Ken Jennings can't lose on Jeopardy!!

[mickey]

"I'm curious to see this "wife" he talks about."

Nice innuendo, idiot.

I first "saw that wife of his" about 25 years ago. Shortly after she was born. She's my cousin.

Very cute girl. Ken is a nice guy. Yes, he knows a lot of stupid crap. Yes, he's handy with a thumb-button. But why the jealous vitriol?

I'll never see a penny of that money, and you know what? I don't care. More power to him, I say.

I was just surfing around, looking at all the nasty, pathetic losers heaping abuse on somebody they don't know just because he has a bunch of money and they don't. I wasn't going to reply, since those types aren't worth replying to, but your innuendo was beyond the pale.

Get a life. I've only watched 2 or 3 of the episodes, and his wife is my freaking cousin. It's a GAME SHOW, okay? Why should Ken's success or failure have any bearing on YOU?

-mickey

 

[mickey]

My mom was talking to Ken's wife yesterday. She says they were at the zoo a week ago with their toddler, and Ken was complaining, "Jeez, I get more recognition than the animals!"

Another anecdote: His wife's car died in a Walmart parking lot the other day. The battery was dead. She called Ken and said she needed a new battery. He said, "You're going to shop around and get a good price, right?" "MY CAR IS DEAD! I'm going to walk in and buy the first battery I see!"

I don't think the magnitude of this has quite sunk in yet. Of course, he hasn't actually been paid anything yet. He doesn't get paid until 3 months after last show airs. Whenever that is. At this rate, he might die in poverty.

Nobody except his wife (and the audience members) have any clue how far he actually gets. It violates his contract to tell anybody. He's as good at keeping a secret at he is at answering stupid trivia questions. The internet is chock full of "I know somebody who knows somebody" rumors, but a lot of them have already turned out to be wrong.

-mickey

 

[Laslo Panaflex]

There has to be an audience member in attendence that saw him lose (if he has lost, he could still be the champion). That is why my gut feeling is telling me that he is still winning, they are just on break for the summer and will begin filming in Fall.

P.S. He is either really smart, or he built a time machine and went to the future and brought back some sort of Almanac that has every Jeopardy Question and Answer ever Back to the Future style.

Either way, he is smart.

 

[agreenster]

Jeopardy is making tons of loot from this too. It doesn't matter if he is winning the 30 g's a day or someone else is. Jeopardy would have to pay it anyway. However, I know alot of people are watching this and they can up the advertising dollars during that time spot.

I dont know what the average winnings are of a typical champion, but my guess is that Ken is above average. I bet the typical winnings are closer to 11,000 an episode, not 30-50. That's why I said that.

Hey welcome to the boards mickey! Dont take offense to people saying stupid stuff here. Sometimes people just need to run their mouths for some unknown reason...

It's cool that you're somewhat related to Ken. He seems like a nice person on top of being very knowledgeable.

Oh, and I was thinking the other day, I dont think that there's such a thing as useless knowledge. At some point, the stuff you learn (no matter how trivial) will eventually come in handy-even if just for entertainment or illustrative purposes. I think the phrase "useless knowledge" was probably originally just a phrase used by ignorant people as an excuse for their ignorance.

 

[agreenster]

P.S. He is either really smart, or he built a time machine and went to the future and brought back some sort of Almanac that has every Jeopardy Question and Answer ever Back to the Future style.

The thought did cross my mind that maybe Ken has somehow (via his software skills) managed to hack into some internal Jeopardy database and downloaded/studied the answers before each episode.

BUT, since he also has a background in quiz trivia etc, its more believable that he just knows lotsa stuff. And he does act believably disappointed when he gets a question wrong.

 

[MontgomeryBurns]

I just thought that this was worth repeating:

He is either really smart, or he built a time machine and went to the future and brought back some sort of Almanac that has every Jeopardy Question and Answer ever Back to the Future style.

 

[kgarner]

There has to be an audience member in attendence that saw him lose (if he has lost, he could still be the champion). That is why my gut feeling is telling me that he is still winning, they are just on break for the summer and will begin filming in Fall.

P.S. He is either really smart, or he built a time machine and went to the future and brought back some sort of Almanac that has every Jeopardy Question and Answer ever Back to the Future style.

Either way, he is smart.

I heard he found a copy of the Encyclopedia Galactica that fell through a time warp.

 

[obeygiant]

Well, he is a mormon, and in order to be a mormon you have to be a super-genius.


edit:thanks to mickey

 

[mickey]

I agree.

The first step is to spell "Mormon" correctly.

-mickey

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Well, he is a mormon, and in order to be a mormon you have to be a super-genius.


edit:thanks to mickey

*bites tounge*

He seems like a nice enough guy. Too bad he isn't getting any of the money now.

