This is my favorite story so far this year..

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/?p=158751

Back to Golf. Have you ever noticed how simple Bo Van Pelt's swing is? So many people talk about Rory, Adam Scott, Couples having beautiful swings. I look at Bo Van Pelt and Stricker and think.. That's what I wanna copy!! Who would you compare your swing to?

I think everybody should swing their own way, no two swings are alike. There's nothing wrong with taking bits and pieces from tour players swings, but if you try to swing like someone else you'll always be fighting your innate ability.

Personally, I've tried to incorporate moves from various players in the past, Kenny Perry with the early wrist set, Moe Norman or Lee Trevino through impact. But I play my best golf swinging with very little if any thoughts merely trying to swing like I see it in my mind.

So I guess I don't compare my swing to anybody. It's certainly a good swing, but nowhere near a great swing, there are tons of things that are technically wrong with it. Hell, my grip(very strong) looks like a 20 handicapper. But it's mine and I know how to diagnose almost every mistake. And in the end that's pretty important.

BO

Not sure how I never saw this thread but it was a great read. Kudos to Bo for answering the questions so well.

I still want some answers / details about your WWTBAM experience --

Were you on it with Regis or after the initial hoopla of the show's premiere?

How far did you get on the questions?

What about the show would surprise us? aka rules with the lifelines, etc.

Could you describe the application process for the show?

Thanks, the thread was from 2009 but I'd like to think a lot of the stuff is still relevant. I'll write up the WWTBAM experience this evening, to some it will probably be TLDR.

BO

Bump. We want to here about this BO

Appeared on WWTBAM in December of 2000 with Regis, at the height of it's popularity. Was on 4 times a week at that time, IIRC 19.6 million watched my episode.

Qualifying was via a phone game in two stages. First stage was answering 3 of the fastest finger type questions, putting four choices in the requested order. Speed did not count, only accuracy. If you answered all three correctly you were entered into a random drawing for a 2nd round callback. The odds of this callback was ~60:1. I believe the published odds of someone answering all 3 round 1 questions correctly was 8%. 2nd round qualifying consisted of 5 questions against ~300 people for the 10 slots on a particular show.

So one evening I compete in round 1 and answer all 3 correctly, no big deal, I was probably about 50% to do so. So the next morning during the callback window my cell phone rings and reads number unavailable. I got picked to compete in round 2, sweet. So in a few days I compete in round 2, knew 4 for sure, wasn't positive about the other. After the call I quickly research the unknown answer and discover I was correct. The callback window is a few hours later, so the waiting is excruciating. As I'm driving home from work in rush hour traffic my cell phone rings and reads number unavailable. Answer it and a live person says, "Hi, this is so-and-so from WWTBAM". I quickly request a moment to pull off the road to avoid wrecking dozens of cars. This is a Wednesday evening, they want me to fly to NYC on Monday to tape on Tuesday, then fly back on Wednesday, am I available to do so? Hell yes I am!

WWTBAM makes and pays for all the reservations, airfare for me and my girlfriend at the time, town car with driver each way from La Guardia, and two nights lodging at a nice midtown hotel a few blocks from the studio. Pretty cool getting off the plane and having a driver holding a sign with my name on it waiting for us. Shortly after arrival there is a meeting for the 10 contestants in a suite WWTBAM rents in the hotel. I'm the last to arrive and when I walk in I survey the other 9 just as a poker player would do when arriving at the table. All I see is 9 wide-eyed people who were quite nervous at this introductory meeting, oh this is going to be fun.

Basically the meeting was to OK the outfit(s) we planned to wear on the show, tell us what time to meet the shuttle to the studio the following morning, and to give us $50 per day in per diem money. FWIW, certain colors and patterns were not allowed to be worn on the show. Black was not allowed, funky patterns were not as well. Naturally no shirts with advertising, etc. Somewhat complicated for something this small actually. Since I wasn't there for a fashion show and only cared about money, not how I looked, my generic khakis and red shirt was quickly approved. Although something I found funny along these lines, a couple of days before I left I got my hair cut. Told my stylist before she started not to be nervous, but 20 million people will be seeing your work, so don't **** it up! She did not.

