It's the Little Things That Matter in the Long Run

... like fractions of seconds:

... and superfluous letters of the alphabet:

  












Some things don't seem fair or right. But rules matter, I suppose. Once we yield (oh, let them have the win--what's .01 of a second? or, give the kid a break! What's an additional syllable?), then subsequent wins lose their luster. 

The swim team loss makes sense, but I'm not so sure about the Jeopardy! loss. There's no mistaking the fact that his kid had the right answer, extra syllable notwithstanding. The judges in this case had to know this and could have given him a pass. But they didn't.  Harsh, yes? But perhaps in the greater scheme of things, the boy will benefit from this momentary disappointment and be a better (smarter, more accurate) speller down the road. Unless, of course, media and public pressure cause the Jeopardy! folks to capitulate. And then, of course, the boy will have learned a different lesson altogether.