Billie Jean King was a force not just on the tennis court, but for women’s athletes. She had the chance to meet another groundbreaking force in her field: a certain beloved Jeopardy! champion of great renown. Let’s check out the meeting of two titans.
Two Icons’ Introduction
King is regularly regarded as one of the greatest tennis players who ever lived. She’s also a women’s rights activist who’s lobbied her entire life to improve the lives of female athletes. If that’s not enough, King’s an LGBTQ+ hero who’s been honored by both GLAAD and the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame for her fight against discrimination. Just being the best at tennis would be enough for King to earn generations of praise, but she’s proven to be extraordinary.
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Seeing King at the U.S. Open is hardly surprising, but seeing her chat to a burgeoning LGBTQ+ icon is exciting indeed. King tweeted, “Answer: She’s won 40 consecutive games of [Jeopardy!], and holds the second-longest win streak in the program’s history.” Who else could it be but Amy Schneider?
Schneider made history in her own right earning the longest streak ever behind only Ken Jennings. That the two got to chat during Pride Day is very wholesome.
A Bit Of History
Believe it or not, King actually helped Schneider win $200. On the January 7 edition of Jeopardy!, the same night Schneider broke the $1 million threshold, she took the lead in the third clue. “After she beat Bobby Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 on Sept. 20, 1973, Riggs admitted, ‘I underestimated you.’” Schneider correctly responded with King’s name.
One week later, Billie Jean King came up again. This time it was in the clue itself. On Schneider’s 32nd game, the prompt was: “Before becoming the first American woman in space, she was a star tennis player at Stanford & Billie Jean King told her to go pro.” Schneider answered “Sally Ride” correctly, netting $400. That’s a total of $600 dollars King helped Schneider win or about .043 percent of her total earnings.
What’s Next For Amy Schneider?
You’ll soon see Schneider back on Jeopardy! for the 2022 Tournament of Champions. She, Matt Amodio, and Mattea Roach each received a bye in the tournament for their extraordinary play. We’ve never seen this many super champions compete in one tournament before, so it’s become highly anticipated indeed. Perhaps King herself will be watching.
