Pat Sajak Scolds Wheel Of Fortune Contestant Who Didn't Obey The Rules And Prematurely Grabbed Her Million Dollar Wedge

The first rule of Wheel of Fortune is to go for the most common letters first.

The second rule of Wheel of Fortune is do not, under any circumstances, do not prematurely touch the wheel. Lest ye feel the wrath of Pat Sajak and people who talk about Wheel of Fortune on Twitter.

Mary Ann, a school administrator out of Athens, Alabama ran afoul of that rule, and can now tell her friends about the time she got yelled at by Ed Grimley's favorite game show host.

She gave the wheel a solid spin and when it was all said and done, it was pointing to the $1 million wedge. Like most of us would've done, Mary got excited, and reached for the sparkly, green wheel wedge,

Pat is 76 years old, but when it comes to scolding adults on television, his reflexes are still cat-like.

Sajak gave her the ol' "No-no-no-ba-ba-bop-bop" like he was trying to keep a curious youngster from touching a hot stove.

"Now, here’s what you do, he said. "You see, you call a letter."

Mary Ann did as Sajak said and went with an H. That's an underrated letter by the way. Mary Ann is clearly well-versed in the ways of the Wheel... except for the part about touching it early.

Mary Ann was rewarded with two H's and got to keep that wedge, however, that doesn't mean she won a million dollars. It meant that she had a chance at a million dollars.

How bogus is that? It's the same trick radio stations use when they want people to call in for a chance to win some cash, a trip, or a pair of Nickleback tickets (hopefully not that one).

Mary Ann Upset Some Wheel-Watchers... But So Did Pat

Who can blame Mary Ann for getting a little excited? There are a lot of distractions involved in a Wheel of Fortune taping that can cause a lapse in decorum. The lights. The Cameras. The timeless, other-worldly beauty of Vanna White. It's all very distracting.

There was one group that was ready to blame Mary Ann: Twitter-wielding Wheel Watchers. Some conceded that Mary Ann made a very common mistake, but others went for the jugular; frustrated by her inability to follow rules and her seemingly unending vowel-buying sprees.

Like this one who saw Mary Ann's actions as the final piece of evidence, she needed to indict the American educational system.

Or this Sajak apologist.

However, this incident also indicated that Sajak's run as the host may soon need to draw to a close. He may have lost the locker room, folks.

Pat's been getting a little prickly as of late, that's a fair point. Although wouldn't you be too if you spent the last four years listening to school bus drivers from Schenectady and insurance adjusters from Yakima trying to solve crossword puzzles?

I spent about an hour writing this and I'm kind of tired of it.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle