Mina Kimes vs. Jeremy Tache in "Celebrity Pop Culture Jeopardy!" | Hour 3

Summary

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The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Mina Kimes vs. Jeremy Tache in "Celebrity Pop Culture Jeopardy!" | Hour 3
Date: May 20, 2026

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Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz centers on sports and pop-culture, culminating in a lively "Celebrity Pop Culture Jeopardy!" showdown between Mina Kimes and Jeremy Tache. The group dives into memorable sports narratives (including the legend-building around Victor Wembanyama), high-level sports stats banter, comedic tangents, and eventually, a competitive trivia contest that matches Mina Kimes' "Jeopardy!" prowess against Tache's pop-culture savvy.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The "Award of Awards" and Nostalgic Laughter (00:38–05:13)

• Greg Cody (as Ethel Merman persona) proposes an "award of awards" to the person who wins the most awards across all entertainment each year.
  • “Pablo against Timothy Shalamat. Taylor Swift, Apple TV’s the Studio, Kendrick Lamar, whoever’s had the best year and won the most awards…” (01:51)
• The crew jokes about Greg's old blog, sparking infectious and nostalgic laughter, reflecting the show’s playful team dynamic.
  • “Random Evidence of a Cluttered Blog is terrible. It’s too long.” (02:55)

Sports Stats, Clutch Time and James Harden's Postseason Woes (05:13–13:20)

• Discussion on defining and valuing "clutch" moments in basketball.
  • “Give me the player who leads the league in fourth quarter scoring. That’s all I need.” — Greg Cody (Ethel Merman persona) (05:46)
• Chris Crouse lays out "Stat of the Day": Jalen Brunson’s massive lead in postseason clutch points since 2023 (139), dwarfing stars like SGA (82) and Jokic (67). (07:01)
• Detailed breakdown of recent NBA playoff performances, with sharp criticism of James Harden's recurring playoff struggles.
  • “He rarely fails to not meet a moment.” — Chris Crouse re: Harden’s “choker” rep (10:03)
• Comparison between Harden and Dwyane Wade as shooting guards, with D-Wade hailed for his defense.
  • “Dwayne doesn’t get enough credit for what he did.” — Billy (11:51)

Building Wembanyama's Mythology: A Monastery and Basketballs (12:31–14:08)

• Ramona Shelburne’s story: Victor Wembanyama reportedly dribbled a basketball to a mountainside monastery, “an incline of 2,500ft in elevation,” in four and a half hours.
  • Crew expresses skepticism and jokes about the mythology (“That’s where monks live in dangerous mountain range...They don’t triple a ball.” — Floyd & Mina, 13:43–13:44).

Mina Kimes’ Competitive Side and Jeopardy! Prep (17:20–27:00)

• Celebration of Mina’s recent "Celebrity Jeopardy!" win and her competitive spirit—though Mina humbly downplays her competitiveness.

  • “I don’t think I am the most competitive person in the world...I think I try hard and sometimes that gets conflated with being competitive.” — Mina Kimes (17:49)

• Mina’s Jeopardy! preparation detailed:

  • Preparation Includes: Buzzing practice with a special device, advice and a book (~80 pages) on buzzing from James Holzhauer, trivia club sessions (“Fight Club”), and reading junior high to high school-level trivia.
  • “Pretty much everybody knows most of them, right? So buzzing in...was essential.” — Mina Kimes (19:38)
  • “My manager or my agent...also represents James Holzhauer. He introduced us...sent me a book. It’s like 80 pages about buzzing...” — Mina Kimes (19:51)
  • “I was using my buzzer, right? So...practicing my buzzing technique while I was playing the game.” (22:41)

• Discussion on embracing effort and "try-hard" stigmas.

  • “We should normalize going the extra mile to try hard for stuff...why are you embarrassed that you tried really hard to win a million dollars for this?” — Mina (26:18)

Career Achievements and Full-Circle Moments (24:07–26:05)

• Mina discusses the significance of recent achievements:
  • Hosting the National Spelling Bee is a full-circle moment for her, more so than NFL analysis.
  • “If you were to go back and interview...8-year-old Mina Kimes, it would be far more likely that she’d be hosting the spelling bee than that she would be an NFL analyst...” — Mina (24:40)
• Other notable highlights: Helping David Chang win “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”, participating in Family Feud, and the ESPN Simpsons game.

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Celebrity Pop Culture Jeopardy!

(Begins ~29:34)

Format and Rules

• Mina vs. Jeremy Tache, alternating turns (no buzzer—a handicap for Mina, given her buzzing prowess)

Questions & Highlights

• First Question to Mina: Saved by the Bell’s high school
  • Mina stumbles: “Oh, forget Saved by the Bell...I can't remember!” (30:18)
  • Answer: Bayside High (missed by Mina)
• Jeremy: Jagged Little Pill artist
  • Correct answer: “Who is Alanis Morissette?” (30:45)
• Mina: Iconic “Full House” phrase
  • Attempts “You got it, Dude,” but doesn't phrase properly and admits she didn’t watch Full House. (31:37)
• Jeremy: Luke Skywalker's lightsaber color in "Return of the Jedi"
  • Correct: “What is green?” (32:11)
• Mina: “Once you pop, you can’t stop” slogan snack
  • Correct: “What is Pringles?” (34:50)
• Jeremy: Game Show Creator
  • Stumps before guessing: “Who is Merv Griffin?” (35:22)
• Mina: Best Picture winner after La La Land mix-up
  • Correct: “What is Moonlight?” (37:11)
• Jeremy: Swingers video game
  • Misses "NHL 94" (37:29)
• Deciding Questions:
  • Mina: Harlem Globetrotters founding city — “What is New York?” (Incorrect, 39:48)
  • Jeremy: TLC’s Nickelodeon theme — "What is All That?" (Correct, 40:09)

