The Kids Broke The Spelling Bee. Now Scripps Is Doubling Down
The Lead
Audible
3.7 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 8 July 2021
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Two years ago, the Scripps National Spelling Bee had arguably the most dramatic -- and delightful -- ending in its nearly hundred-year history. After five rounds and forty-seven words spelled correctly, the judges threw in the towel and declared eight co-champions, much to the joy of the contestants and the millions who tuned in on television. So, now that the kids have bested the competition, the organizers have been forced to find a new way to challenge them. The Athletic’s Seth Davis recently took a break from the college hoops beat to write about Scripps' new rules this year (and people's opinions about them), a 14-year-old girl who is one of the favorites to win, and why the spelling bee is not what many people assume.
Read Seth Davis's full story about the 2021 Scripps Spelling Bee:
https://theathletic.com/2686719/2021/07/07/the-scripps-national-spelling-bee-is-approaching-its-reckoning-will-the-dictionary-strike-back/
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Transcript
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| 0:07.0 | Hi there, Wondry listeners. Hannah and Sruti here from TrueCram Podcast Redhanded. |
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| 0:40.0 | Go listen to Redhanded right now on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:46.0 | Two years ago the script's national spelling bee had the most dramatic and most delightful ending |
| 0:59.0 | and it's nearly 100 year history. |
| 1:01.0 | Odelec O-D-Y-L-I-C-Odelec. |
| 1:07.0 | It's complete. |
| 1:10.0 | The tables for ever be remembered as the elite eight. |
| 1:17.0 | There were not one, not two, not three, not four, but eight, co-champions, eight kids who didn't miss a single word |
| 1:22.0 | and who were immediately dubbed the Okdo Champs. |
| 1:25.0 | Please welcome the Okdo Champs ladies and gentlemen. |
| 1:28.0 | And now that the kids have broken the competition, the organizers have had to find a new way to challenge them. |
| 1:34.0 | The athletic Seth Davis recently took a break from his basketball beat to look at the country's most venerated verbal venture |
| 1:41.0 | and he joins us today to explain the new rules and to dispel some common myths about the bee. |
| 1:46.0 | They spent the entire week together and they had dances and barbecues and they socialize and they become friends. |
| 1:52.0 | That was a pleasant surprise. I expected it to be a little bit more dance momm-ish and it certainly wasn't. |
... |
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