edited March 2, 2019 by Dobian

[Katy M]

What does TS mean?

[Bastet]

2 minutes ago, Katy M said:

What does TS mean?

Triple Stumper (a clue that none of the contestants get correct)

There's a glossary here of commonly-used abbreviations and such - the "inside language" of the forum.

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

What does TS mean?

It's short for "triple stumper," meaning none of the three players knew the answer.

[redfish.bluefish]

4 hours ago, DrSpaceman said:

No, not wrong at all.  I want them to win

I will be shocked if the Ken/Matt pairing loses.  They were just killing it in their game

Don't really care for the woman on their team, I forget her name, but doesn't matter.  You put those two in their and I can't see how they get beat. 

Colby is by far the most annoying contestant this time. 

Austin and Buzzy have not bother me at all in this tourney

Also not just Billy Ripken, but there is also Cal Ripken, Sr., a coach, their dad.  Technically you should have to say Cal Ripken, Jr for that answer. 

No idea on FJ

Ken/Matt are a force to be reckoned with, and while I'm sure Monica is nice (didn't see her originally), she was annoying the heck out of me with her physical movements buzzing in, and then the tic of pushing up her sleeves. 

As I read through this forum, surprised to see how much Buzzy annoys others. I love him! But I am a card-carrying member of the Alex Jacob fan club. He's my "ride or die". 

And obviously, no proof, but I blurted out "Tiger, tiger" the instant the clue was read. My husband even side-eyed me and then was astonished when none of the three got it, as was I. I honestly had no idea that any English poets from that era swirled around in my brain. Filing that one away should I ever make it through an audition for the show.

I'm team Ken or Buzzy all the way. Minus Monica, I love both their teams. Does anyone else just really think about HOW THE HELL Ken won so many games in a row? I mean....it just seems like an impossible feat and yet...he's so funny and humble about it. This tournament has been fun - I hope they do it again some day!

[redfish.bluefish]

On 2/27/2019 at 10:34 PM, peeayebee said:

Any idea what the bet of $538 meant?

It's the number of electors in the electoral college, and a pretty popular website run by Nate Silver. With Matt, probably not a coincidence.

[Roaster]

"Girl You'll be a Woman Soon" and "Son of a Preacher Man" - iconic in Pulp Fiction.  Surprised this was a missed DD.

For FJ I first thought of US Grant, who had been a top army general and therefore got into the White House with no elected office experience.  Then I remembered Eisenhower in time.  Surprised this was a TS.

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, redfish.bluefish said:

It's the number of electors in the electoral college, and a pretty popular website run by Nate Silver.

@Tunia posted a link to the 538 website if you go back one page.

Edited March 2, 2019 by saber5055

[M. Darcy]

I got FJ!  Yea me!  

No one knew Deadpool 2!  Heh it helps I’ve been watching it non stop on HBO lately.

[Browncoat]

Well, hell, again.  I'm still not sure whether or not Team Austin would have been better or worse than Team Colby.  I can't believe Team Buzzy flamed out so spectacularly.

The missed DD of Pulp Fiction was an instaget for me.  I love that movie, and I love those songs.  I also got Princeton, World Book, and stamps.  We had the World Book when I was a kid -- none of that fancy-schmancy Encyclopaedia Britannica for us! 

I also got FJ!  Like @Roaster, I first thought of Grant, but remembered Ike in time, and made a guess at the year.  I did waffle between '52 and '56, but stuck with '52 for no particular reason.  It was the only FJ I got all week, and I got an asterisk!  Yay, me!

[Katy M]

Just now, M. Darcy said:

I got FJ!  Yea me!  

No one knew Deadpool 2!  Heh it helps I’ve been watching it non stop on HBO lately.

i knew FJ, too.  I couldn't believe that 3 captains of an all-star game would miss that.  Though I think I understand what Colby did.  he took the right president and then his last election year, not taking into account that at that point he would have had an elected off ice under his belt.

[Grundoon59]

I was out last night so didn't see the show.  Can't believe I missed seeing a clue about Gordie Howe - growing up in the metro Detroit area in the 60s and 70s with the last name Howe meant a lot of time explaining he wasn't a relative.

Tonight FJ was an instaget for me because that was the year my parents got married and my WWII infantry dad persuaded my mom to vote for Eisenhower.

[mojoween]

I don’t understand how Alex didn’t hear me shrieking “Pulp Fiction it’s PULP FICTION NOOOOOOOOOO” back in the past.

I am so sad that I could cry.  Alex looked like he could alternatively cry and throw up.  

Go Team Ken but my heart’s not really in it.

[Browncoat]

2 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I don’t understand how Alex didn’t hear me shrieking “Pulp Fiction it’s PULP FICTION NOOOOOOOOOO” back in the past.

With both of us shouting, he certainly should have heard us!  🙂

[saber5055]

36 minutes ago, Grundoon59 said:

growing up in the metro Detroit area in the 60s and 70s with the last name Howe meant a lot of time explaining he wasn't a relative.

