During the episode of Jeopardy! on July 23, contestant Tim Herd, a Ph.D. student from Detroit, faced a challenging game that tugged at the heartstrings of fans.
Despite a rough start, viewers were drawn to Tim’s “sweet” personality and positive attitude, rooting for him as they watched. One supportive viewer tweeted, “Come on, Tim! You can do it!” while another empathized with Tim’s struggle, humorously commenting, “Tim is exactly how I would be on #Jeopardy. Somewhere in the negative 🤣.”
Tim’s likability only grew as he revealed to host Ken Jennings his stress-relief strategy of dancing to lift his spirits while working on his Ph.D. “It’s an act of showing my joy and encouraging other people to do the same,” Herd explained.
Spectators speculated that nerves might have played a part in Tim’s struggles, with one viewer tweeting, “I’m hoping Tim is nervous because what in the incorrect responses is going on here?” Another viewer advised Tim to take it easy and make sure he knows the answers before buzzing in.
Unfortunately, Tim only managed to answer one question correctly throughout the entire game and ended with a score of -$2,400, rendering him ineligible to participate in Final Jeopardy.
Despite fans’ disappointment in Tim’s performance, they noted that he didn’t set any historical records with his low score from the first round or his final tally.
This poor guy on Jeopardy! ended the game with -$2,400, having only answered 1 question correctly. Better luck next time, Tim ðŸ˜ðŸ«¡ pic.twitter.com/EFC6EzsZQ0
— Dr. Jeremiah Emmanuel (@JeremmanuelPhD) July 24, 2024
Reddit users noted that the record for the lowest first-round score dates back to 1985, with a contestant finishing at -$3,800. The lowest Final Jeopardy score was recorded in 2021 by Patrick Pearce at -$7,400.
On a brighter note, Tim’s fellow contestants Lindsay Denninger and returning champion Neilesh Vinjamuri fared much better, finishing with scores of $5,000 and $11,999, respectively.