Undeniably, it isn’t common to see a Jeopardy! competitor sitting down. But it is Grant DeYoung‘s preferred method of challenging his worthy opponents. Several fans have questioned why Grant opts to remain seated during the exciting mental battles when his challengers all stand beside him.
Grant DeYoung Keeps It Interesting For Jeopardy! Fans
While Jeopardy! contestant, Grant DeYoung, has fans in awe of his mental stature, many wonder why he chooses to sit during the battle of the wits on stage. Undoubtedly, fans have enjoyed the Arizona grocery clerk’s run with fame on his exciting journey on Jeopardy! While his steak has come to an unfortunate end, he has proven to be a great champion during his days of winning. Notably, his reign came after defeating three-day champ Will Newton last week. Not to mention the tense round of winning he squeaked by on Monday while taking on Greg Meller and Ivvone Zhou and gaining victory with the skin of his teeth. During the Final Jeopardy round, he skated by with just a one-dollar lead.
Grant Is A Fan-Favorite
Unmistakably, he has kept the show interesting for viewers with his close calls, self-given nickname – “GrantDoesntKnowIt,” and natural humor. On the podcast with producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss, Buzzy Cohen noted Grant’s humor. He says, “Grant’s got some humor.” Laughably he points out Grant’s humor matches his doubleganger appearance, “He doesn’t just look like Weird Al.” Then, Sarah talks about Grant speaking with Ken Jennings during a post-game chat. She relays that Ken asked if he used flashcards to study, but Grant quick-wittedly responds, “I didn’t do the pink flashcards as I recall you did, Ken; we have the technology now!” Likely, he will be included in future Tournament of Champions. But fans observe he also brought himself down to his opponent’s level by choosing to remain in a chair throughout the competition.
Without a doubt, it is unusual to see a Jeopardy! contestant contain themselves to a chair. Perhaps nerves or excitement drives most to stand or maybe Grant DeYoung wants to look his opponents in the eye when he fights for the winning spot. Either way, Grant was the only one to sit during the competition. Notably, his chair was a tall, black swivel seat with silver armrests, giving him good back support as he focused on the game. But the differing stance led to fans posing a few questions of their own.
Jeopardy! Takes A Stance On Sitting
As Jeopardy! fans began to question why Grant DeYoung was sitting, producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss addressed the topic. Heading off the comments, she said, “Fans have been noticing that Grant is sitting in a chair during his games.” Politely clarifying she says, “This is something that we always offer to contestants.” Then, she adds, “We don’t ask why; it’s not our business.” Furthermore, she explains, “If you want a chair, we’ll give it to you.”
Jeopardy! Fans Get To The Bottom Of It
While Jeopardy! fans were wondering about Grant DeYoung‘s reason for sitting, they had their speculations it was due to his tall stature. Notably, Grant stands at 6’4″ tall. But Grant decided to let them in on the truth behind his sitting choice.
- “Is Grant in a chair?” an X user remarks.
- “Looks as if we have another tall one, and his name is Grant he was sitting in a chair tonight….” someone observes.
- “Why do some contestants sit on chairs and others stand? Just curious, no complaints,” another fan asks on Reddit. Grant opts to directly message on Reddit, writing, “They give it if you ask.” Furthermore, he explains, “I have some back arthritis that makes standing still for that long very difficult.” Honoring other’s privacy, Grant adds, “I wouldn’t expect everyone who sits for Jeopardy! to disclose their reason for needing one, but I don’t mind saying mine.”
- Another user inquires, “Do they let you sit on the job at the grocery store? (That’s great if they do, just wondering).”
- Grant remarks, “Even better, they let me walk around and be in continuous motion, but Jeopardy hasn’t quite figured that one out yet.”
- When Reddit users guessed it was related to his height Grant explained, “Indirectly, you’re not wrong, I’m too tall for my own good!”
What do you think about Grant DeYoung’s reason for sitting? Are you sad to see his reign come to an end? Do you hope to see him in the Tournament of Champions? Are you interested in the new Pop Culture Jeopardy!?
