Final Jeopardy response ruled unacceptable due to minor misspelling

[MuppetsRule]

Ah, but that's the thing. He is a kid. The difference being that an adult has more education, and therefore can look like an idiot. Here, he's a kid that made a mistake. One that cost him as badly as if he wrote "Suck it Trebek." I can understand why it's frustrating to almost win. Especially misspelling a word that ONLY comes up in conversation when you mention the Emancipation Proclamation. Should he have got the money? Probably not.

Still, to say "he spent his entire life being told by Mom and Dad how smart he is and couldn't handle being told he was wrong" is complete mean spirited nonsense. He lost to a technicality I've seen adult contestants lose to. Mispronunciation, not knowing the first name of someone but getting the last name correct, and the ever popular "so in the moment of the game that you forget to answer in the form of a question." And even that last one, they give you a second chance. Freaking kid is smart enough to be on a game show that isn't on Nickelodeon.

That's the thing though. IT DIDN'T COST HIM THE WIN. Either way, he finished second. The winner finished with almost $66,000. If he got it right, he would have finished with $9,600. Good enough for second. Instead, he got it wrong and finished with $3600. Good enough for second. This didn't change the outcome one bit! He finished second whether he got it right or wrong. Second place paid out $2000 either way, regardless of how much money he actually won. HE DIDN'T ALMOST WIN! He lost! By a lot! He wasn't cheated out of anything. And he didn't lose to a technicality. He lost to a superior player. One that he didn't even come close to.

 

[snichols1973]

Under alternate circumstances: If Skyler, the first place contestant had wagered $30K and his answer was wrong, he might have dropped down to $3,600 and Thomas' $3,000 wager might have brought him up to $12,600 and won the match, and Skyler might have finished in second place.

This is of course, a hypothetical situation.....