Back Porch FanHouse

Spelling Bee: 'Numnah' Sounds Like 'Numbnut'

Michael David Smith — Sat, 31 May 2008 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, High School, TV and Movies

At last night's National Spelling Bee, 13-year-old Sameer Mishra provided some comic relief when he misheard the word "numnah":

For those who don't know, "numnah" is a type of sheepskin pad. When Mishra was presented with that word, he initially thought the pronouncer said "numbnut," an insult best known from the movie Full Metal Jacket, when Sargent Hartman yells at Private Pyle, "What is your major malfunction, numbnut?"

Mishra shook off any embarrassment and ended up winning the bee by correctly spelling "guerdon."

Spelling Bee: 'Numnah' Sounds Like 'Numbnut' originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sat, 31 May 2008 10:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kornheiser Takes Washington Post Buyout, Retires as a 'Newspaper Guy'

Will Brinson — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:20:00 EST

Filed under: Kornheiser Chronicles, Washington, DC, ESPN

Tony Kornheiser announced on his radio show this morning that he has accepted a buyout from the Washington Post, effectively retiring him as a newspaper writer/worker.

Kornheiser has been at the Post since 1979 and for a pair of generations -- ours and our parents -- is probably considered the most important sports journalism voice from the Capitol area. Kornheiser sounded (as transcribed by Dan Steinberg) melancholy about his departure.

"All I ever wanted to be was a newspaper writer," he said, which is likely not something that anyone under the age of 30 will ever say again. "This other stuff is great, but I don't care about it," he continued. "In my mind that's what it says on the headstone, it says 'newspaper guy.' "

But he also said he signed the papers to take the Post's buyout last night, after working here for, I believe, 29 years. He said he still might contract with The Post to do his Talking Points videos and his Page 2 excerpts, and he said some people in the leadership asked him to stay but didn't really insist, and even though he'll keep doing PTI and the radio show and MNF, he said he feared he'd never have the moral high ground again.

Wow. I know that last sentence is not word-for-word from Tony's mouth, but what does that say about his relationship with ESPN? Lacks moral high ground but involves a ton of money? Maybe. If that's the case, and I sense that plugging every ABC/Disney product in sight is not his idea of "moral high ground", then it's kind of sad to think that Kornheiser will eventually be known for that work and not his WaPo writing.

Don't get me wrong -- this has been coming fro some time now. TK has always been a "superstar" sports journalist in the print world, but he didn't become a household name until he and Michael Wilbon brought Pardon the Interruption to the brain numbing airwaves of future generations in 2001. So to think that the the Post could keep him on forever, especially with his activities there dwindling in comparison to his work at the WWL and budgets at newspapers getting consistently trimmed, this is no huge shock.

The sad thing isn't that the Around the Horn evil-spinoff-spawn type shows and the Monday Night Football announcing will taint Tony's legacy. I don't think they will. The sad thing is that America, because we have short attention spans and are obsessed with this "final legacy" idea, will remember him as a TV guy simply because his career will end at ESPN instead of the Washington Post.

Kornheiser Takes Washington Post Buyout, Retires as a 'Newspaper Guy' originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Wed, 14 May 2008 11:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marion Jones Got a Raw Deal, but Not for the Reasons Sally Jenkins Thinks

Michael David Smith — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:02:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, Women's Sports, Track and Field, PEDs

Here's an issue where I agree with Washington Post columnist and best-selling author Sally Jenkins: We both believe Marion Jones got a raw deal in the Balco investigation. Here's where I take issue with her: Jenkins has written a column that ignores key facts while somehow managing to conflate Jones with the Mitchell investigation, which, in case this isn't obvious, has nothing to do with track and field.

I would recommend Jenkins' column for any journalism teacher looking for an example of how a writer can simply ignore facts that aren't convenient to his or her hypothesis. Jenkins believes the fact that Jones is facing prison time for the Balco case shows a racial double standard: Whites who did the same thing Jones did aren't facing prison time, that's Jenkins' basic point.