Final Score & Aftermath

• Jeremy Tache wins, 4 to 3 (Best of 7).
  • “Mina, you’re amazing and I love you, Mina.” — Jeremy Tache (40:23)
  • “I’ll take the L. Clearly a product of–I should have gotten Bayside. That was–” — Mina Kimes (40:27)

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Memorable Quotes and Moments

• On effort:
  • “We should normalize going the extra mile to try hard for stuff...” — Mina Kimes (26:18)
• Competitive ribbing:
  • "Clearly a product of–I should have gotten Bayside. That was..." — Mina Kimes, gracious in defeat (40:27)
  • “Mina, you’re nothing without your 80 page book.” — Chris Crouse (40:35)
• On Jeopardy! Preparation:
  • “80 pages on buzzing.” — Billy (21:54)
  • “My reaction time actually did go down from playing it so much.” — Mina Kimes (22:29)

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Sports and Football Takes Integrated Throughout

• Fresh NFL draft and team analysis, including:
  • Carnell Tate’s surprise pick to the Titans (29:06)
  • Thoughts on the Raiders’ QB situation (31:00)
  • The Dolphins’ rebuild ambiguity (35:59)
  • Steelers’ “treading water” approach with Aaron Rodgers (38:00)
  • "A team that's going to surprise you this year" — Mina picks the Jaguars (33:27)

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Timestamps for Significant Segments

• Clutch stats and Brunson analysis: 07:01–09:23
• Wembanyama monastery story: 12:31–13:20
• Mina's Jeopardy! prep: 19:38–22:41
• Start of Pop Culture Jeopardy: 29:34
• Jeopardy! Contest climax and winner: 39:48–40:23

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Conclusion and Tone

This episode delivers The Dan Le Batard Show’s signature blend of quick-witted camaraderie, incisive sports talk, and self-aware pop culture competition. Mina Kimes shines as an insightful, prepared, humble "Jeopardy!" champ, while Jeremy Tache seizes the crown in pop culture trivia. The transitions between playful ribbing, earnest confessions, and sharp sports analysis make this a standout hour for diehard fans and trivia lovers alike.

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Transcript

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[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast.

[Chris Crouse]

I've got some fairly shocking numbers to throw your way regarding clutch time minutes and Jalen Brunson and I also have a great detail from a Ramona Shelburne story about how we're gonna start building the mythology around Wembanyama now that the reporters are coming and trying to unlock the discovery of the newest thing. Wembanyama is getting credit for some work he's doing with monks and some unusual training that he's doing that has next to nothing to do with him being 7 foot 3.

[David Jacoby]

And Wembanyama's with monks. Jaylen Brown's on Twitch.

[Chris Crouse]

That is correct. But before we get to that, just as we were going to break, okay, Greg Cody looks up and says, as if by epiphany, you know, it's a really good idea for me to sponsor an award that gets given to the person every year across all of entertainment who wins the most awards.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Yeah, the award of awards. I. I think there's something there. Think about it. Like this year, Pablo Torre is competing against. Who's the hot actor? Timothy Shalamat. What's his name?

[Floyd]

Shalam.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Okay, who?

[Mina Kimes]

You said on the Great Cody show

[Floyd]

this week that he won't be popular in five years.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Okay, it's Pablo against Timothy Shalamat. Taylor Swift, Apple TV's the Studio, Kendrick Lamar, who? Whoever has had the best year and won the most awards across all platforms, they win the Greg Cody award of awards. An annual award. Huh? There's something there.

[Chris Crouse]

I need your support. Zaslo. You are smirking at Greg Cody.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

There's something there.

[Chris Crouse]

You're not endorsing this idea. I'm telling you that what came across his face was both radiance and enlightenment. When he thought of his face on an award, it's the happiest I've seen him since Mike Ryan, as his inner voice, just simply mentioned the name of his old blog.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Yeah, right.

[Chris Crouse]

Chris, do you have the sound of your father laughing as I've never heard him laugh before, it's simply because Mike Ryan did him the courtesy of remembering the wordy terrible name for his blog. A truly terrible name.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Great name.

[Chris Crouse]

No, Random Evidence of a Cluttered Blog is terrible. It's too long. It's. Look. Look at Tony back there. Tony respects you.

[Floyd]

Tony do I love you.

[Chris Crouse]

Tony loves you. But that's just. He knows it's a terrible name, so

[Floyd]

I had to type it into like www.random evidence of a cluttered blog.com. like, what was it?

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Well, the. The. The shortened nickname is Random Evidence, but the full name is Random Evidence of a Cluttered Blog. You know, recm, I've just never.

[Chris Crouse]

I've known him all my life and never heard him have a hacking laugh like this.

[David Jacoby]

Sounds a little like Stephen A.

