First, I have to say it bothered me so much how they kept saying Isaac was the only champion of American Ninja Warrior. Yes, he won the official title and the money, but Geoff Britten is also technically an ANW champion, plus he had a perfect season, which Isaac did not. I know Geoff is not competing this year, but still. Isaac is not the only true American Ninja Warrior. I still think he has a slight advantage because he had more time in between all of his Stage runs, but I can't say anything for sure, obviously. I just think Geoff is getting kind of screwed over. What he did is equally impressive, and Isaac is not the only one to do the unimaginable. He is the official winner because he was faster, but it doesn't change the fact that Geoff won that same year, too. Anyway, while we are talking about Isaac. I have mixed emotions about him. I want him to do well because he is the official champion, and I want to see how well he can do coming back from his break. I want to know he truly is the best and that he can did not win on a fluke or anything. Plus, I really want to see him on Stage 2 and 3 since they changed it. I think the new Stage 3 is more difficult than his Stage 3 because they don't have as many all body obstacles. During Isaac's year they had two obstacles, neither of which I can't remember the names of exactly, but one was the vertical poles he had to move across, and the other was called Area 451 or something like that which was these disks he had to maneuver across horizontally. However, both allowed him to use his legs and whole body. The new Stage 3 only has the wavy body prop which utilizes the whole body. Also, Isaac had a body prop obstacle in his City Finals the year he won, and, I should remind you, he failed on that. Part of me is very excited to see Isaac return to Mt. Midoriyama, and I want to see what he can do on Stage 2 and Stage 3. However, I can't say I want him to win again. I would really rather see Joe or Drew win, to be completely honest. Based on the comments Matt and Akbar said he said last night, Isaac seems a little smug and overly confident. He said he was sure people would follow him in winning, but is surprised that no one has yet, and he still thinks the courses look easy when he watches them on TV. To me, that just sounds too arrogant, and I am interested to see if/where he'll go out. I would be extremely impressed if he won again, and his comments are valid if he can. Mostly, I want to see what he can do. I want to see that he truly is the best and can continue to be the best. Also, as a side note, he said once he won he bought a truck and a house, and he thought he would never own a house before. Prior to winning ANW, he sounded pretty poor, living in a trailer/vehicle and working as a busboy. I don't intend to sound too harsh or critical, but when he said he finally feels like he has caught up to others his age, doesn't it make you wonder what happened to him before?
Anyway, like I said, mixed feelings on Caldiero. All eyes are going to be on him until he hits either the final buzzer or the water. I also found it kind of funny that no one seemed overly excited or happy when he completed the course. A lot of other people were there watching in person, but no one seemed super into it. I wonder if it's possible that some people resent him a little for winning when they work just as hard and want it just as bad. Either way, I'm sure they are just as interested in how far he'll go as I am.
On to Labreck. First, I thought it was disappointing they didn't show Chris DiGangi, her boyfriend, because they were talking about how they do everything together and end up succeeding and failing at the same spot. It's not super surprising or important, but I kind of thought they would show him. The point is Labreck, though. Previously, I don't think I've been giving her enough praise or attention. In my last post, I think I said Barclay and Jessie Graff were the only women I was keeping my eye on; however, Labreck really showed her abilities last night. She really proved herself to be great. My top three are Graff, Stockett, and Labreck. I know Meagan Martin is running soon in Minneapolis, and I know she's tough stuff, too, but I think this is a solid top 3. Martin would definitely be in a top 5, though. We'll talk about her in two weeks, though. Labreck was also super bold to attempt the Mega Warped Wall. She didn't make it, and, quite frankly, wasn't even that close, but to try is worth something on its own. Fortunately, she did finish the course, and I think that is what is most important. To be fair, no one made it up the wall that night. Labreck looked so good throughout the whole course. She never looked winded or tired at all. Watching her, she really proved how strong she is. She had fallen off my radar just a touch for some reason, but she's definitely back on top. I think out of these women here at Indianapolis, she should a guarantee, but I think Jeri D'Aurelio will be the other woman moving onto Vegas. She came in 3rd for women behind Martinez, but she made it last year, and I think she's pretty strong. I'm excited to see Labreck again. I think she can make it to Stage 2 because she can learn from her mistake last year. I think last year she got pressured by the time, so she slipped up. Hopefully, she is more conscientious of that this year.
I also want to mention Kyle Stradtman, the Dog Walking Ninja. He had a bit of what I call a sob story which was sweet and all, but a little too long. Honestly, when I was watching his bio, I thought he was going to fall because dog walking does require cardio, endurance, and some hand strength to keep ahold of all the dogs, but it sounded kind of goofy. Obviously, he proved me wrong by being one of the first ones to finish.