If he were he could quit his job and take up studying trivia full time.

I wonder if trebec retires soon if they would hand the show over to him.

 

[Phobophobia]

Another anecdote: His wife's car died in a Walmart parking lot the other day. The battery was dead. She called Ken and said she needed a new battery. He said, "You're going to shop around and get a good price, right?" "MY CAR IS DEAD! I'm going to walk in and buy the first battery I see!"

-mickey

Here is a lesson for today. The vast majority of rich people aren't wasteful with money. They are frugal. For a good source of info on this, read "The Millionaire Next Door". There is no such thing as a correct stereotype.

Although I am not yet a rich person, (so you don't have to believe me, not that you would in the first place), I am working towards it through the use of lots of planning, vigilance towards expenses, and always expanding my knowledge on subjects related to investing. (Stocks, Real Estate, Business, etc.)

For everything money related, read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" first. It changed my life.

 

[a-non-a-mus]

a little birdy told me something interesting today....

apparently, after a notable number of appearances, Ken resigns. He bets it all on the final jeopary question and then writes something about wanting to go out a winner, or it being time for him to go, as his 'answer'. Then after both of the other opponents have gotten the question wrong, he tells everyone the answer before it is announced.

guess time will tell how good my source is...

 

[Chaszmyr]

a little birdy told me something interesting today....

apparently, after a notable number of appearances, Ken resigns. He bets it all on the final jeopary question and then writes something about wanting to go out a winner, or it being time for him to go, as his 'answer'. Then after both of the other opponents have gotten the question wrong, he tells everyone the answer before it is announced.

guess time will tell how good my source is...

I don't believe it for a second.

 

[agreenster]

He's about to break the 1 million mark. I think it would be noble of him to step down, and give everyone else a chance. Plus, he would always be known as the unbeatable Jeopardy Champion. I could see him doing it.

52,000 dollars tonight. He smoked em BAD.

 

[Whigga Spitta]

Seeing how Ken didn't go for the one day record today, as he EASILY could have, I also believe he may step down after winning $1,000,000. It's nice to see someone so in control of the game, yet hardly cocky, as one would imagine. He's my idol.

 

[Tommy!]

"I'm curious to see this "wife" he talks about."

Nice innuendo, idiot.

I first "saw that wife of his" about 25 years ago. Shortly after she was born. She's my cousin.

Very cute girl. Ken is a nice guy. Yes, he knows a lot of stupid crap. Yes, he's handy with a thumb-button. But why the jealous vitriol?

I'll never see a penny of that money, and you know what? I don't care. More power to him, I say.

I was just surfing around, looking at all the nasty, pathetic losers heaping abuse on somebody they don't know just because he has a bunch of money and they don't. I wasn't going to reply, since those types aren't worth replying to, but your innuendo was beyond the pale.

Get a life. I've only watched 2 or 3 of the episodes, and his wife is my freaking cousin. It's a GAME SHOW, okay? Why should Ken's success or failure have any bearing on YOU?

-mickey

uhhh haha whoa sketch

on another topic, about that resigning rumor, i hope its not true... maybe he should think of playing on jeopardy as a job! i'd never stop

 

[Mantat]

Why you he have to step down to give others a chance? Its a GAME! May the best player win!

I find it so funny to read how many people here talk about giving money to charity and here giving the chances to the others as if it was 'normal' to do so! When you get a break in life, its generaly well deserved and you have to enjoy it to its fullest without people expecting you to share it. Giving something to others is a gift: not something you have to expect or ask from the most fortunate / harder worker.

If I was that good at a game, I would never step down until I knew I was about to lose. Just imagine how bad the other contestants would feel if they win only because he let them? I would never tolerate such a shame personnaly. I would want to be the person who beat him, not the person he let win because he was borred.

Personnaly, I hope that he keep winning until people stop watching the show because of its predictability. That would be a real win and give a meaning to the expression 'beating the game'.

 

[agreenster]

Why you he have to step down to give others a chance? Its a GAME! May the best player win!

I find it so funny to read how many people here talk about giving money to charity and here giving the chances to the others as if it was 'normal' to do so! When you get a break in life, its generaly well deserved and you have to enjoy it to its fullest without people expecting you to share it. Giving something to others is a gift: not something you have to expect or ask from the most fortunate / harder worker.

If I was that good at a game, I would never step down until I knew I was about to lose. Just imagine how bad the other contestants would feel if they win only because he let them? I would never tolerate such a shame personnaly. I would want to be the person who beat him, not the person he let win because he was borred.

Personnaly, I hope that he keep winning until people stop watching the show because of its predictability. That would be a real win and give a meaning to the expression 'beating the game'.

Yeah, but turn it around: Would you want to be the person who beats Ken just because he had a bad day? I wouldnt want to be that either.

Also, I dont find it surprising that Ken would quit because this whole time he has been sensitive to breaking other people's records (52k, for example) and seems like a gentlemanly-type guy. He's not as greedy as some folks where he wins just to fatten his pockets. Im pretty sure he will be living quite happily with a million + dollars.

 

[kgarner]

30 days and over $1,000,000. This guy is unstoppable! Everytime I watch he leaves all the competition in the dust. No one is even close to challenging him by the time Final Jeopardy! rolls around.

 

[jefhatfield]

"I'm curious to see this "wife" he talks about."



I'll never see a penny of that money, and you know what? I don't care. More power to him, I say.


-mickey

the way ken has won, i think he will continue, my guess, to:

break the all time game show record of 48 appearances on tic tac dough

probably resign in a gentlemanly manner the way a previous poster mentioned

make beyond 1.5 million dollars and thus probably give you some money...the tax rate on winning a lump sum of money is way beyond the regular 39.6% percent, but something akin to 45-55% percent...but still he can buy a house outright (in most areas of the us) and still have money left over to give to charity, and hopefully, to relatives like you

overall, i hope you get something so you can tell us all what you did with the money...will you get a G5?

if i won a million, i would,

1) pay off house which was last professionally assessed to be worth 360k or so
2) give money to relatives and friends
3) give money to charity (fraternal order of police, jews for jesus, breast cancer research, AIDS research, naacp, kerry-edwards campaign, spca, and yes...macrumors)

as for fancy cars and bling bling, that stuff is for suckers

actually that would be my plan if i won two million, five million, or a billion

 

[~Shard~]

I think the whole thing is a set up. Jeopardy wants to compete with the likes of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and give away large sums of money, and this is how they are doing it. I’ve watched Jeopardy for years and never have I seen such anemic, lack-luster competition – it’s like they are pitting Ken against dumb people just so he can win. I have never witnessed such a long string of sub-par contestants in my life. Bring back some of the old champions and we’ll see how he does... Ken is smart, but not that smart.

Alex Trebek has always been jealous of Regis et al. and the Jeopardy producers are simply doing this to boost ratings, generate press and act as a publicity stunt – and it’s completely working, so good for them I guess – look at how many people are watching!. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ken had a microphone in his ear which fed him all the correct answers.

I’m not trying to take anything away from Ken – he’s obviously a smart guy. But from a guy who has watched Jeopardy for the past 15 or so years, I’ve seen many contestants who are just as smart as him, and definitely quite a few who are smarter, no question about it – Ken is nothing special and shouldn’t be winning as much as he is, so I find the whole things suspicious.

But it’s just a game show after all, so whatever – not like those have ever been fixed before... Guess I’ll just continue to watch him win as the Jeopardy producers sit back and enjoy the show...

 

[Mantat]

Being smart has nothing to do with being good at Jeopardy!

Its knowledge and good memory that help.

Btw, I am again surprised that people keep saying that they would give the money to others if they won a loarge sum of money and none of them thought about investing it for retirement. It really scares me...

In case you didnt know, giving money to charity generaly is a bad thing in the sens that it reduce the collective wealth compared to putting the money into the community by starting a company. Giving work to people is the best thing one can do, socialy and economicaly for the others. And if you want to be a philantropist (sp?) just use the money to start a non profit company or a coop.

Money given to others only allow them to buy stuff and the 1$ you gave them will never grown in value (in the macro economy view). Paying someone 1$ will create more value because he will give the community 1$ of work value and he will still be able to spend that 1$. This is why giving work is always better than just giving money.

 

[jefhatfield]

I think the whole thing is a set up. Jeopardy wants to compete with the likes of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and give away large sums of money, and this is how they are doing it. I’ve watched Jeopardy for years and never have I seen such anemic, lack-luster competition – it’s like they are pitting Ken against dumb people just so he can win. I have never witnessed such a long string of sub-par contestants in my life. Bring back some of the old champions and we’ll see how he does... Ken is smart, but not that smart.

Alex Trebek has always been jealous of Regis et al. and the Jeopardy producers are simply doing this to boost ratings, generate press and act as a publicity stunt – and it’s completely working, so good for them I guess – look at how many people are watching!. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ken had a microphone in his ear which fed him all the correct answers.

I’m not trying to take anything away from Ken – he’s obviously a smart guy. But from a guy who has watched Jeopardy for the past 15 or so years, I’ve seen many contestants who are just as smart as him, and definitely quite a few who are smarter, no question about it – Ken is nothing special and shouldn’t be winning as much as he is, so I find the whole things suspicious.