[Chris Crouse]

This is how I would imagine him laughing from the beyond.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Well, it was a deep cut that Mike referenced, but all he was doing

[Chris Crouse]

is giving the ridiculous name of your notes column, which by itself isn't funny. But you've never found anything that funny.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

It just struck me. That's a healthy laugh, by the way. Ten years ago, I couldn't have laughed

[David Jacoby]

like that followed by really unhealthy cough.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Well, still can't have it all.

[Chris Crouse]

That kind of thing.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Yeah, exactly.

[Chris Crouse]

My narcissism. I believe that this would be the greatest laugh I've ever heard from the best of the movie villains.

[Billy]

Honestly, turn my mood around. I haven't had a laugh like that in a long time.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Thank you. That's a laugh full of mirth and joy. That's not a villain's laugh.

[Chris Crouse]

No. If I put some threatening behind this, somebody is coming for my things and is a little bit evil.

[Billy]

No, Greg's right. When I heard that laugh, I heard mirth.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Yes, it. It's uplifting, that laugh.

[Chris Crouse]

Thank you, Billy.

[David Jacoby]

You know about that mirth.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

I do know about that mirth. Ethel Merman. Ethel Mirthman. That didn't work. Back to the drawing board. Did not work. You got to take 678 at bats

[Billy]

to get your frankincense and mirth.

[Chris Crouse]

Ethel Mirthman is what it is that you wanted to say some.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Every once in a while you swing at a pitch in the dirt. Am I right?

[Chris Crouse]

So here's Tommy Beer. He says, you know what clutch points are? Greg, do you care about clutch? Clutch time? What is defined empiric?

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

You don't care about clutch tmi. It doesn't help me follow the sport or enjoy the sport or watch the feeling.

[David Jacoby]

I'll Be right up your alley wanting to know what players are good in the clutch.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Well, I was a stat nerd when I was a kid, but I've outgrown it.

[David Jacoby]

No, but just the idea that this. Is this a player who's really good with the game on the line?

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Yeah, but, but you know that lean

[Mina Kimes]

back you give me.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

You give me the player who leads the league in fourth quarter scoring. That's all I need.

[Chris Crouse]

Okay, but. Okay, but, but so if. What do you think the definition of clutch time is or should be? Because there is a working definition in basketball that I'm about to give you. Let's see if it lines up with what, what you imagine yours would be.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

I would guess that it's something to the effect shooting percentage in the last three minutes of a, of a close game or in overtime.

[Chris Crouse]

Okay, so pretty close. It's the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the is within five points for either team.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

That makes sense.

[Chris Crouse]

Okay, so this, this. I think this is crazy. The stat that I'm about to give you. In fact give me the stat of the day here music so that I can give the credit to Tommy Beer for this stat. Please.

[Dan Le Batard]

Start of the day, start of the day it is your start of the day. Start of the day, Start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day, Start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day, Start of the day it is the start of the day.

[Chris Crouse]

Most points scored in the clutch in the playoffs since the start of the 2023 season to the point that Mike was making. The Knicks don't get to be lovable underdogs anymore. They've been doing this for a while. Jalen Brunson is at 139 clutch points. Next closest is the two time MVP Shea Gilgis Alexander at 82. Next closest is Jokic at 67. So twice as many as Jokic who I've called the best offensive player I've ever seen. And Shay Gilgis Alexander. That number's somewhat skewed by the fact that he doesn't play in that many close games.

[Floyd]

But that's also playoffs, right? Because SGA 1 clutch player of the year this year with 175 points in the clutch.

[Chris Crouse]

This it's post season. Yes, 2023 postseason. But if I'm going to give you clutch stats and I'm going to make the award of awards is clutch stats in the clutch moments. It's not the regular season. And to give you are you surprised by that at all? That Brunson would be that much higher than what are recorded as the two best offensive players in the league?

[David Jacoby]

No, because it feels like Shake Yodis Alexander may not have to play in too many clutch situations.

[Chris Crouse]

That's. That's correct. But regardless, I would still say that the reason that the Knicks love this player so much is because the little guy who's the underdog, who was the second player on the Mavs who has been consistently underestimated, is not simply better than most of the people all of the time. He's also the very best when it matters most. And last night, just so that you're clear on what happened Final 13 minutes of game one, that's fourth quarter in overtime, Brunson has 17 points and is 8 for 10 from the floor. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined had three points and were 1 for 10 from the floor, had zero rebounds and zero assists. Like in terms of a complete disintegration. The reason that what happened last night has very little precedent is because the Cavs have two guys who became totally invisible. As a guy with the Knicks who hadn't done very much through three quarters, all of a sudd became what he usually is in the fourth quarter. It's why the Knicks love this team the way the fans love this team, the way that they do.

[Billy]

The Harden thing remains fascinating to me because he can undo an entire very valid argument like no matter what, even if he comes up big for the rest of this series, his postseason averages are not what the regular season are. His seven game seven averages are laughable. But he can undo everything with one all time performance in a game that's win or go home. And every game that comes and goes where there's a little opportunity to change that narrative about him, it doesn't seem to happen.

[David Jacoby]

He's throwing up air balls in the fourth quarter last night.

[Billy]

This is crazy.

[David Jacoby]

Air balled one of those threes.

[Billy]

It's crazy how it's a thing with him.

