Ever since I've started writing about the national spelling bee, there's one thing I've preached: Experience, experience, experience. I've always said repeating spellers have an inherent advantage, especially 3-year, 4-year, and even 5-year repeaters. (If you've gone to the bee 5 straight years, you're doing something right). The stats back me up: Most of the NSB champions in the past 15 years have had at least some experience.
However, there's something enthralling about the dark horse candidate: the contestant that waits quietly in the weeds, unnoticed, who lets all the other more flamboyant people rush out ahead and pile expectations on themselves, then when the bell rings just tears through the competition, and before anybody can even breathe, they're standing in the winner's circle (or the winner's mike position) and are hoisting the trophy. THAT's a darkhorse, and it's one of the most thrilling things (for the dark horse him/herself, I imagine, but also for the people watching the dark horse operate. Everytime they do something good, we yell, "Who is this guy/girl???!!!!!? But in the back of our minds, we root for them, for them to continue going, for them to do the unthinkable.
On Wednesday/Thursday at the national spelling bee, it's quite possible there will be such a contestant who rises from obscurity to national prominence and captures the imagination of the American audience. In fact, it's actually likely that an unlikely person steps up and just blows everyone away: at the NSB especially a strong run through like Round 8 is not out of the realm of possiblity, you just gotta get 8 words that you know or at least can work through and you're in the top 10 or so.
It happened last year, Sidharth Chand almost took it. This year, I will be looking for that Dark Horse candidate throughout the bee, with the thought that that speller probably won't win, but there's always that little bit of hope and anticipation for that person......yet another reason to watch the National Spelling Bee this year.
Fantasy Baseball Darkhorses:
Jason Bartlett? WTFF???? Where did this guy come from? He pulled himself out of the black hole that is the bottom of the Tampa lineup and has just forced himself into the spotlight.......chances are slim he keeps this up, but wow what a start.
Nelson Cruz: Hit homers #10 and 11 today, one of the legaue leaders in the AL in dingers. Not to be ignored, this man.
One of my fav's: Mark Reynolds, w/ 12 HR's and 10 SB's already, due in large part to one particular day w/ a doubleheader in florida last week where he hit 2 HR's and stole FIVE bases, but still......
Zack Greinke.......C'mon, really? You really thought he was gonna have a sub-1.00 ERA a this point in the season? If you really predicted this (like ESPN analysts always hints that they somehow do, give yourself a pat on the back and sell high IMMEDIATELY- it's fiscally irresponsbile of you not to for your team's sake. )
Raul Ibanez......Huh? I'm confused.....Didn't he retire at some point? He almost faded into obscurity, making him a true dark horse as nobody saw him hiding in the shadows biding his time to strike.
Orlando Hudson: MVP of the national league behind Ibanez right now.
-Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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