--- In quizbowl_at_yahoogroups.com, "Matt Keller" <mkeller99_at_h...> wrote:
> On tvgameshows.net it doesn't list Tom as one of tonight's
> competitors. Did they put up the wrong list maybe, or is he going
> to be on tomorrow perhaps?
In addition to ten competitors per day, the show selected two
alternates who were flown to New York for the first day of taping,
prepared to stay all week if they weren't used earlier, but not
guaranteed of ever being needed. Tom was first alternate. (I was one
of his registered phone-a-friends.) He learned Saturday night that he
would in fact be replacing one of the original ten for Sunday's taping
(Monday's airing).
Apparently what changed the karma enough to get him into Sunday's
group was that, assuming he'd probably be kept in New York all week
long without actually getting a chance to try his luck at reaching the
hot seat, Tom and his wife bought New York museum passes. I guess the
show called to say he'd be needed on Sunday about an hour after they
bought the passes on Saturday -- future alternates might want to try
the same maneuver, see if it works again...