POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

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What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Good idea
35
63%
Better to wait until the roster is full of worthy champs
21
38%
 
Total votes: 56

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Robert K S
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POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by Robert K S »

Jeopardy! Executive Producer Michael Davies announced that henceforth, the Tournament of Champions will air annually in November. This raises questions, in a sky's-the-limit era, where each season might have only a small handful of 5+ time champions. Will it be good competition to fill out a ToC slate with those who did not win a customary minimum number of games? (Historically 5, although 3- and 4-timers have been ToC contestants and winners.) Davies' message even seemed to open the doors to having non-champions participate in the tournament. What do we think?
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by triviawayne »

Non champions only if there’s a tournament of losers to superchamps for one slot in the TOC.
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by econgator »

Robert K S wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 5:50 pm Davies' message even seemed to open the doors to having non-champions participate in the tournament.
Kinda pointless calling it a Tournament of Champions, then -- just wait until you can fill the slots (and maybe think about going back to a limit, say 20 games?).
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by Lefty »

I think the ToC has lost its mojo in the STL era. As you suggest, an abundance of superduperchamps may not allow for enough 1-day winners to fill out the lineup but even failing that, a 2 or 3 day champ could get lucky and win over a couple of 30-game winners and than it's like the NHL without even the hope of a bench-clearing brawl.

If I'm pressed for a yes or a so, I guess I still say yes but I think the standards for qualifying should be set in advance and adhered to.
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by MarkBarrett »

It's gone both ways over the years with November annual and it happens when the powers decide it happens.

I'm fine with trying each November. Perhaps this way all the expected players will be alive and free?

For this cycle there are 10 with 4x and above including the Professors winner.

My preference would be wins are still more important than money so a 4xer with $75,000 is ranked higher than a 3xer with $105,000.

If the field has spots to include 3-time champs that is okay by me and I do not feel it is necessary to say you have to win at least 4 to make the tournament.

Let's say the field for Nov. 2022 has 13 players with 4 wins and above closer to ToC taping time. I would not want to see Josh at 3 wins taken just because he almost beat Matt. I would not want to see Lucy & Emily included to make the gender ratio a little more balanced. I would not want to see Kelly excluded just because of what he did or did not do.

Instead, go crazy and bring another Professor player such as a finalist who did not win? How about even dip into the semis for someone who was the most fun though not top 3?

What else would blow up the Internet? A trivia winner from some outside the U.S. show? Robert mentions a non-winner. Yeah, someone who made a good showing but did not win? Make that a separate thing.

I'm also okay with trying a new format whether fewer players or more players. Not so many qualifiers then 9 with three semis and a 2-day final. Too many? Then 18 or even 27. Win or out with no wildcards?

Players do well on the show and get to return. That's fun for fans. All the speculating about the unknown due to the J! powers playing cards close to the vest? It can be annoying.

My vote is good idea.
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by Volante »

Yes, because isn't that what the 8pm slot is for now?
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by Robert K S »

Volante wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 6:31 pm Yes, because isn't that what the 8pm slot is for now?
I assume you're saying that the ToC will air in primetime rather than in syndication? It's possible, but as some have pointed out, that could cause the subscribing syndicated channels to become disgruntled.
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by bluejaylink »

Good idea.

Even if you don't get all 5-day champs on the tourney roster they have already broken the seal on official Jeopardy analytics with the recent boxscore stuff.

I'm sure they could easier use those kinds of stats to add a few worthy candidates who didn't make it to 5 wins. I don't think the quality of competition would fall at all. I think we all know that there are plenty of very strong players who don't get 5 wins.
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by triviawayne »

Robert K S wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 6:41 pm
Volante wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 6:31 pm Yes, because isn't that what the 8pm slot is for now?
I assume you're saying that the ToC will air in primetime rather than in syndication? It's possible, but as some have pointed out, that could cause the subscribing syndicated channels to become disgruntled.
have the ratings been historically higher for any tournaments? Plus, if tournaments haven't been in sweeps weeks, that won't matter anyway.
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by Robert K S »

triviawayne wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 8:05 pm have the ratings been historically higher for any tournaments? Plus, if tournaments haven't been in sweeps weeks, that won't matter anyway.
Tournaments have pretty much always been aired during sweeps, so I presume the answer to your first question is yes, but my sense (without going back and looking at the numbers) is that runs have brought better ratings than special tournaments.
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by tddeveryday »

There are probably worthy 3 and 4-game winners in every ToC cycle. In the current cycle, I wish they would include Lucy Ricketts, Emily Sands, and Josh Saak, but I don't think that's happening. In James Holzhauer's cycle, there were a lot of excellent 4xers who failed to qualify.