[Chris Crouse]

The airball though, was the one where and I rarely, rarely do this. I meant to actually ask this of Nick because I wanted to know who he regards as the second biggest choker of the chokers across sports now. And what's the distance between how clutch James Harden is about choking like he's consistent and he rarely fails to not meet a moment. It felt like New York fell on his head like that. As much as we were feeling that at home, the Cavs could have realized in that moment that the player they've traded for to get them over the top. Back to the feeling that LeBron provided is a guy who is trusted the very least in this situation. And we all know it. And New York was smelling blood and knew it. And when New York smelled blood and knew it, James Harden air balled and you know it.

[Jeremy Tach]

The thing with James Harden is we are always putting him in this category of like one of the greatest shooting guards of all time. And people have had this narrative every year. It pops up in November and December, like, oh, this guy and what he's doing at this age. He's better than Dwyane Wade when, when you look at his postseason. So this year alone he has six games where he has more turnovers than field goals made. Dwyane Wade had seven of those in 177 career playoff games.

[Billy]

I mean, shit, Dwayne could have done that. Dwayne could have been an offensive vacuum who was bad on defense and inefficient. He could have done that. He chose not to. And that always bothered me about the hardened Dwyane Wade. Conversation number one, to totally bypass defense, where Wade is like an incredible shot blocking threat, a great defender.

[David Jacoby]

Oh, you don't remember the game. We're in a big spot. The team that the Heat were playing was picking on Dwyane Wade every single play. You don't remember?

[Billy]

That never happened. But James keeps adding to his offensive prowess because he decided he was going to be that for the entirety of his career. Dwayne doesn't get enough credit for what he did.

[Chris Crouse]

We will get to Mina Kimes in a second here. James Harden has played 188 playoff games in his career. More than a quarter of them more turnovers than field goals. That's more. More than 20. Like one out of four. He's going to have a disaster basketball game this series.

[David Jacoby]

He's going to become. As long as they don't win the series, this series, he will become the all time leader for most playoff games played without getting to the NBA Finals.

[Chris Crouse]

We're going to get to Mina in a second. But here's the story from Ramona Shelburne about how we're going to start making the mythology around Wembanyama.

[Floyd]

Excuse me.

[David Jacoby]

That winning. I'm sorry, Dan. He's been there before. Excuse me.

[Chris Crouse]

Wembanyama. He was there as a sixth man with Oklahoma City and it's the only time he's been there. Wembanyama would dribble a basketball up dangerous mountain routes and there was a hike that traversed cliffside plank paths Suspension bridges, ancient forests. Five times as long as another one in the area. Because he would just dribble the ball to a monastery. It's an incline of 2,500ft in elevation across uneven ridges and stone. His master, because he studies with monks, says it would take an average person seven to eight hours. But he did it in four and a half while dribbling a basketball.

[Jeremy Tach]

I love him so much.

[Mina Kimes]

Do you believe that, Dude? Hold on, guys.

[Billy]

Do you believe that?

[Chris Crouse]

Yes, of course I believe that.

[Floyd]

So you have him traversing a dangerous mountain range, dribbling a basketball on the ground.

[David Jacoby]

Yes.

[Floyd]

Where if you hit a rock, it goes the opposite way. Have you ever dribbled? Oh, God.

[Billy]

You believe that?

[Floyd]

Dan? Dan, you're a smart guy.

[Billy]

That's where monks live in dangerous mountain range.

[Floyd]

They don't play basketball.

[Mina Kimes]

They don't triple a ball.

[Billy]

That's why the. The pathways are so dangerous.

[Jeopardy Host]

Hey, hey.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

With the monks, baby.

[Billy]

Give it to him.

[Chris Crouse]

Well, hey, hey. We're the monks.

[Billy]

No, it's good.

[Jeopardy Host]

That's good. No, it's going.

[Chris Crouse]

It deserves. You guys did not hear. Monk don't lie.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

That's right.

[Chris Crouse]

Instead of bald.

[Billy]

I'm glad I didn't.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Everybody knows it.

[Billy]

Tony, you know that moment at a party or at a tailgate where everything just sort of clicks?

[Mina Kimes]

I know it.

[Floyd]

Well, it's usually when I show up, everybody goes crazy.

[Chris Crouse]

Yeah.

[Billy]

You usually take all the credit for it, but it's because Tony usually walks in with Cuervo.

[Mina Kimes]

Walk in like this.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Billy]

Cuervo is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night.

[Floyd]

It has that effect on people.

[Billy]

It does. You usually take the credit for it, but again, it's the Cuervo effect. It's like that moment in a big game where everyone in the crowd just starts standing up, hootin and hollerin'. Keep it Cuervo.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Keep it Cuervo, baby.

[Billy]

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[Floyd]

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[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

want to address Tony and all men who would wear that shirt in public.

[Dan Le Batard]

Stugats don't do it. This is the Don Lebatar show with the stugats.

[Chris Crouse]

Here's Mina Kimes. I believe that her and Pablo are kicking.

[Jeopardy Host]

Congratulations. Good job. Good job.

[Chris Crouse]

Kicking the ass of Nick Wright, who claims that he is rivals with Mina and with Pablo. Pablo told us yesterday that he believes to be Mina to be the most competitive person in the world. Mina, we have not seen that side of you. What is the way that you're most unreasonably competitive?

[Mina Kimes]

Sorry, we just heard about a professional athlete who literally trained in a monastery. I don't think that I am the most competitive person in the world when you consider all of the elite athlete. And I realize inadvertently I'm comparing myself to an elite athlete here. But I don't think I'm that competitive. I think I try hard and sometimes that gets conflated with being competitive.

