Season 26 1-time champion: $4,700 + $2,000.
Last name pronounced like "MAR-mish".
Mike Marmesh - a Veterinarian
Miami, Florida
November 30, 2009
I'm a veterinarian from Miami, Florida. My practice in Coconut Grove is a family business started by my dad, Dr. Mike Sr. and mom, Sarah. It now includes my oldest daughter, Dr. Kate, and my wife, Nancy.
Over the years I've encouraged my 3 daughters, Kate, Liz, and Mo, to take a few chances and try things that interest them. In order To set a good example as well as to give myself challenges, I've done things like making a surgical house call to El Salvador, catching a shark bare-handed while snorkeling in the Keys, and writing a novel called Top of the Heap.
Several years ago I had a chance encounter with the Jeopardy! Brain Bus. There it was as I was driving through Miami's Little Havana. Unfortunately, I didn't get past the second audition.
This year my wife and kids, after years of watching the show as a family, encouraged me to try the online test and take another shot. This time the in-person audition must have gone well. The crew told us that everyone in the room had passed the audition and that we could possibly be called within the next 18 months. I thought to myself that perhaps they're just saying that so they didn't have to tell anyone they didn't make it and everyone could leave feeling good.
But lo and behold, not too many months later, I got a call inviting me to come for a taping. Since the call came at work, Kate was the first person I told. The message quickly spread through the family telegraph.
About the only prep I did was study a little geography, look over a list of U.S. Presidents, and let my youngest daughter, Mo, quiz me on pop culture.
Liz, my daughter in LA, picked me up at the airport. There was a fruit and goodies basket waiting for me at the hotel. Attached was a good luck note from the family. Truthfully, a chance to visit my distant offspring made the trip for taping a whole lot sweeter.
While waiting in the hotel lobby on the morning of the show, I got to meet some of the other contestants. What a nice bunch of people. There was a palpable buzz of nervous energy in the group on the bus ride to the studio. By the time we finished the Green Room briefing, there was a feeling of collegial camaraderie.
My first impression on arriving at the stage was that it's smaller than it looks on TV, and it's cold. The rehearsal games went fast and were relatively easily. The Jeopardy! staff was great at explaining the equipment, the pacing, and how each segment was staged, while keeping things light.
Watching the first game combined with the rehearsal set the mood and it felt like I'd be ok when it came my turn to play...until they drew my name and said to report to make up. Make up-- now there's a new experience for a
57-year-old pet vet. I could feel my heart rate accelerate even with the staff doing what they could to keep the tension to a minimum.
As an unseasoned performer, my main worry was that I would screw up the interview question with Alex, but I think it went well enough. The actual playing of the game seemed to go quickly. At the end of Double Jeopardy!, I had $10,200, a little over $2,000 behind each of the other players. I wanted to bet enough so that I could beat their starting amounts, but figured I couldn't beat them if they each went all out and bet the ranch. And Voila, we all got the question wrong. I lost the least and was the new champ. It was cool to win, but I still felt like I backed into it. My one regret is that I never got to play a Daily Double in either of the games I played.
P.S. You ought to send the Clue Crew down to do a Key West category. They could include the Audubon and Hemingway houses, Mel fisher's Museum, Truman's Little White House, and Ft. Jefferson (where Dr. Samuel Mudd died.) They could also add in the old haunts of Tennessee Williams and Jimmy Buffett. And they'd have a blast while they're there. |
