Transcript 10/26/2010 Michael Rooney (BB: MRooney)

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Michael Rooney (BB: MRooney)
Sierra Madre, CA
Philosophy professor
"Brady Bunch" family

$30,100 carryover bank from yesterday

Unrandomized topic tree from yesterday:

Photography
Clouds
World Monuments
Annoying Noises
Driving Lessons
Cheers
Kids Songs
Mountain Tops
Sax Appeal
Special Guest

Topic Tree: (randomized)

Kids Songs
Photography
Driving Lessons
World Monuments
Annoying Noises
Sax Appeal
(Cheers)
(Mountain Tops)
(Special Guest)
(Clouds)




Question 5 - Sax Appeal
At a 2007 charity auction, the winner paid $64,800 for a saxophone belonging to what former U.S. president?
A. Jimmy Carter B. Ronald Reagan
C. George H.W. Bush D. Bill Clinton

Contestant Response

Unless it is a trick question... Bill Clinton final answer

Answer and value

D. Bill Clinton (Mere said, No I'm sorry, this is not a trick question)
Value: $500
Bank: $30600

Question 6 - Annoying Noises
What snack brand recently unveiled a new bag that, when crinkled, is reportedly louder than a jet cockpit?
A. Sun Chips B. Cheetos
C. Doritos D. Cheez-Its

ATA

ATA

A-58% B-12% C-29% D-1%.
Michael said it was not his hunch but he will go with the audience

Answer and value

A. Sun Chips
Value: 3000
Bank: 33600

Question 7 - World Monuments
Every year thousands of revelers celebrate the summer solstice with an all-night party around the Heel Stone of what world monument?
A. Pyramid at Giza B. Stonehenge
C. Taj Mahal D. Colosseum

Answer and value

B. Stonehenge (immediate answer)
Value: 10K
Bank: 43600

Question 8 - Driving Lessons
Similar to the "Baby on Board" car signs, two suburban Chicago moms are selling signs that want drivers to do what?
A. Stay in your lane B. Get off the phone
C. Use the turn signal D. Stop eating and driving

Answer and value

B. Get off the phone
Value: 7000
Bank: 50600

Question 9 - Photography
Known for her red shawl and piercing green eyes, "Afghan Girl" is an iconic photo that graced a 1985 cover of what magazine?
A. Time B. Rolling Stone
C. Life D. National Geographic

Answer and value

D. National Geographic
Value: 1000
Bank: 51600

Question 10 - Kids Songs
On TheTenWordReview.com, what song gets the review, "He should have watched the weather forecast. Persistent fellow though."
A. Old MacDonald B. Humpty Dumpty
C. Itsy Bitsy Spider D. This Old Man

Contestant Response

Michael says he thinks he knows this, C, as the rain impedes the spider's progress.
C Final Answer.

Answer and value

C. Itsy Bitsy Spider
Value: 2000
Bank: 53600

Commercial break

Michael would like a bigger more comfortable vehicle for the whole family of nine, and to take his wife to Europe.

Classic Millionaire
One Jump the Question remains

$100,000 Question
The classic tales "The Lord of the Rings" and "Lord of the Flies" both feature a main character with what first name?
A. Sam B. Pippin
C. Roger D. Jack

Contestant Response

Michael knows the Lord of the Rings and can discount Roger and Jack. So it is between Sam and Pippin.
Mere starts to explain Michael's situation
Michael interrupts: A, final answer.

Answer

A. Sam
Bank: 100000

$250,000 Question
In the night sky, what constellation appears to be located between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper?
A. Gemini B. Cassiopeia
C. Cygnus D. Draco

Contestant Response

Pretty sure it's not Cygnus or Draco, as those are pretty much towards the southern end, so thinks either Gemini or Cassiopeia
Michael mentions that he can jump the question
Goes B, Cassiopeia, final answer

Answer

Mere says sorry and means it this time, and mentions how Michael played a great game.
Correct: D. Draco
Bank: $25000
Mere: "I thought you were right!" as they fade to commercial.

Michael left with $25000

Commercial break

Edit: Typo - originally wrote "Hell" instead of Heel

[goongas]

Michael, I admire your courage. Congratulations on the 25K.

[Jeemie]

Question 6 I knew without blinking.

We got a bag of those things- the bag IS loud.

Did they really say "jet cockpit", though?

Did they mean "jet engine"?

[Snaxx]

Question 6 I knew without blinking.

We got a bag of those things- the bag IS loud.

Did they really say "jet cockpit", though?

Did they mean "jet engine"?

