Ego Check

Contestants blanking on a Packers question in front of Aaron Rodgers might be the Jeopardy! fail of the century

The relationship between contestants on Jeopardy! and sports questions is a lot like that of the Buffalo Bills and a Super Bowl trophy. Which is to say elusive. (Sorry, Buffalo, and contestants, who are unquestionably smarter than any of us here but for all their collective brilliance continue to inexplicably confound when it comes to matters of sport).

Take last night’s episode as only the latest example.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers continued his guest-hosting duties on Tuesday. Two clues into the game, a $400 one under the category of Title Waves read, “In the 1960s these Midwesterners earned 5 NFL Championship trophies.”

Blank stares ensued.

Never mind that there are only a handful of NFL teams in the midwest. Or that the Packers are the league’s most storied franchise and its equivalent of the New York Yankees (sorry, probably a bad analogy for the aforementioned group). Even without knowing much if anything about sports, one might consider the guy asking the question: The Packers quarterback for the last 16 years.

Perhaps a setup, or better yet, the ultimate troll, after no one even gave it a shot, the exasperated Rodgers held up his hands and replied, “The Green Bay Packers?!”

He didn’t stop there. The next clue chosen read, “They swept over the NBA, winning the title every year from 1959 to 1966.” Incredibly, someone got this one right, replying, “Who are the Boston Celtics?”

Which, of course, only miffed Rodgers even more, with him quipping, “Oh, you know that one, huh?”

Well done, A-Rod, and well done Erick for correctly guessing the Celtics. Don’t get used to the quarterback’s sarcasm, though. His stint as host ends on Friday. He’s got a day job to get back to. In Green Bay.