Jeopardy! Superchampion Scott Riccardi sat down with the sport present’s government producer, Sarah Whitcomb-Foss, on the Inside Jeopardy Podcast, to speak about his 16-game streak and his surprising loss. He additionally opened up extra about his private life and the way he’s making ready for the Match of Champions.
Riccardi is 26 years outdated and lives with roommates in Somerville, New Jersey. His roommates kind of had an inkling as to how he did when he didn’t return straight away. Nonetheless, Scott Riccardi shared that through the weekends, he went to California theme parks to take his thoughts off the sport and rode as many curler coasters as he may. The superchampion hasn’t shared a lot else about his private life.
He shared that in his run, he went to his native pizza store in South Plainfield, the place he’s from, and the proprietor acknowledged him. The proprietor made an enormous scene and pointed him out to everybody within the store.
When Whitcomb-Foss mentioned that, followers identified that he principally talked about his highschool days. Riccardi defined that he’s solely 26 and that almost all of his 20s have been spent through the COVID pandemic. He graduated from faculty solely 4 years in the past and didn’t have too many fascinating details to share.
Nonetheless, one fascinating truth was that he snuck a cake into his watch get together for his ultimate recreation. On Jeopardy!, Riccardi mentioned that he and his brother each baked desserts, and it became a cheesecake blended with a carrot cake, and that was the cake he delivered to the get together.
Riccardi shared that there was a shift about midway by his run, the place “everybody who got here to observe was actually stressed all recreation.” “They have been like, ‘Hey, may you possibly get a runaway or two, so we don’t should be so anxious?’” Riccardi shared.
“There have been a whole lot of nail-biter runs to start with, for certain. I feel there was a degree the place folks bought extra assured.”
“You at all times should begin to fear as a result of individuals are going to imagine you’re going to win, and it’s so much to placed on somebody’s shoulders. Sort of a double-edged sword,” he mentioned.
Though Riccardi is grateful for reaching the Leaderboard of Legends and his 16-game run, he shared with host Ken Jennings on the finish of his final recreation that he “may lastly chill out.” The host mentioned he shared the identical sentiment.
“I feel what’s good about there being a lot time between taping and airing is that you just get a full month or two to only privately transfer on. It does really feel like grieving, which is a little bit dramatic,” he mentioned. “It was after successful 16 video games, so I shouldn’t be unhappy about something.” Riccardi mentioned that he would get up and take into consideration the entire clues he bought flawed, however he needed to cease himself from it.
Nonetheless, Scott Riccardi’s Jeopardy! run isn’t over. He’ll compete within the upcoming Match of Champions, however mentioned that he hasn’t studied as laborious for that as he did throughout his first run. “At this level, I’m sticking with pure curiosity stuff that comes by. I’m positively not aggressively tearing by Wikipedia pages, the best way I used to be preparing for the present,” he mentioned.
“I’m certain anybody else who’s going to be within the Match of Champions might be relieved to listen to that I’ve been taking it fairly simple. The foot has been off the gasoline pedal.”
As a result of they have been wrapping up the season, Riccardi needed to movie 15 video games in a row. “I feel it was essentially the most exhausted, bodily and mentally, I’ve ever been in my life,” he mentioned. “It was a factor the place the momentum actually bought me by the video games. After I would get again to the resort rooms each time, there was simply nothing left.”
“I’m simply so glad to be part of it, as a result of Jeopardy! has been part of my life for so long as I can bear in mind. It looks like an essential a part of the tradition. It’s one of many few issues that’s been a continuing for many years, and I can’t consider I get to be part of that,” he ended.
Jeopardy!, Season 42, September 8, verify native listings