‘UNC Cameron Crazies’? ‘Jeopardy’ contestant offers cringe-worthy answer

Well, this is awkward.

On “Jeopardy!” Thursday night, Duke University’s Cameron Crazies were in the spotlight as part of a clue. They’re the rabid fans who swarm Cameron Indoor Stadium every basketball season and send decibel levels off the charts with their cheers and frenetic bobbing up and down in the stands.

“The ‘Cameron Crazies’ are students who show undying support for the university’s Blue Devils Basketball Teams,” read the $600 clue narrated by host Ken Jennings.

Katrina Hill of Virginia, one of the contestants, immediately buzzed in.

“What is UNC?” she said, scrunching up her nose, perhaps not believing the answer she was offering.

“No,” Jennings simply replied.

Not only was the answer wrong, it was so egregiously wrong because of the storied, epic rivalry between Duke and UNC that has stretched back for decades.

Decades!

Even the most casual basketball fan knows it exists.

Duke University was the answer to a clue on “Jeopardy!” July 28, 2022.
Duke University was the answer to a clue on “Jeopardy!” July 28, 2022.

Let’s just pretend that Hill has never watched college basketball before and to her, former Blue Devils Coach Mike Krzyzewski is just some guy.

Meanwhile, fellow contestant Brianne Barker, the returning champion, was seen frantically clicking her buzzer, unsuccessfully.

But Barker, a graduate of Duke University and a professor in New Jersey, got the answer right after Hill’s miss.

“Katrina is not making many friends in North Carolina right now,” Jennings said.

Twitter, naturally, had some hot takes.

“The UNC answer to Cameron Crazies resulted in audible gasps in this household located in Durham, NC populated by people who attended and/or worked at UNC and Duke,” wrote one fan on Twitter.

“This woman on Jeopardy really just said the Cameron Crazies is UNC basketball,” said one UNC fan on Twitter. “This is what’s wrong with America.”

“Has anyone checked in on Durham NC in the last 30 mins??” asked @WilsonsWorld.

This isn’t the first time Triangle “Jeopardy!” fans have cringed as contestants flubbed a local “Jeopardy!” clue. Last fall, Raleigh was the answer to an $800 clue under the category of “Geo Trios”: “North Carolina’s Research Triangle consists of 3 university cities: Durham, Chapel Hill & this home of N.C. State.”

None of the contestants even ventured a guess.

“Jeopardy!” announced this week that Jennings and Mayim Bialik, who have been sharing hosting duties this season, would continue to do so for the indefinite future. Both have taken on the roles following the death of beloved longtime host Alex Trebek.

Hill shouldn’t feel too bad about her flub. She won the episode with a one-day total of $27,601.

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