Here are today’s Tournament of Champions contestants:
– Ashley Chan, a publicist from Lewisville, Texas;
– Cameron Berry, a data analyst and college administrator from Brighton, Massachusetts; and
– Paolo Pasco, a puzzle writer originally from San Diego, California.
Jeopardy!
SCOTTISH GEOGRAPHY EVERYWHERE // A BIBLICAL BESTIARY // PHRASES FROM SPORTS // MUSIC OF THE SPHERES // FROM THE MAGAZINE.COM // SOMEBODY CALL ME A DOCTOR!
DD1 – 800 – PHRASES FROM SPORTS – This 4-word phrase meaning “last minute” comes from stretching a cable across the finish lines in horse racing (Paolo doubled to 4,800.)
Scores at first break: Paolo 7,600, Cameron 2,800, Ashley 200.
Scores entering DJ: Paolo 9,200, Cameron 4,200, Ashley 800.
Double Jeopardy!
VICE PRESIDENTS // SELF-HELP THROUGH THE AGES // I’M YOUR ____BERRY // INVENTORS & INVENTIONS // PACIFIC NORTHWEST ENTERTAINMENT // “E” BEFORE “I”
DD2 – 1,600 – “E” BEFORE “I” – The great ice age occurred during this epoch that preceded the one we’re in now (Paolo improved by 6,000 to 16,400 vs. 5,400 for Cameron.)
DD3 – 1,200 – VICE PRESIDENTS – Nominating him at the convention, ex-VP Hubert Humphrey called this man “my personal friend & a truly great American” (Cameron doubled to 13,200 vs. 16,400 for Paolo.)
After Paolo and Cameron both scored on their DD in DJ, the battle was on, with Paolo coming out narrowly ahead into FJ at 24,800 vs. 22,000 for Cameron and 400 for Ashley.
Final Jeopardy!
BODIES OF WATER – This body of water with over 1/3 of the world’s marine mammals, like the Vaquita, has been called “the aquarium of the world”
Everyone was incorrect on FJ. Shockingly, Cameron bet nearly everything from a close second place, but he wouldn’t have won with a smaller bet as Paolo wagered 0 to advance with 24,800.
Final scores: Paolo 24,800, Cameron 801, Ashley 0.
Judging the writers: This was a Triple Stumper top-row clue: “‘Seal Spotlight: Avocado eco organic mattress topper’, which are words in an order I’ve never seen before”. In what universe do the writers live that they think this is obvious?
Correct Qs: DD1 – What is “down to the wire”? (Paolo said “just under the wire”, and after an apparent edit, it was accepted.) DD2 – What is Pleistocene? DD3 – Who was Mondale? FJ – What is the Gulf of California (or Sea of Cortez)?