Jeopardy!
Traina Thoughts: James Holzhauer's Spoiled 'Jeopardy!' Loss Gets Same Ratings as NBA Finals
1. Spoilers DO pay off.
While the Internet and Twitter were losing their minds over last night's Jeopardy! results being spoiled, it all paid off in the end for the show.
The end of James Holzhauer's historic streak was leaked Sunday night. By Monday morning, major outlets had reported the results and all hell broke loose since most of the country had to wait until 7 p.m or 7:30 p.m. local time to watch the show. And guess what? Despite knowing Holzhauer finally lost, the country still tuned in.
That 10.1 rating is the same number the Raptors and Warriors got for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Game 2 drew a 10.2 rating. Yes, the NBA Finals ratings are skewed because the Toronto market doesn't rate in the United States, but the fact remains that Monday's Jeopardy! rated the same as the 2019 NBA Finals.
Here's the thing about spoilers: People hate them, but they generate buzz. For the past few weeks, the country had been talking about Jeopardy! at night—during and after the show. Monday, the country was talking about Jeopardy! all day long. And that momentum led to more curiousity.
As for the end of the episode leaking on Sunday, the Washington Posthas full details on what may have happened and a response from Jeopardy! producers.
2. As for Holzhauer's defeat, most people can take a lesson from Jeopardy James on how to lose gracefully.
Holzhauer has offered no excuses while heaping praise on the person who beat him, Emma Boettcher.
And as far as the ridiculous conspiracy theories from people who think James lost on puprose, he swatted them down perfectly.
3. Todd Gurley says he doesn't have Drake's number in his phone because the rapper is bad luck. But the better part of this clip is when the Rams running back is asked who is the most famous person in his phone.
4. It's always dangerous when you say, "Nobody cares about..." However, I'm gonna do that right now. Nobody cares about the MLB draft. So when ESPN's Jeff Passan tried to act like he was covering the NBA draft last night and tipped picks as if sports fans across America were waiting with baited breath for them, it was sad.
5. This video is from Saturday, but I just saw it this morning. WWE's Finn Balor giving an interview while, let's just say, feeling good, at the Liverpool-Tottenham game and then revealing that he was dating the reporter interviewing him was pretty humorous.
6. The newest SI Media Podcast features an interview with Washington Post sports media reporter Ben Strauss. Topics that I covered with Ben include the sale of Sports Illustrated, the weird way ESPN and Stephen A. Smith handled Baxter Holmes's feature story on Magic Johnson, and the increasing presence of Stephen A. Smith everywhere. We also touched on the bizarre stance that ESPN keeps taking about "covering politics."
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play.
7. One of my best friends from college wrote a book about seeing every stadium/arena for every MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL team. Check it out on Amazon. There are even a few stories about me in the book!
8. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: If you're a fan of The Office, you will love this.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on iTunes, Spotify or Google Play. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.
IN CLOSING: The entire Warriors team is hurt and they're still 5.5 point favorites Wednesday.
