‘Jeopardy!’ Starts Internet Frenzy Over Missed ‘Basic’ Clue

Contestants on Jeopardy! have caused an uproar on the internet after no one could guess the answer to a $200 clue. Not only was the clue straightforward, but it was actually part of the beloved game show’s history. Keep reading to see what the clue was and why fans are so upset.

Jeopardy! Contestants Freeze On Easy $200 Clue

On Monday night, Amy Hummell scored her fourth win on Jeopardy!, reaching a total of $85,974. The ER doctor from Milwaukee, Wisconsin went up against Kirsten Lundquist and Ferdinand Percentie.

Before she won the episode, Amy and the other contestants encountered a clue that none of them could answer. What surprised fans was that the clue was literally part of Jeopardy! history.

Underneath the category “Greater Than, Less Than, or Equal To” for $200, the clue asked, “One statute mile is equal to this number of feet.”

The three contestants froze. Only Kirsten buzzed in to answer. She responded,” 1600,” which was incorrect. After several more moments of silence, Ken Jennings piped up with the right answer of “5280.”

Although Jeopardy! fans often groan over contestants missing top-row clues, this one was especially painful. This clue had a significant meaning to the show and its fans.

Viewers to Reddit to air their grievances about the contestants’ inability to answer this iconic clue. On Tuesday, one Reddit user started a thread titled, “5280? FIFTY TWO EIGHTY? Come on! Oof.”

Adding, “Wow, that’s a bad stand-and-stare. Not only is it a very basic fact, but it is also the very first Jeopardy clue.” The person continued to rant about the game show’s “origin story.” Apparently, the very first question ever asked on Jeopardy! was, “How many feet are in a mile?”

At the time, Merv Griffin was looking for an idea for a new game show. As he got on an airplane with his wife Julann, he started talking to her about his dilemma. She suggested a trivia-related program. Rigging scandals back in the 1950s made it impossible for Merv to pitch that kind of show. The network wouldn’t accept it.

So, Julann suggested that he pitch the show differently. Rather than asking contestants questions, they would be given the answer. Then they have to come up with the answer.

At first, Merv Griffin didn’t understand the concept. So, Julann said, “OK, the answer is ‘5,280.’” After thinking for a moment, “The question is, ‘How many feet in a mile?’” They went back and forth like this with answers and questions for the entire flight and Jeopardy! was born.

Fans Express Their Disbelief

Other fans were equally as surprised that none of the contestants answered the clue correctly, expressing their shock in the comment section.

“When the 5280 ‘answer’ came up, and one contestant gave a hard-to-believe response and the other two stonewalled it, I almost choked. Omigosh, it’s the first Jeopardy clue, ever!!” one person commented.

“Kinda surprised Ken didn’t comment, but it probably would have been hard to do without insulting the three,” another viewer pointed out. A third person chimed in, “The only thing I can think of is maybe the “statute mile” thing threw them. Maybe the contestants were worried it was something like a nautical mile and not 5280 ft.”

Yet another pointed out that the stage manager at Jeopardy!, whose name is Jimmy, usually tells the origin story of the show to the audience before they start filming that day’s episodes.

Amanda Blankenship is an overcaffeinated wife and mother. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her watching reality TV or a good, juicy drama series.

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