Matt Buckler: Schneider takes aim at 'Jeopardy!' mark

Jan. 25—There are some records that seem like they may never be broken.

When Ken Jennings won his 74th consecutive game on "Jeopardy," it looked like he had just reached the unreachable star — it was doubtful if anyone would even come close.

When it comes to records, however, never say never. If Jennings looks over his shoulder (which is easy to do because he's currently hosting "Jeopardy!"), he'll see a threat to his record.

Amy Schneider won her 39th match Monday to climb into the No. 2 spot on the all-time list. She broke a tie with Matt Amodio, who put together a 38 game winning streak.

Schneider has a lot of winning left to do, however, in order to get to within striking distance of Jennings. She would need to be on the show for seven more weeks and face 70 more challengers. One of those challengers could get hot and end the winning streak.

You can bet a lot of people will be tuning in every night to see how close the engineering manager from Oakland can get. The ratings went up when Jennings' streak started to get serious and the same thing happened in 2019 when James Holzhauer, a gambler from Las Vegas, won 32 consecutive matches, worth $2,464,216, to put him second on the all-time money list behind Jennings, who pocketed $2,520,700 during his winning streak. Schneider has won $1,319,800.

Here's another amazing streak. The syndicated version of "Jeopardy!" has been around since 1984 and people are still talking about it, especially when winning streaks are on the line.

Vitale sidelined

The voice of college basketball needs to sit out the rest of the season so he can rest his voice.

Dick Vitale told his fans Monday that because of dysplasia on his vocal cords, he will be on the ESPN disabled list, unable to call games for the rest of the year.

He hopes to have surgery as soon as the swelling in his vocal cords subsides and says he's looking forward to make a comeback for the 2022-23 season.

Last year, Vitale was diagnosed with lymphoma and received treatment for that condition.

Despite all the adversity he's experienced, Vitale still managed to call some games this season.

That kept Vitale's streak alive of calling games for 43 seasons on ESPN. He started the same year ESPN started, in 1979 and it didn't take him long to become the first major star created by cable TV.

Vitale's trademark is his enthusiasm — he is an announcer, a goodwill ambassador, and a cheerleader all rolled into one.

You can describe his career in three words — "awesome baby, awesome."

It would be a treat for hoop fans to hear those words again next season.

Substitute star

"FBI: Most Wanted," one of CBS' most popular drama shows, is making a lineup change.

Julian McMahon, who was the lead character of the show for the first three seasons, is bowing out on March 8, according to Deadline TV.

Dylan McDermott, best known for his work on ABC's "The Practice" and who is currently seen on NBC's "Law & Order: Organized Crime" will join the cast in April.

"FBI: Most Wanted" is under the watch of one of TV's most prolific producers, Dick Wolf. His shows over the years have been known for casting changes, especially "Law & Order." Those changes, however, never seem to hurt the ratings.

McDermott is a very popular figure. Even with a new hire, expect "Most Wanted" to keep moving swiftly.

That's because people watch Wolf's shows for the tight writing, not just for the stars.

If the past is any indication, "FBI: Most Wanted" may get even more popular.

Touching tribute

It's rare for all four local newscasts to cover the same high school game. Monday's Berlin-Bulkeley game, however, was more than just highlights — it was a tribute to Berlin High basketball coach Mike Veneziano, who died in December from chromophobe renal carcinoma, a rare form of cancer.

All four stations did a thorough job covering the event. WVIT-TV30, however, talked to a few Berlin players. That was a good touch, because it showed viewers how much respect the players had for their coach.

As long as local stations can produce stories as compelling as this one, there will always be a place for sports in the evening newscasts.

SNY switch

There was some shuffling to the UConn women's basketball schedule this week. A game Thursday against South Carolina was canceled and a game Wednesday at DePaul was added.

SNY added the UConn-DePaul game to its schedule, starting Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Fans just have to remember to tune in Wednesday, not Thursday.