Tuesday, December 24, 2013 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

[Archivists]

Placeholder for J! Round

[Archivists]

Placeholder for DJ! Round

[jeff6286]

Even if I don't get to watch the whole show, I'll try to get the FJ clue posted here sometime tonight, in case people get pre-empted for holiday programming. No promises though, so once again anyone can feel free to jump in. Merry Christmas to all.

[Linear Gnome]

Geopolitical Hot Spots
On the Grand Trunk Road, the Wagah border separating these 2 countries since 1947 is called the "Berlin Wall of Asia."

Spoiler

What are India and Pakistan? Missy guessed North and South Korea.

Missy Flood: $4,800-$4,795-$5
Bonita Dominguez: $10,100+$9,000=$19,600
Larry White: $23,200+$1,224=$24,424...now a 2-day champion with $49,624

[legendneverdies]

Geopolitical Hot Spots
On the Grand Trunk Road, the Wagah border separating these 2 countries since 1947 is called the "Berlin Wall of Asia."

Spoiler

What are India and Pakistan? Missy guessed North and South Korea.

Missy Flood: $4,800-$4,795-$5
Bonita Dominguez: $10,100+$9,000=$19,600
Larry White: $23,200+$1,224=$24,424...now a 2-day champion with $49,624

Bonita should have wagered less then $500 in FJ! to guarantee second place. She was lucky she didn't blow an extra grand. The wrong guess wasn't too far off the mark yearwise. Saying Mark Twain won a NObel Prize in 1936 as a playwright, as was done tonight in the NObel LIt winners category in DJ!, will get some chuckles from some people here.

[StevenH]

This was kind of a lame board. I thought that the "Nobel Prize in Literature winners" category was bad, but I could just be soar because I said Camus for Sartre and August Wilson for Toni Morrison.

FJ was an instant get. I was kind of let down by the clue, since the category had me thinking that the clue would be a cool fact that I hadn't heard before. I precalled something about South Sudan, Kosovo, or North Korea. I want to say that the clue was very easy, but I may have been helped by the fact that I remembered a similar FJ clue from one of Larissa Kelly's games.

[Linear Gnome]

FJ was an instant get. I was kind of let down by the clue, since the category had me thinking that the clue would be a cool fact that I hadn't heard before. I precalled something about South Sudan, Kosovo, or North Korea. I want to say that the clue was very easy, but I may have been helped by the fact that I remembered a similar FJ clue from one of Larissa Kelly's games.

FJ on 11-22-13 had a response of Pakistan with an almost-direct reference to 1947, but I guess that would help us more than today's contestants. I got it fairly quickly and also expected the clue to be a bit more esoteric.

Bonita should have wagered less then $500 in FJ! to guarantee second place.

Yes, I also noticed that she risked her lock for second pretty much for no reason.

Speaking of non-sequiturs, I noticed in the post-game chat that Larry is really tall.

I'll be away from my TV and computer for the rest of the week, so I won't be posting the FJ clue. I'll be in New York seeing six shows in three days. Have an excellent holiday of your choice!

[Paucle]

Very bold of Larry to ring in on the final clue, with the lock-tie with Bonita set. If he misses it, he's vulnerable.
Not happy with my guess, but I too had N/S Korea. Of course, knew I was wrong as soon as Alex gave the added info.

Ran the one-letter pretty easily. Have used that category in my word-play trivia game.

[legendneverdies]

NBC and CBS aren't doing special programming today or tomorrow(Xmas Day). ABC has an NBA doubleheader airing from 2-8PM EST(approximately). J! and WOF probably won't be seen on ABC stations tomorrow, but will on NBC and CBS stations(outside of local preemptions). It will probably be seen on the Fox/Mynet/CW stations(outside of local preemptions)

[Bamaman]

Very bold of Larry to ring in on the final clue, with the lock-tie with Bonita set. If he misses it, he's vulnerable.
Not happy with my guess, but I too had N/S Korea. Of course, knew I was wrong as soon as Alex gave the added info.

Ran the one-letter pretty easily. Have used that category in my word-play trivia game.

Wasn't the last clue worth $1,600? That would have made the scores $21,600/$10,100 going in. So he had a lock, but she breaks it if she gets it right. So if he knew it (I forget the clue, but I think I got it right, it was about the royal wedding), he was smart to go for it.

I also had the Koreas. The Berlin TOM sent me looking for a country split into two, a free side and a commie side.

[Paucle]

Wasn't the last clue worth $1,600?

You're right- I thought he'd answered a 2k clue, jumping him from 21200 (twice her 10600) to 23200, but it was actually 21600 to 23200.
Yes, so as long as he was certain he wouldn't neg, it certainly behooved him to try to win the buzzer battle on that clue.

[Bamaman]

I was hoping they'd have time for the last clue and he'd get it wrong so we'd have a lock tie. But she probably wouldn't have bet any better in that situation than she did in the actual game.

[MarkBarrett]

Wasn't the last clue worth $1,600?

