Date of first appearance:
April, 2003, Tournament of Champions, May 2003
Total Winnings:
5-day run $149,200 plus a Jaguar, ToC $56,601
Records/Stats:
I used to hold a number of records, but most have since been broken. Records I still hold: most winnings by a 5-day undefeated champion, most winnings in a single show by someone not named Jennings, and costliest single wagering mistake. I also got the last Jaguar; John Beck was the last to win one, but I believe I was the last to actually receive the car (which I still have).
Favorite anecdote:
Last summer my family held a reunion, with relatives from all across the U.S., Canada and Europe. Just about everyone had seen me on the show, and had nice comments about how proud they were to have me in the family. Well, what a great bunch of people! I'm proud to be related to all of them.
Affect on life:
The money I won allowed me to leave a job where I was not very happy, and take some time off to evaluate other opportunities. |
2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions Nifty Nine (players with byes into Round 2) member: $25,000.
2003 Tournament of Champions 1st runner-up: $56,601.
Season 19 5-time champion: $149,200 + a Jaguar X-Type.
In his 3rd game (#4296, aired 2003-04-14), Brian set a new single-day cash winnings record of $52,000, breaking the previous record of $50,000 set by Myron Meyer in his 1st game (#4139, aired 2002-09-05). (However, Brian's single-day cash winnings record did not top the record of $34,000 set by Jerome Vered in his 4th game, #1794, aired 1992-05-21, if adjusted for doubled dollar values.) Ken Jennings playfully tied Brian's record three times (#4585, aired 2004-07-09, #4586, aired 2004-07-12, and #4594, aired 2004-07-22) before shattering it with a $75,000 finish in his 38th game, the last game of Season 20 (#4595, aired 2004-07-23). (Shortly before the end of his streak, on show #4653, aired 2004-11-24, Ken topped Brian's record once more with a $55,099 win.)
Also in his 3rd game (#4296, aired 2003-04-14), Brian set a new regular play cash winnings record of $104,800, breaking the previous record of $102,597 set by Frank Spangenberg in his 5th game (#1241, aired 1990-01-15 )--a record that had stood for 13 years. (Adjusted for doubled dollar values, however, Frank's record would last a little over one more year, until broken by Ken Jennings's 7-day total of $231,000, #4564, aired 2004-06-10.) Brian's $149,200 5-day cash winnings record was beaten by Tom Walsh in his sixth game (#4456, aired 2004-01-12) with $152,900 and by Ken Jennings in his fifth game (#4562, aired 2004-06-08) with $156,000.
Brian lost his UToC Round 2 game--a game in which he had 29 correct responses and 0 incorrect responses--when opponent Grace Veach found both Double Jeopardy! Round Daily Doubles, wagered everything on both of them, and got them both right, putting her within $400 of Brian's score going into Final Jeopardy! The Final clue was a Triple Stumper, and Brian had wagered to cover, while Grace wagered only $500 to beat him if he answered incorrectly and wagered correctly. (She lost her Round 3 game to Frank Spangenberg.)
Brian's single-day cash winnings record-breaking appearance was featured in the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Jeopardy! Message Board user name: BWeikle
JBoard user name: Coelacanth |
