Only one event has all this and more. I am talking of course about the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. Where 9 year olds take on veteran 14 year olds. Where the sound of a bell doesn't signal the beginning but the end. Where the possibility of duel champions is present yet hasn't happened in over 40 years. Where young women and young men battle head-to-head on the same playing field. where makeup, contacts, and a hair brush is frowned on. See this sport isn't about looks. the weirder you sound and look the more you can intimidate one of the zillions of other spellers. Where being homeschooled is not only coold but an eery advantage.
Unpredictable? Look at the young Samir. He is in his 3rd or 4th Bee now and still hasn't won. He was in the final four when he was like four? He is most definetely the greatest speller to never win the Bee. You think Phil Mickleson had pressure? Try carrying that label at age TWELVE!!!!
After watching the great Katharine Close win the Bee right now I knew I was witnessing greatness. No "repeat the definition please" from her. No "language of origin?" She would just ask the word and meaning and S.P.E.L.L. the mother. Unshakeable confidence. She laughed when she got her word Ursprache to win it all. Saying after I was just glad they said "Ursprache." She spelled it like no one had ever spelled it before. This girl knew the whole dictionary people.
What makes them even more impressive is the consistency and the age they do it all at. I mean if I went back to early middle school I am pretty sure I would domin8 just about every sport. But I would not be able to outspell these little 4 eyed nosepickers. I watched about 4 hourse of Bee coverage yesterday. And I don't just watch I join the competition. Me against my wife with a pen and a paper. We see who can get the most words right. We can spell until the word pops up on the screen. If its not spelled by then were out. I whooped my wife in that game. But you know how many I got correct in 4 hours? nine. Nine. A college graduate spelled 9 correctly. My wife just got her masters in teaching and she spelled 4 correctly. Roughly one word per hour. These kids are incredible.
Last but not least I want to let everyone know that I saw this greatness first. Before ABC put them in primetime I have been watching since ESPN first started airing. I have seen the documentary Spellbound and I have been glued to anything BEE for years. Just wanted to add that. Oh and I am not going to spell check this post, but I am sure if I did plenty of errors would come up.
NGS 2 Assignment 1. Write about an athlete. Any athlete! Broader than broad.
Ok you caught me. No ####y stars under the avatar so you can't vote for me I am not a finalist. But before you leave, stay awhile.
I have to say the first assignment stuck in my head for a couple hours. Then I moved on, but days later after reading some of the finalists blogs and wondering who I would choose to write on.... it hit me.
There is only one great athlete worthy of writing this on. He can't dunk a basketball, park one over the fence, and has never had a hole in one. He didn't play in pro, semi-pro, or even college anything. His best sport (horse racing) he gave up at a young age because he had a kid and I never even got to see him do that. He did win some money at bars for arm wrestling, but gave that up early too. As a matter of fact I can and do beat him in just about every sport, but he keeps coming back for more. And I make this guy look silly. Were talking dribbling a basketball between his legs, juggling a soccer ball over his head, or driving my golf ball a mile past his.
But the man presses on.
By now maybe you know who this guy is. Maybe you stopped reading because my athlete isn't athlete at all just my dad. I can here you know screaming or just thinking "Not a cheesy dad blog can't you wait a few weeks tell fathers day." Well maybe it is cheesy but I don't care. This my imaginary NGS2 assignment and this is who I choose.
Besides this athlete has player coached for years. Little league baseball, All-Star soccer champions, and last place soccer teams.
We have all seen or heard about the abusive pee-wee coach who screams at his kids and then yells at the parents "you don't like it you take over." Well how many of you are lucky enough to have the dad who never played soccer and still decided "ok I'll take over." 18 years later his son is married and his daughters could give a rip about soccer but he is still coaching. Volunteering for one of the worst high school soccer teams in the state. You know the one that has no JV or freshman team its just whoever trys out not only makes it but starts.
But the losing doesn't get to him.
Maybe he is immune from losing to me in just about everything since I was 12. Or maybe its that he knows it really isn't about winning.
The other day I broke 80 golfing for the first time. I shot a 76. The first person I called was my dad. We haven't golfed together in over a year. He was as excited about my 76 as he would have been about his 76. The first thing he thought of saying was "well I better get by clubs out so you can whoop me at golf too."
Maybe he draws his strength from his one incredible winning streak. Its a little like Josh Gibsons homeruns. No one has an official count but we know it is way way up there.
See as long as I have been alive my dad has never lost a wrestling match. The arena is the living room carpet and the wrestlers are usually me against my dad - ocassionally one of my friends may become a victim. The result is always the same. Mom and sisters and now wife giggling on the couches or somewhere near by while my dad pins me or makes me say "uncle." My dad was a state wrestler in high school and I wrestled for a few months in third grade. Between his perfect blend of experience and old man strength I always end up with rug burns, tweaked body parts, and in a little bit of embarassment.
But for the first time the streak is in jeopardy. Last time we wrestled we went three rounds before calling it a draw. And now between his age and all the time I spend in the gym I know I can beat him. And also for the first time I don't want to beat him. I have no problem creaming him in every other sport, but for some reason I don't wan't the day to come where I can pin my dad. At first I didn't know why. But now I suppose it is the same reason Giants fans don't want to admit Bonds did steroids, or Bulls enthusiast turn there heads at Michael Jordan's run with the Wizards.
See I don't want to admit that my sports hero is mortal after all.
Wow another great game. I thought the Mavs clinched it when Devin Harris buried the J with 4 seconds left. But back on the other end the leagues Most Improved Player Boris Diaw hits a silky J for the game winner.
I'll get to the MVP candi and the MVP in a second.
This game had another fascinating duel. Devin Harris continues to improve and amaze with thirty points and 5 steals. That is some nice numbers from a youngster. And then to have the fortitude to hit the "almost" game winner. I am cheering for Nash and the Suns in this one, but I do not dislike the Mavs, so I thought that Harris J was a killer and fitting end to a great game 1 in Dallas.
But Then. In the words of Will Smith "here come the MIP's" or maybe it was MIB. Anyway the MIP Boris Diaw in traffic hits a tuff little hook for the real game winner. That going along with his 34 points and 6 boards. Man it seems like Forever ago that he was averaging 4.8 points a game for the Atlanta Hawks, but that was last season.
Now Dirk and Nash. WOW!!! Great duel from the old pals. Dirk putting up vintage Shaq numbers with 25 points and 19 boards. This is the same foreigner that many grilled for settling for treys and being soft in the paint. Give Avery Johnson credit he is utilizing all of Dirk's athletic ability. Dirk is driving and getting old fashion 3's and collecting 19 boards. Great game.
And of course my boy Steve Nash. Back-to-back MVP's for a reason. 4-0 in game 7's. Comes into his old house and just puts on a show. A breathtaking 27 points and 16 assists to go with 5 rebounds. His team had basically lost with 3 or so minutes left down 9 on the road. But ol Nashy drills trey's and dishes on the pic and roll and BAM a 12-2 run Suns up 1 with 30 or so tics left on the clock. Awesome basketball.
Also Mr. I do everything Shawn Marion did everything as usual. You just can't ignore his defense and offensive contributions. Typical 24 points, 13 boards, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. And that is just typical Marion. Ridiculous.
Practice... we talking about practice?" 
