Alex Trebek

There have been many TV game shows over the years. Of course, there have been many game show hosts. These people come to mind - John Charles Daly ("What's My Line?"), Garry Moore ("To Tell the Truth") and Hugh Downs ("Concentration" long before "20/20"). Iconic game show hosts also come to mind - Bill Cullen (many), Gene Rayburn ("Match Game), Bob Eubanks ("The Newlywed Game"), Peter Marshall ("Hollywood Squares"), Chuck Woolery ("Love Connection), Pat Sajak ("Wheel of Fortune") and Bob Barker ("Truth or Consequences" and "The Price Is Right"). Yes, even Dick Clark, Tom Kennedy and Allen Ludden come to mind. All great people.

None of these hosts became more iconic than Alex Trebek, the host of "Jeopardy." Trebek passed away on Sunday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Nobody in television game show history became more associated with a game show than Alex Trebek was with "Jeopardy." He genuinely cared and always wanted to learn more about the information presented to him over his 37 years hosting the show.

Episodes that were recorded two weeks ago are being shown from now through Christmas. Here are some names that are being discussed as a possible replacement:

George Stephanopoulos, Alex Faust, Laura Coates, Ken Jennings and yes, even 98-year-old Betty White. Stephanopoulos is the Chief News Anchor and political correspondent at ABC News, a coanchor on "Good Morning America" and host of the ABC TV Sunday morning current events news program "This Week." He was a Senior Advisor to former President Bill Clinton. Faust is currently the Los Angeles Kings hockey announcer, while Coates is a CNN legal analyst. Ken Jennings is well known as the "Greatest "Jeopardy" Player of All Time" and was named as a consulting producer and brand ambassador in September. He also appears on the Game Show Network's "Master Minds." Of course, you know Betty White as an all-time TV icon as an actress, game show contestant and widow of "Password" host Allen Ludden. 

My take is that Jennings will be named permanent host soon. He is more closely associated with "Jeopardy" and there was talk that he's being groomed to one day be Trebek's replacement. That "one day" is now here. Look for Jennings' name to be announced in the near future. It'll be a perfect fit. 

As "The Price Is Right" made a smooth transition from Bob Barker to Drew Carey in recent years, the "Jeopardy" transition from Trebek to Jennings should also be seamless. 

Bill Crawford is a long-time radio personality in Eugene currently with KKNX and KEED, along with being a radio Account Executive with KKNX, KEED and KORE (Fox Sports Eugene). Crawford is also a freelance sportscaster as he's the radio play-by-play voice of the Eugene Challengers American Legion baseball team on KKNX and also for Wynne Broadcasting in Klamath Falls as the play-by-play voice of Henley High School football and post-season football, basketball, softball and baseball for Henley, Mazama and Lost River High Schools. He is a 1978 graduate of Southern Oregon University in Ashland with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Communications and a 1974 graduate of Churchill High School in Eugene, where he played football and was also in track and field. 

He can be reached by email at 56bcrawford@gmail.com.