Krossword Kid
Nov. 8th, 2007 09:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dedalus_1947The long, low pitched “doooommmmm” of a bass cello fills the air, and suddenly the screen is illuminated with squares of blank crossword pieces in a field of dark blues and grays. Twelve bold, block letters drift down onto this glossy canvas to align themselves into the words
MERV
GRIFFIN’S,
atop an illuminated line of 10 empty squares. Then, one-by-one, each square reveals the letters
C-R-O-S-S-W-O-R-D-S.
“Welcome to Merv Griffin’s Crosswords” booms the voice of the announcer, Ed Hall.
“And now, here are your crossword solvers…..”
I momentarily lost interest when the contestants were introduced, because neither of them were my son, Tony. Even though he had alerted me to this fact, I was still dismayed that the producers had picked Brad (a print marketing professional from New Mexico) and Catherine (an office manager from Florida) over him, to open the show. They stood frozen and rigid behind mid-sized, curved podiums, with rectangular lit screens in front. Brad was blond, blue-shirted, and all smiles when he was introduced, but Catherine, oval-faced and brunette, looked worried until some off camera cue directed her to smile. Despite my annoyance, the announcer continued…
I momentarily lost interest when the contestants were introduced, because neither of them were my son, Tony. Even though he had alerted me to this fact, I was still dismayed that the producers had picked Brad (a print marketing professional from New Mexico) and Catherine (an office manager from Florida) over him, to open the show. They stood frozen and rigid behind mid-sized, curved podiums, with rectangular lit screens in front. Brad was blond, blue-shirted, and all smiles when he was introduced, but Catherine, oval-faced and brunette, looked worried until some off camera cue directed her to smile. Despite my annoyance, the announcer continued…
“And now, here’s your host, Ty Treadway!”
Panning past the stiff contestants at their podiums, the cameras go deep into the recesses of the blue and black background and focus on a slowly descending figure.
“Hi everyone, and welcome to Merv Griffin’s Crosswords” tones the silky voiced host of the show, as he saunters down a high, transparent, spiraling walkway that ends at the set with two rows of podiums, the contestants standing at the front two.
“We have taken one of America’s favorite pastimes to the next level” Ty continues. “Now let’s say hello to our two solvers for today….”
Speeding through a single sentence description of their interests (Brad rode in a 500 mile bike-athon for AIDS, and Catherine is a “Hello Kitty” fanatic), Ty explains the rules of the game:
“You know how the game is played. First player to ring in with the correct answer, and the correct spelling, earns cash. If you get it wrong, we subtract that amount from your score, and your opponent gets a shot at it”.
“You know how the game is played. First player to ring in with the correct answer, and the correct spelling, earns cash. If you get it wrong, we subtract that amount from your score, and your opponent gets a shot at it”.
Suddenly, a muted “ding-dong” chimes in, followed by fanfare of trumpets, and the screen is suddenly transformed into the NBC logo, with a disembodied voice saying, “This is an NBC News Special Report. Here is Brian Williams…”
We were back into the present, and I was sitting in front of a computer monitor, in our study. Kathy and I were watching a digital download of Merv Griffin’s Crosswords, two days after it had aired on the east coast. The show was originally scheduled to play nationwide on October 23, 2007, but the local news coverage of the California wildfires had preempted all normal daytime viewing that day. We had been very frustrated by this turn of events, and then doubly annoyed when we missed the show at Tony and Jonaya’s viewing party that evening. Through the efforts of computer-savvy friends on the east coast, Tony received a digital copy of the show just in time to salvage their party. Although pleased about the rescue, we were fatalistically resigned to wait until the show replayed, or until we acquired a recording. So, I was delighted when Tony sent us an email of the digital version two days later.
Tony is a game and puzzle fanatic. Since his earliest years as a curious infant and inquisitive child, games, puzzles, word games, and mind twisting riddles have fascinated him. He grew up watching us play board and word games at family parties and get-togethers, and then expressing his impatience to play with us, or on his own. The yearly progression went from simple roll and move dice games, like Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Sorry, Othello, and Stratego, to the more complex word and strategy games, like Password, Clue, Monopoly, Jeopardy, and Trivial Pursuit. As soon as he was introduced to any game he became a “take-no-prisoner” competitor. This was fine when he was playing with adults, or uncles who would give him no quarter (Eddie and Alex were the toughest), but Prisa, his baby sister, had a hard time understanding that approach when she played with him (she expected games to be friendly). An early word puzzle game that was of great interest to Tony was the incredibly popular T.V. show Wheel of Fortune, with Pat Sajack and Vanna White. The premise of the game is remarkably simple (which probably accounts for its syndicated longevity); contestants had only to guess the letters that fit the letter blocks of a word or phrase, and the first person to say the word or phase won. It was a game of letters and words, and his mother, Kathy, was (and is) the reigning queen, even though she never tried to get on the show. Tony was never able to beat her at this game. Kathy could “see” words in the empty letter blocks faster than anyone. I believe she also introduced Tony to crossword puzzles.
