Well put, imhomerjay. I could not have said it better myself. Though there are at least a lot of things you've said that I couldn't phrase better myself.
FWIW, and IMHO, the things Ken said on Social Media pales in comparison to the accusations against Mike. While some may conclude the opposite was the case, the fact is that both were good at what they did in the public eye. For Jennings, his Jeopardy run. Really his history with the show over the past 20 years. For Richards, conquering adversity, and making TPIR tremendous in a modern era.
I guess I'm not a fan of TPTB making decisions that are the opposite of what makes sense. Or decisions that don't match the wishes of the spectators. The reason behind this might be a combination of appearing smarter than the fans or their dislike toward making their fans "smart" based off of their opinions & wishes.
Probably the easiest & simple call for Ken Jennings to succeed Alex Trebek hindered by whatever took place in 2021. Had the "best move" from TPTB taken place, then maybe Mike Richards is still employed by Sony. It is a shame that he can't find glorified work. Personally, I don't know if it's a big deal for a casual, who (or many of whom) didn't even know who he was prior to Jeopardy