Dec. 9, 2004
By Katie Kerr
Staff Writer

It was a sad day for all Ken Jennings fans on Tuesday, November 29 as his 74 day winning streak came to a screeching halt. Jeopardy hit it big this season when they changed the rules saying that a contestant could now play until they lost.

The ratings were up 22% thanks to “the whiz” Jennings, a 30-year-old software engineer from Utah, debuted on the show June 2. Over the course of his “15 minutes of fame” Jennings broke records and became a pop culture icon.

He now holds the title of ‘top TV game show winner’ with his winnings totaling $2,520,700. Jennings lost to California real estate agent Nancy Zerg in final jeopardy with a final score of Jennings $8,799 and Zerg $14,001.

The final jeopardy category was business and industry. The question that ended Jennings run was: “Most of this firm’s 70,000 seasonal white-collar employee’s work only four months a year.” Zerg’s correct answer of, “What is H&R Block?” put her ahead as Jennings answered with an incorrect answer of, “What is FedEx?” Because of all the publicity that H&R block is receiving they have offered Jennings free tax preparation for life.

Overall Jennings answered 2,700 correct responses, thanks to his remarkable knowledge and extraordinary skill for when to hit the buzzer at the right moment.
Jennings’ average daily intake was $34,063.51.

There were five times that he won $52,000 in a show, and shattered his own record with a $75,000 win.

Jenning’s plans with his new prize money include donating ten percent to his church, and a European vacation. Jennings is even busier now as he has a book deal, and will be appearing on numerous shows this week including ‘David Letterman’ and ‘Live! with Regis and Kelly.’

Back to the SPORTS-PAGE or "The Buzz" HOMEPAGE