[Chris Crouse]

Put it on the Batard show. Who's more competitive, Mina or Wemby? You have won. Congratulations. Celebrity Jeopardy. It was a million dollars to charity. In terms of all of your recent game show wins, where does this rank in terms of the best that you have felt? Because you've had three pretty legendary game show wins, have you not?

[Mina Kimes]

I don't think that comparing this to game show wins is the right way to stack up how much it meant to me. I think you have to rank it with, like, the day my son was born slightly below and learned the lessons of maybe making jokes about marriage on this show. So I'm not going to do that. But I would compare it to you.

[David Jacoby]

Interesting. Interesting.

[Mina Kimes]

It was a very, very important day in my. I was about to. And then I was like, it was a very important day of my life. And. And it felt really, really good. And it felt so good because this is a charity I've been involved with for a while. They are not a big charity. It's a small nonprofit based here in Los Angeles. And part of the reason I wanted to win so bad and prepared for it was knowing what it would mean for them.

[Chris Crouse]

Can you take us through any of the preparation that is worth noting? Like, how nervous were you? How much pressure was there around this for you? And what does the prep actually look like for all of the world's trivia?

[Mina Kimes]

Yeah. I'll sum it up. First of all, this comes with the important caveat that this is celebrity Jeopardy. And it is like the analogy I would say is it would be like if call. If regular Jeopardy Is college. This is like 9th grade maybe level knowledge. So I want to start there and say it is easier to prepare for, I think, because of that. So we taped the quarterfinals and the semifinals the same day. And I was not prepared. The only thing I prepared for that was wagering, which ended up being relevant. Uh, but then they told me, you have two months until the finals. And I decided to do what I didn't do the last time I was on Cyber Jeopardy, which was study. And the main things that I did were. And I talked about this on my show with David. I. My inter. My manager or my agent, pardon me, also represents James Holzhauer. He introduced us. For those who don't know, James Holzhauer is one of the legendary Jeopardy. Super champs. He was like the sports better who kind of changed the game grinning free and the first. He is amazing. Jeopardy. James. One of the first things he did was stress to me the significance of buzzing. And he helped me. He gave me a link to buy basically what's like an off label buzzer that's in my right now and sent me a book. It's like 80 pages about buzzing that I read. So the most important thing I did was I practiced buzzing. And this is especially important with slappy Jeopardy. Because again, the questions are so much easier. Pretty much everybody knows most of them, right? So buzzing in and. And for those who don't know Jeopardy. You get locked out if you buzz in too early. So there's like a little bit of a window you have to figure out how to buzz into. Improving my reaction time, nailing my cadence was essential. Uh, the other thing I did was I read a lot of books that are behind me basically like junior high to high school level trivia. And then I practiced Jeopardy. There's a guy named James Tyler who's a soccer editor at GS at espn. He was a former Jeopardy Winner. He, when he found out I was doing celebrity Jeopardy. Asked if you ever want me to train you. This is like my fight, fight, fight montage Rocky moment. I will train you. In fact, they call it Fight Club. And it's when former Jeopardy. People get together and just play Jeopardy. So during the football season from Oct to December when I was flying to Monday Night Football and then on Saturdays while my kid was napping, I played Jeopardy. Probably four hours a week.

[Billy]

80 pages on buzzing.

[Mina Kimes]

Yeah, page one.

[Floyd]

Do it quick.

[Billy]

All right, we got that part. Next tip.

[Mina Kimes]

The thing about buzzing and people always ask like what do you. How can you get better at it? You kind of the, the, the key I would say is you have to figure out what works for you and then become a automatic. And it is a lot like a shooting form or something. You just have to figure it out and never stray from the exact mechanism that works for you. What I found was that holding my buzzer one hand, some at a 45 degree angle, starting to depress it at the end of Ken Jennings voice was when I would buzz in successfully.

[Chris Crouse]

And how much fake buzzing were you doing when you say you were studying this way, like take us through how much fake buzzing. How many hours of fake buzzing did you do?

[Mina Kimes]

I mean the whole time I was practicing Jeopardy. I was using my buzzer, right? So it was not just practicing Jeopardy to practice like betting and knowledge and all that. But it was mostly and I would say this is the more important part. Practicing my buzzing technique while I was playing the game. And all these people that I played with who are lovely, like just the most lovely people from around the country was like an elementary school principal in, you know, Toronto and a doctor and just people I had never met in my life who were all smoking me, smoking me every week in jeopardy. Kept telling me, when you get up and play celebrity Jeopardy, it's going to be like taking off a weighted vest because you've been practicing with us for so long. And I didn't really believe them until I got up there and I was like realized, oh my God, I'm buzzing in faster than everyone else. So my reaction time actually did go down from playing it so much.

[Chris Crouse]

We will get in a moment to Jeremy playing celebrity pop culture Jeopardy against you. Jeremy said that he could beat you, so we're going test you because he made that claim on the air in just a second. Before we do that, Mina, can you just take us through your other game show wins the bronze and silver medalist of this so people can see the hot streak that you're having. And also, I'd like to know, being awarded the national spelling bee, where does it rank among the achievements recently that have felt best for you?