So what does Jenkins have to say about the fact that the three people who have gone to prison for Balco are white? Nothing. She simply ignores that fact. Read the whole column, and notice the names "Victor Conte," "Patrick Arnold" and "Greg Anderson" don't appear anywhere. I guess it could have damaged her thesis that the Balco investigation is fueled by racism if she had bothered to mention Conte, Arnold and Anderson.

I feel badly for Marion Jones. I'd prefer not to have my tax dollars going toward investigating and imprisoning her. But I'm not going to claim that she's been treated worse than white people in the same situation, because she hasn't.

Marion Jones Got a Raw Deal, but Not for the Reasons Sally Jenkins Thinks originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Impossible Choice: Anna or Maria?

Eric McErlain — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:35:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, Tennis, FanHouse TV

It's a question that has vexed male tennis fans for years now: If you had a choice, who would you choose, Anna Kournikova or Maria Sharapova?

And what a choice it is. Which is why I decided to ask newly minted professional tennis player, John Isner, who fought all the way to the Finals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic before falling to Andy Roddick, who he would choose.

As you'll see, it's a question the young man struggled with. And to tell you the truth, who wouldn't?

Excellent choice. And very defensible. Especially when you take the height question into consideration.

The Impossible Choice: Anna or Maria? originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Isner's Cheering Section

Eric McErlain — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, Tennis, FanHouse TV

I've spent all weekend at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, DC, and while the rest of the world is enjoying a sleepy Summer weekend, the rest of us here may very well be witnessing the birth of the next great career in American tennis.

The story of the week has been John Isner, a wild card entry to the tournament who spent four years playing at the University of Georgia while far more celebrated talents worked their way to the ATP tour via high-priced tennis academies.

All Isner has done here in Washington is rip through the field, defeating more celebrated names like Tim Henman, Tommy Haas and finally last night, the incredibly athletic Gael Monfils. He's done it all with a booming serve unlike any on the tour today, one that his most recent victim, Monfils, last night called one of the best on the tour.Over the course of the week, the crowd has adopted Isner as their own, spurred on in part by a small knot of friends and family from his alma mater and his hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina. And everytime that Isner looked like he was getting a little down, they were there to pick him up. Liz Clarke of the Washington Post explains:

Whenever his posture drooped, his family and friends shouted, "Let's go, Johnny!" and "Let's go, Georgia!" (Isner's alma mater) -- as if it were a Bulldogs home football game rather than a tennis match. Alcohol, Isner hinted later, may have played a role in their enthusiasm.

At one point during the match, the chair umpire actually cautioned Isner's little group to keep it down to a low roar. While I was sitting in Monfils' post-match press conference, photographer Allen Clark tapped me on a shoulder and handed me a note: All of Isner's friends were waiting outside the players locker room and were still whooping it up. I left to investigate:

Here's hoping Isner got some sleep last night. I'm thinking his pals didn't.

John Isner's Cheering Section originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sun, 05 Aug 2007 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City's Best: Washington DC's Top Five Athletes

Unsilent Majority — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:53:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC

FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a DC sports fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

I want to say something before we get started. This is all about judging the most popular and relevant athletes in Washington DC. For those of you who may have forgotten this is a football town, the Redskins dominate the sports landscape for better or worse, depending on your perspective. So let me just apologize in advance to the loyal fans of the Nats and the United.

5. Roy Hibbert: The Magnificent Roy may be young but he's already been on the minds of DC sports fans for a number of years. After rooting against him for four years in high school I've had to learn to love him the same way he had to learn to run when he came to Georgetown (apparently Prep forgot to teach him that). This is going to be the year of Georgetown basketball and Roy will be leading the charge.

