Adam's Answer: Fiddler on the Roof? Adam, What the f_ were you thinking?
It's a good thing Polymarket wasn't taking bets on his answering Tuesday's clue correctly. I might have lost $5. I was sure he'd get it, considering all the other crap he had in his head to get where he did. But, a takeaway of $306,415 is hardly chump change, and he gets to be invited to the Tournament of Champions where there's even more money to be made.
The week started on Monday with Adam plowing through his challengers like Grant through Richmond. They almost needed a mercy rule. Adam was dressed in a new shirt/jacket combination that almost looked like he was going for the gangster look. No matter.
At one point Adam is playful, making you think he's going all in at $20,000+ when he says: "Ken, I'm all in...for $5" for one of his three Daily Doubles. Ken Jennings responds that he had him...and us.
Adam misses the answer at a $5 loss.
For Final Jeopardy Adam is again being playful, with a $214 bet. Ken Jennings explained at the start of Tuesday's show that the bet represented Adam's wife's birthday, Valentine's Day, 2/14, February 14. Get it? What a guy.
Tuesday's show started like they all do. In addition to Adam and Richard, there was Mandy Moreno, a social psychologist from Brooklyn, NY.
Adam forged ahead, with Richard exhibiting sharpness and the possibility that Adam might get in trouble. Mandy, like so many contestants, was the weak one, who, if she were a horse being commented on in the Daily Racing Form's past performances, would be described in the last race trouble line as: "No factor in a dull effort." She was at least around for Final Jeopardy, having no answer.
So, what was the clue in Final Jeopardy?
20th Century Novels
David Ben-Gurion called this 1958 book "as a piece of propaganda...the greatest thing ever written about Israel."
Adam is sitting at $20,800; Richard at $14,400; Mandy, no threat.
Adam and Richard each adopt the "Alex" gambit. Adam bets just enough to have a $1 edge over Richard should Richard double and get it right; Richard bets $6,401, enough to exceed Adam's total by $1 should Adam's bet gone sour.
Mandy has no answer. Richard weighs in with "Exodus" my own answer when I saw the clue in the morning in the NYT. My thoughts then were that Adam would certainly know the answer, and if I could, I'd bet on it.
I was right about the answer, but not right that Adam would get it. He weighs in with; "Fiddler on the Roof." SMH.
"Fiddler" was a long-running Broadway musical starring Herschel Bernardi, about the shtetls in Russia in the early 1900s. I remember when the very popular show was running. I also remember seeing a roofing truck at the time telling us he was "Fiedler on Your Roof." Ha-ha.
The late comedian Alan King remarked that he took his Jewish mother, who had immigrated from Russia, to the show and asked her afterward if it reminded her of the old country. She replied, "It was good, but I don't remember so much singing."
Down goes Adam, who smiles graciously, looking almost relieved, who then goes over to shake hands with Richard and Mandy.
Adam had one.
So Richard, tonight's category is: Names in Entertainment
Among his numerous accolades are 3 Tonys, 3 Emmys, 5 Grammys & A 2016 Pulitzer Prize.
Richard, good luck.
http://www.onofframo.blogspot.com
