Spelling Bee: Samir Patel thwarted by 'clevis'

Samir Sudhir Patel, 13, from Colleyville, Texas, a perennial crowd favorite for the past four years at the Scripps annual National Spelling Bee, who was counting on taking on title in his fifth and final appearance, had his dreams dashed when the world 'clevis,' which means a type of fastening device, proved to be his waterloo.

During the fifth round of the 80th annual Bee, which started off on Thursday morning with 11 Indian American kids among the 59 who qualified for the semi-finals after a multiple-choice written round and three oral spelling rounds, Samir misspelled it as 'clevice' to the disappointment of the hundreds in the audience rooting for him in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Hotel, who gasped in shock as their favorite was eliminated.

As he was escorted off the stage to the comfort room -- or the 'crying room' as some describe it -- Samir, who has assumed a kind of rock-star status with his charistmatic and entertaining way of going about his spelling and jousting with the judges, was given a standing ovation.

Patel -- a home-schooled student, who was the only speller in this year's competition returning for the fifth time -- had participated in the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 Bees finishing third, 27th, second, and 14th.

Even though he was not the oldest this year, since there were several 14-year-olds and even a 15-year-old, he will not be able to be a competitor any more because he is completing the eighth grade.

In an interview before the Bee, which began on Wednesday with 286 spellers in the fray, Patel, a fan of the Dallas Cowboys -- one of America's most popular football teams -- had said he was trying this time around to eschew being the Dan Marino of spelling. Marino, a quarterback for another famous American football team, the Miami Dolphins and a veritable legend in his 17-year Hall of Fame career, had set all kinds of records but never been able to win a championship -- the Super Bowl.

He had said, "I feel I've been trying my hardest for the last few years and it hasn't worked out. But life is not completely about the spelling bee and I've learned to realize that. But I will be very disappointed if I don't win."

In December 2005, Patel, along with Bee Anurag Kashyap -- the winner of the 78th annual Bee -- Aliya Deri, who placed second, Patel, who placed third, and Rajiv Tarigopula, who placed fourth, completing a shut out by the Indian American kids, were presented with the Publisher's Special Award, during the 2005 India Abroad Person of the Year event. India Abroad, a weekly newspaper published in the US, is owned by rediff.com.