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Ken Jennings Gets a New Challenge
insomniakxz writes "Producers of Jeopardy announced Tuesday a "Super Tournament," which will pit Jennings in a final match against two survivors of a competition between nearly 150 past five-time winners with a prize of $2 million. Host Alex Trebek called the tournament the "quest for Ken.""
He not only knows just about everything, but he's also remarkably good at putting together the pieces and figuring out a tough question that he didn't already know.
I remember one question "After several decades off it, works by this man seen here have returned to The New York Times bestsellers list in 2003"
He didn't recognize the picture at all, but figured it might be Tolkein given the LOTR craze (nobody else got it). That's damn quick thinking, and he answers a lot of questions that way, i.e. without knowing the answer beforehand - he works through trivia questions the way you'd work a math problem. Most jeopardy players rely solely on their memory banks, and that's how he beats them.
ken jennings was the best thing to happen to jeopardy in years. . .
:)
what a way to grab more ratings
Will Ken Jennings 30 seconds will be over by then? IMHO I do not think that the new show will be as big as the streak.
They went with the wrong theme, clearly they should pit Ken Jennings against Sean Connery and Burt Reynolds... er.. Turd Ferguson.
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At least he got a break. Curious to see if he can recreate the success. So long as they keep the questions obscure enough he'll clean up. Nice to see some one get fame based on what they know.
He can click the buzzer faster than any human mind could comprehend. He wins becuase no one else gets a chance to answer
Ken is a Jeopardy producer's wet dream. I imagine weeks before he lost, Trebek, et al. were trying to figure out how to wring more rating from the lowly Mormon kid.
They might as well just write him the check and have him dress up in a monkey outfit and dance around on stage for a couple of hours.
Maybe they could rip off Ben Stein and create a pilot for "Win Ken Jenning's Money". Oh, and make it for more than $3K a show.
Ah, if it weren't for the 20 second time delay between reply and post, I would've done it...
I'm just wondering, does anyone think another contestant has a chance?
Ken went for so many days because he's smart... after he's played for over a month of shows he has such a big advantage. Other players might have been on 10 shows at most (tournaments), but they didn't have the exposure Ken did.
Someone would have to be a lot better to beat Ken, but I haven't seen other contestants play.
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1 John 4:14
Ken Jennings was not available for comment, as he was busy sorting his money by the years in which the individual bills were printed. He then went about adding another 1000 movies to his list of favorite movies.
I know TV networks are always desperate for ratings, but isn't this going a bit far?
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Host Alex Trebek called the tournament the "quest for Ken."
But in the year 2020, people will look back upon the event and remember it as "the day of ownage by that young Mormon dude."
I'm spasming out of control as we speak!
I'm fairly convinced the man is a cyborg with a constant uplink to google. One good way to test is to ask about french military victories, which would make Ken say "What is 'French military defeats.'" If you don't get that joke... It's not a hit on the french, just look it up.
"A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes." -Mahatma Gandhi
...than "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Finally, we'll see people winning millions by answering... "answers" like "These particles are either baryonic or fermionic" rather than bullshit questions like "What is the capital of California? A) Los Angeles B) San Diego C) Sacremento D) Dollywood"
I can't understand people who are "getting sick" of Ken Jennings. Why should he automatically be limited to the standard 15 minutes? He's reportedly the new spokesman for Encarta. Tell me why he shouldn't be a bona fide celeb after what he did for all those weeks.
And now, for a sig that's a complete copout.
i've never seen the show or know who ken jennings is
i RTFA but still can't see a connection with slashot
anyone care to enlighten me?
Getting a female to talk to him without looking at his wallet.
There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
apparently game shows like "who wants to be a millionare" tests every field of knowledge of the contestant, so i don't think putting off a particular field is such a bright idea.
Ah, nothing quite like mocking the question and then spelling the correct answer... incorrectly.
Will the Quest for Ken be anything at all like the Quest for Fire? Will there be more dialog?
Ummm why is this on slashdot? Ok he kicked some serious Jepordy ass. Then he lost. I don't particuarly care about everything Mr. Jennings does. Is this really news?
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And of course:
Alex Trebek: And finally, Sean Connery's also here let's move on to Double Jeopardy where the categories -
Sean Connery: Not so fast Trebek.
Alex Trebek: I really thought that was going to work.
Sean Connery: Well, you were wrong, you mountebank. I pose a conundrum to ya, I riddle if you will
Alex Trebek: I don't want to hear it.
Sean Connery: What's the difference between you and a mallard with a cold? One's a sick duck and I can't remember how it ends, but your mother's a whore.
Pssst. Dumbass. You're not supposed to respond to FP posts at all, let alone AC FPs: it shows up when the rest of us read at +1.
This has been my weak-weekly comment on meta-comments. Please mod "mod parent [up/down]" comments offtopic.
I want a new world. I think this one is broken.
no no no... he spelt Dollywood right...
