Season 26 2-time champion: $59,801 + $1,000.
Jennifer Broders - a Junior High School Social Studies Teacher
Stockton, Iowa
January 5, 2010
Disbelief
That's the first word that came to mind when I got the call from Corina in October. I had taken the Jeopardy! on-line test probably close to two years earlier, had been invited to the in-person interview in Chicago in June of 2008, and figured that would be it. When my mom and I took the Amtrak to Chicago, we decided that, no matter what the outcome, we were having fun on the train and shopping in downtown Chicago. I took it as a lark and decided I'd rather just enjoy the ride than worry about if I'd actually make it to the show or not. So that's how I played it.
When I arrived at the hotel in Chicago, I saw all these folks with trivia books under their arms. I hadn't really studied. I did pick up a pocket atlas the day before and did a little scanning on the train on the way up, but have always felt that in playing Jeopardy! (or any trivia, for that matter), either you know it or you don't.
So when the practice game came up, I felt pretty good, because as I watched others play, I thought, "Piece of cake. I can do this." Until it was my turn. Naturally, I was in the last group. Then I figured I'd blown it, because the "Bill Murray movies" and "Tolkien" categories were now gone, replaced with things like "Football MVPs" and "French engineering terms." Oh, well. I had more fun with the 50 question written test at the end. (Thank you, National Public Radio!).
Afterward, it was lunch and shopping and the train back home. The next year, my former 7th grade students, now 8th graders, would pop into my classroom periodically to ask, "Did you hear from Jeopardy!?" Nope, nope, and nope. I was told it could be anytime from June to 18 months from then. So as I got into the following summer, working on my masters degree final research project, I put it all out of my mind.
Then, in October of 2009, on the day I happened to take off from school for doctors appointments and kitchen painting, I was standing at the kitchen sink that morning (I am not making this up - honest) and thought to myself, "Gee. Jeopardy! never called. Oh, well. I guess that's that." So imagine my reaction when, that very afternoon, my cell phone rings with a number I don't know and it's Corina calling to ask if I'd like to play.
California, here I come! (though I can't tell anyone)
So, after the call comes, and I learn they want me on a Wednesday, the first call I make is to my principal, and then my superintendant, to see if I can actually go. I end up taking some days without pay, but for the chance of a lifetime, it's worth it. I call Corina back, then get on-line to start looking for flights. I must confess, however, that I was a little skeptical. Maybe this was all some kind of scam or practical joke. I waited to book my flight until my Jeopardy! packet came in the mail. Then I figured it was all for real.
I didn't tell too many people (some family and a couple friends who were sworn to secrecy) that I was even going to California. I didn't know how I'd do, and didn't want to jinx anything. November in California is a little warmer than November in Iowa, and it was funny to see all the palm trees, which we certainly don't have in Iowa except at botanical gardens. We got settled into the hotel, and with the time difference, made an early night, and I got up early the next day to go for a run on the treadmill to help work out the stress and nerves.
Due to some miscommunications, I missed the shuttle from the hotel to the studio, so I started off that part of my day in a panic. We managed to get a cab to the studio and I tail-ended onto the group just in time, recognizing Glenn from my post-phone call surfing of the Jeopardy! website.
Once in the green room, I got to meet Maggie and Robert and Corina and things got rolling. Corina's calming demeanor and Robert's infectious laugh started our experience as we began filling out all the paperwork. Then Maggie, the whirlwind herself, blew into the room, raising the bar for enthusiasm. Look up the word "energetic" in Webster's and I'm certain Maggie's picture is the illustration. How she can maintain that high energy level I can't imagine, though if she could bottle it, she'd make a fortune.
Meeting the reigning champion, Stephen Weingarten, was a little awe-inspiring, and once we got into the studio for our pep talk and tutorial from John on the signaling devices and using the stylus pens, I remember Stephen telling me that even though we could see everyone's scores during the game via prompters across the studio, we wouldn't have time to look at them during the game because everything went too quickly. Boy, was he right! Even though I didn't get to play until the final game of the day, everything went by so fast that I'd have to occasionally stop and remind myself to remember these moments.