James Wilson had a story similar to Lance Pekus and Michael Stanger. Their significant others don't have the same illnesses, I don't think, but the whole carrying them on their back, and being with the through everything as their lives change was similar. I'm not trying to say it makes it any less loving or important, it just reminded of me those two. The only thing I have with him is that I think this was his fifth year competing, and he still hasn't gotten too far. I realize I keep saying that the courses only get harder and harder, yet people somehow manage to go farther than they ever have, personally. People are hitting their first buzzers and making it farther on courses than they have before. At the same time, some of the greats are falling early, so it somewhat balances out. He's the kind of person who makes me wonder what the City Finals will look like, whether or not he'll be able to pass the Spin Hopper the next night. I'm expecting all the finishers to be able to repeat their success on the front half, but those other 20, I always wonder if they can really be able to correct themselves within 24 hours. Some people I have faith in that they can learn from their past mistake or perform better with experience, but others, kind of like Wilson, have me more in question.
People like Ethan Swanson and Tyler Yamauchi are those who I believe will be able to pass what they couldn't before. Especially, Yamauchi. He was very close to the dismount, and if he decides to hop to the last handle the next time around he probably won't hit his face and fall. He's too short. Labreck and someone else, Polizzi maybe, were able to skip the last handle because they able to swoop down or something, but for Tyler, his legs weren't at the pad before his face was at the handle. He had a similar incident last year at the City Finals, he was went, possibly, the farthest in that city. I believe it was the Iron Maiden, and he didn't go all the way down the obstacle, so he couldn't dismount. I like Tyler, I thought he actually had a decent chance at the Wingnuts in Stage 2 last year. He was also chosen to be on Akbar's team during the All Stars. Since last year, I think he's someone worth watching. He proves that the American version compared to the Japanese version isn't as proportionally different after all. I've said that the American one is on a larger scale than the original, which is a reason why the Japanese have a harder time when they come over to compete. Yamauchi does prove that wide wingspan and height are not crucial to success on this competition.
In addition to Yamauchi, I figured Ethan Swanson would be there. I was surprised that they didn't give much shout out to him. He didn't finish, although even if he had he still probably would have been skipped. He's another one who I think will be able to surpass his Qualifying run during his Finals. He went out early last year which was a shock, so I'm a little surprised they didn't mention that like with Mears.
Speaking of Mears, it was a bit disappointing he fell on the balance obstacle yet again. Even though I don't care for bios, especially sappy ones, his story about his new training because of his baby was kind of sweet. I think his friendship with Polizzi is great, too. I think they are really, really close, but it's great to have a friend like that. For them, the bromance is real. Neither of them is particularly off the charts, but I think their friendship is what keeps them in the spot light (in their individual city that is). It was also kind of one of those things where you think he might pass it because they talked about him falling last year, so you think he's getting redemption, but at the same time, they showed his run but not Polizzi's who finished. They showed his run because he fell in the same spot. It's a way for them to hook you because the outcome is one of the other, but their complete opposites, for the most part. I don't know if that made any sense, and it didn't really mean anything, I'm just thinking out loud, so to speak. It is good to see one of the Towers of Power complete the course. Since they never make it to the City Finals together, I suppose it's only fitting that one of them fell already.
Travis was good to see again. Out of everyone, I would not have bet he would make it up the Mega Wall, but out of the specific city, I would have probably placed a good bet on him. Between him and Isaac, and probably the Towers of Power just because they are tall. However, Polizzi couldn't make it up which goes to show skill is necessary, not just height. Jon Alexis Jr. has potential to prove that as well. Anyway, I like Travis a lot, too. Him and James McGrath has a special spot to me as the OGs. When I first started watching, these two were members of the first Team USA, and they are just two people I remember from early on. Drew and Joe didn't come to light immediately for me, and it's probably because when I first started watching, Rosen and McGrath were directly in the spotlight, so naturally, they stuck out to me. For that reason, Rosen and McGrath alike I like to watch. Both have been consistent and proven to be amazing. Rosen is competing with people half his age and doing immensely better, and McGrath, well, I've talked about him before. Rosen did really well last year, I believe, in his city finals, which might have been in Florida. I think he reached the 9th obstacle. That also may have been 2 years ago, but Rosen has always been pretty reliable.
Brian Arnold was completely skimmed over. I realize he's out of the spotlight big time, and I say this every time, but it always surprises me at who they skip. Again, I know I should expect it, but Arnold is really out of it. I don't know if it's because he's slipping within the competition or because he isn't as into it personally. I will say while I'm thinking of it, his team is one of the finalist for the spin-off show Ninja vs. Ninja. It finished yesterday, and *SPOILERS* Team Labreckfast Club won. I'm going to talk about that for a second while I'm thinking about it, too. I would have bet that any of the other 3 teams would have won. I never would have guessed Labreck, DiGangi, and Alexis Jr. would be the winning team beating out Daniel Gil, The Kid, Flip, JJ Woods, Murray, Arnold, Webberly, Stockett, and Martin. Murray, The Kid, Gil, and Flip are so fast. I can't believe Jon Alexis Jr. beat out both Brian Arnold and FLIP RODRIGUEZ. Also, since two of the three members were in Indy, huge congratulations to Team Labreckfast Club. I didn't know they had it in them. To be honest, in the first place, I wouldn't have guessed those teams would be in the finals, but it depends on what teams they were competing against, and, more importantly, who they weren't competing against. I know Joe Moravsky, Allyssa Beird, and Josh Levin were the winning team last year, but I don't know if they were a team again this year or not. Others like Drew or Adam Rayl make me wonder if they had teams of their own. Anyway, I was talking about Arnold. He's still someone who sticks out to me even though he's kind of fallen into the average range of guys. Again, I don't know if he's actually slipping or if he's just in a different place personally, so the show doesn't mean as much to him anymore. Again, again, Qualifiers don't always mean that much. Qualifiers are season debuts, so Isaac makes sense, and women like Labreck always get attention. The City Finals are another thing, and the National Finals are still something more. I think if you receive attention in Vegas, you really are hot stuff. If your'e among all the ninja and all the greats, and still earn a bio or something, they must really like you. Arnold is, now anyway, a question mark on where he falls in the popularity circle. I will be looking out more for whether or not he's shown than how well he does, honestly.
The Indy car driver was kind of annoying. Not because I think he's a bad person or something, but because this really isn't his sport. I believe everything requires some kind of skill, and I have no doubt that his racing is a sport. His accomplishments are nothing short of amazing, but in his respective sport. Race car driving and ANW don't really have anything in common, other than they decided to film in Indy this year. I don't want to shortchange Dixon in any way, I just don't think anyone expected him to do well. Race Car Driving and ANW are completely different animals.
I should mention Choi's run. Again, kind of a long and sappy story, but I do think it means more if you are running for a national reason. I know a lot of people run for themselves or their families or like Westrick who ran for his donor. For Choi, the story ran a little long, but he is trying to raise awareness and run for Parkinson's disease. I realize I'm probably constantly contradicting myself regarding bios because I keep calling some of them sweet and important and whatnot. Overall, I could do without some of them, and I could definitely do with them all being shorter. His run was important, and that is all I will say about that.
I did want to mention Jody Avila really quickly. Him and Mears had similar runs, both ending on Block Run. The third block is what tripped them up, as well as a couple others, probably. Plus, those two were some of the bigger contestants, and some of the tallest. I didn't really surprise me that those two fell hard while Tyler Yamauchi ran across effortlessly, barely even moving the blocks. Avila, it was easy to see coming because his nickname is The Big Dog. Balance is harder for bigger guys. Mears was also a little easy to see coming because the showed his run, and he fell on the balance one last year. I noticed when Isaac ran, he skipped the third block, and some others skipped the last block. I think he knew the third block spun faster and was more likely to trip you up, so he was observant and jumped over it altogether.
Honestly, I thought this city might be a dud. I didn't know what kind of names were going to be here, except for Isaac since they advertised for him. I didn't realize Labreck lived in Illinois; I thought she was in Philly. I figured Yamauchi, Towers of Power, and Swanson would be here, too, but I wasn't completely sure. I also guess I didn't realize how much I liked Swanson and Yamauchi, either. Overall, this was a pretty good city. Isaac is raising a lot of attention, and was definitely the big hype of the week. I'm ready to see the rest in Philly and Minneapolis, too. The Qualifiers are more just for some feel good stories and finding out who is where. The real fun is going to start in 3 weeks with City Finals. I love watching them in Vegas, but in individual cities, you get to see more in-depth of what people can do because they're not all bundled together. Certain people aren't overshadowed by the big stars. City Finals courses are pretty gruesome, too, and strength is really revealed, sometimes more than in Vegas. We have another $1 million prize winner. It's going to be a good season.
