‘Jeopardy!’: Catholic Priest Speaks Out After Loss to Super Champ Jamie Ding
Losing on Jeopardy! is bad enough, but to lose to an 11-day champion is even tougher. Fr. Paul Baker, who lost to super champion Jamie Ding, spoke out about coming in second.
After getting the final clue wrong on March 30, Fr. Baker ended with $9,999. Ding became a 12-day champion with a combined total of $314,440. They competed against writer Barbara McIntyre.
Baker is a parochial vicar at the Church of St. Agnes and chaplain at St. Agnes School in Frogtown, Minnesota. St. Agnes held a watch party for his episode on Monday night.
Did the priest regret losing? Here’s what he had to say.
Fr. Baker told Pioneer Press that it was a dream to get on the game show. “People who know me well knew that it was the fulfillment of a longtime dream that I had,” he told the publication. “People were very supportive and very excited for me, especially because they know I like the show and they know I like trivia.”
He has watched Jeopardy! since he was a Freshman at Cretin-Derham Hall, where he graduated from in 2005. Baker had auditioned five times to be on the show. When he finally got the call, Fr. Baker didn’t do much to prep except for watch Jeopardy! consistently.
“I did try to look at a few little things that I thought might come up, but nothing too in-depth. With my busy duties of my ministry, I simply don’t have the time to do that,” he said.
Baker is used to being in front of crowds, so he wasn’t nervous to compete. However, he had a hard time focusing due to the stage lights, crowd cheering, and music.
Despite losing, He had nothing but great things to say about Ding, a law student and bureaucrat. “He’s an all-time great player, so, I think considering that, I managed to do decently well at the game,” Baker told Pioneer Press.
His main goal wasn’t to win the game. It was to “help others to know and love Jesus Christ and his Church through my presence on this program as a priest.”
“The fact that I got to do that, in a way, I already won,” Baker said.
Jeopardy!, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock
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