[Mina Kimes]

Well, that was actually born of Jeopardy. Because the company that makes Jeopardy. Embassy Row is now for the first time producing the spelling bee this year. And they got to know me and maybe through inference figured out that it would be something I'd be interested in. They didn't know that I had competed in spelling bees growing up as well as geography bees, which was something. I'm super passionate about geography and it's awesome. Honestly, somebody was asking me like, wow, is this crazy? Like you're hosting the spelling bee. Did you ever dream about this? And I said, and if you were to go back and interview, talk to 8 year old Mina Kimes, it would be far more likely that she'd be hosting the spelling bee than that she would be an NFL analyst on espn. Like this is more of a full circle moment for me than what I do now. It's just I've taken the most circuitous possible journey to get there. You could argue maybe that I became an NFL analyst just so I could ultimately become the host of the spelling bee. So it ranks very high for me. Somebody's going to clip that. And for nefarious purposes, other game shows. I helped my friend David Chang win a million dollars on Millionaire. Pablo and I were part of Dave Chang's also family on Family Feud. But Honestly, those don't compare for me to Jeopardy.

[Chris Crouse]

If I sort of forced you to place it on career achievement rankings, Celebrity Jeopardy's at the very top spelling bee is close. Is there any between them

[Mina Kimes]

doing the Simpsons game for espn? We did like a Simpsons broadcast. I don't know if you guys remember that, where it was like a animated Simpsons game and we got to do play. That was really big for me because I, as you know, I'm a huge, huge Simpsons fan. So that was also a little bit of a full circle. Like, oh, I get to use all this incredibly useless and apparently useless knowledge. Although there were like two Simpsons clues on my Jeopardy. Run, by the way. But yeah, the Simpsons game was big too. Cause I just love that show.

[Chris Crouse]

Put it on the poll, please. At lebatard show. Is it cheating to buy a fake buzzer to practice Jeopardy. And also put it on the poll. Is Mina a cheater at LeBatard show as well? You know, Yes.

[Mina Kimes]

I just think. And I. And this is something I've talked about. We should be. We should normalize going the extra mile to try hard for stuff. Because I feel like this has been a big lesson for me in all of this because this whole time I was studying in secret, I was doing all this stuff in secret. And then after I went, I was like, part of me was a little bit embarrassed, admit how hard I tried. But then I thought about it and I thought, wait, why are you embarrassed that you tried really, really hard to win a million dollars for this? You should talk about not the winning part, but the preparation part. Because I think sometimes we are, like, too ashamed of being. Of putting in effort, more effort than other people because we're afraid of being exposed as a try hard. So I just want to put that up.

[Chris Crouse]

Okay. Thank you for doing that. You're making the world a better place in a number of different ways. Not just through your charitable efforts, not just by being the more competitive person than we.

[David Jacoby]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Don LeBatard.

[Mina Kimes]

Did you get lost on the way to Home Depot today, Dan? Like, what. What's going on with the platform, Stugarts. But you look like you're about to ask me to, like, check the oil on my car or, like, come over and, like, look around, point things in my house that need to be fixed.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levitar show with the stugats.

[Chris Crouse]

Jeremy, you're ready to go, and I'm going to ask a football question and then you help me with whatever the pop culture questions are. I want to go back and forth between pop culture Jeopardy. And you and a football question. So give me something from the draft that you found more interesting than Ty Simpson to the Rams.

[Mina Kimes]

Oh, gosh, we're talking real football. I thought Carnell Tate going forth was the first, like, one of the really true, surprising picks of the day to the Tennessee Titans because there was. What I found so interesting about that was not that he went for it. It actually made a ton of sense for them to take a receiver, but there was, like, no smoke around him. To the Titans, which is really interesting to me when you think about that organization, who they talk to, because it kind of came out of nowhere.

[Jeopardy Host]

All right, it's time for a little game of answers and questions. This is celebrity pop culture jeopardy. We got our contestants, Mina Kimes and Jeremy Tach. Please remember your responses must be in a form of a question. Mina, are you ready?

[Mina Kimes]

How does it work? Are we. Do we.

[Chris Crouse]

No buzzers.

[Jeopardy Host]

No buzzers.

[Chris Crouse]

Taking turns taking away your cheating advantage.

[Mina Kimes]

Yeah. Okay.

[Jeopardy Host]

Mina, you are going first. Are you ready?

[Billy]

I guess I can give you a book that's about 45 pages long that explains on how to take turns.

[Jeopardy Host]

All right, here is your first.

[Mina Kimes]

I'll give that to my two year old right now. All right. Yeah.

[Jeopardy Host]

All right. The fictional high school in Saved by the bell.

[Mina Kimes]

Oh, forget Saved by the bell.

[Chris Crouse]

Oh,

[Mina Kimes]

I can't Remember.

[Chris Crouse]

I'm sorry, Mina. I'm sorry. Without that fake buzzer, you're not very impressive.

[Jeopardy Host]

What is Bayside High?

[Mina Kimes]

Oh, Bayside. Yeah.

[Jeopardy Host]

Jeremy. Jeremy, are you ready?

[Jeremy Tach]

I am ready.

[Jeopardy Host]

All right, here is your clue. The singer that released the album Jagged

[Jeremy Tach]

Little Pill, who is Alanis Morissette?

[Jeopardy Host]

Correct.

[Chris Crouse]

All right, so I've got a football question now for Mina. The Raiders, what is going to happen at their quarterback position?

