CLIP REEL: SPELLING BEE MOMENTS

by Ted Bauer

In the grand "what is a sport versus what isn't" debate, spelling bees often come down on the latter side. OK, true: no one is pass rushing you as you parse out the letters to "indefatigable," so in that regard it's easier than Peyton Manning's job. But let's be honest here; how many times have you mis-spelled "rhythm" or "succeed," quite possibly in some type of office memo? Spelling is hard. These kids taking the stage today (2pm, ESPN360) for the Scripps National Spelling Bee are warriors just like Kellen Winslow. Here now, a Clip Reel on some of the greatest Spelling Bee moments. We bow our heads in r-e-v-e-r-e-n-c-e.

Remember when the 2007 champ completely owned that CNN anchor in an interview? Hysterical.
A kid impersonating Napoleon Dynamite. Laugh out loud funny.
Kid cracks up upon getting his word.
Jimmy Kimmel does a mock spelling bee on his show. Long, but amazing.
Remember the kid who fainted at the Spelling Bee, but recovered to spell the word?
A deaf 10 year old girl wins a spelling bee. Unbelievable.
This is a compilation of funny Spelling Bee moments that ABC put together.
Brian and the spelling bee: an animated short.
Clips from the '06 Spelling Bee.
Clips from the '07 Spelling Bee.
Hey, New Zealand's got a national spelling bee too!
Our boys the Sklar brothers comment on the 1997 Spelling Bee.
Nice local Kansas City feature on a speller.
This is essentially a trailer for this year's Spelling Bee and it's awesome.
Two of the favorites this year are legit rivals. Tremendous!
There will be a bunch of international competitors, too.
Here's Elizabeth Merrill's article on Samir Patel from ESPN.Com. A good read.
Tom Bergeron will host! Man, that dude is everywhere.
An interviewer with Jacques Bailly, the 1980 champ and head pronouncer.
Bailly's Wikipedia.
The Wiki for the entire Spelling Bee.
The trailer for Spellbound.
Akelah and the Bee trailer.
If you want to, you can basically watch the entirety of Akelah and the Bee online. Here's Part 1. Just keep clicking through.
Rebecca Sealfon's classic reaction to winning the 1997 Bee.
Dr. Jacques Bailly talks to ESPN. Hey, that's us!
There are currently 300 articles plus on Google News about the Spelling Bee. That's cultural traction, folks.

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