For as long as I’ve known her, Kathy has always completed the daily L.A. Times crossword puzzles, and occasionally the Sunday New York Times puzzle. She would do them every morning in the faculty cafeteria of Los Angeles High School when she first began teaching in the early 70’s, and she modeled her ability every Sunday at home (occasionally calling her father, who also did the Sunday puzzle, to check on difficult clues and words). She hooked Tony at the age of 13, when, as his 8th grade teacher, she rewarded the students who mastered their spelling pre-tests by allowing them to create their own crossword puzzles with the same words. It was a diversion which piqued his curiosity and then consumed him. He became, as his mother and grandfather before him, a crosswords junkie for life.
Since those early days of games and puzzles, Tony’s interests have matured into an avocation, of sorts, within a larger puzzler community. He became an active local and national member of, and contributor to, the National Puzzlers’ League (NPL). Wikipedia describes the NPL as “a nonprofit organization focused on puzzling, primarily in the realm of word play and word games. The group has three aims: to further the pastime of word puzzles, to raise the standard of puzzling to a higher intellectual level, and to establish and foster friendships among its widely scattered members. The National Puzzlers' League is the oldest continuously operating puzzle organization in the world.” Tony has attended, and helped to host, the Annual NPL Convention in 2003, 2004, and 2005. He is also a regular player in the MIT Mystery Hunt, an annual puzzle hunt competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Boston. This is a world-wide event that attracts nearly 1,000 people who come together to solve puzzles that require knowledge of esoteric and eclectic topics. In a large part, the people he has come to know through NPL and the MIT Hunt have become his social milieu and new extended family. He met his fiancé Jonaya at one of these events. These are the friends and loved ones who regularly comment on his blog, go to his parties, support and encourage him when he is down, and celebrate when he is victorious. Yet, despite his sophistication with puzzles and hunts, Tony has never deviated far from his first love, the daily ritual of completing the New York Times crossword puzzle. So it came as no surprise when he told us that he had auditioned for the new television game show by Merv Griffin, called Crosswords.
Coming back live after the news break, the game resumed with Catherine missing a clue worth $500, and a brightly lit “-$100” appearing on her podium screen. Brad’s screen read “-$100” (We had obviously not missed much during the interruption). They continued missing clues for two more answers, and at the end of the first round of “head-to-head” competition, Brad was at “-$200” and Catherine at “-$300”. As he broke for a commercial, Ty warned the contestants that “our spoilers will be here when we come back”.
Spoilers- the word has such a negative and ominous sound. Spoilers are, by definition, people who ruin things by depriving a rival of success. Usually they do not win themselves, but simply deny others from doing so. However, I had learned by watching previous shows that Crossword Spoilers could win. They were three additional contestants who entered the game in the second round for the expressed purpose of pressuring the first two players, and possibly displacing them from their front podiums. Tony would enter the game as a spoiler, and, judging by Brad and Catherine’s poor showing so far, he had a great chance at taking their spots.
“Welcome back to Merv Griffin’s Crosswords”, Ty resumed after a few minutes of commercials, “where after a tough first round, Brad is at minus 200 and Catherine is at minus 300. Things are about to get even tougher…” With a rolling crescendo of drums, the camera broke from the main players in the foreground of the set to focus on 3 shadowy figures at the top of the spiraling walkway above. “Here come the spoilers” he cautioned, as a spotlight gradually illuminated the group, revealing two women and a tall, young man in the middle. “They are going to be hovering over you,” he warned, “breathing down your neck, just waiting for you to make that one mistake”. More light revealed my son Tony, a towering figure in a royal purple shirt and black trousers, being book-ended by two shorter women, a portly lady in an oversized green shirt, and a younger, blue suited lady on his left. On cue, the frozen tableau began marching down the transparent bridge as Ty added, “If you do, they’ll have the opportunity to steal your podium, your cash, and your prizes. So Brad and Catherine, you must protect your podiums”. Tony strode down the walkway in this trio, like a bold musketeer in an Alexander Dumas novel, taking the commanding center position on the second row of podiums, and confidently planting his hands down on both sides of the podium.
We were back into the present, and I was sitting in front of a computer monitor, in our study. Kathy and I were watching a digital download of Merv Griffin’s Crosswords, two days after it had aired on the east coast. The show was originally scheduled to play nationwide on October 23, 2007, but the local news coverage of the California wildfires had preempted all normal daytime viewing that day. We had been very frustrated by this turn of events, and then doubly annoyed when we missed the show at Tony and Jonaya’s viewing party that evening. Through the efforts of computer-savvy friends on the east coast, Tony received a digital copy of the show just in time to salvage their party. Although pleased about the rescue, we were fatalistically resigned to wait until the show replayed, or until we acquired a recording. So, I was delighted when Tony sent us an email of the digital version two days later.