Anyway, like I said, mixed feelings on Caldiero. All eyes are going to be on him until he hits either the final buzzer or the water. I also found it kind of funny that no one seemed overly excited or happy when he completed the course. A lot of other people were there watching in person, but no one seemed super into it. I wonder if it's possible that some people resent him a little for winning when they work just as hard and want it just as bad. Either way, I'm sure they are just as interested in how far he'll go as I am.
On to Labreck. First, I thought it was disappointing they didn't show Chris DiGangi, her boyfriend, because they were talking about how they do everything together and end up succeeding and failing at the same spot. It's not super surprising or important, but I kind of thought they would show him. The point is Labreck, though. Previously, I don't think I've been giving her enough praise or attention. In my last post, I think I said Barclay and Jessie Graff were the only women I was keeping my eye on; however, Labreck really showed her abilities last night. She really proved herself to be great. My top three are Graff, Stockett, and Labreck. I know Meagan Martin is running soon in Minneapolis, and I know she's tough stuff, too, but I think this is a solid top 3. Martin would definitely be in a top 5, though. We'll talk about her in two weeks, though. Labreck was also super bold to attempt the Mega Warped Wall. She didn't make it, and, quite frankly, wasn't even that close, but to try is worth something on its own. Fortunately, she did finish the course, and I think that is what is most important. To be fair, no one made it up the wall that night. Labreck looked so good throughout the whole course. She never looked winded or tired at all. Watching her, she really proved how strong she is. She had fallen off my radar just a touch for some reason, but she's definitely back on top. I think out of these women here at Indianapolis, she should a guarantee, but I think Jeri D'Aurelio will be the other woman moving onto Vegas. She came in 3rd for women behind Martinez, but she made it last year, and I think she's pretty strong. I'm excited to see Labreck again. I think she can make it to Stage 2 because she can learn from her mistake last year. I think last year she got pressured by the time, so she slipped up. Hopefully, she is more conscientious of that this year.
I also want to mention Kyle Stradtman, the Dog Walking Ninja. He had a bit of what I call a sob story which was sweet and all, but a little too long. Honestly, when I was watching his bio, I thought he was going to fall because dog walking does require cardio, endurance, and some hand strength to keep ahold of all the dogs, but it sounded kind of goofy. Obviously, he proved me wrong by being one of the first ones to finish.
James Wilson had a story similar to Lance Pekus and Michael Stanger. Their significant others don't have the same illnesses, I don't think, but the whole carrying them on their back, and being with the through everything as their lives change was similar. I'm not trying to say it makes it any less loving or important, it just reminded of me those two. The only thing I have with him is that I think this was his fifth year competing, and he still hasn't gotten too far. I realize I keep saying that the courses only get harder and harder, yet people somehow manage to go farther than they ever have, personally. People are hitting their first buzzers and making it farther on courses than they have before. At the same time, some of the greats are falling early, so it somewhat balances out. He's the kind of person who makes me wonder what the City Finals will look like, whether or not he'll be able to pass the Spin Hopper the next night. I'm expecting all the finishers to be able to repeat their success on the front half, but those other 20, I always wonder if they can really be able to correct themselves within 24 hours. Some people I have faith in that they can learn from their past mistake or perform better with experience, but others, kind of like Wilson, have me more in question.
People like Ethan Swanson and Tyler Yamauchi are those who I believe will be able to pass what they couldn't before. Especially, Yamauchi. He was very close to the dismount, and if he decides to hop to the last handle the next time around he probably won't hit his face and fall. He's too short. Labreck and someone else, Polizzi maybe, were able to skip the last handle because they able to swoop down or something, but for Tyler, his legs weren't at the pad before his face was at the handle. He had a similar incident last year at the City Finals, he was went, possibly, the farthest in that city. I believe it was the Iron Maiden, and he didn't go all the way down the obstacle, so he couldn't dismount. I like Tyler, I thought he actually had a decent chance at the Wingnuts in Stage 2 last year. He was also chosen to be on Akbar's team during the All Stars. Since last year, I think he's someone worth watching. He proves that the American version compared to the Japanese version isn't as proportionally different after all. I've said that the American one is on a larger scale than the original, which is a reason why the Japanese have a harder time when they come over to compete. Yamauchi does prove that wide wingspan and height are not crucial to success on this competition.
In addition to Yamauchi, I figured Ethan Swanson would be there. I was surprised that they didn't give much shout out to him. He didn't finish, although even if he had he still probably would have been skipped. He's another one who I think will be able to surpass his Qualifying run during his Finals. He went out early last year which was a shock, so I'm a little surprised they didn't mention that like with Mears.
