Ken Jennings is rooting for James Holzhauer on Jeopardy!, but acknowledges it's different competing in the social media age

The Washington Post

"We are seeing history made in front of our eyes, the Jeopardy! equivalent of a basketball player notching 70-point games for an entire season or a baseball player hitting for the cycle in every game," Jennings writes in The Washington Post. He adds: "But I count my blessings that I own at least one Jeopardy! distinction that Holzhauer can’t touch: I appeared on the show before the dawn of social media. Holzhauer has been met every night by a barrage of hot takes about his streak: He’s 'broken the game.' He’s 'ruined the show.' He’s 'unfair' to his competitors, or 'boring' to watch. This very op-ed page has called him a 'menace to Jeopardy!,’ evoking mental images of angry newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson from the Spider-Man movies. 'Bring me pictures of James Holzhauer!' Yet Holzhauer’s play is blissfully unaffected by the online furor — because everyone is kibitzing about shows that actually taped months ago. I’m no Alex Trebek, but maybe I still have a little moral authority with Jeopardy! viewers. If so, please take it from me: The game will be fine."