Tony is a game and puzzle fanatic. Since his earliest years as a curious infant and inquisitive child, games, puzzles, word games, and mind twisting riddles have fascinated him. He grew up watching us play board and word games at family parties and get-togethers, and then expressing his impatience to play with us, or on his own. The yearly progression went from simple roll and move dice games, like Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Sorry, Othello, and Stratego, to the more complex word and strategy games, like Password, Clue, Monopoly, Jeopardy, and Trivial Pursuit. As soon as he was introduced to any game he became a “take-no-prisoner” competitor. This was fine when he was playing with adults, or uncles who would give him no quarter (Eddie and Alex were the toughest), but Prisa, his baby sister, had a hard time understanding that approach when she played with him (she expected games to be friendly). An early word puzzle game that was of great interest to Tony was the incredibly popular T.V. show Wheel of Fortune, with Pat Sajack and Vanna White. The premise of the game is remarkably simple (which probably accounts for its syndicated longevity); contestants had only to guess the letters that fit the letter blocks of a word or phrase, and the first person to say the word or phase won. It was a game of letters and words, and his mother, Kathy, was (and is) the reigning queen, even though she never tried to get on the show. Tony was never able to beat her at this game. Kathy could “see” words in the empty letter blocks faster than anyone. I believe she also introduced Tony to crossword puzzles.
For as long as I’ve known her, Kathy has always completed the daily L.A. Times crossword puzzles, and occasionally the Sunday New York Times puzzle. She would do them every morning in the faculty cafeteria of Los Angeles High School when she first began teaching in the early 70’s, and she modeled her ability every Sunday at home (occasionally calling her father, who also did the Sunday puzzle, to check on difficult clues and words). She hooked Tony at the age of 13, when, as his 8th grade teacher, she rewarded the students who mastered their spelling pre-tests by allowing them to create their own crossword puzzles with the same words. It was a diversion which piqued his curiosity and then consumed him. He became, as his mother and grandfather before him, a crosswords junkie for life.
Since those early days of games and puzzles, Tony’s interests have matured into an avocation, of sorts, within a larger puzzler community. He became an active local and national member of, and contributor to, the National Puzzlers’ League (NPL). Wikipedia describes the NPL as “a nonprofit organization focused on puzzling, primarily in the realm of word play and word games. The group has three aims: to further the pastime of word puzzles, to raise the standard of puzzling to a higher intellectual level, and to establish and foster friendships among its widely scattered members. The National Puzzlers' League is the oldest continuously operating puzzle organization in the world.” Tony has attended, and helped to host, the Annual NPL Convention in 2003, 2004, and 2005. He is also a regular player in the MIT Mystery Hunt, an annual puzzle hunt competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Boston. This is a world-wide event that attracts nearly 1,000 people who come together to solve puzzles that require knowledge of esoteric and eclectic topics. In a large part, the people he has come to know through NPL and the MIT Hunt have become his social milieu and new extended family. He met his fiancé Jonaya at one of these events. These are the friends and loved ones who regularly comment on his blog, go to his parties, support and encourage him when he is down, and celebrate when he is victorious. Yet, despite his sophistication with puzzles and hunts, Tony has never deviated far from his first love, the daily ritual of completing the New York Times crossword puzzle. So it came as no surprise when he told us that he had auditioned for the new television game show by Merv Griffin, called Crosswords.
Coming back live after the news break, the game resumed with Catherine missing a clue worth $500, and a brightly lit “-$100” appearing on her podium screen. Brad’s screen read “-$100” (We had obviously not missed much during the interruption). They continued missing clues for two more answers, and at the end of the first round of “head-to-head” competition, Brad was at “-$200” and Catherine at “-$300”. As he broke for a commercial, Ty warned the contestants that “our spoilers will be here when we come back”.
Spoilers- the word has such a negative and ominous sound. Spoilers are, by definition, people who ruin things by depriving a rival of success. Usually they do not win themselves, but simply deny others from doing so. However, I had learned by watching previous shows that Crossword Spoilers could win. They were three additional contestants who entered the game in the second round for the expressed purpose of pressuring the first two players, and possibly displacing them from their front podiums. Tony would enter the game as a spoiler, and, judging by Brad and Catherine’s poor showing so far, he had a great chance at taking their spots.
