[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'168828\' date=\'Nov 5 2007, 12:00 PM and 12:23 PM\']
Pat was quoted years ago saying that sure, he could hit the big-money space every time if he wanted to, but he chooses to be as random as possible with his spin in an effort at fairness. And anytime he hits Bankrupt or Lose a Turn is simply edited out.[/quote]
As someone who was paying close attention to the show for the last couple years, I don't think it's quite that simple. While I'm sure that's the only thing he'd be allowed to say in public, I think the real situation is a good bit less savory. It looks to me like, when the $5000 space is within his range (which, in the seasons preceding this one, was starting between about the yellow arrow and 2-3 spaces past the blue one), he either tries to hit it or not based on how much he likes the contestant(s). The times he's trying to hit it, I'd say he was batting around .600. When he tried and missed, he'd say something consoling, like "just $1300 a piece, but there's a lot of letters up there, still money to be made."
On the other hand, if he's not in the mood, he seems very good at being 2-3 spaces off. In those cases, he seems to just mention the amount and the category quickly and immediately asks for a letter. Usually, this is all very subtle, but I remember one episode from last season where a contestant hit the Jackpot space (with about 1/4 of the puzzle revealed) and called a letter, and Pat said that he wasn't going to solve it then. Contestant: "Yes, I am," and rattled it off. Pat actually seemed irritated by this whole thing: there was a definite change in the tone of his voice. Later, the same contestant was in control at the bell, with easily enough of the puzzle showing to solve, and the $5000 in Pat's wheelhouse. Pat very obviously short-armed it. There's no way this was an accident like it slipping out of his hand. It was a distinctly different motion than usual.
While that one was the most obvious, it's far from the only one. Some shows, you can tell he's having fun. On mine, for instance, after I won round four, he was having fun with the fact that I was a baseball umpire, and had me give an out call. The next round, the bell goes off, with the $5000 sitting on my red arrow, clearly out of his range. He gives it the biggest spin I've ever seen from him. While he still came up two spaces short, I could tell he was trying. Then, there are times where Pat appears to be aiming for the Lose a Turn. When he hits it, the $5000's in his wheelhouse for the next spin, and he often gets it. All in all, his spins look far from random to me.
[legalese] Of course, this is all my opinion: my best guess based on what I've seen, and is in no way to be considered an accusation. [/legalese]
/Okay, so I have no life
//But I have no life and over $78,000
///So there
