‘Jeopardy!’: Amy Schneider’s Selection for ‘Masters’ Tournament Sparks Backlash
2022 Tournament of Champions winner Amy Schneider is the sixth and final member of the Jeopardy! Masters line-up after landing the coveted Producers’ Pick spot. However, some fans are not happy about it.
The announcement was made on Friday, April 12, at the Inside Jeopardy Live! Event at Hudson Yards in New York City. Schneider, who competed in last year’s Masters, will join returning champ James Holzhauer, Season 1 finalists Matt Amodio and Mattea Roach, 2024 TOC winner Yogesh Raut, and Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament winner Victoria Groce. The tournament will be prime-time on ABC, starting May 1.
Schneider’s inclusion has been met with backlash. While the 40-game winner is a fan favorite, she had just competed in the JIT!, where she finished as runner-up. Many fans felt this should have disqualified her from Masters.
“Honestly not a fan of this decision,” wrote one fan on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum. “We just saw her in JIT, whats the point if she can lose that and just move on anyways.”
“I agree with this take,” replied another. “I love watching Amy play Jeopardy and I’ve enjoyed all the tournament play, but she did not finish in the top three of Masters last year and she did not win the JIT this year, so my question is why her? Why not Andrew [He] or Sam [Buttrey] or Cris [Pannullo] or Sam [Kavanaugh] or anyone else who didn’t do those things either?”
“Does seem kind of dumb. Why was she even competing in JIT if she had a spot in regardless?” asked one commenter.
Another wrote, “They should have just announced top 2 from JIT are moving on or made the tournament structured differently to include two players from the JIT into Masters.”
“Obligatory ‘Amy is great, but’… This is an awful choice,” said one fan. “Completely invalidates the last tournament.”
“The producers pick should have been a person who we would never have seen otherwise like Brad [Rutter] or The Beast [Mark Labbett] or someone else we haven’t seen on Jeopardy recently,” added another. “I don’t have the stats in front of me, but we’ve seen Amy play dozens of games in the last year and I personally would like to see someone else get a shot.”
Another wrote, “The “sport” of Jeopardy: You can lose two opportunities to get into the Masters and be invited anyway! Mind boggling decision.”
“If the producers had their way every single episode of Jeopardy would just be three Amy Schneiders competing against eachother,” quipped another commenter.
Fellow JIT competitor Jennifer Quail also commented, writing, “I don’t think anyone but the winner should go [to Masters]. Everyone in JIT was under the impression it was for one spot. That was allegedly the whole point.”
However, others felt that Schneider earned her spot, even if the process of getting there was awkward.
“It’s definitely clunky how they handled this… Realistically they wouldn’t have invited Amy had she not done well in the JIT, so I do think she earned her spot more than we realize,” said one Reddit user.
Sam Kavanaugh also commented, noting that he and his fellow super-champs “would admit Amy is the best player out of us and has achieved more in the game to qualify her for this position.”
“I thought it was going to be Cris Pannullo, but I’m happy with Amy,” said another. “I get why people are a little salty about it, but from my point of view, she’s a great player and a great personality and I enjoy watching her play.”
What do you think about Schneider being the Producers’ Pick? Should the spot have gone to a non-JIT competitor? Let us know your thoughts in the poll and the comments below.
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It’s like they are trying to cram Amy down our throats. She is a great player but it’s time to put someone new in there. Others deserve a chance. Why bother if it’s always going to be Amy.
66 3
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He
8 3
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Gotta please the DEI folks.
7 1
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I was rooting for Victoria to win because I'm sick and tired of Amy. Why did they even have the tournament why didn't they just pick the Masters contestants and be done with it. So unfair to the others.
56 3
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Tired of Amy and even more tired of all the tournaments. Just Jeopardy would be a breath of fresh air.
52
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Sam Buttery a much much better choice.
51 1
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Totally agree.
18
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Yes, I definitely agree with you. I'm so sick of seeing "Amy".
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I think that Amy, while a great player has had enough turns to win big. Wish to see Sam Buttrey! It's starting to feel a bit political, and that is NOT good for the show, or Amy.
48 1
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Amy definitely should not be on the Masters competition. How unfair to all the other JIT competitors. Why did she compete if she was going to be on anyway? If they're picking someone that way, get someone new! I guess the producers won't be happy until she is a Masters champion!
53 6
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Maybe the outta cancel the tournament and just reward her as Masters Champ. That's basically what they did when they added her to the Tournament. It's okay you lost, we're still going to put you in. A complete joke.
40 3
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Him
2 4
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It's fair because the winner was promised a spot and they were given one. Everyone competing had the same opportunity for that guaranteed spot. They never announced that if you didn't win, you couldn't win the producer's pick. Amy didn't win, but her performance was strong enough to beat out the other candidates for producer's pick. Everyone who didn't get the producer's pick, also didn't win the JIT.
