Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

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MarkBarrett
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Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by MarkBarrett »

This field is sorted by money won in regular play.

Chuck Forrest (5) $72,800 (finals winner)
Harvey Becker (4) $55,400 (quarters)
Jay Rosenberg (5) $49,600 (semis)
Paul Rouffa (5) $46,100 (finals 2nd)
Mark Leinwand (4) $43,700 (quarters)
Beryl Arbit (4) $41,001 (semis)
Marvin Shinkman (4) $39,203 (finals 3rd)
Lionel Goldbart (4) $34,997 (semis)
Gary Giardina (5) $32,330 (semis)
Guy Tonti (4) $28,800 (quarters)
Donald Burgo (5) $26,180 (semis)
Jared Eisenstat (4) $26,098 (quarters)
Danny Green (4) $26,000 (quarters)
Eric Schoeck (4) 21,499 (quarters)
Gary Palmer (4) $18,400 (semis)

Gold chances for the 45: Chuck Forrest

Silver chances for the 45: Paul Rouffa

Bronze chances for the 45: Harvey Becker and Beryl Arbit

Copper chances for the 45: Gary Palmer, Gary Giardina and Mark Leinwand

Tin chances for the 45: Marvin Shinkman, Guy Tonti, Donald Burgo, Jared Eisenstat, Danny Green and Eric Schoeck

Deceased: Lionel Goldbart and Jay Rosenberg

Chuck Forrest is of course the stand out contestant from this field. When we last saw him in 2005 he came in third in his UTOC game as part of the Nifty Nine playing with a bye against players with a game's worth of experience. Chuck had 21 clues correct, so he still had skill remaining. I would like to think no matter where Chuck is now living and how busy he might be that he would be willing and able to accept an invite that must be coming his way.

Paul Rouffa posted on the Sony board around the time of the UTOC trying to gauge his chances of making the cut. His total was a little shy. It does not seem right that his last J! experience would be stuck in a 4-podium match of Super J! The powers should round him up.

Harvey Becker had was second in the field for money won even with just the four victories. In the TOC his QF exit was a surprise.

Beryl Arbit was the lone woman in the field and had two good games.

Gary Palmer has had hundreds of thousand of people see him on YouTube thanks to be in the fainting contestant clip. $18,400 was the low mark to get in the TOC, but he made the semis. He could add some color to the field especially if he still has his red blazer.

Gary Giardina played as an opera singer for his occupation. He made the semis of the TOC and finished in second most likely in his Super J! game against three other opponents.

Jeopardy! was one stop along the line for Mark Leinwand's game show rap sheet of success. I expected more from him than the QF exit in the TOC.

We can hope that Marvin Shinkman is still around and was able to submit a video greeting although there is pessimism due to his daughter posting on the Sony board a few years back that his health was not great. Marvin was great in the behind the scenes footage of a PBS P.O.V. program about the TOC called Wise Guys! At the other end of the spectrum was Eric Schoeck who came off as a foul-mouthed poor sport.
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by Bamaman »

Could you expand on your comments on Eric?
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by seaborgium »

Bamaman wrote:Could you expand on your comments on Eric?
I feel (expletive), but life goes on. I think I`ll go home and smoke a joint. Put that in your film!
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989 ... ontestants
Also, someone in the comments on this YouTube video mentions it, even though the commercial in the video is an ad for the first ToC.

I'd heard tell of a post-loss tantrum in that documentary, but never encountered names named.

Paul Rouffa's got to be the #2 pick after Chuck. I'd like to see Marvin Shinkman get another go (if health allows), particularly since he was the only surviving ToC finalist not to play in SJ!. I can justify Harvey Becker getting a nod for being an early record holder. Speaking of record holders, Donald Burgo has one that has stood almost three decades: an all-time low for a 5x champ of $26,180 that I think only Frank Hughes and J.J. Todor have gotten within $5,000 of (and only Paul Nelson among post-doubling 5xers has gotten within $10k of Donald's doubled total). And Gary Giardina's personality shines through in what little I've seen of him. I think TPTB could have been justified in bringing Beryl Arbit to SJ! instead of, say, Peggi Malys or Kate Waits.
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by dhkendall »

MarkBarrett wrote:At the other end of the spectrum was Eric Schoeck who came off as a foul-mouthed poor sport.
Hey, at least this wasn't nearly as bad as fellow 1996 competitor Barbara Lowe (who, being a 5-time winner, would also be on the list if not for her being, well, Barbara Lowe. She'd be on the "No chance in hell" list, right below tin, copper, plastic, cardboard, and newspaper.)
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by Woof »

dhkendall wrote:
MarkBarrett wrote:At the other end of the spectrum was Eric Schoeck who came off as a foul-mouthed poor sport.
Hey, at least this wasn't nearly as bad as fellow 1996 competitor Barbara Lowe (who, being a 5-time winner, would also be on the list if not for her being, well, Barbara Lowe. She'd be on the "No chance in hell" list, right below tin, copper, plastic, cardboard, and newspaper.)
I think that you forgot the even lower, manure level, below which you'll Ms. Lowe and Jeff Kirby.
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MarkBarrett
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by MarkBarrett »

Bamaman wrote:Could you expand on your comments on Eric?
I had to dig out the tape and figure out which VCR would handle it the best. The audio is scratchy, but it should add a little to the fine research Stefan already handled.