[Mina Kimes]

Oh, he'll play me and Fernando Mendoza. I think the question of when is obviously one of the defining questions this season. I was looking at their schedule. The first few weeks are kind of easy, so it's entirely possible that Kirk Cousins holds him off for a little bit. And it's actually unfortunate because the. The back half of their schedule is harder, which is not optimal for a rookie quarterback. I do question whether they did enough to surround either of them with talent, though. Invest in the offensive line, but they didn't add a receiver and some pretty weak receiving group.

[Jeopardy Host]

Mina, here is your clue. The phrase. The phrase Michelle Tanner would regularly say on Full House.

[Mina Kimes]

Oh, I. God, I didn't watch it. You got it, Dude. Did somebody just whisper that?

[Billy]

No, I'm sorry.

[Jeopardy Host]

No, no, I'm sorry. You did not phrase that in a formal way.

[Chris Crouse]

Whispered. Who's helping her? Who won?

[Billy]

Well, either way, she didn't get the point.

[Chris Crouse]

She didn't get it. That fake buzzer and that book not helping her much right now.

[Mina Kimes]

No, I just didn't watch Full House.

[Jeopardy Host]

All right, Jeremy, here's your clue. This was the color lightsaber that Luke Skywalker used in Return of the Jedi eye.

[Jeremy Tach]

What is green?

[Jeopardy Host]

That is correct.

[Mina Kimes]

These are way easier.

[Billy]

You didn't watch Full House. You also didn't participate in the Spanish Armada. These are things that, you know, I.

[Mina Kimes]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Chris Crouse]

You don't know. It's clear you don't know.

[Mina Kimes]

We're picking on this Jeopardy. Champion.

[Chris Crouse]

You guys have no idea how she won a million dollars.

[Jeremy Tach]

I'm going to run it up.

[Chris Crouse]

No, I have no evidence of that she's any good at this.

[Mina Kimes]

It wasn't pop culture Jeopardy. It was normal Jeopardy. I would not win pop culture Jeopardy. I'm not a.

[Jeremy Tach]

That's why I said I would win.

[Mina Kimes]

I. If you had asked me before, I would not have said I would win.

[Chris Crouse]

Okay.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Not over yet.

[Mina Kimes]

See, she is competitive.

[Chris Crouse]

She's so competitive. This competitive streak of yours is a little unseemly. And Pablo warned us that you were like this. If you can just give her a

[Billy]

year, she's going to go to a lot of trivia nights across assorted bars around America.

[Chris Crouse]

They call it fight club.

[Billy]

And she will be ready for.

[Chris Crouse]

Yeah. She hates this humiliation here publicly the way that it is.

[Mina Kimes]

I don't.

[Chris Crouse]

I know how competitive you are. I wish you'd quit lashing out. The team in football that you believe is going to surprise us this year is blank.

[Mina Kimes]

Ooh. A team that is going to surprise you this year. Okay, so I'm trying to pick not an obvious team like the 49ers, I think are a team that'll probably be pretty good by playing in a horrible, horribly difficult division. I'm pretty. I'm. I'm high on the jags, and I feel like maybe it's been a little bit forgotten how good they looked in the second half of the season and how well Trevor Lawrence played.

[Chris Crouse]

That means she's trusting Trevor Lawrence. That's dangerous. I think she's one of the few.

[Floyd]

I think she trusts Liam Cohen is who she trusts.

[Mina Kimes]

Well, I. I think that Liam Cohen. Yes. I think that they've added good players. I know they had kind of a wonky draft, but they're really balanced team. Just did a quarterback's draft on my show, the mini cop show featuring Lenny, and I think he went. Trevor Lawrence went 12th or 13th, which might surprise people.

[Chris Crouse]

Let's play the celebrity pop culture game again. I don't know how many of these we're gonna do if she loses another one. If it's. If it's best of five, she runs the risk of losing right now.

[Billy]

Nina, I actually share an agent with Paul F. Tompkins. If you want me to put you guys in, we can do that, Please.

[Mina Kimes]

I know. I need some. I need to study up.

[Jeopardy Host]

All right, Mina, here's your clue. A popular snack food whose original slogan was, once you pop, you can't stop.

[Mina Kimes]

What is Pringles?

[Jeopardy Host]

That's correct.

[Mina Kimes]

All right. Finally.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

You're back. Mia.

[Mina Kimes]

Yeah, I guess it's a commercial.

[Jeopardy Host]

All right, Jeremy, here is your clue. This man made you answer in the form of a question, creating jeopardy, and had you buy a vowel, creating will of fortune. But he made his bones as a daytime talk show host.

[Mina Kimes]

Finally, a hard one for Jeremy.

[Chris Crouse]

Mer.

[Jeopardy Host]

Who is Merv Griffin?

[Jeremy Tach]

I had nothing there.

[Chris Crouse]

More like Merv Griffin.

[Jeremy Tach]

Oh, boy.

[Chris Crouse]

Now it's getting a little closer. We are making this best of five. Give me all of your thoughts on Troy Aikman working for the Dolphins and uttering this sentence.

[Dan Le Batard]

Here it comes.

[Mina Kimes]

The sentence Dan asked for.

[Chris Crouse]

I don't feel There's a conflict, but I will say I'm pulling for the Dolphins.

[Billy]

That's a great device, Chris.

