Wednesday, July 8, 2009 6:08 PM CDT
Mattoon native took more than $30,000 from Jeopardy! stint
By CHRIS ESSIG, Staff Intern
cessig@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — For more than three months, Joe Webb had to keep a big secret: He won upwards of $30,000 on “Jeopardy!”.
This week, however, that secret was revealed on national television as his two appearances on the popular game show, which were both taped on March 25, were aired.
Webb came in first on Monday’s show, bring him in $28,801, and finished second on Tuesday’s show, giving him another $2,000.
Webb is from Mattoon and his parents still operate Webb Electric Co., Inc. Webb, 29, is now a St. Louis University associate professor. He also operates a “college advice” blog called “Dr. Wizard’s Advice” at www.Dr-Wizard.com.
In all, Webb won $30,801. He estimates he will receive 55 to 60 percent of that after taxes and another $5,000 to $6,000 in tax returns.
Keeping his winnings secret was difficult the first week after the show was taped, he said, but after the “initial rush,” Webb “sat it on the back burner.
“I had to completely keep my friends baffled,” he said, although his friends agreed that “it would be more fun not to know.”
On Monday, Webb was in Indianapolis with friends during the airing of the show. Throughout the day, Webb watched the show six or seven times and was contacted by about 150 people.
“It was a wholly different experience,” he said.
On the show, Webb defeated the defending champion by coming from “way behind.” His win was in large part because he answered four $2,000 questions and the Daily Double questions, he said.
The experience was “really fast and terrifying.
“I couldn’t possibly tell you what questions I answered,” he said.
He later clarified that he remembers the Daily Doubles and the final question on the show, but not the “regular questions.”
He also mentioned that he was “insanely bad with the buzzer.
“I didn’t play enough video games as a kid,” he said.
Tuesday was much different. Having to return to St. Louis to teach a night class, Webb didn’t have the time to watch himself on repeat. Webb’s confidence also soared during the second show, even though the two shows were taped 10 minutes apart.
“After I had won once, I had a lot more fun with the show,” Webb said.
He fell behind after a Daily Double question that asked which famous figure banged his shoes on the podium during a U.N. speech in the 1960s. Wagering $8,000, Webb knew it was between Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev. He went with the former and got it wrong, slipping him back to third place.
Webb played it safe during the Final Jeopardy round, however, and wagered nothing, giving him second place.
“All the contestants are ridiculously smart,” he said. “It’s a shame not everybody can win.”
His appearances on the show have been an 18-month process. Webb took an online test in January 2008 and auditioned in June. He passed and was told he would be contacted “sometime in the next 18 months.”
That call came on March 1. The show was filmed on March 25.
To prepare, Webb created 8,000 flash cards based on the show’s “reoccurring themes.” Among the areas he studied were literature, Shakespeare, currency, mythology and world capitals.
“I now know the capitals of obscure African countries,” he said. Webb also watches the show about three times a week.
He spent about eight hours a day studying the flash cards. The payoff, however, was great: Webb estimates he made more than $125 an hour for studying because of his winnings. If he hadn’t studied, Webb said he wouldn’t have known three of day one’s four $2,000 questions, which propelled him to victory.
“The knowledge has meant a lot to me personally,” he said, adding that he has been able to retain a “surprising amount” of the information he taught himself since March.
Because of the show’s rules, Webb cannot audition again, although he has not ruled out the possibility of trying his luck on another game show.
But Webb said his appearance of the “Cadillac of game shows” was an once-in-a-lifetime event.
“It’s something I’ll take with me forever,” he said.
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kamfong wrote on Jul 7, 2009 4:25 PM: