Analysis: Is Ken Jennings...

[starcade]

I think the question is easy to answer now:

Yes.

The only real discussable people left in the discussion are probably Thom McKee and that 30+ game winner on Concentration or whatever.

Given the skill level of the contestants (which I think has been significantly dampened by the juggernaut in recent days, though) and the difficulty in material, I do think Ken Jennings, right now, can be considered the Greatest of All-Time (Game Show Edition).

I would not be surprised at all to see Steve rename the PotW award to the Ken Jennings PotW award...  (That is, unless Jennings objects...)

[Craig Karlberg]

If Ken objects, then I'm insane in the membrane.

Seriously here, a better moniker award would be the Ken Jennings PotY award at the end of the calendar year.  That I don't think he'll object to.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 05:36 AM\'] If Ken objects, then I'm insane in the membrane.
 [/quote]
 You said it, not us.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'starcade\' date=\'Jul 15 2004, 08:24 PM\']
The only real discussable people left in the discussion are probably Thom McKee and that 30+ game winner on Concentration or whatever.

 [/quote]
 THe all time Concentration winning streak was 22 games by Ruth Horowitz(as per the Perfessor, so take it with some grain of saffron). Unless one of the other long-running Wink TTD champs has more than 32 wins under their belt, Mckee and Salisbury are the only winning streaks in GS history longer than Ken's.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 08:07 AM\'][quote name=\'starcade\' date=\'Jul 15 2004, 08:24 PM\']
The only real discussable people left in the discussion are probably Thom McKee and that 30+ game winner on Concentration or whatever.

 [/quote]
THe all time Concentration winning streak was 22 games by Ruth Horowitz(as per the Perfessor, so take it with some grain of saffron). Unless one of the other long-running Wink TTD champs has more than 32 wins under their belt, Mckee and Salisbury are the only winning streaks in GS history longer than Ken's.[/quote]
I thoguth Ruth Horwitz was limited to 20 games--the limit was put in, I believe, Ralph Branca won over 20 games.

But there was only one more player after Horwitz who went the 20-game limit on the original network version.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 08:07 AM\'] The all time Concentration winning streak was 22 games by Ruth Horowitz(as per the Perfessor, so take it with some grain of saffron). Unless one of the other long-running Wink TTD champs has more than 32 wins under their belt, Mckee and Salisbury are the only winning streaks in GS history longer than Ken's. [/quote]
 The 22 games Herr Stosh Beverly refers to are the 20-game winning streak plus two victories in the Concentration Challenge Of Champions.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 12:57 PM\'] The 22 games Herr Stosh Beverly refers to are the 20-game winning streak plus two victories in the Concentration Challenge Of Champions. [/quote]
 I've always wanted to know: what's the story behind the "Stosh" moniker?

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 05:47 PM\'] [quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 12:57 PM\'] The 22 games Herr Stosh Beverly refers to are the 20-game winning streak plus two victories in the Concentration Challenge Of Champions. [/quote]
I've always wanted to know: what's the story behind the "Stosh" moniker? [/quote]
 No big secret really. Stosh is Polish for Steve. My brother Steve inherited the nickname Stosh somehow [in the schoolyard, perhaps] and I've applied that monicker here and there to other people named Steve. Now you know. Worth the wait, wasn't it?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jul 19 2004, 12:57 PM\'] No big secret really. Stosh is Polish for Steve. My brother Steve inherited the nickname Stosh somehow [in the schoolyard, perhaps] and I've applied that monicker here and there to other people named Steve. Now you know. Worth the wait, wasn't it? [/quote]
 And here I was hoping it was something derisive.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jul 19 2004, 05:38 PM\'] [quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jul 19 2004, 12:57 PM\'] No big secret really. Stosh is Polish for Steve. My brother Steve inherited the nickname Stosh somehow [in the schoolyard, perhaps] and I've applied that monicker here and there to other people named Steve. Now you know. Worth the wait, wasn't it? [/quote]
And here I was hoping it was something derisive. [/quote]
I could call him that when I see him at the Congrefs and see if it gets his goat. Maybe Mr. Dove family man will punch me out. That'd make great press for him, wouldn't it?
Truth be told, I have no urge to seek out the man. I'll be looking for Matt, of course, and will try to snag Bob Hilton for a chat session. People will be flocking all over Bob Barker, so I'm not even going to bother with him. I do hope to make Mrs. Cullen's acquaintance, though.

[Jay Temple]

Comparing a Concentration winner to Thom and Ken is like choosing the best athlete out of Hank Aaron, Ted Williams and Joe Namath.  It's fun, but you're comparing two people with similar skills to a third person with a completely different skill.

Here's a contest I'd like to see, in several stages:
1) J!, Ken vs. Thom McKee vs. John Hatten
2) Blockbusters, winner of 1) vs. other two, two games out of three.  If one player wins both, he's the greatest quiz show contestant ever.  If not, ...
3) ... the other two players play two out of three games of Tic Tac Dough, and the winner of that match is the greatest ever.

(This would not declare the winner to be the best game show contestant ever, only the best quiz show contestant.)

[whampyl03]

I will say this, Jennings is one of the best Jeopardy! players that I've seen, but I think comparing him to Hatten, McKee, Larson, exc. would still be like comparing apples to orangatangs.  The formats these legends mastered are comparable sometimes, but still diffrent enough that you can't really compare player A to player B to player M.

And personally, IMHO, I don't think it would be right to toss Dan Avila into the mix of that list, or at least his run on Greed, mainly because he used the assistance of a team of other players to come to a conclusion on an answer, while the other feats previously mentioned were done by one person relying on their own knowledge and only their own knowledge, and perhaps some luck sporadically. (Even though Avila did make the final decision before finalizing an answer.)  Most importantly, Avila won jack-squat when he decided to attempt for the $2M, and the same result occured when he lost the $1M MDM.  I'm not trying to subtract or undermine what Avila and his team did on Greed, but I don't personally think they can be included in the list of the best GS contestants of all time.

Just my oppinion, though.

[GSWitch]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 02:17 PM\'] I thought Ruth Horowitz was limited to 20 games--the limit was put in, I believe, Ralph Branca won over 20 games. [/quote]
 Actually for Ralph Branca, no.  Steve Beverly e-mailed me about that since I was curious as well.

In Hugh Downs autobiography, he did mention Ralph Branca being the all time champ, not Ruth Horowitz.  However, Steve told me that books intend to have errors.  According to Norm Blumenthal, Branca was on Concentration for 17 games.

Blumenthal wanted a World Series of Concentration World Series between Horowitz & Branca, but NBC passed the idea since Gilette owned the name World Series.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jul 16 2004, 02:17 PM\'] I thoguth Ruth Horwitz was limited to 20 games--the limit was put in, I believe, Ralph Branca won over 20 games.
 [/quote]
 Sorry, didn't see this before.  But we're talking the same Ralph Branca as in "The Giants win the pennant!  The Giants win the pennant!", yes, no, maybe?

Doug

[MikeK]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Sep 10 2004, 11:14 PM\'] Sorry, didn't see this before.  But we're talking the same Ralph Branca as in "The Giants win the pennant!  The Giants win the pennant!", yes, no, maybe? [/quote]
 They are indeed one in the same, sir.