May,1995 |
Tanner Hits Wheel of Fortune Jackpot
By Atif Seyal
Members of the Bridgeport American Legion baseball team auditioned for the Wheel of Fortune game show on an off day from a tournament in California. Central student Richard Tanner made it through several rounds of tryouts and was selected as a contestant for an episode which aired April 13.
Senior Raymond Patrice, a teammate of Richard, also tried out for the show but failed to solve a puzzle in the second round. "I could have been a contestant but I choked on OCTOPUS. I couldn't believe it. There was a C, a T, a P, and an S. They asked me to solve the puzzle and I couldn't get it," Raymond explained.
The producers of Wheel of Fortune told Richard they might contact him in the future for a possible appearance. "On February 23rd I received a phone call from them asking if I would like to come on the show. At first I thought it was a joke and I was speechless. Finally, I said to the producer, of course, yes yes yes, I will!" recounted Richard.
On March 11th, Richard and his family traveled to California to appear at the show. The next day he was at the taping of the show. The producers went over the rules of the game with him and he got to watch three shows being taped before it was his turn.
Now it was time for him to be a contestant. "I was very nervous. I had to go through make-up and get miked. I got to meet Pat Sajak and Vanna White. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I couldn't turn down. I had a really good time and won some money too. It was like a dream come true!" said Richard.
