Day 561

• STAY CLASSY, FOOTBALL NATION AMERICA!!  Apparently, during last night's ESPN game, Appalachian State fans were telling the Marshall football team to kill themselves...
• On a far happier note...  Today COULD be a very historic day in American game-show history.  Matt Amodio (after a couple large Daily Double losses the last couple of days and a run of half-decent challengers -- one of whom would've won last night had he wagered during the game properly!!!) now has 27 wins and $955,201.  He stands just $44,799 (a bit more than his average, but nothing completely out of line -- though archivist Andy Saunders, given both that this week has been a bit of a test for Amodio, but also Amodio's weakness on Friday shows, does not believe so) from becoming the fourth man in Jeopardy! history to win one million dollars on the show and the third to do so in regular play.  
• He would (and later ETA, has) become at least the 34th (and probably more) millionaire in American game-show history.  
• Who Wants To Be A Millionaire has had 14 American top-prize winners,
• Jeopardy! had three break the seven-digit barrier (editing after Amodio became the fourth),
• Wheel of Fortune has had three (a million-dollar opportunity is available every night -- you have to hit one particular spoke (a third of a wedge) on the wheel, guess a letter in the puzzle, win that puzzle, and win the match without a further Bankrupt.  You THEN have to spin what would've been the one $100,000 space on the bonus wheel and solve the bonus puzzle.)  Various YouTubers have noted that four people actually got to the bonus puzzle, spun the right space, but failed to correctly solve the puzzle.
• The Price is Right has had at least three to my research, 
• There are at least four others on the Top Ten winnings list from other shows.
• The original FOX version of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? had two -- and Ken Jennings was NOT ONE OF THEM!  He stopped before the last question for the specific reason that all winnings on that show were his kids' college fund...  (He'd have gotten the final answer.)
• The NBC version of Deal or No Deal had two.  
• Power of Ten had a millionaire (on it's first show)
• And the Pepsi TV game-show Play For A Billion gave away a million as it's consolation prize.
• There are several caveats:  Charity usually does not count, nor does any team or couple unless an individual from that team wins a million.  (There was a $1.4 million couples win on LeBron James' The Wall on NBC, but that's not included.)  And the show must be allowed to be governed under Prohibited Practices in Contests of Skill or Chance, so no Survivor, American Idol, America's Got Talent, etc.  State or multi-state lottery games do not count either -- though that COULD be a rather messy distinction...

Three series to go in baseball.  Here's the latest on the standings, starting with the AL:

• In:  Chicago White Sox (Central Champions)  Tampa Bay Rays (at least Wild Card)
• Magic number for the Rays to clinch the AL East is four with Boston, two with the Yankees -- Boston and the Yankees play this weekend.
• Magic number for the Astros to clinch the AL West is three with Seattle.
• Current AL Wild Card matchup is Yankees at Boston, but Toronto is only 1 back of the Yankees, and the Yankees and Boston play this weekend.  Seattle is 2 back of the Yankees in what is turning into the best race in baseball, a four-for-two job.
• Tragic numbers otherwise:  Oakland:  6.  
• Eliminated:  Minnesota, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Baltimore, Texas, LA Angels.
• Best record in the AL:  Rays 3 up on the Astros.

NL:

• In:  Milwaukee, San Francisco, LA Dodgers (at least Wild Card)
• NL West:  San Francisco hangs tough -- the lead is 1 over the Dodgers.  They have the best two records in baseball.
• NL Central Magic Number is 3 for the Brewers with St. Louis (who have won 12 in a row to probably book a date with the Dodgers-SF NL West loser).
• NL East:  Cobb County 2 up on Philadelphia
• NL Wild Card #2:  Cardinals now 4.5 up on the Phillies.  Current matchup is Cardinals at Dodgers.
• Tragic numbers otherwise:  Mets:  4 for the division, 1 for WC #2.  Reds:  5.  Padres:  5.
• Eliminated:  Miami, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Chicago Cubs.
• Best record in the NL:  Whoever wins the NL West between the Dodgers and San Francisco.  Even the Dodgers in 2nd are 7 up on the Brewers.

Best record in baseball:  Giants 1 up on Dodgers, 5 up on the Rays, 8 up on both the Astros and Brewers.