4. Alexander Ovechkin: DC isn't a hockey town but the Capitals have maintained a loyal and dedicated fan base despite the NHL's declining popularity in the wake of the recent lockout. It can be argued that Alexander the Great is solely responsible for that anomaly. He's an enigmatic young star at the top of his game and he talks good American. Of course he might be higher on this list if his nicknames weren't so pedestrian.
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3. Chris Cooley: This city loves the H-back the way Dallas loves cokeheads. It doesn't seem to make sense to outsiders, but his popularity can be measured by the prevalence of his jersey. The hot pants might explain the jersey's presence in Dupont Circle, but I've seen it all over the Metro Area.

2. Clinton Portis: The Thursday press conference performances are the primary focus of national attention (and rightfully so), but it's just another piece of the puzzle to locals. There's also the brilliance of his famed Easterns Motors commercials which just add to the time he spends on our television and computer screens. Most importantly, Clinton spends so much time out in public that at some point the prospect of standing next to him failed to make my knees go weak. Bonus points go to Portis for being the best dressed guy in the entire city, even if he is about 5'7" in real life.

1. Hibachi: The Black President. Agent Zero. Gilbert Arenas As if there were any other choice? The Takeover might not have gone "playoff deep" but he is quickly becoming the most beloved athlete DC has seen since John Riggins. He gets obvious points for doubling as a first-rate blogger in the sports blogging capital of the country. On and off the court, Gilbert can fry.

- Kwame Brown Because true love never dies

Unfortunate Snub: Winky Wright Ring Magazine ranks him as the fifth best pound-for-pound boxer in the world but he doesn't resonate with the masses. It's sad, he's a true technician in a great sport that's overlooked far too often. The fact is that Winky is the best fighter to come out of DC since Sugar Ray Leonard. He's getting on in age but there are a pair of brothers waiting in the wings; keep an eye on Anthony and Lamont Peterson. Their recent ESPN Friday Night Fights showcase at the DC Armory should propel them to big fights in the future (especially Anthony). Who needs heavyweights?

Honorable Mention: Caron Butler, Sean Taylor, Santana Moss, Ryan Zimmerman, Antawn Jameson, every other Redskin and Wizard, Jaime Moreno and Bobby Boswell.

Next Year's Top 3 (in order): Gilbert Arenas, Jason Campbell, and Clinton Portis

This post is dedicated to the loving memory of Susan "La Sooze" O'Malley's twenty year reign as the most popular president in DC.

Editor's Note: Unsilent Majority (a.k.a. "The Maj") writes for Kissing Suzy Kolber, where he does his best to feed the meast. We thank him for his contribution to FanHouse.

City's Best: Washington DC's Top Five Athletes originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Awkward Interview: Spelling Bee Champ Evan O'Dorney

Michael David Smith — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, High School

It's really not a sport and it happened more than a week ago, but we're not done with the National Spelling Bee just yet. Not after seeing this CNN interview with champion Evan O'Dorney, which might be the most awkward three and a half minutes in the history of television:

Much respect must be given to CNN's Kiran Chetry for maintaining her composure while navigating her way through the ordeal.

Awkward Interview: Spelling Bee Champ Evan O'Dorney originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Serrefine! Evan O'Dorney Wins National Spelling Bee

Michael David Smith — Thu, 31 May 2007 21:58:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, High School

Correctly spelling "serrefine," a home-schooled California eighth grader named Evan O'Dorney has won the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

O'Dorney and Nate Gartke advanced to the championship round for a one-on-one spell-off. Gartke got "coryza" wrong, opening the door for O'Dorney to spell "serrefine," which he said he knew as soon as the judge said it.

Commentator Stuart Scott said O'Dorney has a black belt in taekwondo. Gartke is from Canada and lists curling as one of his interests. It's the second year in a row that a Canadian was one of the last two spellers remaining. No Canadian has ever won the National Spelling Bee.

The championship round words spelled correctly before Gartke missed "coryza" were:
zoilus
vituline
pappardelle
videlicet
yosenabe

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Serrefine! Evan O'Dorney Wins National Spelling Bee originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 31 May 2007 21:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Catching Up With Rebecca Sealfon, the 'Euonym' Girl

Michael David Smith — Thu, 31 May 2007 13:40:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, High School

By far the most famous winner in the history of the National Spelling Bee is Rebecca Sealfon, the Brooklyn girl who jumped up and down and screamed the letters of "euonym," the word she spelled to win the 1997 title. (The video is still popular on YouTube.)

