Static Zombie

I missed it. How did Eddie do?

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I found Eddie's pic at:

http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide_thisweek.php

Too bad he cannot play on 3/18 and kick the shit out of Ryan Seacrest...

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Eddie had an unfortunate string of incorrect responses which left him with insufficient funds to truly capitalize on the Daily Double he found early in Double Jeopardy, and then his main opponent got the second Daily Double. Eddie came back in the end to get within striking distance for Final Jeopardy and got the correct answer, but so did his main opponent. Eddie finished second.

Not being able to read the clues puts Eddie at a big disadvantage. His opponents are able to read ahead of Alex and spin up their brains before they have to buzz in. Eddie can't do that-- he's got to make an instant go/no-go decision. Sometimes Jeopardy clues sound like they're looking for one answer, only to take a sharp turn at the end of the clue and really ask for something else. The other contestants, by being able to skip ahead and see the in-clue hints and true meaning of the clue before Eddie, definitely have an edge. That Eddie became a five-time undefeated champ despite that disadvantage is remarkable.

It was fun watching, Eddie! Sorry you won't get to take a whack at Ken.

Now that I know I won't be spoiling anyone, I'll step into the thread.

First of all, thanks, Peter, for your kind words. As we are both gamers, you understand well that there is more to the game than simply knowing stuff. As you say, the decision on whether to take a shot has to be made in a split second. In my past performances on the show, I was usually able to come up with the correct response when I buzzed in, even when I didn't know it when I signaled. This technique, incidentally, isn't unique to me. Ken did it quite a few times during his run, I noticed. It's almost like one part of your brain says, "Go ahead, you know this." Then when you get in, another part of your brain has to access the right box in your memory where the answer is stored. I managed to make that work a few times in this game, but I made too many mistakes with it this time.

What really irked me was I positively knew that Lake Maracaibo was the biggest lake in Venezuela, but blurted out 'Titicaca' anyway. That was a $2K miss -- very costly in that, as you rightly noted, it killed my bankroll so I couldn't take full advantage of the very easy Daily Double I found later. I blame Beevis and Butthead.

The audio enhancement to the buzz-in system they put in for me worked quite well -- a bit too well at times since I had more misses, I think, than in all my prior appearances combined. It really helped with my timing when to ring in. It still didn't completely level the playing field, of course. My opponents can still read ahead on the clues. I suppose the only way to make that even would be to make them play blindfolded, but that wouldn't really be fair to them. They aren't accustomed to playing that way, after all, and I am. Still, I think the game was as fair as it could be. I was in a position where I could have won at the end. That's all I can ask.

Let me make this perfectly clear, though. Jonathan earned the victory. He got the Final he needed, and he got the Daily Double on Camus which I frankly don't think I'd have gotten.

I owe many thanks to the Jeopardy folks for giving me the opportunity to play again. Thanks are also in order for the Millionaire producers who determined I was free to participate in this tournament so soon after my appearance on their show. My most recent appearance on Jeopardy had been in 2002, well outside the required waiting period of a year when I was initially qualified for Millionaire last summer, and at that time I had no subsequent appearances on any other program scheduled. Still, it didn't hurt to check with them. The contestant coordinators and crew on both shows are absolutely top-notch.

My Mother & I admire Eddie so much and we have rooted for you Eddie everytime you have been on Jeopardy and Millionaire. Also, I knew immediately it was you when I heard your voice on the occasion of your being a phone-a-friend. I just wanted to let you know that you have two more very devoted fans. We think you are a precious person and extremely intelligent. Your recall and performance under such pressure are amazing. We think you are absolutely great!

Eddie is the best. My Mom and I just recently saw his apperance on Millionaire. We, too, were rooting very hard for Eddie. It's not just because he is at a disadvantage that everyone pulls for him as much as the do......it is because Eddie is such a good person. Looking forward to the next apperance Eddie. How 'bout The Price is Right???