Apologies, but another Pyramid post

Yes, this blog has been overdosing on Pyramid notes lately. But Dick Cavett just posted a long reminiscence about his appearances on the show, and I can't help reminiscing along with him.

Cavett was definitely a competent player. That's why Bob Stewart brought him back for a bunch of shows. Stewart was very happy when he found a celeb who could play his tough little game.

And Cavett emphasizes just how difficult the game was. He recounts some Winners Circle adventures when he nearly panicked before finding just the right clue at the end of the minute. An embedded video from YouTube shows one of those near-game-show-death experiences.

Of course, there were the inevitable times when Cavett bombed out. One contestant didn't take too kindly to one such failure: "Thanks a lot! I needed the money." Cavett still cringes over the memory. He also complains about the show's draconian judging, which once denied him what he thought was a rightful Winners Circle triumph.

But he does have sympathy for the poor, harried judge who had to make all those split-second decisions: "He was a cordial fellow, pleasant of appearance and quite thin, probably from difficulty with keeping solid food down. I hope that in retirement he has found some degree of well-deserved tranquility."