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Dan · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2003 7:39 pm Post subject: T&F on Jeopardy

First, let me say that Jeopardy contestants usually do not fare too well in sports categories unless it's baseball, but this was just plain ridiculous today. Track & Field was one of the categories in the first round, and they of course left it till last. Questions in order, as best I can remember them:

Q: Between '64 (?) and '99, the women's record in this event dropped from just under 3.5 hours to just under 2.5 hours.
A: Marathon - got this one right

Q: Randy Barnes set the record in this event at 75' x" (10?) ... still stands today.
A: Shot Put - no one rang in

Q: This country's Haile Gebrsalassie was T&FN's athlete of the year in (can't remember the two years listed).
A: Ethiopia - first person guessed Kenya

Q: Thomas Dvorak of Czechlosovokia set the world record of 899x points in this event.
A: Decathlon - no one rang in

Q: This Soviet pole vaulter was number one in the world for 11 straight years.
A: Sergey Bubka - no one rang in

Wow. If not for the first question which had to be super obvious to any segment of the general populace, they basically would have been completely clueless to some of the easiest questions the sport can offer up. And we wonder if T&F has a marketing problem... Yes, kicking all the drug users and top performers out of the sport will certainly increase viewership and awareness. Rolling Eyes

Dan
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Ducks Fan · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2003 9:41 pm Post subject:

Well, the type of contestants on Jeopardy don't really scream 'T&F Fans' to me. Sure, it's easy for us to say "What morons!" in the T&F category, but I don't think we'd have the best of luck in the '19th century poets' category (at least I wouldn't). I don't really watch Jeopardy much anymore because Friends is on at the same time. I remember a few months ago watching the second round and saying "Woah, now the price values of the questions have doubled!".
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Dan · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2003 10:29 pm Post subject:

Like I said, Jeopardy contestants are weaker in the sports categories than others, but this was beyond sad. Anyone with the slightest shred of knowledge about the sport -- and these are very well read people in all walks of daily news -- would have gotten at least a couple of those questions right. It just goes to show how far removed from mainstream consciousness T&F is. That's where the focus of the sport's governing bodies ought to lie.

Dan
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Micah Ward · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2003 4:31 pm Post subject:

If there had been a question about P Diddy and the New York Marathon they would have got that. Sad

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Dan · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2003 5:37 pm Post subject:

Exactly. The sport has zero presence. Sad

Even USATF acknowledged that by naming P Diddy USATF athlete of the week.

Dan
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Conway · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2003 10:50 am Post subject:

Yes ... Its quite a sad state of affairs ... I am impressed that Jeopardy did include it as a category at all though .... But maybe the P Diddy question should have been thrown in just for effect ...

But I would imagine that the same level of awareness would have been there had the category been soccer or gymnastics ... At least I hope so ...
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Dan · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2003 11:41 am Post subject:

Possibly, but I'm thinking they would have at least had better guesses from among the most well known examples from those sports. I mean, these are people that study languages and names and they thought Haile Gebrsalassie sounds Kenyan???

Dan
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Dan · Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 7:36 pm Post subject:

Well, maybe it's not just T&F. Question on Jeopardy tonight:

Category: People
Answer: It's great to be a billionairre. This Microsoft co-founder is also the owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trailblazers.

One person got it wrong, the other two didn't ring in. Surprised

Dan
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Paul · Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 7:43 pm Post subject:

If I owned the Blazers and the Seahawks, I wouldn't ring in either! Surprised

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Dan · Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 7:56 pm Post subject:

The Blazers, most definitely. The Seagulls, er, Seahawks, at least had one of their best seasons of the past 2 decades. Nothing to be embarrased about there, other than the QB not knowing when to keep his trap shut.

Dan
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Ducks Fan · Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 9:21 pm Post subject:

Dan · Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 9:59 pm Post subject:

It's only confidence (vs. cockiness) if you win... Otherwise, it's just plain stupid.

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