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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by slam »

Not sure where Chuck is these days, but he didn't show up at our 30th college reunion a few weeks ago (about 20% of the class did). On the hand, he wasn't mentioned in the list of deceased classmates (fortunately, still rather short).
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by Roadgeek Adam »

dhkendall wrote:
MarkBarrett wrote:At the other end of the spectrum was Eric Schoeck who came off as a foul-mouthed poor sport.
Hey, at least this wasn't nearly as bad as fellow 1996 competitor Barbara Lowe (who, being a 5-time winner, would also be on the list if not for her being, well, Barbara Lowe. She'd be on the "No chance in hell" list, right below tin, copper, plastic, cardboard, and newspaper.)
Barbara Lowe showed up incognito in the 1996 TOC? ;)
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by Jeff-thecdboy »

Looking at Eric Schoeck's quarterfinal game in the J-Archive, I see he missed a Daily Double near the end of DJ! that would have given him second place if he got it, and given that the leader missed FJ!, Eric likely would have won that game outright had he got that last DD correct.
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by TenPoundHammer »

I've heard a lot about this Barbara Lowe thing, but has anyone ever found any independent proof of this? It seems that if she really did what she did, that someone would've picked up on it somewhere. But all I've ever seen on her is forum postings. Not saying it didn't happen, but I'd love to see some independent proof of her shenanigans.
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by jeff6286 »

TenPoundHammer wrote:I've heard a lot about this Barbara Lowe thing, but has anyone ever found any independent proof of this? It seems that if she really did what she did, that someone would've picked up on it somewhere. But all I've ever seen on her is forum postings. Not saying it didn't happen, but I'd love to see some independent proof of her shenanigans.
Hey, it's been almost 6 months since you've asked this question. You're getting better.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1163&hilit=barbara&start=20#p57577
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by bpmod »

TenPoundHammer wrote:I've heard a lot about this Barbara Lowe thing, but has anyone ever found any independent proof of this? It seems that if she really did what she did, that someone would've picked up on it somewhere. But all I've ever seen on her is forum postings. Not saying it didn't happen, but I'd love to see some independent proof of her shenanigans.
Objection! Asked and answered.

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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by TenPoundHammer »

^ You're right, I forgot. But as I said in the linked thread:
Having actually bought a copy of the book, I think that Eisenberg was pulling a lot of stuff out of his ass. You'd think the Barbara Lowe thing would've picked up some media attention like the fugitive guy on Super Password, but I can't find ANY mention of Barbara Lowe outside a couple rumblings on the blogosphere and forumsphere. Also, Eisenberg's allegations of rigging the categories to favor more females smack of BS to me. Just sayin'.
Also:
My main concern was that I could find no other solid evidence of Barbara even having been on the game at all, under false pretenses or otherwise, but Seaborgium just remedied that.

Still, the other accusations Eisenberg makes in the book have me doubting his truthfulness. Especially the allegations that other writers would do last-second category swaps to tilt games in favor of female players — I've found no other proof of that, but I have found proof that Alex and others on staff denied said allegations.
I had forgotten that seaborgium found at least one valid mention, but I still hold to the Eisenberg book making my BS alarm go bererk.
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by MDaunt »

bpmod wrote:
TenPoundHammer wrote:I've heard a lot about this Barbara Lowe thing, but has anyone ever found any independent proof of this? It seems that if she really did what she did, that someone would've picked up on it somewhere. But all I've ever seen on her is forum postings. Not saying it didn't happen, but I'd love to see some independent proof of her shenanigans.
Objection! Asked and answered.

Brian
And answered again...viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1163&hilit=barbara&start=40#p57603
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by Austin Powers »

Man was Chuck Forrest special.
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by MDaunt »

Austin Powers wrote:Man was Chuck Forrest special.
Uncalled for?
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by Austin Powers »

MDaunt wrote:
Austin Powers wrote:Man was Chuck Forrest special.
Uncalled for?
I don't follow.
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by MDaunt »

Austin Powers wrote:
MDaunt wrote:
Austin Powers wrote:Man was Chuck Forrest special.
Uncalled for?
I don't follow.
It sounded like an insult. I must have misunderstood.
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by PRouf »

Hi Mark et al,

I appreciate the support, it would be nice to go back. I happened to speak to Marvin a couple of weeks ago; his daughter Myra found me on LinkedIn and gave me her parents' number. He sounded great! Still in the stamp business, but he felt dubious about getting chosen, plus he thinks he'd be too slow at 78.

Glad I found you guys, you always seem to know more than I do. I had been searching on the jeopardy.com board, but my goodness, that place has been taken over by a bunch of wingnuts.

Paul
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Re: Calling All TOCers Class of 1986

Post by Bamaman »

PRouf wrote: Glad I found you guys, you always seem to know more than I do. I had been searching on the jeopardy.com board, but my goodness, that place has been taken over by a bunch of wingnuts.

Paul
Thanks for coming here. Most of us were regular posters on the official Jeopardy board run b Sony. Then in 2011 the board got hacked and Sony shut it down for a time. Before it was revived, this place had started up and now this is our home. A few here post over there in an attempt to maintain sanity but it mostly serves as a source of amusement for us.
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