More to come....

BO

Good thing you answered the unknown number. Im always very hesitant with those.

Admit it, you had black pants and a red shirt picked out, but the pants got a no go....otherwise you win the million instead of a quarter, ldo.

And now we know why BO hates Tiger.

Now, a quick note about my attitude during this process. Yes, I am a geek, I study trivia. I am going to compete under the lights against other geeks. But I have an advantage, I am also a professional athlete, I am used to competing against others under tremendous pressure. Been doing it most of my life. This is a tool the other contestants don't have and I confirmed such at the first meeting, they were totally out of their element. I was also totally confident in my trivia ability, this combined with an athlete's reflexes during the fastest finger competition gave me all the confidence in the world. To me, this is nothing but a fun game with a nice payout at the end.

So it's Monday night in NYC before perhaps the most important day in my life, what should we do? To me the answer was simple, do exactly what I would do on a Monday night any other time. Go to a sports bar for Monday Night Football and compete in QB1, an interactive game which involved predicting the offensive play based down, distance, and formation. A season long competition involving tens of thousands of players across North America, a competition I happened to be leading that has a grand prize of a trip for two to the Super Bowl. So we ate bar food, watched the game, had a good time, and didn't get back to the hotel until a little before 2am. The other 9 contestants probably studied in their rooms and tried to go to sleep at 10pm. Screw that, I don't need sleep, adrenaline is an awesome thing. In the end I got about 6 hours which was more than enough.

Tuesday morning, shuttle leaves at 930am for the studio. Upon arrival we store our outfits in a dressing room and then have a continental breakfast meeting where we fill out all sorts of forms from tax to various questions that Regis might choose to ask if in the hot seat. Each contestants has their own producer who is going over tons of relevant info in addition to the paperwork. Something I always remember from that meeting, once we were all settled in chairs and couches we were told to go ahead and grab something to eat from the buffet. Immediately all 9 contestants and their companions rush the food while my girlfriend and I sit patiently on a couch. They all had to wait on each other for no reason whatsoever. After the carnage we calmly got up and had our food in less than 30 seconds. Amateurs.

Now we get to see the studio itself which holds just under 200 audience members in a circular formation and practice on the equipment under simulated conditions. Each contestant gets to sit in the hotseat and answer two questions read by a fake Regis. No biggie. Then we get to answer fastest finger questions using the ABCD keypad, this was important. Again, it's well simulated with somebody reading the questions and the results being posted on a big screen at the top of the studio. There would be 8 practice questions. Question 1 I just didn't know, auspicious start. Winning time was around 6 seconds. Question 2 I knew but tried to push buttons while rationing out the answer which scrambled everything internally. So while I missed it (again) I now had my blueprint. Ration it out first and then slam the answer in on the keypad. By the way, there is also an <ENTER> key on the pad you must hit in order for the answer to be locked in. So you had to hit 5 keys to complete the task, ABCD+ENTER. There is also a backspace key just in case, total of 6 keys on the pad.

Question 3, right up my alley, I win with a time of 4.22 seconds. Nobody within a second of me. Question 4, no problem, I win with a time of 3.28 seconds. This time causes a murmur throughout the studio, the contestants are shaking their heads while the producers are staring at the big screen. Question 5, nobody in the studio is working, they want to see what time I can throw up there. I didn't disappoint, 3.02. 3.02! I hear more than one contestant mumble nobody else stands a chance, girlfriend tells me later the producers are looking at each other and shaking their heads in utter disbelief. What little chance the other 9 contestants had has now evaporated, their faces are on the floor.

