A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

THE HIVE IS OPEN: And we're off! Here's how the Spelling Bee works today:

• From 8am to noonish, all 288 spellers will have the chance to spell one preliminary word in front of Dr. Jacque Bailly and the audience. If it's like last year, it'll be easy.
  
• Spellers receive three points for spelling that word correctly. Add that to the results of the computer round (up to 25 points), and at around noon they'll learn which spellers are part of the group of 100+ spellers which advances to the rest of the competition.
• From 2pm until 4:45p, those spellers will begin competition in the one-and-done elimination format you know and love, the rules of which are available here. ESPN360.com will cover it live, but nothing on broadcast tv until tomorrow.
  

Once today's round are complete, we'll open the annual ALOTT5MA Bee Pool, and its rules are the same as always -- pick two spellers, only one of whom can be from among the six 4+ repeaters, and you get one point for every word successfully spelled tomorrow. You'll have until the start of Friday's competition to register your choices, with this caveat: first-come, first-served on each pairing, as no two entrants can select the same pair of spellers.

"Friendly rivals" and five-timers Tia Thomas and Matthew Evans are ready; are you?