Jeopardy! Fans Shocked After Champion Ryan Long's First Round Elimination

Jeopardy!'s Tournament of Champions got off to a shocking start yesterday when fan-favorite competitor Ryan Long was knocked out in the first round. 

Philadelphia-based Uber driver Long, who won 16 consecutive games back in June, was expected to perform well opposite attorney Megan Wachspress (6 wins) and exceutive assistant Maureen O'Neil (4 wins). Long racked up an impressive $299,000 during his last outing, but struggled to do the same during the Tournament of Champions. 

All three competitors were stumped by many of the categories; when Long landed on a Daily Double in a category titled "This Category is Confusing", he replied "I don't know... couldn't begin to guess." 

By the time the game had come to a close, O'Neil had come out on top with $16,799 while Long and Wachspress both left the Tournament of Champions with cash prizes of $5,000. 

Fans were stunned by Long's loss, expressing their shock on social media as he struggled through the questions. "I was expecting a lot better from Ryan Long," said one viewer.  "I 100% would have bet on Ryan Long going all the way after his run on Jeopardy," wrote another.

Oh, I was expecting a lot better from Ryan Long. @Jeopardy #JeopardyToC

— Do H MarTeL, fier Québécois, non blanc.👍🏾 (@DohMtl) October 31, 2022

I’m not a betting man, but I 100% would have bet on Ryan Long going all the way after his run on Jeopardy. Just goes to show how hard the tournament of champions is this year.

— Interrupter Jones (@Interrupter_MTG) October 31, 2022

Shocked Ryan Long lost first round. He was the fourth longest champ this year. Wow. #Jeopardy

— 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙾𝙻𝙻❤️‍🔥 (@misselenanicole) October 31, 2022

Super Champ Ryan Long being knocked out in the first round was not in my bracket, but this is the nature of the Tournament of Champions. Kind of cool to see Maureen, a four day champ, advance. #jeopardy #ToC

— Elizabeth (She/her/hers) (@elizanhurd) November 1, 2022

The Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions continues tonight. To find broadcast times and channels in your area, head to the Jeopardy! website.

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Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.