“Welcome back to Merv Griffin’s Crosswords”, Ty resumed after a few minutes of commercials, “where after a tough first round, Brad is at minus 200 and Catherine is at minus 300. Things are about to get even tougher…” With a rolling crescendo of drums, the camera broke from the main players in the foreground of the set to focus on 3 shadowy figures at the top of the spiraling walkway above. “Here come the spoilers” he cautioned, as a spotlight gradually illuminated the group, revealing two women and a tall, young man in the middle. “They are going to be hovering over you,” he warned, “breathing down your neck, just waiting for you to make that one mistake”. More light revealed my son Tony, a towering figure in a royal purple shirt and black trousers, being book-ended by two shorter women, a portly lady in an oversized green shirt, and a younger, blue suited lady on his left. On cue, the frozen tableau began marching down the transparent bridge as Ty added, “If you do, they’ll have the opportunity to steal your podium, your cash, and your prizes. So Brad and Catherine, you must protect your podiums”. Tony strode down the walkway in this trio, like a bold musketeer in an Alexander Dumas novel, taking the commanding center position on the second row of podiums, and confidently planting his hands down on both sides of the podium.
“Now let’s meet our spoilers”, the emcee continued: “Beth from North Dakota, Tony from California, and Robin from California”. With his recently cut hair and trimmed goatee, Tony looked like a smiling, bespectacled D”Artagnan, with the powerful body of his brother-in-arms, Porthos (although Jonaya claimed he looked more like Johnny Depp in Pirates).
Tony settled comfortably into the second tier podium, at the center of the stage, as Ty explained the rules of engagement. The two front row contestants had priority in answering the crossword questions, but, if they answered incorrectly, or not at all, the spoilers would get a shot at stealing the podium. Also, in this round, the dollar values of the questions were double, so there was still a chance at making big money.
The first question was “What is a five letter word for ‘Hand-y wrap’?” and all five contestants rang in. However, one-by-one, a rude buzzer sounded as they each guessed the wrong answer except for Tony, who said, with strength and certainty “glove, G-L-O-V-E”.
Tony settled comfortably into the second tier podium, at the center of the stage, as Ty explained the rules of engagement. The two front row contestants had priority in answering the crossword questions, but, if they answered incorrectly, or not at all, the spoilers would get a shot at stealing the podium. Also, in this round, the dollar values of the questions were double, so there was still a chance at making big money.
The first question was “What is a five letter word for ‘Hand-y wrap’?” and all five contestants rang in. However, one-by-one, a rude buzzer sounded as they each guessed the wrong answer except for Tony, who said, with strength and certainty “glove, G-L-O-V-E”.
“That’s the ‘Hand-y wrap’ we were looking for, Tony”, exclaimed the emcee. “You now have a choice of podiums, Brad with minus 400, or Catherine with minus 500”.
“I think I’ll take Brad’s”, Tony said, gesturing at the left podium. Brad threw up his arms in resignation and left his podium. Tony took his new position and expelled a long breath, as if getting himself ready to proceed. With the very next question, Tony received a boost of confidence and added momentum. When he answered “big, B-I-G”, he also won the Crossword Get-a-way Trip to the Wynn Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas if he should solve the final puzzle. Tony was now definitely in the game. For the remainder of this round he and Catherine went “mano a mano” for the next 16 questions, with the spoilers lurking overhead, waiting to swoop down at any misstep. The two primary players alternated ringing in first and answering the next eight questions, until Tony finally took command. He then went on a solving streak of five consecutive questions until discovering the Crossword Extra. Having steadily accumulated $1,100, and a trip to Las Vegas, he now had the opportunity to double his winnings by wagering as much of he wished on the next question, which only he could answer. Tony bet $1000. The Crossword Extra question was, “What is a five word complement to earmuffs?” Tony quickly responded, “scarf, S-C-A-R-F”. When the chimes sounded, indicating a correct response, Tony shot his arm into the air in triumph, and savored the compliments of the emcee. He was on a roll, leading in money ($2,100) and prizes (Las Vegas Trip), and clearly in control. It was at this high point of the match, with everything going his way that he faltered, making a critical mental error that cost him the podium.
Tony rang in second to the clue, “five letters, ‘I (blank) to be in pictures’!”. When Catherine was buzzed out for her incorrect guess of “wanna, W-A-N-N-A”, Tony tried with “oughta, A-…” He stopped and winced, anticipating the loud buzzer that quickly followed. Brad pounced with the correct answer of “ought, O-U-G-H-T”, and reclaimed his lost podium with the words, “I think I’ll take Tony’s”. It was deflating. I could see Tony close his eyes briefly in disappointment, as he returned to his original podium, on the second tier. I hoped he would not dwell on the misstep, and let it affect his confidence and resolve. There was no point in second-guessing himself, one had to let go and move on to the next question. Momentum had been lost and it was up for grabs. The next few questions would determine which of the contestants would regain it.