But it’s just a game show after all, so whatever – not like those have ever been fixed before... Guess I’ll just continue to watch him win as the Jeopardy producers sit back and enjoy the show...

i believe that the game could be fixed, for ratings, by having trebeck or the producers pick weak competition and thus creat a buzz by having a big winner akin to regis philbin's super highly rated show

but i can't imagine that the show would intentionally give ken the answers...even if they did, i don't see ken as a person who would cheat and if he did, i don't think he would be able to keep such a straight face

have game shows been fixed before? i am sure of it...have contestants been fed answers for this or that reason? probably

but i think ken jennings is for real and whether he is a genius or not doesn't matter because many different types of people can possess the time it takes to learn trivia and retain it...i have a mentally handicapped friend who is in a special government work program and that guy has the most amazing ability to retain facts...he can't count to 25 or add numbers past 10 very well, but he does remember who said what over the smallest minutae many years ago...he goes to movies and practically memorizes the script...almost like rain man but not quite as savant

actually some of the most intelligent people i know have a hard time retaining anything...it was once said that einstein didn't know his own phone number but would have to "look it up" so he wouldn't fill his mind with useless information...he basically conserved brain energy for a single focus...i watched animal planet last night, about koala bears, and scientists have found that since the animals have very little energy to spare, they conserve brain energy as a necessary means of survival

i think putting too much emphasis on useless trivia would have jumbled up a mind like einstein's who would need a single focus on physics to attain what he did in his life

but mental garbage, as mentioned before, did pay off big time for ken jennings...he basically will never have to work in his life again...if he chooses...and he can basically invest the money and hang out in jamaica for the rest of his life

past game show winners i can think of get a few bucks and return to work, manily because they have to...there are bills to pay

could you imagine the day ken gets his check?...man oh man, write a check and pay off the house and any cars that may not be paid for, pay for kids' college expenses way in advance, and be able to afford almost any investment venture

a million bucks over a lifetime is one thing ($33,000 dollars a year for 30 years), but to win it over a few weeks...it must be a major rush getting the money, smoking the competition, and have people all around america believing that you are some major genius

ken needs to wear those "life is good" shirts from now on...heck, i would

 

[jefhatfield]

Being smart has nothing to do with being good at Jeopardy!

Its knowledge and good memory that help.

Btw, I am again surprised that people keep saying that they would give the money to others if they won a loarge sum of money and none of them thought about investing it for retirement. It really scares me...

In case you didnt know, giving money to charity generaly is a bad thing in the sens that it reduce the collective wealth compared to putting the money into the community by starting a company. Giving work to people is the best thing one can do, socialy and economicaly for the others. And if you want to be a philantropist (sp?) just use the money to start a non profit company or a coop.

Money given to others only allow them to buy stuff and the 1$ you gave them will never grown in value (in the macro economy view). Paying someone 1$ will create more value because he will give the community 1$ of work value and he will still be able to spend that 1$. This is why giving work is always better than just giving money.

from what i have seen, real estate is the best investment...so paying off the house would be a great investment...my parents bought the house in the 60s for 27k, it's now worth at least 360k but similar houses have listed for double that in the area since the demand makes it possible to double the sticker price

my mom lost her entire ira when her company sold off her division...our town's largest business interest (a savings and loan) went kaput and many here and in the surrounding area lost their shirt...i was a vp of a san jose dot.com so i saw a lot of people lose money in that field...i am in high tech now and i have seen people lose big time investing in the sector...though i went to b-school, just about all investments i have seen my peers put money into have failed

i listen to the motley fools (well known investors) and one of them does not have a dime in stocks or mutual funds now...that says a lot to me

investing, at least most of it, is simply gambling

certain passive income, whether it is through real estate or even multi-level marketing is much safer...even starting a business is safer than rolling the dice on wall street these days

my eye on the market is relatively green since i have only been watching it seriously since 1989 when i first appled to be a stockbroker just weeks before the crash...but the volatility has been pretty major since then, i guess

 

[Mantat]

a million bucks over a lifetime is one thing ($33,000 dollars a year for 30 years), but to win it over a few weeks...it must be a major rush getting the money, smoking the competition, and have people all around america believing that you are some major genius

Why do I always have to correct other people bad maths? First of all, to have 1M$, you have to take into account the taxes but let say we forget them and ask ourself: "how much money does 1M$ in 30 years (life time) represent?".

If you take into account the mean S&P average of the 50 last years, which is around 14% if I remember right, 1M$ would represent about 22000$ today. Take a more conservative number, like 7% and it goes up to 140k$.

This is why governement fight inflation so much!

My guess is that he is going to make much more money selling books than what he is going to win on the show...