He should have been your "uncle" or "cousin" or something. Just like I'm "the frozen food heiress" when people ask me about my last name. It earns you nice street cred.

32 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I am so sad that I could cry.  Alex looked like he could alternatively cry and throw up.  

I told him to bet only $5,000 on that second DD but he didn't listen. If he had pulled it off though, he would have been golden. I was rooting Team Buzzy since I'm a huge Alex fan; I wanted to see him in the finals. I guess the only upside to today's game is Austin is out too. "Hey Austin, what does it feel like to be proven you are NOT (even close to) the smartest guy in the room?"

Leonard is a cool-headed player though. I like him much. It also seems like a lot of Jeopardy brainiacs went to Brown. This year's college champ goes there, Dhruv, if I remember correctly

I have a problem with the Conte Crayon being ruled the same as a pencil. Didn't that clue say it contained graphite? Conte Crayons look like pastel sticks but they are hard and waxy. A pencil is graphite surrounded by (typically) a wooden holder. Five years of art school and a BFA should give me "street cred" in that clue. Plus I own a ton load of Conte Crayons and pencils.

ETA: Well, I'm a dumbass. I looked up what Conte Crayons are made of: "a blend of natural pigments, kaolin clay and graphite." I don't know where the graphite is, but it is in there. So ... never mind. Duh.

Edited March 2, 2019 by saber5055

[SuperCam1]

Happy To See Team Colby win I love pulling for the underdogs.

As for Alex's DD Wager way too big and add the fact he already had a negged in that Category it was just a bad choice to go all in 4000 or 5000 would had been fine.

Edited March 2, 2019 by SuperCam1

[PaulaO]

Apparently Alex didn’t hear me yelling either.  I knew the prez was DDE, but like Colby, I said 1956.

[teebax]

I'm catching up on episodes and had yesterday's and today's FJ responses pretty quickly. I can't say that for the rest of the games, but that made me feel good. For today's, once I realized it was Eisenhower and knew he served two terms it was easy. 

It may have helped that I'm teaching The Crucible and we're spending a lot of time on the 50s.

[ClareWalks]

I am surprised Alex missed the Pulp Fiction clue because he just looks like the type of guy who has practically memorized the script for every Quentin Tarantino film ever made.

[GenerationX]

The two day wild card was underwhelming, as the scores were much lower than I expected.  Team Colby is a loooooong shot to beat Team Ken or Team Brad.

Alex bet the entire game on one question.  I understand his thinking, because if he gets it, they win in a walk.  Very surprised he didn't know it.  Along with everyone else here, Mrs. GenX and I were yelling Pulp Fiction!

For FJ, I immediately went back to Ike, re-read the clue, then had 1952.

[chessiegal]

My Dad was a WWII vet, and worshipped DDE. I was born in 1950, and remember JFK being elected in 1960. Up till then DDE was the only President I knew, thus 1952.

[saber5055]

25 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

Team Colby is a loooooong shot to beat Team Ken or Team Brad.

Yeah, but third-place money is still okay: $100,000.

Buzzy and Austin teams got $75,000, so $25,000 each. Nice money, at least before taxes.

[Bastet]

I was stunned Alex missed the Pulp Fiction DD; to wager that big – with a good lead today and with a big ol’ goose egg from yesterday - he should know a good deal about soundtracks, and that soundtrack was HUGE.  It was an instaget for me, and when he didn't answer, I thought he was doing his usual pretend not to know until the last second routine.  My jaw dropped a bit when he guessed wrong.

I'm not sad saying good-bye to Buzzy, but I'd have loved to see Alex play in the finals.  Oh well.  At least no Austin!!

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

We had the World Book when I was a kid -- none of that fancy-schmancy Encyclopaedia Britannica for us! 

I said Book of Knowledge, but maybe that was for younger readers.

I got The Sheik and Matthew Weiner. 

For FJ, I was thinking Eisenhower, but I said 1956. For some reason I was thinking he was Pres for only 1 term.

I'm so sorry that Alex missed that DD and, of course, had wagered everything. 

[Etta Place]

I am just gutted for Alex. 

[opus]

38 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

Buzzy and Austin teams got $75,000, so $25,000 each. Nice money, at least before taxes.

After taxes too.

[Enigma X]

I am very sad to see Alex go but happy to see Buzzy go. So my emotions are evened out. I was sure that Alex would get Pulp Fiction. I was wrong. Colby bugged more than Austin this time around.

[saber5055]

With two players guessing an 1800s date for FJ, do you suppose they were thinking Grant? Or ... ?

I found it interesting that five of the All Stars are/were from the Chicago area. *ahem*

Edited March 2, 2019 by saber5055

[bybrandy]

Final was an instaget for me.  History/Political science double major.  But I did yell Eisenhower, 52, and then spent time counting back from Kennedy in 60 and up from Truman 48 just to make sure.   But seriously I saw Deadpool 2 like maybe two weeks ago and I was like... Um, I just saw that movie um... Yeah.  Don't know why my brain froze.   I got World Book (my grandparents had a set) and Pulp Fiction and Matt Weiner.   