Catherine won the next question, but then both she and Brad froze when Ty posed, “What is a five letter word for ‘Free Partner’?”. Each of the three spoilers rang in, and when Robin guessed incorrectly, the door was again open for Tony. Loudly enunciating each letter, he said, “clear, C-L-E-A-R”. “Brad, get back here”, he gestured, when the emcee directed him to choose his podium. Tony bounded down the steps and resumed his former position with a wide grin on his face. Smiling, nodding his head, and tapping a rhythm on the podium, I could see that he was feeling strong and eager to pick up the beat he had momentarily lost. The round ended with Tony in the lead with $2,300, and Catherine with zero dollars, having fought back from minus 300.
The third round began after a long commercial break, with Ty explaining that “Whoever has the most money at the end of this round will be our champion and go on to the final round. The champion alone will have a chance to complete the puzzle and win the grand prize. It’s winner take all, so good luck to everyone”. While Tony had controlled the second round, except for his momentary lapse, Catherine quickly monopolized the third. Of the 17 puzzle questions posed, Catherine consistently beat Tony to the draw; confidently ringing in first and correctly answering nine. Tony, who was playing a more cautious and conservative game to protect his podium, managed only 6 correct responses (two were missed by everyone). He also appeared to be struggling with the ringer and his timing. On numerous occasions he would dip, or squat, as though putting extra effort into his ringer, trying to be first. Although Tony maintained a monetary lead, Catherine was riding a wave of rising momentum to a possible upset. Luckily, the spoilers were never a factor in this phase. This was a gun fight, a stare down duel between Catherine and Tony - until Catherine blinked.
By the eleventh question, Catherine had raised her total to $700 and was on a roll when the emcee asked “For $200, what is a five letter word for ‘Unconstrained and easy in movement’?” Tony cautiously refrained from ringing, and Catherine confidently answered “fluid, F-L-U-I-D”. With that answer she also received the second Crossword Extra! This was her opportunity to bet big and close the money gap with Tony (who still led with $2900). She could gamble as much as $1000, and seriously challenge for the lead and the championship. This was the pivotal moment of the match, and Kathy and I held our breaths as Catherine was invited to announce her wager. Catherine took a deep breath, thought for 2 or 3 seconds, and finally said “three hundred”.
“WHAT AN IDIOT!” I screamed at the screen in relief. “She blew it!” I could not believe it; she had just thrown away any chance of being competitive in this game. Even Ty found it hard to hide his disbelief when he said, after a long, uncertain, pause “Three hundred…okay… three hundred dollars, here we go. What is a four letter word for, ‘On the same level’?” Catherine answered correctly with “even, E-V-E-N”, and raised her total to $1200, but the opportunity had been missed. She could have had $1900, and been within striking distance of Tony. Instead she was still 1700 dollars short, with time running out.
Despite this climactic brain freeze, Catherine continued ringing in first for the next three questions, and answered two of them correctly, until she faltered on “What is a five letter word for ‘Vertical graph component’?” She paused, inhaled deeply, and, with her eyes widening in panic, puffed out air instead of words. She had lost it. Tony quickly pounced with his characteristic enunciation of the correct answer and spelling, “y-axis, Y-A-X-I-S”. Catherine’s momentum was broken. Tony rang in first for the next two questions and answered then correctly, bringing his total to $3500. Even though Catherine rallied to win the last question, the match was over. The musical downbeat sounded, and the program’s theme interrupted play to signify the end of round three. Tony raised a tomahawk fist in triumph and leaped into the air, as Ty said “That sound means that time is up, and that means that Tony, you are our champion! Congratulations! $3500 and you’re going to Vegas, baby!”
Tony rang in second to the clue, “five letters, ‘I (blank) to be in pictures’!”. When Catherine was buzzed out for her incorrect guess of “wanna, W-A-N-N-A”, Tony tried with “oughta, A-…” He stopped and winced, anticipating the loud buzzer that quickly followed. Brad pounced with the correct answer of “ought, O-U-G-H-T”, and reclaimed his lost podium with the words, “I think I’ll take Tony’s”. It was deflating. I could see Tony close his eyes briefly in disappointment, as he returned to his original podium, on the second tier. I hoped he would not dwell on the misstep, and let it affect his confidence and resolve. There was no point in second-guessing himself, one had to let go and move on to the next question. Momentum had been lost and it was up for grabs. The next few questions would determine which of the contestants would regain it.
Catherine won the next question, but then both she and Brad froze when Ty posed, “What is a five letter word for ‘Free Partner’?”. Each of the three spoilers rang in, and when Robin guessed incorrectly, the door was again open for Tony. Loudly enunciating each letter, he said, “clear, C-L-E-A-R”. “Brad, get back here”, he gestured, when the emcee directed him to choose his podium. Tony bounded down the steps and resumed his former position with a wide grin on his face. Smiling, nodding his head, and tapping a rhythm on the podium, I could see that he was feeling strong and eager to pick up the beat he had momentarily lost. The round ended with Tony in the lead with $2,300, and Catherine with zero dollars, having fought back from minus 300.
