The popular game show Jeopardy! has given us no shortage of joy over the years, what with Alex Trebek and his signature delivery and an endless cavalcade of contestants who alternately exhibit both the best of the human mind’s remarkable capabilities and how too narrow of an educational experience can result in some hilarious cultural blind spots.
For instance, we’ve seen over the show’s decades-long run how folks with amazing proficiency in the areas of science and math sometimes don’t fare too well when it comes to music, sports, and pop culture. But because this is a competition not just based on subject-matter knowledge, but on a willingness to be bold and swing for the fences to gain a leg up on their opponents, the results are mixed to say the least.
On Friday night, a gentleman named Kris didn’t hesitate to buzz in on a clue about a certain 76ers guard who became the shortest MVP in league history in 2001 and was also named All-Star MVP in the East that year. Most hoops fans know The Answer, so to speak, but it apparently wasn’t so obvious for Kris.
r u kidding me pic.twitter.com/Xu6CgwuNoC
— earl simmons (@iamsamkeller) October 25, 2019
In Kris’ defense, this is the perfect example of someone who’s not really a basketball fan but is generally aware that a person named Muggsy Bogues was a historically short NBA player at some point and just going for it. This is actually how you’re supposed to play the game. Just don’t tell Sixers fans that.
