A musician and stay-at-home dad from Brooklyn, New York...

Rick Knutsen

Date of first appearance:
March 2001

Total Winnings:
$67,300 and two Camaros

Records Held:
5-time champ. My 5 lockout wins in my original run put me in some rarefied company, so I'm told (Chuck Forrest, Robin Carroll).

Favorite anecdote:
Getting a very nice card from an 85-year-old former NY Philharmonic bassoonist, who was a huge fan of the show and wanted to congratulate a fellow musician. He followed up his original note with another detailing the reasons why Larry Cloud was going to beat me in the ToC.

Another fun moment was popping in the tape of my original run recently in preparation for this tourney and seeing the look on my 4 year old's face when Daddy popped up on TV (she was less than a year old when it originally aired). “Daddy you're the winner!”

Did being on Jeopardy! affect my life?
Unquestionably, as it enabled us to double the size of our small NYC apartment before the birth of my second daughter. Now each girl has her own room, and our household knows a certain measure of peace and tranquility, from time to time. We call the added section of the apartment “The Trebek Wing.”

Did you do anything crazy with your winnings?
I'd love to say yes, but The Trebek Wing was a major undertaking.

Is there anything else you would like the viewers to know about you:
I am a decent singer, a fair pianist, and a mediocre dancer. I am available for weddings and bar mitzvahs. If I lose, I'm not as dumb as I looked out there, and if I win, I'm not interested in any investment opportunities at this time.

"A finalist in the 2001 Tournament of Champions, he's a musician and stay-at-home dad. From Brooklyn, New York..."

2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions Round 1 winner: $33,201.
2001 Tournament of Champions 2nd runner-up: $10,000.
Season 17 5-time champion: $57,300 + two Chevrolet Camaros.

Last name pronounced like "kuh-NOOT-sen".

Jeopardy! Message Board user name: ricfran