The Billiken's Bluff

I had this post written and ready to go on Thursday, but the waters here at Billiken were swirling a bit too turbulently for my taste, so I postponed it. It may be old news for some, but for all of you jimillikens out there who missed this story-

If my name were AWood and I had a Thug of the Week it would have to go to Akshay Buddiga. In fact I'll name him Billiken of the Day. Not too catchy, but still. Akshay Buddiga and his fellow contestants were competing in the National Spelling Bee on ESPN2. The top prize was $17,000 in cash, a lifetime of facials ticks and twitching, and a healthy dose of ridicule and wedgies from their adolescent classmates at their local junior high.

It was an intense and grueling contest. 9 of the first 15 on stage advanced, acing such words as "xerostomia," "technetium," and "Weimaraner." The stumper words included "belonoid," "Nigerois," and "solipsistic."

Akshay Buddiga stepped to the mic and was confronted with the word "Alopecoid". Akshay hesitated, his eyes fluttered, he wobbled for a moment before fainting onto his back (It looked like an ill-fated attemptmpt of The Walton Shuffle). This was unprecedented in the annals of National Spelling Bee history. There were no medics prepared to revive him, no security personal equipped with a stretcher to carry Akshay out on.



But Akshay was in no need of assistance, a few seconds later he gathered himself, stood up and to the amazement of the judges, immediately started spelling his word: "alopecoid." He got it perfectly, drawing a standing ovation. He finished in a respectable second place.

The National Spelling Bee is a strange fruit. It is truly a spectacle, worthy of an ESPN2 broadcast. It has provided us with a number of memorable moments.


Who can forget this girl? She single-handedly made the National Spelling Bee a sport, an event to be covered. She had a plethora of her jitters, ideosyncracies, plus she was from Brooklyn.

My only question for Akshay would be can you spell Billiken?