But we've got 3 practice questions left, what to do for an encore? The answer was absolutely nothing. I've got the motions down, I know exactly what I'm doing. No reason to try any more questions. So for the last 3 I sat there with my arms crossed and didn't touch a button, this might have unnerved the other contestants even more. My girlfriend absolutely loved this move. I'll admit it was a little dickish, but there was zero reason in my mind to go into the actual competition with a long winning streak.

Now it's time for a late lunch in the ABC cafeteria, I notice the other contestants eating up. I didn't want much, just a little to get me through, no reason to risk stomach issues. I also didn't want to socialize, most of the others were sitting together sharing stories. We simply sat a table by ourselves and said little, we knew I was ready.

So we are chaperoned back to the breakfast room with couches at 3pm, we are told we have to be dressed and in full makeup by 345 upstairs. Instantly all 9 bolt upstairs because it takes 45 minutes to do 5-10 minutes of preparation. Amateurs. Girlfriend and I relax on the couch until 330 when I venture up. Toss my clothes on, get in the makeup chair where some strange substances were applied to my face for 2 minutes and I'm done. Walk into the room where the other 9 are and they're about to pee their pants. I smile and take a seat by myself.

I'm honestly not trying to be a dick, but I'm there for one reason and one reason only, to win money. I'm not there to make friends, I'm not there to have a good time. This is business, plain and simple.

More to come....

BO

I was pretty sure, just not 100% like the others.

Oh just wait until you hear what Regis says to me....

BO

Taping starts at 4, we are lined up just outside the studio while a comic is warming up the audience. While we are waiting a lady comes by and insists on applying makeup to the backs of our hands so they don't shine when they do close-ups of the hands during the fastest finger. What the hell? You're messing with my weapons of mass destruction lady! After she moves on I quickly rid myself of the gunk onto some scaffolding behind me. Would have liked to see the look on the worker's face when he finds a mess of makeup on the scaffolding.

Now it's time, one by one we are introduced and walk into the studio to applause from the audience. Take our seats in the proper fastest finger chair. Then Regis is introduced to massive applause, he strides in and takes his seat in his chair. He then does a quick commercial for the upcoming NHL All-Star Game which includes the line, "Is that your final answer Mr. Bettman?"

There is a carryover contestant in the hotseat who has already won $64k, after the initial bantering he faces his $125k Q while I patiently wait for him to finish his run. I knew his $125k Q cold while he uses a phone a friend to correctly answer it. Out of lifelines he walks away from his $250k question, another I knew dead cold. Oh well. Now it's time to play!

The 10 contestants are introduced to the TV audience while we wave to the camera on a close-up. Cheesy. Down to business. Regis reads the fastest finger question before the answers pop up and we are allowed to start the answering process. He actually reads the question twice, one of those is always edited out of the broadcast.

PUT THESE MOVIES IN ORDER OF THEIR FIRST THEATRICAL RELEASE STARTING WITH THE EARLIEST.

A. STUART LITTLE
B. LITTLE DARLINGS
C. LITTLE NICKY
D. THE LITTLE MERMAID

No problems, takes more thinking than some, but I slam in BDAC and wait. They give 20 seconds for everybody to finish answering. Then they put the 10 names on the board, then highlight those who answered correctly with their times. Then the name who was the fastest starts to flash and Regis announces it, that contestant then comes out of the ring of fire to shake hands and get started. I notice only 4 of the 10 answered correctly, and then my name flashes with a time of 4.58 seconds edging out a guy who did 4.91 I believe. Regis announces my name and after a minor fist pump I meet him at the front of the studio where he congratulates me and then we wait to go to commercial.

During the commercial break I am positioned in the hotseat, given a glass of water, and the makeup lady touches up my face which I am finding hilarious. Girlfriend is summoned from where she was in the audience to the spotlight in the front row directly behind the hotseat. Time to play and the cameras are rolling.

