
Binghamton’s ‘Jeopardy!’ Moment Sparks Social Media Debate
The recent appearance of Binghamton on the popular quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’ has ignited a wave of excitement and controversy on social media.
During a segment on the December 27th episode, Binghamton was featured in a category called "Minor League Baseball Team Geography." The clue given was “The Rumble Ponies horse around in this SUNY city south of Syracuse whose name should bing a bell.” Contestant Laura confidently answered "Binghamton." But here's where it gets interesting – she pronounced it as "Bing-hamP-ton" instead of "Bing-HAM-ton.”
Social media went crazy after the addition of the “P” to Binghamton. People had all sorts of opinions about the pronunciation slip-up. Some said Laura shouldn't have gotten credit for the answer, while others debated on the exact pronunciation of "Binghamton."
Despite the mispronunciation debate, it's pretty awesome that Binghamton got the spotlight on national television – again.
Binghamton has made several appearances on ‘Jeopardy!’ According to the J! Archives, Binghamton made its first 'Jeopardy!' appearance on May 5, 1999. The clue was part of the 'When They Were in College' category and asked about a music major at SUNY-Binghamton who co-wrote the theme song for "Mad About You." The answer was Paul Reiser.
Binghamton was mentioned again on October 31, 2016, in the 'BING' category. Contestants had to identify the State University of New York campus, with the correct response being "Binghamton."
In terms of Binghamton contestants on 'Jeopardy!', we have had a few locals grace the stage. Dave Maney won $9,400 in season three, Brendon Stanton appeared in 2015, Heather Ryan was part of season 41 in October 2024, and Kevin Boettcher competed in season 36 and took home a total of $61,402.
But it's not just Binghamton that's been represented on the show, other’s from the Southern Tier have represented the Greater Binghamton area. Endicott's Jack Kuehl, Vestal's Jason Scull, and Endwell's Jeff Rinde have all made appearances on ‘Jeopardy!’

And, special mention to Sara DelVillano, who, although now residing in Maryland, hails from Binghamton and appeared on four episodes in 2019 as a middle school music teacher.
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