I checked back and they did say cockpit. I got one of those bags too earlier this year and remember trying to open it carefully without losing my hearing or annoying the neighbors. Recently, presumably since this was taped, a news story came out that they were "bagging" the eco-friendly bags and going back to the old ones.

[christie1111]

Question 6 I knew without blinking.

We got a bag of those things- the bag IS loud.

Did they really say "jet cockpit", though?

Did they mean "jet engine"?

I checked back and they did say cockpit. I got one of those bags too earlier this year and remember trying to open it carefully without losing my hearing or annoying the neighbors. Recently, presumably since this was taped, a news story came out that they were "bagging" the eco-friendly bags and going back to the old ones.

This was discussed on the Bored but prolly after the taping. They have not abandonded it, just reworking the concept.

Love SunChips but that bag was loud.

[silvercamaro]

Michael, I loved watching your show! I'm sorry the dragon sent you home earlier than anybody would have wanted, but you played well and had a good run.

[TheConfessor]

Question 6 I knew without blinking.

We got a bag of those things- the bag IS loud.

Did they really say "jet cockpit", though?

Did they mean "jet engine"?

I checked back and they did say cockpit. I got one of those bags too earlier this year and remember trying to open it carefully without losing my hearing or annoying the neighbors. Recently, presumably since this was taped, a news story came out that they were "bagging" the eco-friendly bags and going back to the old ones.

They have kept the loud bags for the Original Flavor Sun Chips. They have capitulated by reverting to quieter, non-compostable bags for the other flavors, which I think are French Onion, Cool Ranch, and some sort of Salsa flavor.

[MRooney]

When we were watching today, Nathaniel (our oldest -- and we hadn't told any of the kids any details) immediately chimed in with "Sun Chips!" before the choices were shown -- and before I said, on tape, "my kids would know this". My initial hunch was that Sun Chips was the decoy answer, since I knew about the new biodegradable bags but had heard nothing about their noisiness. But I was expecting to ATA in the first round anyway, and had already fielded a TV question, so I figured now was the time.

All in all, I think I was lucky enough to get an easy stack, at least for the first ten questions. The Clouds question I would've gone with hole punch if it had not been for the gasps in the audience. That's a lingering "what if", since I really wanted to have both JTQs going into round 2, and I wouldn't have tried to guess on the Constellations question had I had both.

So: Why I did I brazenly guess when I didn't know the answer, and had the ability to Jump the Question?

Short answer: I genuinely convinced myself I had the right answer.

I went with the same thought-process on both the 100K and 250K questions. Both times, I read the question quickly and tried to think of an answer before the choices were shown. On the LotR/LotF question, that yielded the correct answer, and I basically willed myself not to back away from my gut instinct. On the constellation question, I immediately thought of "Cassiopeia" and, when it appeared as one of the choices, it was as seductive as her namesake on the original Battlestar Galactica. You could rewind time and put me before that question and 99 times out of 100, I would give the same wrong answer. (Maybe 1 time out of 100, I might have remembered that the Big Dipper "points" to Polaris, and hence whatever is in between them would have to be very ... thin ... like a ... snake ... or a ... .)

I don't know much practical astronomy (as my out-loud comments demonstrate -- plus, I live in L.A., where we can barely see the stars), but I've managed to nail trivia questions about lots of subjects I know poorly. I felt mighty strongly that Cassiopeia was adjacent to the Pole Star (which it is), and allowed that anchoring fact to mislead me into discounting the others. Cygnus is a lot closer than I imagined it, but I felt very confident it wasn't in between. Gemini I eventually eliminated once I remembered zodiac constellations wouldn't be that far north. The killer mistake was that I thought Draco was one of those long "string with a head" constellations (which it is), and I erroneously thought those were all away from the north (I was confusing Draco with Hydra or Serpens). If Cassiopeia had not been among the choices, I probably would have realized my ignorance and jumped the question, but since I felt I had the answer, I opted to conserve the lifeline for a sure chance at the Million. (Also, I thought after two successive straight-up academic questions, odds were good a hard pop culture question was on the horizon, where I'm weaker.) Oops. It's not the first time I've made a costly mistake on a game show.

What can I say? The show isn't "who wants to be a thousandaire". I was there to take a shot at the big prize. I regret not going with my gut on the first question more than going with my gut and getting it wrong on the last.

[thguy65]

Michael:
Your decisions to take some calculated risks were reasonable. Win some, lose some. It was a great effort, and a pleasure to watch someone with a lot of know-how try to navigate the new system.