You're right- I thought he'd answered a 2k clue, jumping him from 21200 (twice her 10600) to 23200, but it was actually 21600 to 23200.
Yes, so as long as he was certain he wouldn't neg, it certainly behooved him to try to win the buzzer battle on that clue.

Larry's get on the $1600 was Greek Orthodox to Anglican to close out the round with the $2K unplayed.

**********
That was great to see Athletic Cups played first, all three players get one and to have no category switching. Very rare.

Missy trailing entering the DJ! round opened play in TV Shows' Theme Songs. Okay, she's done. That move is always very telling no matter how great that category. Missy moved up to 4400 when the category was done. Her score entering the FJ! round? 4800. Once again, nice to see each of the players score in that category.

That word play stuff will always get me. Change One Letter I knew the director was Peter Bogdanovich. I'll be dipped if I could figure out the clue needed Blogdanovich. I hate it when I know the tough part, but can't solve the simple part.

I have choices, choices for the weekly poll in State Nicknames. I was too busy yelling at them for Alabama that I could not recall Prairie = Illinois. Grrrr!

The FJ! category looked like geography trouble. The FJ! clue looked like 1947 = guess India & Pakistan. It's not like Grand Trunk Road or Wagah border meant anything to me.

With the NBA game on at 2 and J! scheduled for 7 I like my chances to see Larry's 3rd game barring a sextuple overtime contest. The Kobe-lesses being one of the teams makes it unlikely to go OT. The Lebrons being the other team make it even less likely.

[teapot37]

That word play stuff will always get me. Change One Letter I knew the director was Peter Bogdanovich. I'll be dipped if I could figure out the clue needed Blogdanovich. I hate it when I know the tough part, but can't solve the simple part.

Same here. I even watched The Last Picture Show yesterday. I got it just before Alex gave the right answer, but still well after the buzzer rang.

[Bamaman]

Larry's get on the $1600 was Greek Orthodox to Anglican to close out the round with the $2K unplayed.

Thanks. I wonder what the last clue would have been.

That was great to see Athletic Cups played first, all three players get one and to have no category switching. Very rare.

I was glad to see that played out as well, along with everyone able to cash in.

Missy trailing entering the DJ! round opened play in TV Shows' Theme Songs. Okay, she's done. That move is always very telling no matter how great that category.

Why did you think going to TV songs foretold her doom?

I have choices, choices for the weekly poll in State Nicknames. I was too busy yelling at them for Alabama

Got that one.

that I could not recall Prairie = Illinois. Grrrr!

But not that one. I know the rest of the state is not Chicago, but it just doesn't strike me as being on the prairie.

[StevenH]

I had no idea on the state nickname for Alabama, but prairie state=Illinois was an instant get for me. I will never forget how shocked I was when I learned that Illinois was nicknamed the "prairie state".

[This Is Kirk!]

Larry is a very good player. I think he could go far.

[Rex Kramer]

Larry is a very good player. I think he could go far.

You realize you just retroactively cursed him to lose on Christmas Day? "Are there no taxis? Are there no consolation prizes?"

Rex

[dhkendall]

Didn't they have a FJ clue about the India/Pakistan border not that long ago (i.e. since the start of Season 29)? That was why I dismissed it - like Bamaman, I was looking for a border separating a communist country from a free country - came up with Thailand/Cambodia; while Cambodia wasn't communist in 1947, it did get its independence around then if my memory serves. Of course, when Alex comes back and says "These two countries both won their independence ... " I immediately had two thoughts: "If I turn out to be right, I'll be angry since there isn't a real independence date for Thailand, having never been formally colonized, and my ire will be directed at the writers. If I turn out to be wrong, my ire is directed at me." Alex then continued "... from Great Britain ..." to which I thought "OK, the Jeopardy writers aren't *that* misinformed that they would think that both Cambodia and Thailand were ex-British colonies. Time to record a miss." While I"m aware of Pakistani-Indian hostility, I didn't think it was ever at the point that it could be considered analogous to the combatants on either side of the Berlin Wall (although each of them do have nuclear weapons ... ) But, as I said, it was mainly my belief that since that same boarder was used "recently" it wouldn't be brought up again so soon (even though I know the Grand Trunk Road is in that area too.)

FJ was an instant get. I was kind of let down by the clue, since the category had me thinking that the clue would be a cool fact that I hadn't heard before. I precalled something about South Sudan, Kosovo, or North Korea.

I wouldn't call those "global hotspots" - in my mind I classify that as a spot that perpetually gives trouble over an extended period, like Northern Ireland, the Balkan peninsula or, the old standby, the Middle East. The Koreas have only been a source of perpetual strife in the last 65 years, and South Sudan and Kosovo have only been known as real trouble areas this century. None are quite "hot spots" yet.

Another boardie impressed by the champ here. Quite unassuming, but a force to be reckoned with. He'd make a good Canadian.

[Sage on the Hudson]

You realize you just retroactively cursed him to lose on Christmas Day? "Are there no taxis? Are there no consolation prizes?"

Rex

You should be buried with a stake of liederkranz through your heart.