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‘Jeopardy!’ champ Ryan Long offers Philly clues on ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’

Long will compete in the show's Tournament of Champions, which begins next week.

Philly Uber driver turned "Jeopardy!" champ Ryan Long made a guest appearance on "Celebrity Jeopardy!".
Philly Uber driver turned "Jeopardy!" champ Ryan Long made a guest appearance on "Celebrity Jeopardy!".Read moreSony Pictures Entertainment
    by Rob Tornoe
    Published 

Ryan Long, the Philadelphia Uber driver turned Jeopardy! champ, will compete against this season’s most talented contestants in the show’s annual Tournament of Champions, which begins next week.

But before taking on other super champions like Amy Schneider and Matt Amodio, Long made a surprise guest appearance on Celebrity Jeopardy! Sunday, offering a series of Philadelphia-related clues while wearing a vintage Reggie White Eagles jersey.

The contestants — Aisha Tyler, John Michael Higgins, and Matt Rogers — made easy work of the “Around Philly with Ryan Long” category, but keep in mind this is Celebrity Jeopardy!, in which the contestants play for charity and the clues aren’t quite as difficult as the main competition.

» READ MORE: South Jersey ‘Jeopardy!’ champ Cris Pannullo just keeps on winning

The spin-off, hosted by Mayim Bialik, airs on Sunday nights, and Higgins’ win sends him to the competition’s semifinals. Next week’s Celebrity Jeopardy! contestants include Troian Bellisario, Wil Wheaton, and Hasan Minhaj.

Long, who took home $300,400 before taxes during his 16-game winning streak on Jeopardy! in June, will appear on the first night of Tournament of Champions, which airs Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. on 6abc. That’s the same night the World Series returns to Philadelphia for the first time in 13 years when the Phillies take on the Houston Astros in Game 3.

Long will face off against Megan Wachspress, a six-game champion from Berkeley, Calif., and Maureen O’Neil, a four-game champion from Cambridge, Mass. If Long wins, he’ll move on to the semifinals, which will begin Nov. 9.

During an interview with The Inquirer over the summer, Long said he’s looking forward to meeting his fellow Jeopardy! champions, but he didn’t follow their runs too closely.

“I actually don’t watch the show religiously,” Long told The Inquirer. “I grew up watching the show, and I’ll catch it here and there, but mostly I’m working.”

Jeopardy! began its 39th season on Sept. 12, and Ken Jennings — a former champion who won a record 74 straight games in 2004 — will return to host after the Tournament of Champions ends in mid-to-late November. That’s also when Cris Pannullo, a customer success operations manager from Ocean City, will resume his successful run on the show. So far, Pannullo has won 11 games and earned $356,702, and has qualified for next year’s Tournament of Champions.

‘Around Philly with Ryan Long’ clues

Here are Long’s five Philly-related clues. See how many you know (answers at the bottom)

  1. $300 — I’ll take a video and hum, ‘Gonna Fly Now,’ while you run up the 72 stairs that lead up to the east entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, recreating an iconic scene from this 1976 movie.

  2. $600 — Housed in its own center, this American icon is a must see in Philly. We can get an insider view of it, literally. There are X-rays of its famous crack.

  3. $900 — It’s important to sample the local cuisine. We’ll go to Pat’s, which says it created this Philly sandwich. And then, across the street to Geno’s, a formidable competitor.

  4. $1,200 — Woven into the fabric of America is the legend that this woman designed and sewed the first stars and stripes flag. A house on Arch Street tells her story.

  5. $1,500 — America was born in Philly. We’re heading to the hall on Chestnut Street where in 1776, John Hancock put his Hancock on this document.

Answers:

  1. What is Rocky?

  2. What is the Liberty Bell?

  3. What is a cheesesteak?

  4. Who is Betsy Ross?

  5. What is the Declaration of Independence?