Regis asks me what I do and I tell him about being on a golf mini-tour and what it was. He remarks that if I make it to the big time he could call me (and he pauses here) TIGER. After a pause I flatly retort, "No." He then asks what he could call me, I reply with my actual first name. The audience gets a kick out of this, Regis is a bit confused and he moves on. I knew going in the name Tiger would be invoked and I wasn't having any of it. Certainly nothing against Tiger but I don't want to be called anybody else. Onto the game!

More to come....

BO

So now I'm head to head with Regis Philbin about to answer trivia questions for possibly huge sums of money in front of almost 20 million people under stage lights while wearing makeup. Cool.

People have always asked me if I was nervous and I really wasn't which they find strange, but let me explain it while comparing it to golf. Let's say someone offers you $5 if you can name the 2013 Masters winner. You answer Adam Scott and collect the money, no big deal. Now, let's say someone offers you $5000 if you can name the 2013 Masters winner. The increase in money does not affect what you know, so you answer Adam Scott and collect the money. It does not matter how much money is on the line if you flat out know the answer, there is zero risk.

But with golf things are different, let's say you have a 6-foot putt and someone offers $5000 if you make it. Now you certainly know how to make a 6-foot putt, done it countless times. But can you do it now under pressure? See, it changes everything. Even though you know exactly how, it's a complete maybe if you can do it regardless of money. Trivia knowledge is black and white, golf is very gray.

So Regis, just ask me questions and I'll answer them. Q's 1-5 are routine, no real thought required. Answer Q5 and I've got $1k and can't leave with less. Q6 I just wasn't 100% about and used the Ask the Audience lifeline before stating my thoughts.. 61% agreed with my thinking and we were all correct. Got $2k now. Q's 7-9 I knew without the choices and was quickly up to $16k. Time for another commercial break. Time for more water and more makeup, get the hell away from me lady, I look fine!

Q10 is important, a correct answer guarantees you $32k no matter what. The question appears and once again no choices are necessary, I have now locked in $32k. Q11 was quite the opposite, had zero clue whatsoever on this 1994 literature question. However I had a phone a friend who was working in a bookstore in 1994! Call him up and he's 90% sure of the answer, go with him and collect $64k!

Now, a word about the phone a friends. You are allowed 5 numbers on the PAF list, we are told they had to be landlines and they could not use the speakerphone. The rationale at this time had to be sound quality because if you think about it, I was talking to my friend over the phone from a seat in the middle of a stage using only microphones. The sound quality was no problem although it did seem like it was in a few instances while watching other episodes. Now 5 numbers does not necessarily mean only 5 people, I had some phone a rooms set up with several people gathered. I play trivia with my team at least once a week and know other top players across the nation, this means access to some serious trivia minds. Barring something very strange, I was getting a correct answer from my PAF, who I chose was solely dependent on the question topic. Unlike countless other contestants who would call friends who were not prepared and would often offer nothing as far as answers. They were just throwing away money.

So now I've got $64k and Regis asks me what I'm going to do with the money. I tell him that being a golfer I had always wanted to play golf at St. Andrews, the home of golf. And in the summer of 2002 I did just that.

Interestingly enough, the entire time I was in the hotseat I simply do not remember speaking to Regis, I was hyperfocused on answering questions. It didn't even seem like Regis was asking the questions, I was simply reacting. It could have been naked women asking me questions and I would not have noticed. When I first saw the show I was taken aback a couple of times at the give and take because I simply didn't remember it.

More to come....

BO

Time for the $125k Q, it must be noted that I was going to attempt to answer this question no matter what according to my plan. The upside is sky high while the downside is only falling from $64k to $32k. I would have guessed at a Mongolian Opera question if necessary. After winning $125k however I would only attempt a question if I was certain.

