WATCH: Jeopardy! Contestant Sets Off a Firestorm With Animated Reactions to His Winning Answers

Leia IdlibyMay 18th, 2021, 11:23 am
 

Jeopardy! contestant Ryan Bilger angered some viewers of the show’s yearly Tournament of Champions, as many found his intensity off putting.

The tournament kicked off on Monday — with Bilger, Jason Zuffranieri, and Sarah Jett Rayburn as the first night’s competitors. Bilger won the game and a berth in the semi-finals next week.

Despite his impressive victory, Bilger’s excitement throughout the game, mixed with his intense style, rubbed some viewers the wrong way.

Many Jeopardy! fans even took to Twitter to share their critiques, some slamming Bilger as “cocky and disrespectful” — prompting him to later apologize.

Some viewers also took issue with a comment Bilger made about going “for the kill” when answering a question:

“6,000, I’m going to go for the kill,” Bilger said at one point, after host Buzzy Cohen notified him of his $11,000 lead.

Bilger has since apologized for his intensity in a Twitter thread, explaining that he was “so excited to play” and had been waiting for two years, storing up “lots of pent-up energy.”

“So uh hi there. I see there’s a lot of people out there who are displeased with me after Jeopardy tonight,” he wrote, later adding, “Look, I get it. I had a ton of adrenaline flowing through my veins. I got a daily double on a piece of Pennsylvania history I’ve known since I was a child. I was playing better than I ever expected. Yes, I got pretty loud and excited.”

“I get that that’s not what many people want out of Jeopardy,” he wrote. “I’d take back the comment on the second DD if I could. I was just in the moment and so excited to play because I’d been waiting for it for 2 years and had lots of pent-up energy. Not saying it’s a valid excuse, but yeah.”

Bilger explained that he spoke to his competitors and they have “no problems” with him, adding that they understand the excitement that comes with being in a competitive space.

“For everyone else, hey, sorry that I ruined your Jeopardy watching night,” he added. “I get it. If you want to make imputations about my character, then fine, but you can do it to my face. I know who I am and this TOC field is an amazing group of people and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

His closing message? “See you next week through the TV, whether you like me or hate me.”

Despite the backlash, Bilger had at least one person in his corner, former Jeopardy! champion Austin Rogers, who encouraged the current contestant to “get amped.”

“Dude. Get amped,” he wrote. “Best feeling on Earth is nailing FJ without having to just to show you did. You killed. Can’t wait to see how this turns out.”

Watch above, via KTVK.

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