Let me start by saying that I am loving Jeopardy!’s Invitational Tournament. It’s simply thrilling as a Jeopardy! fan to see the game’s classic icons like Larissa Kelly and Chuck Forrest (of the now-commonly used “Forrest Bounce”) compete alongside modern-day virtuosos like Amy Schneider and Andrew He. However, every single time the name of the tournament is shortened to its initials, JIT, I feel like Ken Jennings is dragging his fingernails across a hidden chalkboard on his lectern, and it turns out I’m not the only one having that reaction.
I’m all about making life easier, and “Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament” can be a mouthful to say multiple times over the course of a broadcast. I get it. But going with “JIT” swings the pendulum too much in the other direction. It’s such an ugly word, and unnecessarily aggressive. Ken Jennings is detonating tiny bombs in my brain every time he says it. And boy does he like to say it. I wondered if maybe this was an overreaction from my brain — wouldn’t be the first time — but it didn’t take much digging on social media to discover many other like-minded people. One fan mused:
Does Ken Jennings really keep saying JIT on Jeopardy? What a terrible name for a tournament but the acronym is waaaay worst lol.
Indeed, this seems like it should have been an issue that was solved in the early stages of this first-time tournament. How did that meeting go? “What can we call this tournament? OK, what acronym does that spell? Won’t that make it sound like our host is firing off swears multiple times every episode? Do it anyway!” Maybe the writers were still on strike.
Not only did the powers that be go forward with the name, the team fully embraced the acronym. While Ken Jennings in particular seems like he’s trying to reach some kind of quota, the shortened term for the tournament has also been fully embraced on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast by executive producer Michael Davies, longtime producer Sarah Foss and frequent co-host Buzzy Cohen. Their efforts were noted by this viewer on X (Twitter):
Jeopardy and Ken working hard to make JIT happen.
Fans of one of the best game shows of all time were even channeling their inner Regina George, telling Ken Jennings that his acronym is so not fetch:
Ken stop trying to make "JIT" happen #Jeopardy pic.twitter.com/pASL3mH9lyApril 2, 2024
Several other commenters shared similar opinions on being aurally smacked across the face by Ken Jennings, as they wrote:
- Oh please, Ken Jennings please stop trying to make “JIT” happen on Jeopardy. It’s just not fetch. – tbeaverh
- All this JIT talk on Jeopardy is cringy. – jobotmagnet
- I would like it if Ken and anyone else on Jeopardy would stop saying “JIT” – cstyles206
- That term "JIT" is annoying – Lionwoman54
- I don't mind that they're having an invitational tournament, I just don't like the use of "JIT" Just sayin' – FrannyDiP
- Please stop calling the tournament 'JIT', Jeopardy. It's not working. – ursula_9
- Jeopardy I'm really going to need you guys to stop calling it a JIT tournament – its_haleyjane
One way or the other, the term’s regular use is likely to stop in the next week, as the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament will come to an end, marking the long-awaited resumption of regular episodes. Amy Schneider — already one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners — took a one-game lead into the weekend, and the first to win two games will be declared the winner.
Whoever that is — Amy Schneider, Victoria Groce or Andrew He — will claim $100,000 and a spot in the upcoming primetime tournament Jeopardy! Masters. Which might be enough to make up for the inevitable utterance of their name next to the words “JIT Champion.”