Ah, but there is a Dollywood. Of course it's in Tennessee, not California.
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Some here have been saying that the producers must love this guy, and i agree. But if they wanted to take him out they could do an analysis on where he misses and concentrate on that. By winning so often he's handed them a lot of data to look at.
Or does he ever miss? I've only heard about this guy through a friend. [I can't believe i'm posting to a thread about a game-show]
-- subtropolis
...but it was $5K a show. Hmm, I guess that is a nitpick :P
Lots of people could do what Ken Jennings did, he just happened to be the first really smart person on the show after they removed the 5 game limit or whatever they had before that limited the really smart people from winning time after time.
The Quest For Ratings has begun.
He spelt the correct answer wrong. Sacramento has two "A"s in it.
"ASIA"
(those who know the episode will get it)
Heh, for a bullshit question, you sure did blow it - it's "Sacramento" - not "Sacremento" :-)
Ah, now for the ultimate trivia - what city was the *first* capitol of California?
Ken Jennings is the coolest! Not only is he really smart but he's got such a great personality. I got his back 100%
It should be among not between. Sheesh!
You are one of the dumbest motherfuckers alive.
help!!
I was watching a WWTBAM episode back when that was happening. It was a celebrity show that night. I remember they asked a Fastest Finger question where they screwed up the answer. Basically it was 'put these movie titles in chronological order based on the day of the week mentioned in their title.' One of the choices was "Any Given Sunday". I don't recall the rest. When the answers were tallied that movie however was listed last in the answer (ie, they said the week started on Monday instead of Sunday). A "week" is defined in the Gregorian calendar system as "a period of seven consecutive days starting on Sunday." And of course the Gregorian calendar is used throughout most of the modern world. Opps. A small mistake on their part. I'm actually quite surprised that simple of a mistake got through their editors and research dept. I've never seen a mistake quite so simple on Jeopardy before. They probably put out a lot more effort than WWTBAM did.
For the war I presume?
Direct away from face when opening.
Easy...Monterey.
Here's the full chronology:
- September 9, 1849 - October 13, 1849: Monterey (previously the capitol of Alta California under Spain and Mexico)
- December 15, 1849 - May 1, 1851: Pueblo de San Jose
- January 5, 1852 - January 12, 1852: Vallejo
- January 16, 1852 - November 2, 1852: Sacramento
- January 3, 1853 - February 4, 1853: Vallejo
- February 11, 1853 - February 25, 1854: Benicia
- February 28, 1854 - present day: Sacramento
And for extra bonus points: The only pre-Sacramento capitol that survives is Benicia.So this story reminded me: my uncle was the first Jeopardy Tournament of Champions winner (i'm not gonna say his name, but i guess if u need to google it be my guest) back in 1987 or something and 6 months after won he was killed by a drunk driver. Of course, the asshole driver lived (don't they always?).
Anyway, I've always wanted to know if that guy went to jail or if he somehow bargained a deal. I was only 6 at the time and we didn't follow the trial (too hard on my mom i guess. Plus it was in L.A. and we're in NY). So is there anywhere I can go to find this out? I know his full name and date of death. Do I contact the LA district Attorney? LAPD? Anyone know?
I thought that I held the record for the biggest cache of seemingly useless information, but I tip my hat to you, sir. :P
Ken Jennings would be the man.
Oh my god you sick fuck fuck dude fuck,
This term for a long handled gardening tool, can also mean an immoral pleasure seeker.
I'll watch it only if it includes two things: Portman and a bowl of hot grits.
For those of you who know who Robin Carrol is, her husband sits in the cube across from mine. Their family is really cool and I believe she will be going to that championship tournament. She was the first person to ever have 5 runaway victories (where no one in final jeopardy has enough to beat you, even if they wager all they have) in a row. I spent the holidays with their family, played trivial pursuit and whatnot (got my butt kicked by her and her husband).
Good luck to all who face her as she is a tough cookie.
I haven't got the slightest clue why. I also have no idea why you were modded "troll".
has anyone considered the very real possibility that this will be rigged, much like his winnings on the regular show were likely rigged?
Jeporday's ratings were plumeting, people love reality TV (I am befudeled as to why, but I'm told it has something to do with tits). Ken seems to have walked in at a very opportune time. At a time when television has sunk to new lows including scripts for reality television shows- would anyone be surprised if jeporday decided to play along as a simple matter of survival in this new television era?
consider it.
The first capital of California is "C".
rewriting history since 2109
in this 4 line quattrain:
The golden boy from Utoh shall be pitted against
the two beasts from the east; while viewed from afar on glass tubes.
The quest are revealed. A mighty struggle ensues.
From the three shall arise the mamron; behold his name is Kehn
"The quest for Ken" is a bit of a word-play. According to the online Merriam Webster dictionary, ken is "the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge."
Ha ha ha! Alex Trebek kills me!
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can i buy a vowel?
What is news about Ken Jennings doing on a "News for Nerds" site?!?!?
Someone should grab the rights to the broadcast and run it in prime time!
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Also, he's had plenty of time to form and hone his strategies since he played quiz games as a sport in college. You aren't going to beat a master the first time you play a game unless your databank is completely superior to his for the answers given. For instance, I'm pretty sure the lady that finally beat him would have lost in third place if the answers had been more science based.
to save a show that has run its course, and then some...
So Ken - as if we could tell you from a troll unless you provided some proof of your identity - what are your thoughts on the tournament? Better yet, post a story to slashdot: Interview with Ken Jennings and question 10 of the highest moderated answers.
Why beat a dead horse?
Could he have receiver under the skin, just behind each ear? Some of his head movements look like he's adjusting for reception;-) He'd only need someone in the audience with tiny camera that scans the question, uploads to the answer team, and has the response back before Alex has the 'Answer' read?
What's his percentage on the video type Answers?
But Jeopardy! is a TV show, with ratings and advertisers. Some seem to be characterizing it as the academic-intellectual Olympics, but in all reality it could very well be more like the academic-intellectual Pro Wrestling.
Ken appears to be smart, that's a fact. But being TV, and not having direct access to Ken, or any objective criteria by which to measure his wits (it would be circular to consider Jeopardy! as such under this consideration), it's not for me to determine. Ken could be a trivia master, or he could be a very clever scammer/social engineer/hacker. People have devised systems to exploit contests, and even quiz shows before. It's distinctly within the realm of possibility. Ken could also be working in league with Sony, or with Alex and the Jeopardy! crew.
When I look back at all my mistakes and regrets in life, all of them were caused by innocence and naivete. Machiavelli knew what he was writing about in The Prince. While I'll keep an open mind and consider that Ken might be genuine, without evidence beyond what is presented on a TV show, or by the vapid celebrity/meta-media, I'm not considering this anything more than bread and circuses.
Baryons are a subclass of fermion.
I guess he meant bosons.
It doesn't seem like he actually *knew* the answers, or what they were talking about, but rather had some photographic image of the answer pop in his head that he didn't even comprehend.
It was truely strange to watch someone answer these questions in a second flat, mispronounce the answer, and then go on and do the same thing for the rest of the show.
Jennings has an enormous advantage in that every other contestant has to work their way through the tournament and Ken gets an automatic seed in the final game. They ought to throw him into the tournament with everyone else. If he won the tournament legitimately, that would really be something. Sticking him in the finals to win one game is less impressive, as really impressive stuff goes.
From what I understand, the day that the week begins depends on what country you're in. I know that in the United States the week begins on Sunday.
In a lot of European countries, a week begins on a Monday. The calendars in the United States have Sunday at the beginning, and I've seen Spanish and German calendars with Monday at the beginning.
So I don't think the definition of a week is as well-defined as you might think.
Hi, long time reader, first time poster.
I was the College Jeopardy! Champion in 2002, and was invited to participate in this tournament. I can tell you from experience that the best part about Jeopardy isn't the money, but the fact that you get to play Jeopardy! for real, with Alex Trebek as your host, with other smart people. It is a fun competition, and every contestant is engaging and nice - I never met a jackass in either Tournament I played in.
Anyway, I think it's kind of a rip that Ken gets a spot in the final, but that's okay - if you make it to the final and get every question wrong, you still walk away with a quarter of a million bucks.
And I don't think he's necessarily invincible - being good at Jeopardy! is all about momentum, and he always seemed to have it. Someone once told me that the person who gets the first question right in Jeopardy! wins about half the time, and I believe it. Watch the first minute, and you can probably win a bar bet or two.
Anyone from the inside have any idea how they really pick questsions in this case? I know they *say* they just pull them from a list of predetermined categories, and that works fine in all other cases, but I'm thinking they moderate for Ken in some way, either for or against him just slightly.
Question: What is a ratings grab?
The terms 'pimp' and 'ho' are more like 'rake' and 'slut' in common usage today.
Of course, a hoe is not a ho', which is why his answer was, while funny, not valid. They are two different words, unlike rake.
It's the first thing I thought of, I must admit.
I went there last week. It's insane. My girlfriend said I was taking pix like I was on an anthropological expedition.
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burt reynolds: let me get the uhh condom thing for $8000 alex trebek: thats _condiments_ for $400 lol
hi!
I just qualified for Jeopardy a few weeks ago. How many weeks of taping is this tournament going to chew up? Looks like I'll have all summer to study if they won't need new contestants for a while.
Ever see the movie Quiz Show? Its based on a true story of something that happened in the 50's with a show called "21". Call me a conspiracy theorist, but this whole "Ken Jennings is Amazing" thing smells an awful lot, and I mean *awful lot* like this movie. Check it out and decide for yourself...