Spelling Bee Crowns Two Winners
BERMAN: Indeed, they are the champions. How do you spell co- champions? For the first time in more than 50 years the Scripps National Spelling Bee has crowned two winners, 13-year-old Ansun Sujoe and 14-year-old Sriram Hathwar, they got a tie after nearly exhausting the 25-word championship list. They beat English. Take a look at their winning moments.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stichomythia, s-t-i-c-h-o-m-y-t-h-i-a, stichomythia.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.</s>ANSUN SUJOE, SPELLING BEE CO-CHAMPION: Whatever.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: However you say it, just spell it.</s>SUJOE: F-e-u-i-l-l-e-t-o-n?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.</s>BERMAN: I do not believe these words actually exist. This is only the fourth time in the Spelling Bee's 89-year history that two people have won. Ansun and Sriram join us now. Gentlemen, let me say, congratulations to you both. What a feeling this must be. Ansun, let me start with you. I have to say, I'm sure, even though you were splitting the prize it is not half as awesome, it is still completely awesome. They're already sharing the spotlight here. Getting the hang of it. Ansun, how does it feel to be a co-winner?</s>SUJOE: It feels pretty good because not only do I get the victory, but I get to share it with something else, so it means a lot to me.</s>BERMAN: Sriram, you said something interesting after the competition last night. You said you weren't competing against anybody. You were competing against the dictionary.</s>SRIRAM J. HATHWAR, SCRIPPS NATONAL SPELLING BEE CO-CHAMPION: Yes.</s>BERMAN: It seemed to me by watching the dictionary played dirty, frankly.</s>HATHWAR: Yes, I mean, the English language is pretty brutal. It borrows so many words from different languages, that's pretty much why the spelling bee is there, so we can be more aware of all the different cultures and languages that have been incorporated into the English language. It was really just a competition against the dictionary, not against Ansun or any of the other competitors.</s>BOLDUAN: You are much nicer than the three of us on this couch, I'll tell you that much. Ansun, I can probably already answer my question. Ansun, would you have liked to have gone off the books, gone to some other list, not on the competition's list to try to finally fight it out and have one champ?</s>SUJOE: I'm not really sure about that, but I would have probably lost in that effort.</s>BOLDUAN: Why?</s>SUJOE: I'm not really sure.</s>CUOMO: So what are you going to do? Between the two of you, you're going to have to figure out a way to decide who is better. Is there any kind of other competition you're thinking about where you kind of meet in an alley or some predetermined pizzeria and have it out just for your own sake, mano-a-mano at some point?</s>SUJOE: We're both pretty satisfied with our performances yesterday. I don't think it's quite necessary to meet there or any other place. I think we both equally had an opportunity to get the trophy and we're both happy with that.</s>BERMAN: Sriram, you're much nicer than Chris Cuomo. I've always been curious. After the spelling bee, after you win, are you going to bother not to spell anything the rest of your life? I've done all the spelling I'm going to do ever, and the rest I just don't care about?</s>HATHWAR: I wouldn't say that's completely true. The vocabulary and everything will take me far. That's pretty much the purpose of doing spelling, because getting exposed to so many words like in medicine and law can help me in any career I pursue. I guess the spelling part might go down a little bit, but the vocabulary definitely, languages, culture, meeting new people, that's still a huge part of my life.</s>BOLDUAN: How much, Ansun, would you say -- how many of these words do you actually know the meaning of? You can always ask for a definition, but I know you're a genius speller, but are you guys both actual all-around geniuses, you know all these words like stichomythia?</s>SUJOE: Quite so, especially the spelling part. Sometimes the vocabulary don't really know the definitions. For spelling I knew most of them.</s>BOLDUAN: All right, so it makes me feel a little bit better. I'll take that.</s>BERMAN: We are so happy for both of you. Congratulations. I think it's the most brutal competition in the world. I'm always astounded that you make it out alive. So well done to the both of you.</s>CUOMO: Rocky and Apollo creed needed to know who won the fight. At some point --</s>BOLDUAN: No. It's wonderful to be satisfied to share this winning. Congratulations, guys.</s>CUOMO: You can see it in their eyes, there's a tension it will build. We will be there.</s>BOLDUAN: They're now wondering who's Rocky?</s>CUOMO: Coming up on NEW DAY, the Sterling era may soon be over for the L.A. Clippers. We'll tell you who just signed a $2 billion deal to take over the team.</s>BOLDUAN: Also VA Secretary Eric Shinseki is expected to address veterans in just about a half hour from now. Will he be speaking to the scandal that is embroiling his department?