Ottawa clue stumps Jeopardy! contestants
If you caught 'Jeopardy!' Tuesday night, you probably knew the correct response to the final clue.
The Final Jeopardy category was world capitals, and the two players remaining were given a clue that likely had Ottawa fans shouting at their TVs.
The clue, as read by host Ken Jennings: “An annual event called Winterlude includes skating on the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in this city.”
At this point, most Ottawa viewers, including CTV’s Patricia Boal, were probably screaming the correct response.
But both contestants were stumped. The first, Genesis Whitlock, said Paris. Then five-time champion Amy Schneider said Amsterdam.
Mayor Jim Watson says he wasn't surprised the contestants were stumped on the final question.
"It was blasphemy on their part that they didn’t even know what the capital of Canada was and that we have this amazing canal that you can skate on in the winter and boat on in the winter," said Watson.
Ottawa's Andrew Thomson, a two-time Jeopardy! champion, said he could have only dreamed of such an easy clue.
"I think I would have felt a deep sigh of relief before he even finished reading that clue as I could write Ottawa down," he said.
Even Jennings, the record-holder for the longest Jeopardy! winning streak, had a possible slip-up.
In response to the ‘Paris’ guess, he said, “No, the name is French, but it’s not Paris.”
The origin of Ottawa’s name is not French. It comes from the Algonquin word ‘Adawe,’ which means ‘to trade.’
However, it's possible Jennings was referring to the name 'Rideau Canal,' rather than Ottawa itself.
The late longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek was a huge Ottawa booster. He graduated from the University of Ottawa, later donating millions of dollars to his alma mater. A building on campus now bears his name, and he would often return to the capital for visits.
Andy Saunders of TheJeopardyFan.com suggests the clue tripped up the contestants.
"I think that the show deliberately wrote that clue and category the way it did in order to potentially trip up the contestants," Saunders said. "And I believe they were certainly successful in doing that."
- with files from Dave Charbonneau, CTV News Ottawa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.