Olympic Pyramid - Dramatic Win
The Rio 2016 Games of the XXXI Olympiad are underway! And we have our first big winner in the demonstration sport of 100,000 Pyramid. Here's the scoop:
Today is the first day of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, Rio 2016. All NBC has done is built its entire network identity around these Games.
The 100,000 Pyramid is now a demonstration sport at these Olympics. Eight nations participated: the US, Canada, Portugal, Brazil, Australia, England, Russia, and Iceland. The US was represented by Jeremy Hathaway, aka J-Bone (12) and my brother in law, David Leite, aka D-Leite (4). Michael Strahan, of course, was the lead host and did the medal round; for the round-robin they recruited Steve Harvey, Wayne Brady and Jonathan Mangum, and in the coup to end all coups, the great Tom Kennedy (real name, Jim Narz. His late brother Jack was also an excellent game show host).
The tournament works like this:
Round-robin: US, Portugal, England and Russia in one bracket; Canada, Brazil, Australia, Iceland in the other. Gameplay is exactly as it is on the show. Each match goes a maximum of 4 games (1 hour).
The team with the most jack at the end of the 4 games wins the match. Top 2 teams in each bracket advance.
In the knockout round, once a team gains an insurmountable lead the game ends.
Long story short, this morning the US and Brazil, the home team, made it to the Finals. (Iceland bumped Canada for the Bronze). Through the first 3 games, Brazil holds a 63,500-11,500 lead over the US, as shown:
1. US, 18-17; $11,500 in WC
2. Brazil, 21-20; $50,000 in WC
3. Brazil, 19-19 (wins on tiebreaker), $13,500 in $100K Winners Circle (illegal clue cost them dearly)
BUT J-Bone and D-Leite won a thriller 21-20 in Game 4, and are now going for the Gold Medal. The only way they can get it is if they make it to the top of the Pyramid in 60 seconds.
As a nation watched on MSNBC, we pick it up, with J-Bone and D-Leite in their USA jerseys with (actual) names and numbers on back. That is, HATHAWAY 12 and LEITE 4. The jerseys are cool, they’re like soccer jerseys with the shield. Dave gave the clues.
Michael Strahan: OK, here we go, it has come to this. You’re guaranteed at least the Silver; if you make it to the top of the Pyramid in 60 seconds you win 100,000 and the Gold Medal.
DL: Now, Mike, question: do we get to keep all this jack? We need to get some stuff around the house remodeled and baseball for Spence does not pay for itself
MS: Sorry, Dave. This is the Olympics. All you get is a gold medal. But you can cash that in for endorsement deals and stuff.
JH: Dude. You knew this going in.
DL: (whispering) Yeah, but you have to try, you know? Strahan: OK. You know the drill. You give a List of clues for each category. Can’t use your hands, cannot use part of the answer, if you do you will hear this (heart attack buzzer) and the Brazilians will win the gold so the game will stop. You ready?
DL: Hell yeah! Gold or Bust!
MS Alright then. Get your hands in the restraints Dave…..Now….relax, clear your mind....for the Gold Medal…..Here is your first subject….Go!
(The iconic clock starts ticking)
DL: The rides, the games, cotton candy
JH: Things at a fair….Things at a Carnival (55 seconds left)
DL: (in quasi Speedy Gonzalez voice) “Oh, Amy, what choo doing….”
JH: Things your mom says (51 seconds)
(Cut to Strahan, cracking up)
DL: Nick Fradiani, John Cadillac Man Seville, Jennifer Westfeldt….ah….Pam Garofalo…
JH: Guilford. People from Guilford. Connecticut. (43 seconds)
DL: Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon
JH: Types of food from a Pig
DL: Sausage….sliced tomatoes, clams,
DL: Pepperoni….(with a bit of an edge) Mashed Freaking Potatoes….
JH: Pizza toppings (32 seconds)
JH: Women who have blocked @PGar58 on Twitter
(Strahan, shaking his head, cracking up again)
DL: Watney, Tracy Wolfson, Melissa Stark, Heather Cox…
JH: Sideline reporters (24 seconds)
DL: (deep sigh) 213….415….609
JH: Telephone prefixes in the Metro West exchange
(8 seconds left) Strahan: Hurry
And then just like that the light goes on.
JH: California area codes (Buzzer goes off)
DL: (pointing at Jeremy) He got it in! He got it in!!!