The third round began after a long commercial break, with Ty explaining that “Whoever has the most money at the end of this round will be our champion and go on to the final round. The champion alone will have a chance to complete the puzzle and win the grand prize. It’s winner take all, so good luck to everyone”. While Tony had controlled the second round, except for his momentary lapse, Catherine quickly monopolized the third. Of the 17 puzzle questions posed, Catherine consistently beat Tony to the draw; confidently ringing in first and correctly answering nine. Tony, who was playing a more cautious and conservative game to protect his podium, managed only 6 correct responses (two were missed by everyone). He also appeared to be struggling with the ringer and his timing. On numerous occasions he would dip, or squat, as though putting extra effort into his ringer, trying to be first. Although Tony maintained a monetary lead, Catherine was riding a wave of rising momentum to a possible upset. Luckily, the spoilers were never a factor in this phase. This was a gun fight, a stare down duel between Catherine and Tony - until Catherine blinked.
By the eleventh question, Catherine had raised her total to $700 and was on a roll when the emcee asked “For $200, what is a five letter word for ‘Unconstrained and easy in movement’?” Tony cautiously refrained from ringing, and Catherine confidently answered “fluid, F-L-U-I-D”. With that answer she also received the second Crossword Extra! This was her opportunity to bet big and close the money gap with Tony (who still led with $2900). She could gamble as much as $1000, and seriously challenge for the lead and the championship. This was the pivotal moment of the match, and Kathy and I held our breaths as Catherine was invited to announce her wager. Catherine took a deep breath, thought for 2 or 3 seconds, and finally said “three hundred”.
“WHAT AN IDIOT!” I screamed at the screen in relief. “She blew it!” I could not believe it; she had just thrown away any chance of being competitive in this game. Even Ty found it hard to hide his disbelief when he said, after a long, uncertain, pause “Three hundred…okay… three hundred dollars, here we go. What is a four letter word for, ‘On the same level’?” Catherine answered correctly with “even, E-V-E-N”, and raised her total to $1200, but the opportunity had been missed. She could have had $1900, and been within striking distance of Tony. Instead she was still 1700 dollars short, with time running out.
Despite this climactic brain freeze, Catherine continued ringing in first for the next three questions, and answered two of them correctly, until she faltered on “What is a five letter word for ‘Vertical graph component’?” She paused, inhaled deeply, and, with her eyes widening in panic, puffed out air instead of words. She had lost it. Tony quickly pounced with his characteristic enunciation of the correct answer and spelling, “y-axis, Y-A-X-I-S”. Catherine’s momentum was broken. Tony rang in first for the next two questions and answered then correctly, bringing his total to $3500. Even though Catherine rallied to win the last question, the match was over. The musical downbeat sounded, and the program’s theme interrupted play to signify the end of round three. Tony raised a tomahawk fist in triumph and leaped into the air, as Ty said “That sound means that time is up, and that means that Tony, you are our champion! Congratulations! $3500 and you’re going to Vegas, baby!”
“Yes!” Tony mouthed, punching both fists into the air, and sending his hair flying forward. The camera zoomed in on him as he closed his eyes, a huge smile extending across his face, as he lowered his head in relief.
“Great game, everyone” Ty continued. “Thank you for playing. When we come back we’ll see if Tony can complete the final puzzle and win the grand prize. So stay with us, and we’ll be right back”. As the theme music rose in volume, the emcee came out from behind his podium to speak with Tony and give him a hard high five hand shake. The picture faded to commercial.
It was during this break in the game that I was finally able to relax and reflect on what I had been watching. I was struck by Tony’s very physical, almost exaggerated, mannerisms during the game. He was definitely NOT maintaining a “poker face” playing Crosswords. One could track his emotions and feelings by watching his face and body movements, and listening to the force and inflection of his words: excitement, confidence, elation, exertion, frustration, disgust, and triumph were all expressed over the course of the game. It suddenly hit me that Tony wasn’t simply competing in this game of Crosswords, he was also PERFORMING. This was an entertainment show in which he had a starring role. He was approaching this production the same way he always pursued his primary passion – the theatre.
Tony discovered his life-altering passion the day Kathy and I took an unwilling Prisa to enroll her in a local children’s musical theatre group. Tony, who was 10 years old at the time, went along for company, and out of curiosity. While Prisa was indifferent to the experience, Tony was transfixed. I remember him sitting alone in the front seats of the auditorium, mesmerized, as he studied the children, two or three years older, as they sang, danced, and performed an abbreviated version of Westside Story. He had found his muse. At the end of the rehearsal, he spoke to the director himself, asking her if he could help with any part of the production. He was rewarded with the small, non-singing role of Officer Krupkee (and we enrolled him in the group soon after). That bit of inspired casting set in motion a course of events, that would eventually culminate in Tony receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Fine Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2000 (with a two year sojourn at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington D.C.).
