Shout-out from Buffalo

I'd like to welcome anyone from New Providence High School, Class of '77, who is stopping by today. Buddies for life, as far as I'm concerned.

My story: I've been living in Buffalo, N.Y., for 14 years with my wife, Allison. We have three children: Maddie, 13; Caroline 9, and Greg, 8.

I work as a sports copy editor and occasional writer at The Buffalo News. I previously worked two years at the Boston Herald and eight years at the Star-Ledger in Newark.

Allison is in charge of a global sourcing initiative for M&T Bank. She recently returned from her fifth trip to India.

My job, on the other hand, offers generous free parking and many holidays off.

I'd love to hear from former classmates … especially those who still owe me money. My e-mail is connorsbuf86 "at" yahoo "dot com."

Top five, baby!

Maddie finished fifth in the Buffalo News Spelling Bee today. The top-five finish won her $25, plus some other gifts.

The word she missed on was filiality. She spelled correctly: diorama, formidable, capitulation, prosaic, ambivalent, blithe and cruciferous. They may look easy on paper, but when the real bullets are flying it's a different story.

The contestants were dropping like flies in the seventh and eighth rounds, missing on protrusile, jadeite, sempiturnal, plumicorn, simpatico, adjuvant and caudal. (Notice how I recount that like Alex Trebek, as though I knew all the answers.)

The winning word spelled by the Bee champion was bimillenary.

We're extremely proud of Maddie, who is off to high school next year, and has used up her Bee eligibility. (I thought about redshirting her, but couldn't get a doctor's note in time.)

This guy is good. Scary good.

My friend and colleague at The Buffalo News, Vince Chiaramonte, has been voted the sports designer of the year by his colleagues in a poll at Sportsdesigner.com.

Here is Sportsdesigner.com's video about Vince (several headlines by yours truly included):



Mad props to Vince, whom I figure we'll have working with us for about five more months before he is snapped up by a larger newspaper.

Queen Bee

Congratulations to Maddie for being one of the top 20 spellers in Erie County.

Now we just need to figure out a way to beat those home schoolers at their own game. This isn't going to be pretty, but Maddie's not in this to finish second.