King James Loses; His Tactics Criticized
By Dan Murphy
“Jeopardy” is one of my favorite television shows, allowing me to watch something of intelligence and educational value every weeknight with my daughter. Last year, Westchester native Austin Rogers captivated the attention of “Jeopardy” fans with his run of more than a dozen wins, with humor and a personality that made him most entertaining.
Last month, Hendrick Hudson High School physics teacher Francois Barcomb won the “Jeopardy” Teachers Tournament, and the $100,000 cash prize that goes with it. Barcomb said he wants to see how much he receives after taxes are taken out, but plans on taking a trip west with his wife and daughter and saving the rest for his daughter’s future college costs.
Barcomb also said he is looking forward to playing in the upcoming “Jeopardy” Tournament of Champions, which is what his victory gives him automatic entry into.
The big “Jeopardy” news this week was that James Holzhauer finally lost after a record 32 wins in a row, and winning $2.2 million. Holzhauer’s dominance of “Jeopardy” over the past two months was admired by most, but not all.
Some “Jeopardy” loyalists were disturbed by the way he played the game, in a way no one had played before. Holzhauer, a professional gambler based in Las Vegas, played “Jeopardy” like he gambles, picking off the highest dollar amount clues right off the bat and betting it all – “a true daily double” – when he found the Double Jeopardy clues, which he found at a high rate because he was quick on the buzzer.
My daughter, who loved watching Austin Rogers play, did not like James, due to his lack of personality and what she perceived as arrogance. Other James haters wrote columns about his ruining “Jeopardy.”
“And he’s become such a dominant force that a historic run has come to seem, as television, boring,” wrote Chicago Tribune columnist Daniel D’Addario. “Every aspect of his play, obviously, is not merely within the rules but clearly the ideal use of them. Daily Doubles allow you to double your money, and he’s the only person daring enough to do it.”
Charles Lane of the Washington Post, wrote: “To the multitudes who have rooted Holzhauer on, I have just one question: Do you not see that this guy is a menace? The only thing more troubling, as a commentary on American culture, than his grinning, relentless march to victory – regardless of when, or if, it ends – is that millions celebrate it. Of course, Holzhauer’s strategy could not work without his freaky-good knowledge of trivia. The old rules, though, would have contained his talent within humane channels.”
The old rules used to allow “Jeopardy” champs to go for five games and then be removed. Shortly after the rules changed, Ken Jennings became the all-time winning champ, dominating 74 games in a row and collecting $2.5 million in winnings. After Holzhauer’s loss this week, Jennings remains the all-time king.
“Nobody likes to lose,” Holzhauer told the New York Times in an interview before the episode aired. “But I’m very proud of how I did, and I really exceeded my own expectations for the show. So I don’t feel bad about it.”
One thing that James provided was pleasure to host Alex Trebek, who clearly enjoyed his run, and the popularity and higher ratings his participation brought. Trebek, who is fighting pancreatic cancer, said after James’ loss: “What a game! Oh my gosh!”
This now sets up the possible super match between Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and someone else. My vote for the third player is Austin Rogers. Another possibility is the IBM computer Watson, who played on “Jeopardy” and defeated Jennings and other “Jeopardy” champs in a contest that was not that thrilling.
For what it’s worth, I enjoyed watching James’ skill and intelligence, and his using the rules of “Jeopardy” to its full advantage. Let’s see if other contestants use his same strategy, or if we return to the “Jeopardy of old,” before James, where it was polite and you ran through the categories in order.
Thanks for a great month of “Jeopardy,” James!