IN THE 15TH CENTURY THE SEAT OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE WAS IN WHICH OF THESE PRESENT DAY COUNTRIES

A. GERMANY
B. IRAN
C. TURKEY
D. MACEDONIA

Yawn. No choices necessary. Answered Turkey about a second after Regis was done reading the choices and was rewarded with $125k! People asked why I answered so fast when 6 figures in cash was on the line and I told them it didn't matter how much money it was, I knew the answer without question. It's a question I had answered more than once in other trivia endeavors. Just give me the money.

Time for another commercial break, this time they had to refill my water and of course the makeup lady. Whatever. The breaks lasted for less than 5 minutes. Now for the $250k question.

ACCORDING TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MUCH HAVE LIVED IN THE U.S. FOR A MINIMUM FOR HOW MANY YEARS

A. 22
B. 17
C. 14
D. 7

First thought before the choices came up was 7 as I was exposed to this info in my 8th grade government class. When 14 appeared I realized that was possible as well. 22 and 17 were out as I was certain those just didn't appear in the constitution in this regard. So it was either 7 or 14 and I still had my 50/50 lifeline left. I knew before I announced the 50/50 that if it left both 7 and 14 I was walking away.

For what it's worth, the 50/50 is in no way random. Those in charge decide beforehand which answers will be removed. So let's see what lady lucks deals me. The computer takes away A and D leaving me with 14 and 17! Oh holy ****! For the first time all game I mull over the info for about 90 seconds just in case because I'm not certain 14 is correct but positive 17 is wrong. Weird scenario I suppose. Then I pull the trigger and go with 14. Instantly Regis tells me I just won $250k.

Very little banter before the $500k Q which was

IN 1934 WHO BECAME THE FIRST LIVING ATHLETE TO APPEAR ON THE WHEATIES CEREAL BOX

A. DIZZY DEAN
B. OTTO GRAHAM
C. BRONKO NAGURSKI
D. LOU GEHRIG

Before the choices appear I think, "Holy **** I think that's Lou Gehrig". And the next thought was "Please don't put Gehrig up there because I just can't be positive". And of course the last choice is Lou. Wow. When I was about 10 I had this baseball book full of anecdotes one of which was about Lou screwing up a live commercial for a cereal called Huskies, but instead of Huskies he said Wheaties! Oops. So I knew he had a connection to Wheaties, just not exactly what it was. 1934 was perfect for Gehrig, could certainly eliminate Otto Graham as he was well after that time. Dizzy and Bronko played during that time. But in the end, I could not be 100% sure of the answer, so I told Regis I was pretty confident the answer was Lou but wasn't going to risk it. He asked if I was sure and I replied in the affirmative. He then revealed the answer to be Lou as the audience groaned mightily. Oh well, just have to be satisfied with a quarter of a million dollars.

More to come....

BO

A+ Trip report.

Can't wait to read more.

Just wondering -- what would have happened if someone phones a friend and no-one answers? Do you get another number?

Great read. Thanks for sharing.

So I step down from the hotseat, shake hands with Regis, and walk towards the exit where I'm met by my girlfriend. We share a hug and walk offstage where the producers are waiting to celebrate with us. Eventually are taken to the green room where the carryover contestant is waiting and we watch the rest of the taping on a closed circuit feed. Both me and my girlfriend are still mic'd up as they don't remove those until taping has concluded. At the end of taping as they were removing everybody's mics I wish the contestant after me good luck as he will be returning for the next taping and receive congrats from the rest. Only the two of us made it to the hotseat, the other 8 were shutout. The actual taping of the hour long show only lasted 90 minutes, they were doing so many shows at this time they just had everything down pat. Plus since I didn't waste any time answering questions I don't think they had to edit my part down one bit. There are stories out there of contestants thinking about questions for 30 minutes or more, which at the time was allowed. Just had to be edited heavily.

