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Last week marked the end of the “Spring Forward” period with returning champions. Now that we’ve been back to the usual format for a week, what are your thoughts? Would you want them to do champions again, and if so, what would you change if anything?

Returning champions was something many longtime fans of the show were hoping they’d bring back someday. The Friday Finals tournaments being brought back a few years ago was well received, though last month’s comeback of returning champions has had some mixed reception on social media.

I gave my thoughts on last week’s Come On Big Money podcast. While I do like the idea of champions, I would change two things about it. One: Randomize the champion’s podium instead of always putting them at red, like they used to. Two: While I don’t mind no limit to the number of days, I’d retire champions who lose the Bonus Round too many times. If there is a requirement to win the Bonus Round, we’d never see a long streak going, considering only one tournament winner to date was able to win two Bonus Rounds (Jill from the NFL Tournament).

I looked up stats, and for the 1989-90 season, the first season that had all champions, 20 champs were able to win three games, and all but four of them won at least 2 out of 3 Bonus Rounds. It was depressing seeing Chad fail at the Bonus Round so much and even the one time he did win, it was just barely. He should have easily broken $200K and possibly even $300K. The point of returning champions is to keep showcasing people who can ace the game. I would have a “three strikes” rule for champs, in that if they lose the Bonus Round three times in a row, they’re done and three new players play the next day. This would not have made a difference for Chad, though it would have if he won his fifth game and lost the Bonus Round again. So a champ could still go on a long streak with a pattern of LLWLLWLL, etc.

Another thing I’d change is give the champs a maximum of three trips, which will pile up since whoever goes to the Bonus Round has almost always won a trip. After they’re done, they get to choose the top three trips they want, and the rest they get the cash value for. Chad stated he only has one year to take all six of the trips he won and will have to turn some of them down.

Curious what you all think, now that we’ve had a week to reflect. 

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