[TheConfessor]

Michael, I wish every contestant on the show would bring your level of effort, preparation and high aspiration. There's always a lot of luck involved, good or bad, and I don't think many people would have played as well as you did overall.

I hope I wasn't part of the audible gasp you heard on the first question. I wasn't sure of the answer and it didn't appear that you were either. I don't think the audience necessarily thought your answer was wrong. I think most people just assumed that you didn't know and would probably jump the question, so some may have gasped when it appeared that you were acting rashly. I don't think the audience knew the right answer, so it was probably smart not to use ATA on that question.

I was pretty confident on the question about the loud package, so I influenced a few people around me to vote correctly. There was an extra keypad next to me part of the day, so I sometimes voted twice, but I can't recall whether I did on your question.

[zachhoran1]

Of course a five time J! champ and UtofC round three-er might have known the $500K question cold if they'd used the jump, but who knows.

[MarleysGh0st]

Congratulations on having the guts to go for it, Michael. I'm sorry your reasoning was faulty.

Question 6 I knew without blinking.

We got a bag of those things- the bag IS loud.

Did they really say "jet cockpit", though?

Did they mean "jet engine"?

I checked back and they did say cockpit. I got one of those bags too earlier this year and remember trying to open it carefully without losing my hearing or annoying the neighbors. Recently, presumably since this was taped, a news story came out that they were "bagging" the eco-friendly bags and going back to the old ones.

Not only was that how the question was written, but it was very curious how Meredith read it out loud. When she got to "cockpit" she practically whispered the first syllable, as if something about it embarrassed her!

Michael, was that her original reading of the question or was there a retaping there?

[earendel]

Michael Rooney (BB: MRooney)
Sierra Madre, CA
Philosophy professor
"Brady Bunch" family

$30,100 carryover bank from yesterday

Unfortunately my local BAM station was covering the severe weather yesterday so I didn't get the first 18 minutes of the show, meaning I missed Mike's run. The DVR also segmented the second show (from last year) into a bunch of 1-minute segments.

Question 6 - Annoying Noises
What snack brand recently unveiled a new bag that, when crinkled, is reportedly louder than a jet cockpit?
A. Sun Chips B. Cheetos
C. Doritos D. Cheez-Its

ATA

ATA

A-58% B-12% C-29% D-1%.
Michael said it was not his hunch but he will go with the audience

Answer and value

A. Sun Chips
Value: 3000
Bank: 33600

This has been on the news lately.

Question 7 - World Monuments
Every year thousands of revelers celebrate the summer solstice with an all-night party around the Hell Stone of what world monument?
A. Pyramid at Giza B. Stonehenge
C. Taj Mahal D. Colosseum

Answer and value

B. Stonehenge (immediate answer)
Value: 10K
Bank: 43600

I think that should be "heel" stone.

Question 8 - Driving Lessons
Similar to the "Baby on Board" car signs, two suburban Chicago moms are selling signs that want drivers to do what?
A. Stay in your lane B. Get off the phone
C. Use the turn signal D. Stop eating and driving

Answer and value

B. Get off the phone
Value: 7000
Bank: 50600

Or, as the bumper sticker that "Click and Clack" offered - "Shut Up and Drive!"

$100,000 Question
The classic tales "The Lord of the Rings" and "Lord of the Flies" both feature a main character with what first name?
A. Sam B. Pippin
C. Roger D. Jack

Contestant Response

Michael knows the Lord of the Rings and can discount Roger and Jack. So it is between Sam and Pippin.
Mere starts to explain Michael's situation
Michael interrupts: A, final answer.

Answer

A. Sam
Bank: 100000

Yea!

$250,000 Question
In the night sky, what constellation appears to be located between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper?
A. Gemini B. Cassiopeia
C. Cygnus D. Draco

Contestant Response

Pretty sure it's not Cygnus or Draco, as those are pretty much towards the southern end, so thinks either Gemini or Cassiopeia
Michael mentions that he can jump the question
Goes B, Cassiopeia, final answer

Answer

Mere says sorry and means it this time, and mentions how Michael played a great game.
Correct: D. Draco
Bank: $25000
Mere: "I thought you were right!" as they fade to commercial.

I'd have said the same thing.

A great run, Mike.

[MarleysGh0st]

Question 8 - Driving Lessons
Similar to the "Baby on Board" car signs, two suburban Chicago moms are selling signs that want drivers to do what?
A. Stay in your lane B. Get off the phone
C. Use the turn signal D. Stop eating and driving

Answer and value

B. Get off the phone
Value: 7000
Bank: 50600

Or, as the bumper sticker that "Click and Clack" offered - "Shut Up and Drive!"

