f13.net

I'd taken to downloading episodes here and there to watch this guy in action. While this is all speculation - is it POSSIBLE he had an off night? I mean he seemed like even on an off-night he was just unstoppable. My only thought is that someone in the same job type came on the show and beat him. Some trivia proofreader from Wisconsin or something. We all know how those cheeseheads hate mormons, rite?

Edit: BBcode and all that

I hope it is just a rumor- it has been pretty fun watching him pwn his opponents. I have a few Tivo'ed that I haven't seen yet, so I will have to catch up tonight in case it IS his last show.

And here's the question that took him down: (http://www.kottke.org/04/09/ken-jennings-final-jeopardy-question)

Subject: Companies and Corporations. The Answer: This company has a workforce of 17000 people, whose average working year is only 4 months long.

I have no clue what the answer is. But was it a final jeopardy question? He's missed questions before and was still $40,000 ahead of the next guy. I mean the trail of corpses he left in his wake was just awe-inspiring. Wtf was so special this time? Or maybe he was just tired of jeopardy.

I don't know, but I'll take a guess...What is the NFL, Alex?

Bring the noise.
Cheers............

That's a damn fine guess... I originally thought the NBA or MLB but they're seasons are too long.  

I think you may have dethroned the champ.

I don't think that is the right answer. Counting training camps and preseason, the season is a little over 5 months for the players and coaches, plus extra time for preperation. The NFL roster is 53(?) players plus practice squad players, so lets call it 70 players total, add in coaches and you get (lets be generous here), 90 people. 90 people x 32 teams = 2880 people. Now obviously that doesn't include the front office type people, however their work doesn't end when the season does. So the front office people would blow the 4 month average completely out of the water since they are going to be the majority of the workforce.

Not to mention the fact that it is not actually the NFL that employs the players and coaches, each team is a seperate entity.

Is there a union for people who just "Work" the NFL. I'm sure they start a month later (run the stadiums, etc). Also, what about the NHL? I don't actually think any of this has to do with sports though. I think it's deadly easy and we're just missing it completely.

No, the people who run the stadiums are usually affiliated with the home team and they are usually outsourced. For example, the concession people will often work every season for different sports because most of them are contracted from a single company in the city. So you may have one guy selling peanuts during the baseball season who will be selling beer during the football season.

These people aren't part of the NFL, they are part of a seperate concession company who are contracted by the team.

A co-worker of mine came up with a lightning-fast response of H&R Block, but I've as of yet been unable to verify. It's the best answer I've heard yet.

Frankly I find it odd that it ended if it did at show 75. Could be just random chance but it is also possible that he just threw one at a set point so he could get back to his life after he has made a couple million dollars.


kaid

There are things H&R block do all year round. Though, I'd never even thought of taxes.

The fact that some of them work all year may offset the fact that a good many of them work only 3.5 months, (January 1 - April 15) bringing the average to about 4 months. I know the H&R offices in my area are dark and empty during the off season.

Hmm, it does say 'average working year.' Anyway, I'm jonesing to see this episode because I want to see if he just 'gave up' or was dethroned by some kind of trivia mastermind. Like that guy with the giant brain in that episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

H&R block is a great answer!

No sports organization really makes sense I think. NFL, MLB, etc actual employees work pretty much year round. Developing schedules, setting up TV deals, negotiating, etc. And as others have pointed out, players and other team personell are not employees of the overall organization.

It must be something seasonal. I was thinking something like summer-only amusement parks, migrant workers...something to that effect....

The problem there was I couldn't think of an individual company. It must be something seasonal, dominated by one well known company. H&R Block sounds pretty damn good to me.

I'll take Poorly Managed MMOG Studios for $1000 to finish the category.

Just thought I'd bring back this thread since I have some disturbing Jeopardy! news (http://thousandrobots.com/blog/archives/2004/11/jeopardy_colleg.php).

hrrm should I cringe or laugh.....

You could craugh or linge.

And then Alex slapped the living shit out of him, and all was right with the world.

Actually, it is a pity this wasn't an SNL skit so Sean Connery could have chimed in.

Zerg rush! (http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/30/tv.jennings.ap/index.html)

Being beaten by an actress named Zerg is yet another example of why life is just so beautiful. You can't make this shit up.

I am gonna miss Jennings. We have almost nothing in common, but I respected his game and he seemed like an ok sort of fella.

I'm sure the church is happy to get its 250k.

Oops, the title of this thread didn't jump out at me as being Jeopardy related, sorry about the other thread.

Good call on the H&R block.