The only thing that worries me about a ToC every November is that the number of actual champions since Matt Amodio's run started has been small. I like that Losers Tournament that people keep bringing up, but the idea of including a non-winner in the Tournament of Champions doesn't sit right with me. We have good, worthy 3xers waiting in the wings thanks to season 37, but what if season 38 was its own cycle? Would we even reach 15 champions by the end of the season? Based on the way things are going right now, I'm not sure.

Overall, I strongly approve of a ToC every November. Season 38 is an aberration. I don't think this is the new normal.
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by threearruda »

I voted yes, but I don't mind either option, honestly.

I liked the feel of the May ToC last year, and certainly extending qualifying periods boosts the quality of the field in some (if not most) instances.

On the other, I like having clear marks for a qualifying period, and a yearly ToC means more of the best players get to appear. The 2019 ToC had over a half-dozen 4-day champs left out that, I assume, would have qualified in a yearly structure. And if the concern is not filling a field with enough quality champions.. 7-9 teams have made the NFL playoffs. Sub .500 teams made the NBA playoffs when I was growing up, sometimes it just plays out like that.
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by jeopardyfan939 »

Robert K S wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 5:50 pm Jeopardy! Executive Producer Michael Davies announced that henceforth, the Tournament of Champions will air annually in November. This raises questions, in a sky's-the-limit era, where each season might have only a small handful of 5+ time champions. Will it be good competition to fill out a ToC slate with those who did not win a customary minimum number of games? (Historically 5, although 3- and 4-timers have been ToC contestants and winners.) Davies' message even seemed to open the doors to having non-champions participate in the tournament. What do we think?
I kind of agree that having an annual ToC every November might not be ideal in the sky's-the-limit era, especially in a scenario where there are almost back-to-back super-champions. But there have been occasions in the STL era where there was a ToC in November in consecutive seasons; and at the same time, there were special reunion tournaments held during milestone seasons, which is another reason for not having the ToC every year/season.

Since the 5-day limit was lifted in 2003:

- There was no ToC in Season 20
- In Season 21, the 2004 ToC was held two weeks after the season premiere, and then we had the UToC from February to May 2005
- The Season 22 ToC aired in May 2006
- No ToC in Season 23
- The Season 24 ToC was held in November 2007
- During Season 25, the ToC aired in March of 2009 as it was taped at that year's CES
- The Season 26 ToC aired in May 2010, right after the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational
- No ToC in Season 27; instead we had the inaugural Teachers Tournament
- Season 28 ToC was November 2011
- Season 29 ToC aired February 2013
- No ToC in Season 30 because of the Battle of the Decades Tournament
- Season 31 ToC was November 2014
- Season 32 ToC was November 2015, the most recent time there was a ToC in November in consecutive seasons
- No ToC in Season 33
- Season 34 ToC aired November 2017
- No ToC in Season 35 because of the All-Star Games
- Season 36 ToC was November 2019
- last season's ToC aired May 2021

While I like the idea of having a tournament in November, I think there should be some seasons where it's a ToC and others where it's a College Championship or Teen Tournament
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Re: POLL: What do we think of having an annual ToC?

Post by yclept »

Good idea, though it will give us some 3x and possibly even 2x possibilities depending on how each 12-month cycle goes. For this cycle, the website has ten qualifiers listed. I don’t know what the format of the college tournament is (36 players, $250,000 prize), but one has to assume they will pluck the winner from that if it is a tournament that comes down to one winner instead of a team. So, they need four or five more qualifiers to emerge over the next several months. Assuming Amy doesn’t completely destroy Ken’s records, one has to assume a few more 4x players will reveal themselves….
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