[Chris Crouse]

Thank you, Ethel Merman.

[Mina Kimes]

I think the Dolphins could use all the help they get right now. I, I do not understand what this team is doing at all. It's like half of the team is rebuilding and half of them didn't know. It feels like I like I. If they had gone full tear it down rebuild, fine. Trailing Jalen Waddle and all the other moves that they made. But then keeping A chan and paying Malik Willis in free agency, it feels like it's happening on a different timeline from the rest of the team. And I actually like, like, I like Malik Willis. I liked that signing. I thought it was a good, you know, why not take a shot on him? And I keep saying, well, you know, it's. This is a multi year thing and we're going to see what we have in him. He's not going to get another chance if he's awful this year and he's being set up to. Maybe I'm wrong, you guys. I have, I, I like Willis and. And would love to be proven right after getting dunked on after his draft, but I just feel like this is like an awful situation for him.

[Jeopardy Host]

Okay, Mina, here is your clue. This movie actually won the best Picture Oscar in 2017 despite Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway mistakenly saying that it was La La Land.

[Mina Kimes]

What is Moonlight?

[Jeopardy Host]

That is correct.

[Mina Kimes]

Now he's getting the easy one ones.

[Jeopardy Host]

Okay, here is your clue, Jeremy. In the movie Swingers, Vince Vaughn and John Favreau played this video game trying to make Wayne Gretzky's head bleed.

[Mina Kimes]

Come on.

[Jeremy Tach]

I can picture it.

[David Jacoby]

Come on.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Even I know that.

[Jeremy Tach]

I don't know it.

[Jeopardy Host]

What is NHL 94?

[Chris Crouse]

I was gonna make my dad answer.

[Jeremy Tach]

No, I didn't know that.

[Billy]

All you had to do is are we tied here?

[Mina Kimes]

We're tied.

[Chris Crouse]

Tie ball game.

[Jeremy Tach]

Oh, transparently I thought NHL was too obvious.

[Chris Crouse]

Look at the competitive Mina times all of a sudden. Can you explain to me what the Steelers just did? And wouldn't Malik Willis had made. Wouldn't that have made more sense there for both him and them?

[Mina Kimes]

Malik Willis would have been fun. So would have K. So would Kyler Murray, who. Right. Who we know signed for a minimum contract would have caused significantly less than Aaron Rodgers. I just feels like the Steelers treading water and trying to come out of this with another, you know, winning season, making it to the playoffs and then getting eliminated. Right. It just feels like if you're Steelers fan. It's just so hard to get excited about it. I do think that they improved the group around Rogers and the offense could be a bit better as a result. But at this point in his career, you know what you're going to get from him. The ball is going to come out super quick. Not going to push it downfield a ton. He's not going to play well under pressure outside of the first read. You're not going to get a lot and it's kind of. I feel like it's dispiriting if you're rooting for the stars because you. At least with those other options there'd be. Yes, it could be worse, but you'd also have some options. Like there'd be some upside potentially.

[Chris Crouse]

We have less than two minutes left and this needs to decide it or we need to ask another one. So let's move it. Rapid fire Roy.

[Jeopardy Host]

All right, Mina. Dan Levitar wanted to find out from Spence what exactly was the end game in this HBO sports sitcom.

[Mina Kimes]

What is Ballers?

[Jeopardy Host]

That's correct. Jeremy, here's your clue.

[David Jacoby]

A lot of pressure.

[Jeopardy Host]

Fox aired a special episode of In Living Color to counter program against the super bowl halftime show, stealing away viewers. The next season, the NFL decided to have this bad singer perform. Super bowl halftimes will never be the same.

[Jeremy Tach]

Who is Michael Jackson?

[Jeopardy Host]

That is correct.

[Chris Crouse]

All right, ask another one then. Amina, we gotta break the tie here. Now it's best of six.

[Jeopardy Host]

Okay, Amina, here's your clue.

[David Jacoby]

That doesn't make sense.

[Jeopardy Host]

The Harlem Globetrotters were founded in this city.

[Mina Kimes]

What is New York?

[Jeopardy Host]

That is incorrect.

[Mina Kimes]

Oh, tricky.

[Jeremy Tach]

Chance to win.

[Chris Crouse]

Chance to win here for Jared.

[Jeopardy Host]

Oh, boy. Okay, Jeremy, here's your clue. That's TLC doing the theme song for this 90s Nickelodeon show. Ah.

[Jeremy Tach]

What is all that?

[Jeopardy Host]

That is correct.

[Mina Kimes]

Yes.

[Chris Crouse]

Oh, no.

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

What an upset. Oh my God.

[Billy]

Mina.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good game.

[David Jacoby]

Tony. What was the score?

[Ethel Merman (nickname or comedic persona)]

Four to three and a best of seven.

[Floyd]

Jeremy wins.

[Jeremy Tach]

Okay. Mina, you're amazing and I. I love you, Mina.

[Chris Crouse]

Detroit. So disappointing.

[Mina Kimes]

I'll take the L. Clearly a product of. I should have gotten Bayside. That was.

[Jeremy Tach]

This is number one on my resume. Mina, we've humbled you.

[Chris Crouse]

Yep. Thank you, Mina. I'm sorry, Mina, you're Nothing without your 80 page book.

[Mina Kimes]

It's okay. I accept this. Good job, Jeremy.

[Billy]

Thank you.