'Jeopardy' Contestant Austin Rogers Fires Back at Critics of 'All-Star' Format

Published: 2/26/2019, 7:54:14 AM EST

"Jeopardy" contestant and former champion Austin Rogers is calling out all the critics of the show's All-Stars format.

The show's new format featured long introductions and explanations about how the game will go, which resulted in only one round of the game being aired. Fans of the original show were unhappy about it, and took to social media to voice their criticism and complaints, according to Mashable.

While Alex Jacob, a contestant of the All-Star game told the fans to relax, Rogers fired back at the critics of the show, and called them "losers."

According to TMZ, in a video, Rogers told media outlet that people needed to get over it, in response to the outrage.

"One, they’re trying something new and new things are, people are recalcitrant toward change, so everyone is always going to have an opinion on something new. Two, you've got 275 other regular 'Jeopardy' episodes this year that you can watch. So, I think you can take 11 or 12 out of your daily schedule and suck it up a little bit!"

He also added that if people didn't like the new format of the show, then they should just not watch it for the duration that the new All-Stars is airing on television.

"Watch a normal 'Jeopardy' episode for the other 94 weeks of the year, you losers," he said, according to the video.

Fans are always wondering what goes on in the minds of the contestants, Rogers said, and added that they should be glad that the show is finally giving a sneak peek into behind the scenes of how the show worked, and what really goes on inside the contestant's minds when they play the game, according to Fox News.

So when the show finally revealed that, according to Rogers, fans criticized it and accused it of being staged.

"You can’t have both! Just pick one, pick one," Rogers said.

However, despite Rogers's anger at the critics, he made sure to address that the people who were complaining and voicing their outrage were only part of a minority and that most of the people who were fans of the original competition were quite excited to see their favorite players back in the game.

"I gotta say, that’s the overwhelming minority, the majority of people are excited to see all their old favorites back and to see the new format and to see classic matchups," Rogers said.

Former Champion

Back in 2017, the contestant and former champion, Austin Rogers, wowed audiences with his astonishing 12-game winning streak on the popular competition.

A bartender from Westchester is hailed the smartest bartender in the world, according to TMZ. After winning $411,000 during his 12-game streak, he had gotten various different offers from all over, such as book offers and hosting gigs.

According to Lohud, Rogers brought "new energy—and fans—to the legendary, yet often staid, television quiz show."

Tim Darcy, Rogers's friend, said that the former champion isn't merely on the show and that he is the show. His mother, Peggy Basalyga, also added that Rogers wasn't an average contestant on 'Jeopardy' because "his sense of humor and his animation helped him become that internet sensation."

According to Lohud, fans loved his expressions, his wagers, and his mimes.

He also started his own podcast, "A Lot To Learn With Austin Rogers," was hired by Virgil's Soft Drinks as the brand ambassador, and also filmed a pilot in a show for a major network. On top of that, he still maintains his job as a bartender at Gaf West in Manhattan.

Now, he's returning to "Jeopardy" for the All-Stars where former champions face off against each other in a 10-episode run.