The chatter on the CGP (pro Scrabble players mailing list) is reaching an all time high. There must be something amiss. The National Scrabble Alert has been raised from Code Orange to Code Red. There will be a major Scrabble event within the week.
Actually, the 2005 National Scrabble Championship is being held in Reno, Nevada. This is a special tournament, because it marks the first time that it has been held annually. Before it was every two years.
But alas, I won't be able to go to Reno. I will make a sincere effort to make it to it next year; I'm hoping that it's not too far away. I missed my chance when it came here to New Orleans last year (I wasn't really into tournament Scrabble at that point). Who knows when that will happen again.
I'll be checking the website peridically during the tournament. Here are the people I'll be pulling for.
I'll be pulling for most of the Word Wars guys:
G.I. Joel Sherman (he's actually in the bottom half of division 1. so he's an underdog in a way)
Matt Graham (the comedian needs to win one)
Marlon Hill (although he's kind of big-headed, he's very endearing. I'd like to see him win one and stick it to the man.)
I can't pull for Joe Edley because he's already won it thrice. Give someone else a chance.
Brian Capelletto would be a good win, but he's won recently too. Chris Cree of Texas would be good too. He's full of quotable quotes.
What if one of the Thailanders won? I think the press would eat that up: a non-native speaker of English winning an English word-game championship.
One of the Brits is due for a win too, like Nigel Richards.
I've also got my eye on Winter. He's an up and coming guy who is probably a long shot. But he's done well recently. I've heard that he's basically an a**hole, but maybe its just his intensity that rubs people the wrong way.
He's also the subject of an independent documentary called Starbucking, wherein the film crew follows Winter on his quest to visit evey corporate owned Starbucks in North America.
But anyway, I'll have to be a Scrabble groupie from afar.