Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jun 27 2004, 04:52 PM\'] And since the winner wins $250,000; doesn't this remind us of Super Jeopardy? [/quote]
 No.

[Craig Karlberg]

It would be intresting to see how they handle this with Ken Jennings.  The only problem I see here is if he's still champion when Season 21 starts with its T of C, Ken may be held back fron this year's tourney.  When that's finished(assuming Ken's still around), he'll return to regular play untill he loses.  Once that happens, then he becomes most likely the "#1 seed" going into the 2005 T of C.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 01:55 AM\'] It would be intresting to see how they handle this with Ken Jennings.  The only problem I see here is if he's still champion when Season 21 starts with its T of C, Ken may be held back fron this year's tourney.  When that's finished(assuming Ken's still around), he'll return to regular play untill he loses.  Once that happens, then he becomes most likely the "#1 seed" going into the 2005 T of C. [/quote]
 I was discussing this with one of our fellow members, and it seems to me the appropriate way to handle this unlikely event would be to do it the same way they handled the $100K tournaments on the nighttime Clark Pyramid. That is, clearly Ken would be qualified to play in this season's ToC, since he's won enough to get in. Then, since he'd also be defending champion, he'd come back when regular play began, but he would have to re-qualify _as if he were a new player_. That is, from the standpoint of the 2005 ToC, he'd be starting with $0 and no wins.

(Picture how they handled Heather Davis (and lemme tell you, I wouldn't mind handling Heather Davis!) on the Pyramid and you get the idea of how I think this would be covered.)

[Jimmy Owen]

Would there be any merit to a handicap system in the tourney, where a player would start "in Jeopardy" based on his or her highest one day total?  All players would start in the red and that would be an equilizer when competing against Ken or other big champs and prevent an early runaway.

[HairMetalLives]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 08:55 AM\'] Would there be any merit to a handicap system in the tourney, where a player would start "in Jeopardy" based on his or her highest one day total?  All players would start in the red and that would be an equilizer when competing against Ken or other big champs and prevent an early runaway. [/quote]
 I can see it now!
Harlow, you're going to start today's match $1200 in the red. Tylthode, you will start today $1800 in the red. Ken Jennings -- our all time champion -- you will begin today's game $80,000 in the negatives.

Seriously though, I'm not sure "Jeopardy!" would explore that avenue. Their best route may just be finding categories that Ken has trouble with. Unfortunately, HE KNOWS EVERYTHING!

The handicap is an interesting idea, though. Maybe a better equalizer would be putting peanut butter in Ken's singaling button.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 11:42 AM\'] I was discussing this with one of our fellow members, and it seems to me the appropriate way to handle this unlikely event would be to do it the same way they handled the $100K tournaments on the nighttime Clark Pyramid. That is, clearly Ken would be qualified to play in this season's ToC, since he's won enough to get in. Then, since he'd also be defending champion, he'd come back when regular play began, but he would have to re-qualify _as if he were a new player_. That is, from the standpoint of the 2005 ToC, he'd be starting with $0 and no wins. [/quote]
 It sounds like what you're saying is that a decent defending champion approaching the end of the season would be eligible for two different T's of C's, and I don't think Jeopardy would want to do that.  For one thing, it gives a huge opportunity to, say, a ten-day winner whose games straddled two seasons versus a ten-game winner who had the bad timing of winning her games all in the same season.

Ken is certainly creating some interesting situations for Jeopardy to think about, but this one seems simple enough.  It simplifies everything if you just say that any champion who bridges a season (or whatever the T of C cutoff point is) plays in the Tournament after his loss, whenever that may be.  I think having Ken (or anybody else) play in a Tournament while still the defending champion in the regular game would be awkward for the show and confusing to many viewers.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 08:55 AM\'] Would there be any merit to a handicap system in the tourney, where a player would start "in Jeopardy" based on his or her highest one day total?  All players would start in the red and that would be an equilizer when competing against Ken or other big champs and prevent an early runaway. [/quote]
 That's ridiculous. Why should Ken have to start crippled 'cuz he's good? That's like suggesting the Yankees should be forced to spot everyone five runs going into the game.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 01:04 PM\'] [quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 08:55 AM\'] Would there be any merit to a handicap system in the tourney, where a player would start "in Jeopardy" based on his or her highest one day total?  All players would start in the red and that would be an equilizer when competing against Ken or other big champs and prevent an early runaway. [/quote]
That's ridiculous. Why should Ken have to start crippled 'cuz he's good? That's like suggesting the Yankees should be forced to spot everyone five runs going into the game. [/quote]
 Works for me...

[vtown7]

And if they're against the expos, a good dozen might be a start.

[uncamark]

The TofC is too established an event and a sweeps period tradition.  It'll never go.

And to most "J!" players, it's not so much the money, it's the bragging rights and the honor of being on that drives them in the first place--the chance to bring Ken down would be a good enough reason to participate even if the first prize was $50, a case of Trebek's wine and Sarah's old panties.

[MikeK]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 02:24 PM\'] And to most "J!" players, it's not so much the money, it's the bragging rights and the honor of being on that drives them in the first place--the chance to bring Ken down would be a good enough reason to participate even if the first prize was $50, a case of Trebek's wine and Sarah's old panties. [/quote]
 Where do I sign up to win prizes like that?

While I'm at it, can someone show me the way to this forum's confessional booth?

[adamjk]

I have an idea as to how Jeopardy could handle the situation with Ken should it come up. This is just my opinion mind you, but I would say let him play in the tourney, and if he wins, have him retire as champ right then and there, if he doesn't, then have him keep going as champ until beaten. What do you guys think?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 01:15 PM\'] I have an idea as to how Jeopardy could handle the situation with Ken should it come up. This is just my opinion mind you, but I would say let him play in the tourney, and if he wins, have him retire as champ right then and there, if he doesn't, then have him keep going as champ until beaten. What do you guys think? [/quote]
 I think that is a perfectly awful idea. He should play, and continue to play, until he is defeated in regular play, which is the pledge the show made to us at the start of the season when they lifted the five-game-limit rule.

[adamjk]

Fair enough, I was just throwing it out there.

[rmfromfla]

Hey, it happened on "The Challengers" in 11/90 when Stan Newman
 qualified for their fall TOC while still the defending champ in regular games;
 he went on to win the TOC and two more shows before losing and taking
 home total winnings of over $110,000+