I'll take Dumb Bets for 2000, Alex

I don't know if anyone else is watching the Jeopardy Ultimate Tournament of Champions. It's a fun idea -- take dozens of the best five-day champs (including Al Lin and Mark Dawson, both former academic team compatriots of mine), and have them fight it out for the right to challenge Ken Jennings. And the first few matches have had some great competitors (including a DVDverdict.com editor who also collects comic art winning his round, meaning that there's the possibility of two comics/movie nerds in the final round), some heartbreaking moments (two competitors blew the name of "All Quiet on the Western Front"), and, yesterday, the dumbest move I've seen from a Jeopardy veteran.

Here's the situation: With on question left, contestant A has $12,600. Contestant B has $6000. Contestant C has $2400 (my numbers may not be exactly accurate, but the reflect the situation -- B needs that last question to get within 50% of A, and C has no chance in hell).

C has one way to have a chance of winning: to not answer the question, let B get it, and hope that the resulting final round bets allow her to sneak away with a win. The one thing that C simply should not do is buzz in, as an answer by C basically hands the round right to A.

So what does C do? Answers the final question.

Final Jeopardy time, and A, of course, gets the question wrong. Which doesn't matter, since A had a victory locked up. B and C both get the question correct. This means, in hindsight, that C was toast no matter what. But she didn't know that, and there's no saying that B, given the extra pressure of having to bet against A to win, wouldn't have choked.

Yes, Jeopardy is primarily a game of knowledge and speed, but there is strategy involved, and you'd think that the folks in the UTOC would be top notch at it.

Could be worse. No one has pulled a Claven. Yet.

Health update

Went to the doctor this morning, where he told me that Jesus would call me to Him unless you all donate $40 million within 30 days that it's probably a virus that'll run its course within a few days, but they took some cultures (leaving me more culturally deprived than usual) just in case. In the meantime, I'm on the old chicken soup and rest prescription. I feel pretty good right now, but then again, I felt good at this time yesterday, and by 9 PM I'd hit a fever of 103 (insert your own "Hot Blooded" joke here).