‘Jeopardy!’ champs vow to boycott champions tournament. ‘If you are out, I am out’
When the No. 2 seed in the upcoming “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions” said he would boycott the event, he quickly had company.
“Thank you for taking this stand. If you are out, I am out,” Ben Chan, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, replied to Ray Lalonde.
Others followed, and now several of the top entries in the “Tournament of Champions” say they will not compete.
Why? According to Lalonde, the show is preparing to film the next “Jeopardy!” season with recycled material while the Writers Guild of America strike continues.
Writers have been on strike since early May, and the stoppage does not appear to be ending anytime soon. Their demands include higher pay and better residuals.
Lalonde called the opportunity to compete in the champions tournament “a dream come true,” but said he will not take part as long as the writers are striking.
“I believe that the show’s writers are a vital part of the show and they are justified in taking their job action to secure a fair contract for themselves and their fellow WGA members,” Lalonde, who won 13 “Jeopardy!” matches, said in a Reddit post.
“As a supporter of the trade union movement, a union member’s son and a proud union member myself I have informed the show’s producers that if the strike remains unresolved I will not cross a picket line to play in the tournament of champions,” he continued.
“Jeopardy!” has not confirmed it would be using recycled material for its next season.
Cris Pannullo, the No. 1 seed in the tournament after winning 21 straight episodes, joined Lalonde in the boycott.
“I fully agree with his stance and will not participate in any games comprised of recycled clues while the WGA strike is in effect,” Pannullo said in the Reddit post.
Others boycotting include Hannah Wilson and Troy Meyer. The five who said they will not compete are among the tournament’s top six seeds.
“Jeopardy!” writers Michelle Loud, Jim Rhine and Billy Wisse joined the WGA pickets in May, Variety reported. Wisse told the outlet it’s their wish to be “fairly compensated.”
“Our words are on the screen every night,” Loud told Variety. “There is no ‘Jeopardy!’ without writers. Without us it’s just an empty blue screen.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported “Jeopardy!” will return Sept. 11, but it’s unclear if it will have new episodes. Amy Schneider won last year’s “Tournament of Champions,” which aired in November.
This story was originally published July 24, 2023 at 2:16 PM with the headline "‘Jeopardy!’ champs vow to boycott champions tournament. ‘If you are out, I am out’."