Actually, their bumper sticker was:

[Snaxx]

Question 7 - World Monuments
Every year thousands of revelers celebrate the summer solstice with an all-night party around the Hell Stone of what world monument?
A. Pyramid at Giza B. Stonehenge
C. Taj Mahal D. Colosseum

Answer and value

B. Stonehenge (immediate answer)
Value: 10K
Bank: 43600

I think that should be "heel" stone.

I've fixed my typo, thanks for pointing it out.

[MRooney]

Of course a five time J! champ and UtofC round three-er might have known the $500K question cold if they'd used the jump, but who knows.

Alas, yes. But the probability of the $500K being a stumper to me, and the $1M being a cold get is probably comparable, in which case having the Jump would have been worth it. After all, they stumped me with a $250K. Essentially, jumping the first question when my instinct was correct made me very inclined not to jump if I had a strong hunch.

[Bob Juch]

Question 6 I knew without blinking.

We got a bag of those things- the bag IS loud.

Did they really say "jet cockpit", though?

Did they mean "jet engine"?

I checked back and they did say cockpit. I got one of those bags too earlier this year and remember trying to open it carefully without losing my hearing or annoying the neighbors. Recently, presumably since this was taped, a news story came out that they were "bagging" the eco-friendly bags and going back to the old ones.

They have kept the loud bags for the Original Flavor Sun Chips. They have capitulated by reverting to quieter, non-compostable bags for the other flavors, which I think are French Onion, Cool Ranch, and some sort of Salsa flavor.

It's Peppercorn Ranch which is quite good.

[Estonut]

They have kept the loud bags for the Original Flavor Sun Chips. They have capitulated by reverting to quieter, non-compostable bags for the other flavors, which I think are French Onion, Cool Ranch, and some sort of Salsa flavor.

It's Peppercorn Ranch which is quite good.

Or maybe it's some sort of salsa (like he said)...

[KillerTomato]

They have kept the loud bags for the Original Flavor Sun Chips. They have capitulated by reverting to quieter, non-compostable bags for the other flavors, which I think are French Onion, Cool Ranch, and some sort of Salsa flavor.

It's Peppercorn Ranch which is quite good.

Or maybe it's some sort of salsa (like he said)...

They also have a yummy Harvest Cheddar, which is my favorite.

[zachhoran1]

Another J! alumnus, 1997 Teen tournament finalist Akiva Fox(lost to Josh Den Hartog), plays on 11/5 and 11/8(11/5 being show number 1500 of syndie WWTBAM). I won't say how he does on the 11/5 episode until after someone does the recap for it.

[secondchance]

I think you did a terrific job, MRooney- and represented well! Congrats.

[Phil Ken Sebbin]

Great Job, MRooney!! You were the best contestant I have seen this season. I wonder what would have happened to me if I had gone with my instincts instead of using my ATA on Q7 last year but with TDC I reacted quickly and I really thought the question was truly suited for a ATA plus they are notorious unhelpful in mid/upper level questions. But I digress, you did very well and I hope you have no regrets.

You alluded to your J!ToC as making a costly mistake. I skimmed the transcript and assume you are referring to your FJ wager. I was wondering what was the opinion of the optimal play in your position? No Wager?

[Bob78164]

Great Job, MRooney!! You were the best contestant I have seen this season. I wonder what would have happened to me if I had gone with my instincts instead of using my ATA on Q7 last year but with TDC I reacted quickly and I really thought the question was truly suited for a ATA plus they are notorious unhelpful in mid/upper level questions. But I digress, you did very well and I hope you have no regrets.

You alluded to your J!ToC as making a costly mistake. I skimmed the transcript and assume you are referring to your FJ wager. I was wondering what was the opinion of the optimal play in your position? No Wager?

Mike and I had this discussion in the transcript thread for that game, which I'm too lazy to locate. He should have wagered $1,001, which shuts out Rutter if Rooney can come up with a correct response. As it happens, because Rutter made a small wager (just enough to beat Chernicoff if Chernicoff made the standard shut-out bet and missed), this wager would have given Mike (who also failed to respond correctly to the Final Jeopardy! clue) the win.

However, if Rutter had made the correct wager, which from his position is clearly all-in, Mike's subtle error wouldn't have mattered. Essentially, Rutter's too-small wager gave Mike an extra chance, which Mike's too-large wager returned. Given optimal wagering by both Mike and Rutter, Rutter wins anyway. --Bob