Described by humorist John Oliver as the hunger games of the mind, the national spelling bee was not devoid of controversy. The controversy began with a judge reading an inappropriate sentence in response to a "May I have that word in a sentence request".
After the contest ended in a tie, talk-show host Andrew Cuomo, in a bonehead move, asked the contestants if they thought about finding an alley and settling the question of who is best man-to-man.
The contestants themselves were nothing if not gracious and even one memorable exit interview features a young lady who goes out of her way not to end her sentence in a preposition.