When I finally got on stage for my game, I was surprised at how relaxed I actually was. This was fun! And when we got to our first commercial break, I was surprised to look up and see I was leading. How was I doing this?! I can't believe it, but I really wasn't all that nervous when Alex came out, either. I think Glenn did such a good job of preparing us and helping us relax in practice that I just felt ready. So when Alex talked to me about bagpipes (I'm a Scottish Highland dancer and love bagpipe music), I even managed to whip out a joke about bagpipes (I hope people don't take it the wrong way - I'd dread getting hate mail from bagpipe lovers when I am one myself). Alex laughed (second life goal attained- I cracked up Alex Trebek; first life goal - become a Jeopardy! contestant).
During final Jeopardy!, I became super nervous, because it was hardly a runaway for me. Math is not my strong suit, so I kept trying to figure and refigure to bet enough. In the end, even after I saw how Neil and Charles did, I still wasn't sure if I bet enough until Alex said I was the new Jeopardy! champion, but now I can't even remember hearing him say it. I was truly shocked!
After the game, we left the studio and had dinner at a fancy French restaurant (which we don't have in Iowa). But the next day we had to fly home. I had to teach on Friday, so I was beat, but managed to make it through the day. We had to fly back out to California on Sunday for the Monday taping. My parents came along this time, which was cool because my dad had always wanted to be on Jeopardy! too. In fact, when I was a kid, we used to compete against each other as we watched Art Fleming on the black and white television in the kitchen.
I was even more excited during my second game. I got to come back as the reigning Jeopardy! champion, and the next game was almost a blur. Again, I was having fun and focusing more on the game and the board, not realizing how well I was doing until the commercial breaks. Wow! I couldn't be caught. I got lucky on some categories and, as others may have said, it's all in the timing for the signaling device. If you are on for the timing, you're good. Everyone on that stage is smart, make no mistake. Even during my second game, when I was forging ahead, my competitors likely knew just as much as I did. In fact, during rehearsal, they were kicking butt. Getting that timing right really makes a difference. I even got to make a Daily Double wager where the answer was my mom's favorite dessert -- key lime pie! (She told me she was thinking I'd better get it right, as it was her favorite)
By Final Jeopardy! I couldn't be caught, but still bet a little on the conservative side. You'd be surprised how little you're willing to bet when in that position. While watching at home, my husband and I were pretty free with the "Wimp bet" comments, but when you're really there, it's a different story (no more comments aloud in our house during Jeopardy! betting). The clue was a little confusing, and I don't know all that much about "Art History," so reading the clue a couple times, I did what I often do - I took a flyer and guessed. Apparently my response ("All one color") was not exactly what the judges were looking for (they wanted "It was all in white"), so Alex hemmed and hawed a bit and I sweated a little more. Then they accepted it and I was now a two-day winner!
Oddly enough, at the beginning of game three, not too far into the game, I knew I was going down. My timing was off. I was hesitating. Then I got a couple answers wrong, which really hits the old self-confidence and messes up the timing even more. But, as strange as it may sound, I didn't feel too badly. I'd won a lot of money already, and before coming to California, I tried to tell myself I was there to have fun and that, in every game, two of the three people on stage don't win.
So when I did lose in my third game, even though I was hoping to win at least three to be able to make it back to the Tournament of Champions, I felt okay. It was funny, though, as we talked to Alex after the game. Lisette, the new champ, said to me, "I was so scared of you," which made me laugh, because I couldn't imagine anyone being scared of me. But I suppose watching my second game would scare somebody coming on stage for the next game. But here's the important thing to remember: it's a game. It's supposed to be fun. And in my experience on Jeopardy!, that's exactly what it was.
As for what I'll do with my winnings, that's a bit of a poser. Originally, I wanted to take a trip to Britain, but despite winning as much as I did, the state of the dollar made me rethink this. Maybe I'll spend next Christmas in London (another lifelong dream). For now, I plan to make some donations to local charities and plan a trip to Vermont, where I'm running a half-marathon in June. My husband and I will also take a trip this summer to St. Louis to see the musical Wicked (love that show!) and maybe catch a Cubs/Cards game. Otherwise, I guess I'll put the rest away for a rainy day and some retirement. But if something fun comes up, you can bet I'll be ready to roll! |
