Most memorable game-show winners fade from view after their runs end. James Holzhauer may be the exception.
Holzhauer, who has cracked the Jeopardy! code through a combination of encyclopedic knowledge, instant recall of it, perfect timing with the in-hand buzzer, and a propensity to push all of his chips to the middle of the table, could end up with a career in sports, if/when (if) he ever loses.
“I’m going to go out on a limb, and say when he’s done with [Jeopardy!] he’s going to have an opportunity to work in any sport he wants,” Oakland A’s executive V.P. of baseball operations told the Washington Post. “Or any industry -- because all industries are based on data and making predictive decisions.”
Holzhauer, a professional gambler, has won more than $1.6 million to date on Jeopardy!, with most of the daily victories coming in runaway fashion. The Post focuses on Holzhauer as a potential baseball executive, but the proliferation of data and predictive analysis in all sports would make him attractive to an NFL team, too.
Appearing Tuesday on MLB Network (the normal Jeopardy! flow has taken a two-week break for periodic tournaments), Holzhauer said that “some interesting offers have been floated my way . . . some potentially life-changing stuff out there.”
Holzhauer’s life already has changed, dramatically, despite some complaints that he has “ruined” the game show. It sounds like Beane would be willing to change Holzhauer’s life even more dramatically.
“It’s bringing order to something that’s inherently chaotic,” Beane said. “If he’s ruining Jeopardy!, and if we ruined baseball, then ruin away.”
Actually, why restrict himself to ruining baseball? Holzhauer, the consummate gambler who’ll be on himself, could set up shop as a consultant, cracking the code for every major sport and selling the secret recipe to the highest bidder.
And chances are he’s already under contract with Bill Belichick and the Patriots.