In middle school, Tony attacked every role and part he received with methodical vigor and fearlessness. His photographic memory allowed him to internalize lines quickly, and he was relentless about practicing and rehearsing. His skills and roles steadily improved and by the 8th grade he was starring as the male lead in all the musical productions of the children’s group. His abilities as a performer began crossing over into other creative areas as well: writing, poetry, singing, and oratory. In 1991, he entered the dramatic interpretation competition of the Louisville High School Academic Fair. Although overmatched and unprepared at first, he was nevertheless intrigued with the concept, and the following year he blew away all opponents by composing and performing an original Dr. Seuss-like short story called The Gallumppagger.
His passion for performance and the theatre continued through high school and into college. He played the role of the Washington Senator manager “with heart” in the senior production of Damn Yankees! As a freshman at GWU, he auditioned and won the role of the shock jock in the play, Talk Radio. Later in college, he would put more effort into writing, directing, and theatre history, but performing was never abandoned. I can still see it today when he reads as a lector in church, when he organizes and directs elaborate games and “puzzle hunts” for family and friends, and when he auditions and appears in T.V. game shows. “Yup”, I said to myself, “I was watching more than a game, I was watching a performance”.
As the show came back from commercial, Tony and Ty were standing in front of the set, side by side. This was the final act. Tony had come to this point in the game by a combination of factors: intelligence, determination, practice, strategy, and desire; but ultimately it would come down to one thing – LUCK! Fate, kismet, or luck, call it what you wish, but if you don’t have it, you won’t win. Tony had not had an easy time, so far, and that gave me hope that he had a real shot at winning. There had been three critical points in the game, and Tony had weathered them all. He had suffered one defeat, lost momentum in the third round, and taken advantage of an opponent’s mental error. Lady Luck might be smiling his way as he entered the final round and faced the final puzzle. What would it look like? How difficult would the clues be? Would he have enough time? The game had already been a roller coaster of emotions, momentum, and breaks. Now we would find out if Tony was lucky?
“Welcome back to Merv Griffin’s Crosswords, with out champion”, said Ty, as the program resumed. The set had been cleared of podiums and other contestants, and only Tony and the emcee remained. They stood in front of a giant T.V. screen. “Tony, you’ve just won $3500 and a trip to Vegas, feels good?”
It was during this break in the game that I was finally able to relax and reflect on what I had been watching. I was struck by Tony’s very physical, almost exaggerated, mannerisms during the game. He was definitely NOT maintaining a “poker face” playing Crosswords. One could track his emotions and feelings by watching his face and body movements, and listening to the force and inflection of his words: excitement, confidence, elation, exertion, frustration, disgust, and triumph were all expressed over the course of the game. It suddenly hit me that Tony wasn’t simply competing in this game of Crosswords, he was also PERFORMING. This was an entertainment show in which he had a starring role. He was approaching this production the same way he always pursued his primary passion – the theatre.
Tony discovered his life-altering passion the day Kathy and I took an unwilling Prisa to enroll her in a local children’s musical theatre group. Tony, who was 10 years old at the time, went along for company, and out of curiosity. While Prisa was indifferent to the experience, Tony was transfixed. I remember him sitting alone in the front seats of the auditorium, mesmerized, as he studied the children, two or three years older, as they sang, danced, and performed an abbreviated version of Westside Story. He had found his muse. At the end of the rehearsal, he spoke to the director himself, asking her if he could help with any part of the production. He was rewarded with the small, non-singing role of Officer Krupkee (and we enrolled him in the group soon after). That bit of inspired casting set in motion a course of events, that would eventually culminate in Tony receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Fine Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2000 (with a two year sojourn at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington D.C.).
In middle school, Tony attacked every role and part he received with methodical vigor and fearlessness. His photographic memory allowed him to internalize lines quickly, and he was relentless about practicing and rehearsing. His skills and roles steadily improved and by the 8th grade he was starring as the male lead in all the musical productions of the children’s group. His abilities as a performer began crossing over into other creative areas as well: writing, poetry, singing, and oratory. In 1991, he entered the dramatic interpretation competition of the Louisville High School Academic Fair. Although overmatched and unprepared at first, he was nevertheless intrigued with the concept, and the following year he blew away all opponents by composing and performing an original Dr. Seuss-like short story called The Gallumppagger.
His passion for performance and the theatre continued through high school and into college. He played the role of the Washington Senator manager “with heart” in the senior production of Damn Yankees! As a freshman at GWU, he auditioned and won the role of the shock jock in the play, Talk Radio. Later in college, he would put more effort into writing, directing, and theatre history, but performing was never abandoned. I can still see it today when he reads as a lector in church, when he organizes and directs elaborate games and “puzzle hunts” for family and friends, and when he auditions and appears in T.V. game shows. “Yup”, I said to myself, “I was watching more than a game, I was watching a performance”.
