Erik Farinas puts sports knowledge to the test

Like many Americans, Erik Farinas is a regular watcher of Jeopardy! He’s even gone so far as to take the Jeopardy! test with hopes of becoming a contestant on the show. 

While that hasn’t happened just yet, Farinas recently had the opportunity to be a contestant on the spinoff Sports Jeopardy! hosted by sportscaster and former Sportscenter anchor Dan Patrick. 

Farinas’ episode debuted online at Crackle Oct. 26. To find out how he fared, go to crackle.com/sports-jeopardy. Farinas had a viewing party for friends and family at 16 Mile Brewery in Georgetown the day the episode dropped online.

Farinas, a probation office supervisor from Millsboro, said the experience was fun and interesting. 

“Once you’re on stage, it’s pretty intense,” said Farinas. “It was a pretty neat experience, but it’s a blur.” 

In an odd coincidence, Farinas was not the only Delawarean contestant in the episode. Earl Holland, a copy editor from Newark, previously of Snow Hill, Md., was a three-time defending champion. Patrick asked the obvious question if the two knew each other – they did not. 

“He was the first guy I met on the bus when we went over to the studio,” Farinas said. He said the two are now Facebook friends. 

The show itself isn’t as smooth as it appears on television. At one point during the taping, the third contestant, a man from Clarkston, Mich., answered a Daily Double question but he provided too much information. Farinas said producers stopped the show to deliberate on whether to give the contestant credit. 

“It’s not as seamless as it seems,” he said. “I think every episode is about 20 to 25 minutes, but it takes 35 to 40 minutes to film. There was a stoppage in every episode.” 

Farinas sat through an entire day of tapings before being selected to be a contestant the next day. He said the show is filmed on the same stage as the original Jeopardy! game show. As a longtime fan of the show, Farinas said, it was a very cool experience to see how the show works behind the scenes. 

“You can see why people on the show look in certain directions – they’re looking at the scoreboard or where the timing lights are,” he said.

Just as it’s been said by contestants for years, Farinas confirmed that timing is everything when it comes to buzzing in for an answer. If you’re too early, you’re locked out for a quarter of a second, giving the other contestants the edge, he said. 

He said he thinks Holland certainly had an advantage in buzzing in, as he had honed his timing skills over the three previous shows. 

And it wouldn’t be live TV without an embarrassing moment. Farinas fumbled his first attempt at giving an answer, not only getting the sport wrong but not guessing a player with the last name provided in the category. 

“The ironic thing is when my mom and I would watch regular Jeopardy! and somebody botched up a question real bad like I did, we would yell at the TV,” he said. “I’m that guy now.” 

The episode was filmed in early July at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Calif. The show did not pay for Farinas’ travel expenses, so he was hoping to finish in at least second place to cover the cost of the trip. 

Originally from northern New Jersey, Farinas graduated from University of Delaware in 1993. He then moved back home and commuted into New York City for his job as a social worker. He moved to Delaware in 2000 to start work with the probation office in Georgetown, and he’s worked with the Delaware State Police and the Governor’s Task Force as part of his job. Now, he works as a supervisor and spends most of his days behind a desk. 

“Being a probation officer can be very law enforcement intensive,” he said. “When I got promoted it was quite the change from being out and about.” 

In his free time, Farinas is a runner, often taking part in the Cape Region’s vibrant road racing scene. The passion for running started in high school; he was a four-year member of both the cross country and track teams. He ran one semester in college but admits social life was much more fun. 

After stepping away from running for a number of years, Farinas was pulled back in when his sister and then-boyfriend (now husband) signed up for the 2004 New York City Marathon. Farinas threw his name in for the lottery and was selected to run. It was the first of a dozen marathons he has run in the years since. 

He’s also competed in six Ironman triathlons, three 50-milers and three 50Ks since 2008, including a Grand Canyon run in 2014 that took him from rim to rim to rim. 

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” he said.

Farinas said he’s taking a little break from Ironman tris and ultramarathons, but he plans to do one or the other in 2018 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his first Ironman. 

In the meantime, he’ll continue running in local races and triathlons, including the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon in December.