Who is….Ken Jennings?
"I'm curious by nature," Ken
Jennings says. "That often annoys people, but this time it paid
off." And how. With winnings in the neighborhood of two and a
half million dollars from his months-long stint as "Jeopardy!"
champion, Jennings has answered - or rather, questioned - his way
into the history books. In the end, only America's tax and financial
partner was mighty enough to end the Jennings juggernaut. In an episode
airing today, Jennings' reign came to an end when he failed to answer
"What is H&R Block?" in the Final Jeopardy round.
It had to happen sometime, and Jennings
isn't moaning about it. "I'm very okay with losing when I did,"
he says. "I'm not at all bitter about winning 75 times."
The Utah native is such a good sport, in fact, that he agreed to
share the secrets of his success with associates of the very company
whose named escaped him in that final episode. To show it's a good
sport too, H&R Block has offered Ken a lifetime of free tax
and financial services
- and he's accepted!
Buzz Buzz Buzz
It's all about the buzzer.
"If you buzz in too early, you'll
get locked out," Jennings explains. "And obviously if
you wait too long, someone's going to beat you to it. There's a
rhythm to it." Having tapped into the buzzer rhythm after a
few winning appearances, Jennings then fell back on his "natural,
God-given gift for memory" and his years as a college Quiz
Bowl contestant - captain of a team, in fact, that finished seventh
in the nation. "I know a little about a lot," he says.
But some things, like historical dates and U.S. Presidents, don't
come easily to Jennings, and it was in such cases that he would
employ the occasional mnemonic device for recall. Example: John
Quincy Adams. Makes him think of "Quincy," the TV medical
examiner played by Jack Klugman. Quincy worked 24 hours a day. John
Quincy Adams was president in 1824. If it seems like a circuitous
route…well, it's tough to argue with $2.5 million.
In the Spotlight
So how about his new-found fame? While "definitely
unlooked for," it's come with some perks. "I've watched
[David] Letterman my whole life, so doing the Top 10 on his show
was pretty exciting," Jennings says. "And the book was
the really big thing," he says, explaining that he's been contracted
by Random House to write a book about his experiences. "Getting
a foot in the door at a major publisher is great." Only one
mountain remains to be climbed, but it's not necessarily Ken's prize.
"My wife really wants to see me on Oprah," he says with
a laugh. "That would make her so happy."
|
