‘Jeopardy!’ GOAT Tournament: Ken Jennings Delivers Trash Talk Gold on James Holzhauer After Taking Two-Game Lead

The playful banter between Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time contestants Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer has been a highlight of the tournament so far. The trio have kept it going on Twitter as well, and Jennings just delivered another hilarious burn on Saturday. Jennings is up two games to one over Holzhauer, while Rutter is still looking for his first win.

“BREAKING: I have decided to follow [Holzhauer] on Twitter, since he’s been following me on Jeopardy all week,” Jennings wrote on Twitter.

Jennings’ post earned several hilarious responses from his followers.

“Better call 9-1-1 to treat that burn! (or, if you’re me, 4-1-1),” one fan wrote.

“Ken must have won the tournament. He would not post this if he lost and set himself up for ultimate embarrassment,” one fan theorized.

“Lordy Ken, you’ve become a Savage,” another wrote.

Holzhauer has not responded to the tweet, but he did deliver his own sick burn two hours before Jennings trashed him. He posted a clip from Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? featuring Jennings.

“Hi, I’m Ken Jennings,” Jennings said in the clip. “I may have seemed smart on Jeopardy!, but apparently I am not smarter than a fifth grader!”

Jennings has a lead in the tournament, winning two of the three games that aired last week. Holzhauer picked up one win and has placed second in his two losses. Rutter has come in third every night so far.

The winner of the tournament receives a $1 million prize. Although filmed in December, the contestants have been incredibly careful about spoiling the results. However, ESPN reported that the winner might have leaked as bets in offshore sportsbooks suddenly began leaning towards one contestant and betting was stopped for a time.

Even though tournament was pre-taped, it has turned into must-see television across the country. The Thursday episode drew an astonishing 15.4 million live viewers for ABC, more than CBS, Fox and NBC combined in the 8 p.m. ET timeslot. That was even more live viewers for some NBA Finals and World Series games.

One reason fans have been attracted to the tournament is the playful and relaxed atmosphere between the contestants. For example, in the first night, Holzhauer taunted Rutter when he barely buzzed in for the first clue before Rutter did.

There have also been several viral moments, from “OK Boomer” becoming an answer to Holzhauer’s “Greatest Host of Syndicated TV” tribute to host Alex Trebek.

The next episodes of the tournament air Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.

Photo credit: Getty Images