[Abstract]

On 9/25/2018 at 12:01 PM, opus said:

I'm not totally sure of the format, but I always figure everything Jeopardy eventually comes down to Ken vs. Brad

Looks like this prediction was a winner.

I’m sad not to see Alex go up against them though. I really wish he had risked less on that DD. 

(I got the TS of The Sheik, World Book, and Matthew Weiner.)

[Bazinga]

4 hours ago, forumfish said:

Re: "Ripken" being accepted without a BMS -- the clue referenced the 2001 All-Star game. Billy was retired at that point and Cal Sr. wasn't playing, so I had no problem with the judges.

Those are reasons why Billy is the incorrect response not why Billy Ripken is a possible alternative incorrect response that necessitates the request that the Ripken response be more specific.  As long as there was another baseball player named Ripken, the response needs to differentiate between the two with a first name.  "Hepburn" alone would not be an appropriate response, even if the clue asks about a film actress in the 1930s that could only be Katharine Hepburn.  The alternative not fitting the clue is not why there should not be a be more specific request.

Again, just my opinion and not worth arguing over.

Edited March 2, 2019 by Bazinga

[bybrandy]

On 2/28/2019 at 8:21 PM, ClareWalks said:

I also got wet hen

Is that phrase regional?  I was surprised nobody got it.  But even more surprised that the two people I happened to have watched with didn't get it either.

[teebax]

3 hours ago, bybrandy said:

Is that phrase regional?  I was surprised nobody got it.  But even more surprised that the two people I happened to have watched with didn't get it either.

I'd never heard it before that episode. 

[Katy M]

I feel like I'm the only person besides Alex who didn't know Pulp Fiction, based on the comments.  But, I don't watch that many movies and I would have bet like $1 on that category for daily double.

[HelenBaby]

I decided to pick a team on the Jeopardy website to win whatever the prize was, like a fantasy football team. You could pick one captain and two of the other players and they received points somehow (I didn’t really read it so that’s why I don’t know specifics.) The longer they participated, the more points accumulated. I picked Buzzy, Alex and Roger because they were dominating players that seemed low key. All of them were eliminated yesterday! I love Ken but for some reason I didn’t have the confidence that he would last in the tournament. It’s always Ken & Brad. I never learn. 

[sharwoods]

6 minutes ago, tvaddict44 said:

I've watched all the games, but I still don't know for sure what the rules are (but I don't care either).  Which "teams" are coming back on Mon. and Tues.? 

Teams Ken and Brad won their respective two-day matches, so they are in the finals along with the winner of the two-day Wild Card Team Colby.  These three teams will play on Monday and Tuesday for the $1 million first place prize.

[whinewithwine]

10 hours ago, chessiegal said:

My Dad was a WWII vet, and worshipped DDE. I was born in 1950, and remember JFK being elected in 1960. Up till then DDE was the only President I knew, thus 1952.

Exactly how I got it.  I remember the "I Like Ike" bumper sticker on the car.

[2727]

4 hours ago, bybrandy said:

I was surprised nobody got it. But even more surprised that the two people I happened to have watched with didn't get it either.

What are their ages? I was surprised, too, but I'm 67 and maybe it's older people knowledge, mixed with a bit of "down home" usage?

Like, I can definitely hear someone like Dolly Parton in my head drawling, "Sugar, Bubba was mad as a wet hen when the cow kicked over the milking pail."

[zoey1996]

Somehow I grew up knowing "madder than a wet hen."  Farm girl from Kansas, guess it's in my blood.  And being from Kansas means I know a lot about Ike and he's a favorite president of mine.  Plus my dad was in WWII, stateside.  He had an "Eisenhower" jacket.  He was enlisted so not supposed to have that style jacket, or so I was told.  So 1952 came pretty quickly.

I've never seen any version of Dead Pool, nor have I seen Pulp Fiction, so no clue on the songs associated with the movies.  

I knew Hogmanay, but couldn't pull it out of my brain.

I really liked Austin, and I was so sad to see Julia's team out early.  I've enjoyed the All Stars, but it'll be nice to get back to regular games.

[Ailianna]

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

I feel like I'm the only person besides Alex who didn't know Pulp Fiction, based on the comments.  But, I don't watch that many movies and I would have bet like $1 on that category for daily double.

Same here.  And I am wondering if Alex isn't a big movie watcher.  I know someone yesterday posited that he would be a big Tarantino fan, but he doesn't really strike me as the type to want to sit still and watch movies much.  He has a lot of restless energy, and I think he likes to be actively engaged in things pretty much all the time.  Movies seem a bit passive for him.  I was really sad to see him go, and like many, think that he versus Ken versus Brad would be an amazing game.  They are all so quick, which I think was a big factor here.  I think most of them knew most of the answers, but it came down to who got in fastest more often than not.