Who is going to win the College Championship?
What a silly question. Me!
Cheer for your school!
[Pumps fists while cheering] UCLA! Fight! Fight! Fight!
What categories are you hoping to see?
Um, I dunno. Um, I'm ready for anything, probably except sports.
Alex Trebek: [Walks out dressed as Tommy Trojan] I don't want you to feel that we're going to be showing any favoritism during this tournament...
Cliff: [Laughs]
Alex: ...but do you recognize my outfit?
Cliff: [Strikes a 'thinking' pose] Hmm... looks like Ben-Hur?
Alex: Close. Good enough. It was either this, or try to ingratiate myself to this young man from UCLA by coming out in a bear costume.
Cliff: Oh, I would have liked that.
Alex: Which would you prefer? [Raises sword with right hand]
Cliff: [Laughs]
How does it feel to compete on a rival territory?
Well, at least it's not far away; I didn't have to take a plane or anything like that.
How did you find out you'd be on the show?
I got a call while I was in the library, so I had to run outside so I could actually talk to the person on the phone, and then I let out a huge yell.
What do you like most about Jeopardy!?
I like Final Jeopardy! and trying to figure it out before the time runs out.
What will you do with your winnings?
I'm an aspiring filmmaker, so I'd like to set it aside for when I've got a project and I'm running out of money.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I'd like an Academy Award nomination, at least.
...
How did it feel going into the final game?
Uh, final game, I was petrified. Um, Craig had really shaken my confidence after the first--um--after the first Final Jeopardy! And, um, I mean, I also knew that anything that can happen in the first round can be reversed in the second round, so, I mean, I certainly couldn't count out Christine. Also, you know, I didn't get off to a great start, so I'm just glad it turned out well.
What was the factor that allowed you to win?
Somehow I figured out how to buzz in at the right time. I couldn't believe that I actually made it as many times as I did, but I think at--y'know, knowledge--these are all very smart people, very fast, but I think buzzer was the most important thing.
Which category was the most challenging?
Challenging? Yes. Anything, um--I hate to say it, but, um--the, um, category on college arenas. The only question I possibly could have gotten was a Daily Double for one of the other players, and so I didn't even get a crack at it. So... I studied colleges, I studied sports, but somehow the arenas and stadiums, uh, eluded my grasp.
How did it feel to compete at USC?
It was certainly, um, certainly something I thought about a lot. On the bright side, I didn't have to travel far. I didn't even have to miss class, which I was very grateful for. But, um, yeah, it made me extremely nervous. I really wanted to, um, outperform, um, USC. There were a lot of ex-, um, expectations that people were voicing to me, so I'm glad they came true.
How will you spend the $100,000 you just won?
Um, well, the first thing I'm going to do--or, at least, the first thing I'm setting aside money for is a big TV for myself and my roommates, for our apartment. Um, other than that, um, my dad is a financial consultant, so I think I'm going to talk to him about what to invest in. I'll also probably just set aside a little bit to do with as I please.
What does being a Jeopardy! champ mean to you?
Uh! I still feel small in comparison with Ken Jennings.
Is there a previous Jeopardy! contestant you'd like to challenge?
Well, I've got to say that Brad, who won the Ultimate Tournament, is a true--truly a force of nature.
How will you celebrate?
Well, everyone wanted to do, um, a viewing party. I made them promise not to do anything of the sort until we knew how the shows went. So those--that--I'm definitely going to do those. Um, number one on my agenda right now is, um, go back and sleep. Sleep. I've got--I've got about 20 phone calls to make, too, so I'll fit in a few of those, but I'm going to crash probably right here on this podium, so...
Congratulations on your impressive victory, Cliff! |
