Michael Falk's Contestant Diary

It still hasn't sunk in yet!

I remember so many parts of the tournament. I remember the interviews, the rehearsal games, doing paperwork in the Green Room and eating lunch at the commissary, but one moment that sticks out in my mind is getting off the elevator the first morning to go to the studio. I'd slept well, for a change. I walked into the lobby at 7:30 AM, and there, in three dimensions, were the same people that I'd been watching, cheering, and even fearing for the past year and a half. I was very suddenly nervous and just a little bit starstruck. I resisted the urges to hide or to ask for autographs, and very soon I found myself making friends with Kerry Breitenbach, Aaron Thompson, and Bud Humphrey.

I spent a large part of the first taping day in the Green Room waiting to play. We weren't allowed to see the games before us (so that the scores wouldn't influence the way we played). We had movies, Uno, and a poker game to keep us occupied, but I think all of us just wanted to get out and play. Finally getting to play against David Madden and Bob Mesko was mind-blowing; both are top-notch Jeopardy! players, and I'm glad I was able to keep up. The highlight for me, I think, was being able to come up with Hammond as a musical instrument inventor on my way to earning a wild-card spot in the semifinals.

I got another good night's sleep and then came back to play the next day. Playing against Maria Wenglinsky and Jason Richards, which was a dream come true in a couple different ways; Maria and Jason are two of the players I most looked up to this past season, and they are also two of the players I most feared. The game is never over until the credits roll when those two are involved. I managed to take a small lead into Final Jeopardy! and-- don't ask me how-- recall Queen Victoria's lineage. After Alex called me up on stage, I think I started hyperventilating-- I couldn't believe that I'd actually won and that I'd be going on to play again.

After lunch and a brief rehearsal, we went straight into the finals. Vik and Bill are two intense competitors (and, obviously, very smart guys) and playing them in a two-day match was a battle. Vik and his big wagers built a big lead, but I managed to start making a move with the African Capitals Daily Double. In the end, Final Jeopardy! saved me once again.

Many of the contestants went out for dinner together after the taping, and I had a great time sitting and talking for about four hours. Some of us have kept in touch since then. I've made a lot of friends and had the time of my life doing it-- what a wonderful experience.

-Michael Falk