8 17
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Don't agree, there were plenty of other comparable contestants but that are after ratings.
1 1
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Bless your heart
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They won't be happy until he hosts. That seems to be where this is headed
4 3
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That's how they seem to pick the host these days.
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She. Her.
3 4
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😜
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We have seen enough of Amy. Let someone new have a chance
46 2
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So Not Fair! Totally negates the shows' integrity.
I don't think Alex Trebek would have allowed this (among other recent bone-headed decisions) to ever happen. What makes other competitors who lost ineligible??
34 1
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Do not meet DEI requirements. POC, LGBTQ, etc.
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I can't believe that Schneider was picked. There was nothing fair about it. What about all of us that love the show and it is part of our lives and yet we do not let social media know. Producers pick? This shouldn't be done anyway. Everyone else worked hard to gain his or her spot. Let it be merit based. I don't even know if I want to watch.
28 2
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Liberal producers focused on DEI.
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I have plenty of issues with the way they ran these tournaments to get to the Masters. Victoria Groce, no matter how great at trivia she is, should have never been on the JIT. She should've been on the second chance tournament because she won 1 game in her intial run. With that said, whe did play great in JIT and deserves her spot in the Masters. But Amy Schneider being in the Masters is a joke. She lost fair and square and no way should she be in the Masters. But they rewarded her for past performance, being the second longest reigning champ. So basically, you can lose in a big tourament but we'll still put you back on the Masters. They're are plenty of past champs that deserve to be on. Great job by the producers of this show. They basically rewarded someone that lost in a big tournament.
25 1
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Not watching the Masters and may quit watching it all together, current producers are ruining this show that have watched for almost 40 years. Bringing Amy on again and again and again, is the final straw.
40 2
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Agreed!!!
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I Agree
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This is not the side of Jeopardy we want to see.
Unfortunately, I won't be watching.
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I think Cris Pannullo should have been chosen...or Chuck Forrest.
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She should NOT have been chosen. She lost the JIT but was "promoted" anyway. What the heck??
I mean, why even bother with the contest?
Chris P should have been chosen (He's so easy on the eyes. Not a good reason, I know, but makes watching so enjoyable:)
20 1
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We've seen enough of Amy. Booooo
20 1
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I like the part where we all have to pretend we don't know exactly why "she" was chosen.
16 1
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We know exactly why he was chosen...
7 1
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They only picked her because of her sexual orientation. Plenty more players more qualified.
18 3
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him
8 4
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Exactly !!
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I am tired of seeing Amy!!! Overkill!
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Quit throwing him in our faces !!
1 1
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Anybody but Amy
15 1
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This was a political decision.
13 1
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Enough Amy already! I’m so sick of her. It’s become the Amy Schneider show!! What happened to the real Jeopardy game that made us fans in the first place?
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You think you're getting too much of "Amy" now, want to make any bets who they'll tap to be the next host?
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Oh god no ! Jeopardy will be done if they do that !
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That is no HER
3 1
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Done with watching Amy, her spot should have gone to someone else. She had her chance
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Why don’t they just call it Schneider’s Jeopardy? It’s getting ridiculous
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Just like Steve Harveys family feud dominated the show through stupidity
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ABA..anybody but Amy.
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I think there's an elephant in the room no one wants to address.
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Yes, but the elephant thinks it's a peacock.
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A he/she
1 1
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I'm perturbed that jeopardy keeps saying Amy is the first woman that won so many consecutive games . Amy's not a woman and doesn't look like one. If you take DNA from her that's male DNA.
5 2
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Thank you !
1 1
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I am so sick of Amy….go away already!
7
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The whole show is fixed for Amy. When down against other players, Amy always seems to find the daily double & win the match🤔
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I think Jeopardy has lost their focus, and are alienating their audience, which will soon be alienating them.
5
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I like Amy but don't think she should be in the Masters. She didn't win the JIT and that should disqualify her. Also, I didn't see the joyful and nice Amy during JIT that I have seen in the past. She may need an attitude adjustment.
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That's no SHE
4 1
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Yes HE needs an attitude adjustment !!
4 1
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I'm tired of seeing Amy. Give some other deserving contestants a chance. This is enough for me to stop watching jeopardy if they keep catering to certain people
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Hasn’t Amy lost all the tournaments she’s been in since the TOC a couple years ago? To add her after into a second Masters after she just lost yet another tournament is crazy. Give someone else a chance.
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I am sickof seeing Amy. There's nothing here to be seen or said that hasn't been done. Enough already and let's play the game like it was played when Alex was at the helm.
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NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I think they selected the final finalist erroneously. It should have been earned and she lost. Is it because of keeping up with liberalism? Shane on them.
4 1
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Sick of Amy and wish Jepordy could move forward without the same people all the time. It's like constantly watching reruns.
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They’re only putting him in because they love when men pretend to be women.
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Amen
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Big fan of jeopardy, at least the way it used to be done when Alex was there. But frankly I've grown very weary of seeing the same people playing day after day week after week. I feel like there are so many people waiting to play for the first time and they should be given a chance sooner than later.
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Agree make the show about normal everyday people.
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BS
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I am not a dan of Amy I never have been. I am sick of seeing her on every jeopardy tournament.
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Cris Panullo it should be. Far too, too, too much Amy. If she's on, I'll be taking a retregretable but forced vacation from Jeopardy.
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Nowadays I guess they simply must please her community, .001% of the population.
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I was rooting for Anyone but Amy.
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What a truly awful decision. So she was going to get in no matter what. I don't get the point of her being in the previous tournament. I would rather have Cris be in the upcoming tournament than having to hear Amy pat herself on the back in the interviews. She does so many humble brags it's ridiculous. She had her chance last yr and in the previous tournament. So if she flames out again in the Masters are we going to be subjected to her next yr as well?!
2
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Why her? Like everything else these days.... DEI decision.
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We've seen enough of this "Amy" guy... Send him home and let someone else have a shot...
4 2
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The best way to have your voice heard, is don't watch.
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I haven't watched all season!
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I Won't watch... may not ever !
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That's a man.
5 3
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Enough of her already
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Amy should not have been picked for the Master's; she doesn't seem to have qualified on the same standards as the other announced participants. I feel that one of the top executives' biases on the selection panel prevailed. Feel very good about the other participants we will get to see as they are not so frequent on Jeopardy as is Amy who almost seems to be a regular competitor.
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I'm tired of Amy. Let's move on
1
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Too much Amy ! Let’s move on from him, please !!
2 1
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I'm sick of Schneider, but as soon as i saw there was a "producer's pick" spot, i knew this would happen. The way Ken Jennings has always fawned over Schneider, was there ever any doubt in anyone's mind that that's who the spot would go to? "Ooh look, a transgender player, we're so progressive!"
2 1
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I'm tired of all these tournaments shows. Bring back college week and just regular people ..
AndPLEASE, enough Amy Schneider. Had more than enough watching him!,,!!!
1 1
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Im tired of all the champion games.Please go back to new contestants
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I'm so tired of tournaments! Let new people win some money. Let he the mega winners move on.
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Like price is right and wheel of fortune. A normal everyday person from my city who works a normal job everyday won a car. That is deserving.
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I think they are going to lose alot of dedicated watchers. I'm so sick of these tournaments I may just quit jeopardy all together. It's just hasn't been up to snuff since Alex passed.
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Please bring back the original Jeopardy. Sick of tournaments. Amy is good but everyone knows why she/he was picked. Did not earn this spot.
1 1
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G
It’s obvious why he was chosen.
2 2
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No one seems to want to give the obvious answer as to why amy was chosen.
2 2
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They want the sensationalism of having a man that thinks he's a woman...
They are turning Jeopardy! into a freak show...
2 1
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He/she
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As in so many things in life, people have their favorites. This is the world we live in. Don't think it will ever change.
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They probably should have picked a great player who has never been in a tournament yet, but was a high scorer in regular play. For those of you who say it would not have happened if Alex Trebek was still hosting, you are wrong. Alex had no more control over who was picked than Ken Jennings has.
1 1
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B
I love Amy. She adds depth to the playing. She has fought hard to deserve a place in the championship.
1
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B
Much ado about nothing.
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We all know why people are mad they chose Amy Schneider. I’m not going to say, but we all know. Who cares. She’s a very knowledgeable and intelligent player. And if you look at the other suggestions they are all mostly white men except Andrew.
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I no longer watch when the He/she is on. Also I think Jeopardy should get back to having normal everyday people on the show instead of champions.
1 2
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Promoting a loser. SMH
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Why don’t you just call it the LGBT tournament? I won’t be watching it.
3 5
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She's one of the greatest players ever and maybe The greatest of all recent players. She may one day be crowned 'GOAT'and, I think, she's therefore the definition of a "master" of this game. The producers were probably thinking, "she's definitely a master so it would be hard to call it a 'masters' tournament without her there."
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That's no SHE
2 1
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I love amy ....she deserves this
1 9
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No one deserves to be on the show forever.
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P
That's no SHE
2 1
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I feel like Amy is deserving of this honor - she is a great player and a great sport. I love to watch her and Mattea play!!!
4 26
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No one "deserves" to be a contestant on the same game show for the rest of their lives.
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