'Jeopardy!' Player Ryan Bilger Has Fans Rooting for Him to Lose

By Stephen Andrew

Jeopardy! player Ryan Bilger has got fans of the show rooting for him to lose, and they are making their voices heard on social media. Bilger is a Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions finalist and recently made waves by getting excited during a game. In one instance, he pounded on his chest ahead of answering a clue correctly, and in another, he told guest host Buzzy Cohen — who was the Tournament of Champions winner in 2017 — "I'm gonna go for the kill."

This has not sat well with some fans of the show, who seem to think that Bilger's enthusiasm is poor sportsmanship. He has since responded to those wishing him ill by explaining that he understands their position and apologizing. Still, it doesn't seem his candid and heartfelt words have done much to quiet his critics, who keep coming back to wanting him to lose. Scroll down to what the haters are saying, and read Bilger's response to them.

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"I see there's a lot of people out there who are displeased with me after Jeopardy tonight," Bilger began his statement. "Look, I get it. I had a ton of adrenaline flowing through my veins. I got a Daily Double on a piece of Pennsylvania history I've known since I was a child."

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"I was playing better than I ever expected," he went on to write. "Yes, I got pretty loud and excited, I get that that's not what many people want out of Jeopardy."

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"I'd take back the ['Go for the kill'] comment on the second DD if I could," Bilger confessed. "I was just in the moment and so excited to play because I'd been waiting for it for 2 years and had lots of pent-up energy. Not saying it's a valid excuse, but yeah..."

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He then shared that he has spoken with his fellow competitors in the game, and neither of them was upset over the situation. "I've talked with Jason and I've talked with Sarah and they've been very clear that they have no problems with me, that we were competitors in a competitive space and that getting excitable is understandable, that I have nothing to apologize to them for. So that's that with them…"

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Bilger continued: "For everyone else, hey, sorry that I ruined your Jeopardy watching night. I get it. If you want to make imputations about my character, then fine, but you can do it to my face."

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He then concluded his statement by writing, "I know who I am and this TOC field is an amazing group of people and I'm honored to be a part of it…. See you next week through the TV, whether you like me or hate me."

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Notably, not everyone is mad at Bilger, as many have come to his defense and are excited to see him advance in the competition.

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