According to her Wikipedia entry, Sealfon inspired a South Park character, and she has been the butt of a few jokes on the old ESPN Classic show Cheap Seats, as well as on Jim Rome's radio show.

Ten years later, it seems like a good time to catch up with Sealfon, but I'm sorry to say I can't find a whole lot of information about what she's doing now, other than that she's currently a biology graduate student at Duke. Is she still spelling? Will she watch the bee today? Inquiring minds want to know.

As for this year's Bee, the preliminary rounds are over and the championship rounds will air live at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Catching Up With Rebecca Sealfon, the 'Euonym' Girl originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 31 May 2007 13:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samir Patel Eliminated From National Spelling Bee

Michael David Smith — Thu, 31 May 2007 12:12:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, High School

In a shocking upset, Scripps National Spelling Bee favorite Samir Patel was eliminated in the fifth round of this morning's competition, keeping the Bee's biggest star out of the prime time championship rounds.

Patel was given the word "clevis," which he spelled "clevice."

In the picture, Patel is being consoled by his father after his elimination from the 2003 bee, when he was 9 years old. He's been back every year since, including a second-place finish and a third-place finish. This year's Bee was his fifth and last, meaning he'll go down in history as perhaps the greatest speller never to win the championship.

As Patel walked off the stage, his fellow spellers gave him a standing ovation as a show of respect for his accomplishments in the competition. There were no tears this year for Patel, who calmly told ESPN's Stuart Scott, "I'm really angry that I got such an easy word wrong."

UPDATE: Patel appealed, saying he should have been given an alternate pronunciation of "clevis," but the appeal was denied. D.C. Sports Bog has an inside look at the appeal.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Samir Patel Eliminated From National Spelling Bee originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 31 May 2007 12:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Instant Replay Saves Speller Claire Zhang on 'Burelage'

Michael David Smith — Thu, 31 May 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, High School

I don't like the NFL's system of instant replay, and I like it even less in college football, but the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee has an excellent replay system in place.

That replay saved Claire Zhang from elimination in the fifth round, when she spelled "burelage" correctly, but a judge misheard her and sounded the bell, indicating that she had been eliminated. Fortunately, another judge stepped in, asked for an audio replay, and after listening, head judge Mary Brooks announced, "Claire, you may resume your place," prompting the loudest ovation of the day from the crowd.

Zhang deserves credit for the composed way she handled herself. She knew perfectly well that she had spelled the word properly and that the judge who dinged her had misheard it, but she waited patiently and silently for the mistake to be overturned. She could be a role model for quite a few professional athletes. I also have to give Stuart Scott credit: He did a nice job pulling Zhang aside and asking her about her reaction to the judges' mistake.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Instant Replay Saves Speller Claire Zhang on 'Burelage' originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 31 May 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stuart Scott Begins Bee By Spelling 'Booya'

Michael David Smith — Thu, 31 May 2007 10:38:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, High School

I really don't mean to pick on Stuart Scott, but he's on ESPN's morning broadcast of the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee, and in his first 10 seconds on camera, he told the viewers at home how to spell his catchphrase, "booya." Really. He was egged on by ESPN co-host Chris McKendry.

Dan Shanoff is concerned that Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic will have the wrong approach to the bee in tonight's ABC prime time coverage, but I think Mike and Mike will be fine. Scott, however, was the wrong choice for this event.

In the early going, words correctly spelled have included pteridology, affiche, tentaculocyst and psilosis. Words incorrectly spelled have included difficile, rhodochrosite, lomatine and melotrope. Of those words, only "difficile" shows up in my spellcheck program.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Stuart Scott Begins Bee By Spelling 'Booya' originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 31 May 2007 10:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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