It has been difficult to find the proper replacement for Alex Trebek as the host of Jeopardy. Since his departure in 2020, the search has continued, with quite a few stars trying to fill the giant shoes. A hot favorite among them has been Ken Jennings, who has shared the space alongside Mayim Bialik. Recently, Jennings’ final Jeopardy answer as a contestant had a humorous revisit.
For those who do not remember, Ken Jennings was one of the most historic players to have appeared on the game show. He had appeared for 74 games consecutively and had earned a whopping $2.5Mn. The legendary run took place in 2004 over just half a year. As such, Jennings still holds Jeopardy’s second-longest winning streak.
The Final Jeopardy Answer Of Jennings
So, how did it all end back in 2004? His answer for the Final Jeopardy round was incorrect. The hint for the answer was: “Most of this firm’s 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only 4 months a year.” Jennings’ incorrect answer was FedEx – marking the end of his enormous winning streak. Nancy Zerg, the other contestant, had answered correctly – H&R Block. The results had left Zerg surprised and thrilled and Jennings remorseful.
Since then, nearly two decades have passed. Surely, that is enough time for Jennings to somewhat come to terms with his mistake. However, a recent contestant dug up that memory while he hosted Jeopardy. This time, the clue for the Final Jeopardy round was: “Adjusted for inflation, the nightly rate this company put in its name in 1962 is now $51.” This might not have been the most difficult Final Jeopardy question, but still, only 2 of the 3 contestants wrote the proper answer – Motel 6.
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The story behind Motel 6 is quite simple. In 1960, two commercial real estate contractors decided to take their families on a road trip across the country. However, back then, the leisure tourist did not have access to affordable lodging that was also consistent in quality. This revelation dismayed the two contractors at the time and spurred them to create a motel that not only had an affordable price but also clean and comfortable rooms. At the time, a room was only 6 dollars a night. Today, prices can vary wildly depending on demand. The brand is the United States’ biggest owner/operator in the economy segment.
The Witty And Unexpected Surprise
The one contestant who got it wrong was also, coincidentally, the leader and the eventual winner – Brian Chang. Now, just to clarify, he did know the answer, but he was so far in the lead that victory was sealed. So he took the chance to make the proceedings a bit more enjoyable. So he wrote H&R Block – the one answer Jennings got wrong!
Jennings was going to read Chang’s answer last. When he reached it, Chang could be seen nodding his head, signaling his awareness of the incorrect answer. However, it still caught Jennings a bit off-guard. However, he took in the exact professional stride which has made him a fan favorite. Jennings immediately responded: “I know from experience H&R Block is sometimes the right answer but not today. Even though you brought back some bad memories for me, you’re still going to go home with $13,201.” One of the more memorable Final Jeopardy rounds for sure!
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Sources
- “‘Jeopardy!’ contestant trolls Ken Jennings with hilarious wrong answer” Yahoo! Entertainment. January 2021.
- “Travel through the years to see where we started and learn where we’re going..” 6 Jobs