NEW YORK: The Scripps National Spelling Bee is simultaneously the closest and the farthest thing we have from the Hunger Games.

Thursday’s night bee, the 87th, showed a number of similarities between the two: All the participants are young. They have honed a particular set of skills very carefully in training. If you prevail, you get fame and fortune and your face on a large banner. If you lose, the cannon bell sounds.

There are sponsors and a lot of district pride. We are mere years from the introduction of wardrobe consultants and special glass tubes through which competitors are shot into the arena. Already, it takes place in the Gaylord National Resort, an artificial environment if ever there was one — a fake town square and indoor trees, all under a protective dome. Maybe soon we’ll be able to send rogue silent K’s to contestants who need them.

And the sponsors! Microsoft was there with “B is for Bing” signs strategically placed. One of the videos of the tributes — er, spellers — included the information that his hero was Bill Gates, which was, I’m sure, completely true but can’t have hurt the sponsor’s feelings any.

Twenty-one minutes in, we had broken twice for commercials. On TV, there had been one “sideline interview” and one canned segment about how a speller was inspired by Lebron James. Another video segment: “Rules of the Spelling Bee.”

“Isn’t that the truth, Chris! There are strict rules at the bee,” the sideline reporter intoned, introducing yet another video, this one of people on the Mall misspelling words. Then two contestants spelled words. Another canned segment.

Another word or two. And some video of people spelling things correctly earlier. Guillemet. Collyrium. AND TOMORROW NIGHT THE NBA IS BACK ON ESPN! Commercial break!