Hi Virginia, this is Dan Jensen from Reston. Watch me ham it up and bring home the bacon on Jeopardy!
[2011-01-06 Winner's Circle interview]
How does it feel to be the new Jeopardy! champion?
[Pan from Dan's cheering section in the audience holding up signs that say "Dan is the Man" and "What is... Go Dan" to Dan] Winning was just amazing. I just wanted to get past the audition and I'm here and I won a show, and it's just--it was a goal even to be on, so this is incredible for me. And, just wanted to thank the people, y'know, my friends and family back home that helped me study, and had--helped me with time off, and helped me get material and especially the friends and family who were lucky enough to be here, and paint signs for me, so I really appreciate that.
How did you prepare for your appearance on Jeopardy!?
Um, studied a lot of material that I was weak on, like French Revolution, and, uh, presidents and Shakespeare and Renaissance, and things that I had never had any interest in.
Any secrets to your success?
Um, I just remember it being on, y'know, at home sometimes. I mean, I w--I did quiz team in high school, so I had some quiz background, but, um, I just never really thought about Jeopardy! serious--I just applied once in a while, y'know, for fun, and...
[2011-01-07 Winner's Circle interview]
How does it feel to win your second game?
[Dances around in a circle, pumping fists in the air, chanting, snaps fingers, pats behind] I got buzz, buzz, buzz, money in the wallet. That's my Jeopardy!... dance. Um, but, yeah, let--let's--twice in a row? I'm--k--ah, I--my heart's still pounding again, so obviously I'm excited to try for this one more time, and, y'know, meet all the great contestants, and, again, wanted to thank the people back home who'd been helping me study and kind of covering for me. Um, one of my friends and managers, Aaron, y'know, he's helped me out at work while I, y'know, had time to study world history and Renaissance and everything like that. And, again, my, uh, friends and family. My mom, my brother, uh, my friends Janet and Joey that got to show up to the audience--it's really great to see them and holding signs and everything like that.
Do you have any advice for future Jeopardy! contestants?
We'll, I'd read some things about, y'know, what other contestants had felt like, and kind of saying, y'know, part of it's knowledge, but part of it's, like, the execution, y'know, getting fast on the buzzer, so, I've been--y'know, I--I--if I don't know it, I don't know it, and I was just focusing on getting that buzzer speed, 'cause, you know, if I don't know the scientist who discovered... whatever, I'm not gonna know it, so, I just sit there, hold it like I might buzz in, y'know, but... Um, as far as practi--y'know, I'd stand up at home and play with ballpoint pen--y'know, I'm--I'm sure bla--almost everyone does that, but... and now I have that Jeopardy! pen, so I can take that back with me.
Do you have any goals as the Jeopardy! champion?
Jeopardy! goal? Um, I would like to have, um, a runaway game, so I don't have to think about, "Oh, what am I wagering?" Because that--that is definitely the most--kkkkh!--exhausting part of it. Making sure I'm getting the wager right, 'cause, you know, mess up on a "carry the one", uh, you could lose on that, which I know has happened before, um, so, just... I--when I got a Daily Double on my first game, and I got that correctly--a week ago, I didn't know anything about French Revolution. So that was exciting that I knew anything about France. So that was nice. You know, obviously I wish I wag--wagered more, but I was never going to wager any more on France, so...
[2011-01-10 Winner's Circle interview]
How does it feel to win your third game?
[Sighs] It's--again, it's amazing, so, l--let's keep it's going, I guess. That--it always has to be so close, and it's--just--kkkkh!--it's makin' me age quickly. [Cut] Third time is a charm! It--is amazing, because, y'know, the games have been so close, and I've had great competition, and they've been a lot of fun, and some some of my questions--or--or bets--were... ill-advised, but it still was fun, and it turned out all right for me?
Any secrets to your success?
Um, I do remember, yeah, quiz team in high school. Uh, we--every once a year we did a show on TV, and--it was a team of three against two other teams of three--and, uh, my other teammates, Brian and Allison, we had a great time on the TV show, which we won on a last-second question. (Second round, we got stomped, but the first round was a lot of fun!) And Mrs. Buchanan was our coach back then, so, I'll try to round them up and see, y'know, if they want to get--come to our restaurant for the Jeopardy! viewing party, because that's going to be a lot of fun.
Any messages to the folks back home?
Um, I am available, ladies, if... [laughter from the audience] I'll cut down some of my hours if I can try work that out. Um, Aaron at work, he's been great in helping me cover shifts so I could be out here, 3,000 miles away, in Hollywood. So, again, I wanted to thank him and all of my co-workers who've been kind of understanding with--sometimes I've been distracted with RENAISSANCE "N" and--and WORDS THAT START WITH "P" and things like that. So, thank you to them and thank you to my friends and family who got to be here, and, just, thank you to everybody. |
