[FociPhil]

American Inventor prepared us for the next inventor with a "giving up" montage, where several inventors discussed what they gave up in the quest for their invention. But Mark topped them all. He's worked on his invention for 26 years and has given up everything, including his job and home, to make his dream a reality. The invention is "bullet ball," a table game that he believes is Olympic-worthy. During his speech, maudlin music was played in the background to make sure viewers were hit over the head with the emotion of the moment. But alas, the judges couldn't see the potential in the invention and he was rejected. Honestly, this seemed like the first potential suicide of the show. It was truly heart wrenching to watch and reminds you of the dark side of entrepreneurship and inventing: Not every business can be a success, no matter how hard you try.