Hi San Diego, this is Josh Powell from O.B. Take a break before the next set rolls in and watch me on Jeopardy!
[2010-12-03 Winner's Circle interview]
How does it feel to be the new Jeopardy! champion?
I can't believe I'm on the stage up here. I've thought about being on this show, on this stage, for practically my whole life, it seems. I made it, and I actually managed to win!
Any secrets to your success?
I was just saying the clicker is critical! They--that's what makes it a game out of the thing. You could know this stuff, but if you're getting stifled on that, it's like you're playing Sorry! or something, and it's just not happening!
Any messages to the folks back home?
I want to say thank you to my mom and my sister for making me crazy loads of flashcards that just had every random bit of knowledge on it. I want to say thank you to my co-workers for forcing me to talk to them in the form of a question ever since they heard I was gonna be on here. And I want to thank, uh, just so many teachers and people that I know for just helping me out and supporting me in various ways. You guys know. Thank you very much.
[2010-12-06 Winner's Circle interview]
How does it feel to win your second game?
Being a 2-time champion, uh, feels twice as good as winning it one time, especially this time--at least I got the Final right! That's important. The last time, I was in the lead, and I had to play defensively, and this time I had to play aggressively, and I--and I got it. And I'm really happy that I, uh, took a look at the Bible before I came over here, for, uh, moral support if nothing else! Uh, y'know? [Prays] Please, Lord, please!
Did you guess during Final Jeopardy!?
The answer did come to me right away. The only other thing that crossed my mind was walking on water, but I had noted that there were quite a few miracle resurrections in the Bible, and, uh, I guess, uh, I'm a fourth, now, because He raised my game from the dead that time! [Laughs] So that's the way it works, yeah!
Any messages to the folks back home?
Well, like I said, I-I just wanted to thank, uh, my mom and sister for supporting me. My mom, uh, comes up. She has me give full-on Jeopardy! boards of like flashcards to do, so, uh.... And then, uh, like I said, my co-workers Sam and Kelly and Shaundra, they are making me, uh, give them all information in the form of a question just so I don't botch while I'm up here, so that's helping me out, too.
[2010-12-07 Winner's Circle interview]
How does it feel to win your third game?
Hey, everybody! It's Josh Powell, the "fithik" [PhBHC?] champion again! This is round 3 that I made it through. Uh, last time, I had asked if I could please have a runaway--just, please, just one?--so I could get my heart rate back down to, uh, subclinical levels--and it actually paid off. So this time, I'm gonna ask for, uh, the highest one-day total in Jeopardy! history. I--I hope that's not asking too much. I don't mean to be greedy. Uh, but yeah, seriously, I was just saying that, uh, I seem--I seem to be growing more skin on my teeth, because each victory's--I'm getting a better and better margin, so, uh, hopefully I can just, uh, hang on, because the real fun of this is just playing. I just want to play the next game, it's crazy.
Are there any previous champions you would like to compete against?
If I had to play anybody else, I was thinking that, uh--well, if I couldn't play the two, uh, dumbest fools in the world, or people with paralyzed thumbs, I would go for Ken Jennings, all the way on the other side, just 'cause I want to see what would happen. Also, I don't know if you remember Eddie Timanus, the blind guy who was just completely owning the show, I would like to, uh, give that guy a try and--and, uh, see how he would do.
Any messages for the folks back home?
I am ready for the next show. Here's--see if we can get to four. [Holds up four fingers] Yeah! [Displays signaling thumb] Yeah! |