Needless to say we celebrated heavily that night ordering one of everything at a nice steakhouse. The next day we had time for a bit of sightseeing so having never been to NYC we went to the top of the World Trade Center where we took some great pictures of each other on the outdoor observation deck. Little did we know how much those pics would mean less than a year later when the towers were destroyed. Also ran into a fellow contestant at the top who failed to make it to the hotseat. She demanded my phone number so when any member of her family might make it back I would be used as a phone a friend! Pretty funny stuff. Since the competition was now over I was happy to be more than cordial.

The show aired exactly one week later so I didn't have to keep my mouth shut very long. Had a big party at the sports bar where we play trivia, kind of odd to have every TV in a sports bar tuned to a game show at night.

Three days later took my girlfriend and my phone a friend to dinner at Del Frisco's, while waiting for our table were approached by at least a dozen people who recognized us from the show. Some even figured out that the third in our party must be the PAF. Again, we ordered one of everything on the menu. Good times.

The check arrived 6 days after the show aired. So as you can see, the turn around time for everything was extremely fast compared to most other game shows. I think from first round qualifying to receipt of check was 26 days.

So I had my 15 minutes (actually 30) of fame and was and still am very grateful for the opportunity. Makes for a good story anyway.

BO

Pretty amazing how fast that turnaround is. From just dialing a phone to banking $250k in under a month had to be niceeeeeee.

I should have been a little more detailed in this regard.

When I arrived Tuesday morning I submitted a list of my 5 PAF's with names and numbers. Taping started at 4pm in NYC, 3pm where all my PAF's were. Several hours before taping started all five PAF's were called to confirm their status and double check when taping started. They were told that if the phone rang to answer after the second ring. They were also told not to ask Regis questions, just to answer what was asked. So in my case my PAF's got a call at 310pm that I was in the hotseat and the next call could be Regis. Nervous times I'm sure for all. Then when I used my PAF, the other 4 were called and told that I had used my PAF on someone else and that they could stand down. No other information could be given so as not to spoil any results.

I tried to supply my PAF's with all this info beforehand so they would not be surprised in the heat of the moment. But it was all very regimented. Am certain that if a PAF did not answer that would simply be edited out of the show and the contestant would be forced to call a different number.

BO

Very niceeeeeeeeeeeeee to be sure.

You like the Tiger story with Regis? Ha!

BO

BO, great stuff man.

Steak me?

Awesome read.

Ha! I steaked myself on the golf course, think I'll be in makeup for the rest of my life.

BO

How ******ed were the taxes?

Another sort of behind the scenes anecdote....

The day before the show airs the producers call all the media outlets in the area to alert them of the contents of the show so they can prepare their stories for the day after it airs. And living in the DFW area there are lots of media outlets.

At that time I was working a well paying computer job during the winter and had given the office number as one of my contacts. Co-workers had been pestering me trying to get the scoop on the outcome to no avail. So the morning of the show I'm trying to get some work done in my office when the secretary buzzes me saying the Dallas Morning News is on the line wanting to speak with me. I shut my door (which was never closed) and do a 15 minute interview or so. Open the door to quizzical looks from half the office.

Shortly after I get buzzed again, this time it's the local ABC affiliate wanting an interview. Again shut the door and give them 15 minutes. Open the door to more looks not quite as quizzical. Then I get buzzed again, it's the Ft. Worth Star Telegram. Close the door and do the interview. But they want more, they want to send a photographer out to shoot some pictures. So the photog arrives are we shoot some pics in the conference room.

So after all that the office pretty much knew things were good, just not how good.

For a while back out playing golf I did some interviews for the local newspapers where we were playing about everything which seemed kind of weird. I wanted to be interviewed for good golf, actually turned down one interview from a sportswriter because I didn't want to detract from those playing good golf who deserved the attention much more than I.

BO

Certainly not going to quote any actual numbers, but I simply figured a big tax bill was a good thing because I had earned the money to pay it.

Although having read all of John Grisham's legal novels I did contemplate for about 3 seconds the possibility of moving to the Caymans and trying to avoid the tax man. Naturally in reality it wouldn't have been near that simple or legal.

BO