You didn’t think I’d just sit on the sidelines while the Greatest Show on Earth was unfolding did you? The Annual Scripps National Spelling bee wraps up in prime-time tonight! Meet the last of the brown hopefuls (who we must all now pray for as they represent the best of desi-dom):

Name: Kavya Shivashankar

Favorite movie: Spellbound

Favorite TV show: The View (she reportedly got into it with Rosie when she went on)

Abhi’s Scouting Report: She has experience under her belt and stormed into the final rounds last year. Not to mention she plays the violin. A victory by her would also resurrect the name “Kavya” from its current place in infamy.

Name: Nithya P. Vijayakumar

Interesting fact: Her mother quizzes her on medical words (the Dr. brain-washing starts early)

Hobby: Blackbelt in the American Okinawan Karate Academy (I would not want to be the judge that rings the bell on her).

Abhi’s Scouting Report: Has to be my favorite. Look at her. She is a Warrior-poet speller.

Name: Prateek Kohli

Best Physical Feature: Peach fuzz mustache which distracts the smitten female contestants. Every brown dude can relate.

Family: Has mom issues. From his bio: “Prateek believes himself to be the best speller in his family, although his mother claims to have been the best in her school.”

Abhi’s Scouting Report: He’s done well so far but if he tries to charm Nithya back-stage she will deck him.

Okay folks. I am leaving for a quick workout. When I come back I shall live-blog tonight’s contest and explain how this year’s great brown hope failed us all and entertain suggestions for how our community can/should shun him for being weak. You can also take a trip down memory lane to check out last year’s losers

WATCH LIVE ON ABC

Round 7

8:16 p.m. (EST): A white girl named Zia or Tia or something gets eliminated. The chances of the Indian kids just went up. An Asian dude from Canada is next. Who the hell let the Canadians up in here anyways?

8:19 p.m. Another Asian kid from Canada. What the hell?? Are these guys ringers or what? Canada’s borders are definitely more porous.

8:20 p.m. Canada bites it again. How can this be the “National” Spelling Bee when 3 of the first 6 spellers are Canadian? Can I just say that this is way more fun than the Kentucky Derby?

8:31 p.m. Kavya is up!! They are profiling her. What a sweetheart. Enough to melt an Evil blogger’s heart.

8:32 p.m. Sister. So. She has a sister. The force is strong in this family.

8:35 p.m. They gave her the word “cilice.” A hairy cloth made of goat hair worn close to the skin for painful penance. She just spelled it wrong. Make her wear one for a whole year!!! The little sister Vanya better start prepping now!!

8:44 p.m. Nithya is up. The origin of her freaking word is unknown. They always screw the brown kid.

8:45 p.m. Pelorus is her word. AGHHHHHHHHH!! She is gone. She better be able to break a stack of cinder blocks with her katate black belt because she is done spelling. It’s all up to “Peach Fuzz” now.

8:56 p.m. Prateek gets a word of “unknown” origin also. I call BS! The word is “rigaree.” It isn’t even in the dictionary! He gets it right though. Go brown go.

Round 8

9:12 p.m. These Canadians are really pissing me off. We are building a wall on the wrong freaking border.

9:24 p.m. Prateek in the hiz-ouse again. His word “randkluft.” Damn Germans and their language. Even though it isn’t in the dictionary (again) he nails it! The announcer makes fun of his peach fuzz. Don’t hate the playa yo. Dont hate the playa.

Round 9

9:33 p.m. I think it would be funny if one of the eliminated kids knees Stewart Scott after he asks a dumb question.

9:35 p.m. Shoot. I really need to do laundry but there is so much riding on this. I have to keep blogging.

9:41 p.m. Henares just went down. Wow. Kid was a giant. Down to the Final 4.

9:45 p.m. Okay, Prateek’s next word is “oberek” (you guessed it, not in the dictionary). Damn Pols and their folkdances. He is gone. It is over.

Where do we turn now? As a people, what can we do? I feel so sad. So low. Let global warming come. Let the floods take me. Abandon all hope. The desi kids have failed us.