Did local 'Sports Jeopardy!' contestant emerge with a win?

No matter what you do there’s always a need to make adjustments.

That’s where I found myself in the middle of my match up on “Sports Jeopardy!” last week when I faced Ryan Tucker and three-time defending champion Terry Kent.

When I was picked from the remaining pool of six contestants to step up to the podium and test my mettle, I had two goals: to come in focused and not to embarrass myself before a national audience.

From the reading of the first question in the category “We’re No. 2” until the first question I answered correctly about the Harlem Globetrotters, I felt a little out of sync because I knew many of those questions, but just couldn’t signal in in time.

In “Jeopardy!” timing is truly everything. If you buzz in too early, you’re locked out for a quarter of a second, allowing your opponents to swoop in. If you’re too late, someone’s likely pounced on the question ahead of you.

The key was to find the “sweet spot,” finding that perfect rhythm.

I didn't find my rhythm until that Globetrotters question. Already 3,000 points out of first place and 1,250 behind Ryan, I knew things could snowball quickly for or against me. ("Sports Jeopardy!" contestants play for points, not dollars as on "Jeopardy!")

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Thanks to two big 1,000-point answers, I was back in the thick of things.

If you’ve ever watched someone when they are deciding what to wager on a daily double, you’ll see the them looking off to their left. Off to the side of the “Jeopardy!” board are scoreboards for the contestants.

In the middle of that first commercial break, contestant coordinator Maggie Speak, who may have sensed my nervousness, gave me some advice: Read the question on the board and be ready once host Dan Patrick finishes reading the question.

After the break, things were a little slow and I found myself again down 3,250 points before rattling off three questions in the “First Round” category. I finished the first round in second place.

Keep them guessing

I started to feel momentum slowly move in my direction after getting the first question of the “Double Jeopardy!” round.

Most “Jeopardy!” contestants  go into the show with a plan to make a run in a particular category. I opted for to jump from category to category and sometimes selecting the higher-value questions to keep my competitors guessing.

I went to categories on a whim. Sometimes it would work and other times it wouldn’t.

I knew I needed to hit the big-value questions and daily doubles to reduce the chance of a comeback. In Terry’s previous game, he rallied from 10,000 points down to win in final jeopardy.

A string of four consecutive right answers took me from a 500-point advantage to a comfortable 7,000-point lead.

I couldn’t be comfortable until I had mathematically eliminated my opponents. I almost got there by getting a 1,500-point question on a rebound — Diana Nyad — and a 500-point rebound that knocked Ryan out of the game.

It came down to Terry and me in final jeopardy. The category was World Series.

Knowing he’d have to risk at least 7,500 to even tie, I opted to wager 1,001 points. And if we were both wrong? I’d virtually come out unscathed. The only consequence would be if he got the answer right and if I guessed wrong.

When it came to the question of the most recent National League team to win back-to-back World Series titles, I began wracking my brain.

I started looking at the 70s but couldn't pin down the answer. So running out of time and debating between the Dodgers and Cardinals, I opted for the latter.

By coincidence, Terry also said “St. Louis Cardinals.” I breathed a sigh of relief. The answer was the Cincinnati Reds, but because we were both wrong, I came out on top.

But before I could celebrate my victory, I had a crown to defend.

Earl Holland is a sports producer for The News Journal/delawareonline. You can follow his exploits chronicling his run on “Sports Jeopardy!” each week. You can watch his next episode of "Sports Jeopardy!" on Wednesday at http://www.crackle.com/sports-jeopardy. Contact Holland at eholland@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @TheEarlHolland.