As the show came back from commercial, Tony and Ty were standing in front of the set, side by side. This was the final act. Tony had come to this point in the game by a combination of factors: intelligence, determination, practice, strategy, and desire; but ultimately it would come down to one thing – LUCK! Fate, kismet, or luck, call it what you wish, but if you don’t have it, you won’t win. Tony had not had an easy time, so far, and that gave me hope that he had a real shot at winning. There had been three critical points in the game, and Tony had weathered them all. He had suffered one defeat, lost momentum in the third round, and taken advantage of an opponent’s mental error. Lady Luck might be smiling his way as he entered the final round and faced the final puzzle. What would it look like? How difficult would the clues be? Would he have enough time? The game had already been a roller coaster of emotions, momentum, and breaks. Now we would find out if Tony was lucky?
“Welcome back to Merv Griffin’s Crosswords, with out champion”, said Ty, as the program resumed. The set had been cleared of podiums and other contestants, and only Tony and the emcee remained. They stood in front of a giant T.V. screen. “Tony, you’ve just won $3500 and a trip to Vegas, feels good?”
“It feels great”, Tony said, grinning broadly, and nodding.
“Well it’s going to get even better”, Ty continued, “when you complete that puzzle and win that grand prize. All you have to do is answer all the clues, spell everything correctly, complete the puzzle, and do it in one minute and thirty seconds. If you do, you’ll win an additional $2000 and a trip to where, Ed?”
“PUERTO RICO!”, boomed the voice of the announcer, as the theme song kicked in and publicity photos of the island paradise came on the screen.
For the first time in the show, Tony’s expression was off-cue. Rather than matching the exaggeratedly excited tones of the announcer with predictable grins of pleasure, he pursed his lips, gazing at the screen like a judge at a diving competition, and nodded in satisfaction. I guess he was approving the trip to Rincon Beach Resort on Puerto Rico’s western coast.
“Alright Tony, here we go. Let’s take a look at your puzzle. You have one minute and thirty seconds on the clock”.
For the first time in the show, Tony’s expression was off-cue. Rather than matching the exaggeratedly excited tones of the announcer with predictable grins of pleasure, he pursed his lips, gazing at the screen like a judge at a diving competition, and nodded in satisfaction. I guess he was approving the trip to Rincon Beach Resort on Puerto Rico’s western coast.
“Alright Tony, here we go. Let’s take a look at your puzzle. You have one minute and thirty seconds on the clock”.
Tony looked intently at the wall-sized crossword puzzle on the giant T.V. screen and studied it for a few seconds, until Ty said, “Call out your first clue”.
A split-screen shot of Tony and the puzzle appeared on the television. It was the first time Kathy and I were able to see the complete crossword puzzle.
“He’s got it!” Kathy said excitedly, pointing out that there were only 7 or 8 missing clues. “He can do this”.
I held on to Kathy’s arm as Tony began a litany of crossword clues and guesses:
“20 across…”
“Yes!” we chimed together as he answered and spelled it correctly.
“29 down… pass”
“Shoot”, we groaned, hoping this was strategy and not a trend.
“39 across…”
“Yes!”
“47 across…”
“Yes!”
“57 across…”
“Yes!”
“55 across…”
“Yes!”
“63 across…”
“Yes!”
“60 across…”
With 46 seconds remaining, Tony said, “isle, I-S-L-E” with extra force and determination.
With 46 seconds remaining, Tony said, “isle, I-S-L-E” with extra force and determination.
“YES, TONY!” exclaimed Ty Treadway. “Great job! Two thousand dollars and Puerto Rico! That makes your grand total, $5500, and you’re going to Vegas and to Puerto Rico. How does it feel now?”
“It feels even better than before” said Tony, who had not stopped grinning since ending the game with time to spare.
He’d done it! He’d auditioned for the show, beaten the competition, and won the grand prize. Tony was having a good day. The camera stayed on him and the emcee as the show went to commercial. When they returned, the credits were rolling and the other contestants were back on the set. The camera moved on and off various people, but concentrated on a very animated Tony, who seemed to be explaining something to the group. The last credit scrolled up with the theme song, and the program ended. All in all, the only thing I could think was that Tony was a great crossword puzzler, and my son had kicked ass today!
He’d done it! He’d auditioned for the show, beaten the competition, and won the grand prize. Tony was having a good day. The camera stayed on him and the emcee as the show went to commercial. When they returned, the credits were rolling and the other contestants were back on the set. The camera moved on and off various people, but concentrated on a very animated Tony, who seemed to be explaining something to the group. The last credit scrolled up with the theme song, and the program ended. All in all, the only thing I could think was that Tony was a great crossword puzzler, and my son had kicked ass today!
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Date: 2007-11-09 09:37 pm (UTC)