Game Changer

Most of my friends know I'm a formidable Scrabble opponent. One of my friends used to take me out for pizza every week bringing along his travel Scrabble board hoping to beat me. After many months he finally succeeded. Then his handy Scrabble set was conveniently "lost" and I couldn't challenge him to a rematch. Until, of course, Facebook came along with its temperamental Scrabble app.

But this blog post isn't about glitchy Facebook apps. It's about the rules of the 58 year-old board game. Last night Stephen Colbert reported that the Scrabble rules are changing to allow proper names including people, places, companies and brands. This is a sure sign of the apocalypse:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Scrabble Allows Proper Names
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

Oh sure, on occasion I've wished I could use Pokemon names... I have the letters for "Zubat" more often than you would imagine... but doesn't this completely change the game? Is nothing sacred? Must we dumb down everything?

Well, apparently the rules are only changing if you buy the newer, focus-group tested, UK only variation, Scrabble Trickster.

Warning to my friends: don't bring that Trickster board within 30 feet of me.