Strahan: Judges? (There’s a dead silence, much like when Walt Coleman was about to announce his ruling on the Tuck Rule play) Finally a series of bells goes off – in the Olympics you have to finish the entire clue before the buzzer sounds. J-Bone did so with 0.2 seconds left.
Gold Medal for the US!!!!!
Followed by the victory song, dude hugs, the guys each hugging Strahan who is amped, everyone’s families and kids coming down from the stand, other crew members, and of course Dave’s folks. Followed by the five Crew Members in a group hug chanting “Whose Your Papi?” because the Brazilians had been talking trash before the gold medal match.
Strahan: Congratulations! You guys have won the first Gold Medal in Olympic 100,000 Pyramid. I’d ask you what you’d do with that jack but you don’t get any jack.
Daveyo: I think they’re gonna get the gold medals bronzed, Mike.
Strahan: You guys realize you won it with 0.2 seconds left.
J-Bone: I don’t know what happened, Mike….I mean, I knew but I just blanked out at the worst time. Then Dave said 858….and I remember I had to call an 858 number in Poway for Angels tickets….and the light bulb went on. (exhales deeply) Holy crap. A Gold Freaking Medal. I don’t believe it. (To Strahan) BTW you were the man in SB42. Giants For Life baby! (Fist bump)
Strahan: (modestly) It was a team effort. Total team effort. Just glad to help a little bit.
D-Leite: (to the deflated Brazilians) Hey, who needs the Heimlich Maneuver now, lads? Oh, by the way, is this yours? (holds up his cell phone) I found this bad boy…..in the ATTIC!!! (a stomach punch, since the Brazilians gave the illegal clue on “Things in an Attic”)
This is followed by an on-the-spot interview with Kathryn Tappen, for NBC
Strahan: OK, champs….Kathryn Tappen is here, she wants to interview the newest Gold Medalists…
KT: Congratulations, you guys did it. It was a hard road. Take me through the last Winner’s Circle. I know it got really tense in the end.
D-Leite: We’re cruising along and I’m feeling pretty good, and I see we have time in the corner of my eye and I say, OH, easy one. Then I saw J-Bone freeze up. (Puts arm around Jeremy) But we practiced this. I kept my cool. I knew he had it in him. This guy is my brother.
J-Bone: If he didn’t drop the 858 we lose.
KT: That’s odd, because Dave was giving original 1947 Cali area codes in the beginning. Everyone knows these area codes, they’re iconic.
J-Bone: It’s a lot different when you’re in that chair Katherine. You’re going for the Gold…this is what we have trained for years for….And you’re THAT close and you have to focus and keep it together and I’m trying….and…(wipes eyes, exhales deeply)….man, I’m just blessed, man….You just….man….you just cannot put a price on it. I will perish this forever (hugs wife and son)
(At this point PGar, wearing a BRADY 12 Red Sox jersey, whispers something to his brother-in-law, who nods)
D-Leite: Uh, Katherine, my brother-in-law Pete has something he wants to ask you.
PGar58: (whispers something in Katherine’s ear)
KT: Of course!!!! (gives Pete a hug, and then poses arm-in-arm for a few selfies)
PGar58: Thanks Katherine (gives her a kiss on the cheek). Always enjoyed your work.
KT: (blushing) You’re sweet..
PGar58 (fist bumps for the lads) Thanks guys. Props on the gold. (in loud, Rocky Balboa voice) USA! WAR CREW OH-FIVE BABY!!!! YEAH!!!! WHO’S YOUR PAPI! GO RED SOX! JIMMY G AND TOM JONES RULE THE UNIVERSE! (Other stream of consciousness cheers about the Smithereens, Betty White, Gilbert Gottfried, John Cadillac Man Saville, B. Lamont Rooker, LeBron James in Game 7, and so forth)
J-Bone, D-Leite and Tappen just stand there for a second.
Other 4 crew members to each other (quietly, nodding): Pete Being Pete. Yeah. Mmhmm…
Tappen: (to no one in particular) Bob, he’s your friend. (facing camera) Back to you in the studio, Al.
Meanwhile PGar58 gets to deal with his better half.
@PGar58 (to Pam, non-plussed) She knows I’m married. SHE’S married. I think her husband is here. (He’s not) Anyway. We go way back. And even at THAT I have a better chance of getting to heaven than dating Kathryn Tappen. Relax.
Pam: (still skeptical) Ummm hmmm….