Speaking of Mears, it was a bit disappointing he fell on the balance obstacle yet again. Even though I don't care for bios, especially sappy ones, his story about his new training because of his baby was kind of sweet. I think his friendship with Polizzi is great, too. I think they are really, really close, but it's great to have a friend like that. For them, the bromance is real. Neither of them is particularly off the charts, but I think their friendship is what keeps them in the spot light (in their individual city that is). It was also kind of one of those things where you think he might pass it because they talked about him falling last year, so you think he's getting redemption, but at the same time, they showed his run but not Polizzi's who finished. They showed his run because he fell in the same spot. It's a way for them to hook you because the outcome is one of the other, but their complete opposites, for the most part. I don't know if that made any sense, and it didn't really mean anything, I'm just thinking out loud, so to speak. It is good to see one of the Towers of Power complete the course. Since they never make it to the City Finals together, I suppose it's only fitting that one of them fell already.
Travis was good to see again. Out of everyone, I would not have bet he would make it up the Mega Wall, but out of the specific city, I would have probably placed a good bet on him. Between him and Isaac, and probably the Towers of Power just because they are tall. However, Polizzi couldn't make it up which goes to show skill is necessary, not just height. Jon Alexis Jr. has potential to prove that as well. Anyway, I like Travis a lot, too. Him and James McGrath has a special spot to me as the OGs. When I first started watching, these two were members of the first Team USA, and they are just two people I remember from early on. Drew and Joe didn't come to light immediately for me, and it's probably because when I first started watching, Rosen and McGrath were directly in the spotlight, so naturally, they stuck out to me. For that reason, Rosen and McGrath alike I like to watch. Both have been consistent and proven to be amazing. Rosen is competing with people half his age and doing immensely better, and McGrath, well, I've talked about him before. Rosen did really well last year, I believe, in his city finals, which might have been in Florida. I think he reached the 9th obstacle. That also may have been 2 years ago, but Rosen has always been pretty reliable.
Brian Arnold was completely skimmed over. I realize he's out of the spotlight big time, and I say this every time, but it always surprises me at who they skip. Again, I know I should expect it, but Arnold is really out of it. I don't know if it's because he's slipping within the competition or because he isn't as into it personally. I will say while I'm thinking of it, his team is one of the finalist for the spin-off show Ninja vs. Ninja. It finished yesterday, and *SPOILERS* Team Labreckfast Club won. I'm going to talk about that for a second while I'm thinking about it, too. I would have bet that any of the other 3 teams would have won. I never would have guessed Labreck, DiGangi, and Alexis Jr. would be the winning team beating out Daniel Gil, The Kid, Flip, JJ Woods, Murray, Arnold, Webberly, Stockett, and Martin. Murray, The Kid, Gil, and Flip are so fast. I can't believe Jon Alexis Jr. beat out both Brian Arnold and FLIP RODRIGUEZ. Also, since two of the three members were in Indy, huge congratulations to Team Labreckfast Club. I didn't know they had it in them. To be honest, in the first place, I wouldn't have guessed those teams would be in the finals, but it depends on what teams they were competing against, and, more importantly, who they weren't competing against. I know Joe Moravsky, Allyssa Beird, and Josh Levin were the winning team last year, but I don't know if they were a team again this year or not. Others like Drew or Adam Rayl make me wonder if they had teams of their own. Anyway, I was talking about Arnold. He's still someone who sticks out to me even though he's kind of fallen into the average range of guys. Again, I don't know if he's actually slipping or if he's just in a different place personally, so the show doesn't mean as much to him anymore. Again, again, Qualifiers don't always mean that much. Qualifiers are season debuts, so Isaac makes sense, and women like Labreck always get attention. The City Finals are another thing, and the National Finals are still something more. I think if you receive attention in Vegas, you really are hot stuff. If your'e among all the ninja and all the greats, and still earn a bio or something, they must really like you. Arnold is, now anyway, a question mark on where he falls in the popularity circle. I will be looking out more for whether or not he's shown than how well he does, honestly.
The Indy car driver was kind of annoying. Not because I think he's a bad person or something, but because this really isn't his sport. I believe everything requires some kind of skill, and I have no doubt that his racing is a sport. His accomplishments are nothing short of amazing, but in his respective sport. Race car driving and ANW don't really have anything in common, other than they decided to film in Indy this year. I don't want to shortchange Dixon in any way, I just don't think anyone expected him to do well. Race Car Driving and ANW are completely different animals.
I should mention Choi's run. Again, kind of a long and sappy story, but I do think it means more if you are running for a national reason. I know a lot of people run for themselves or their families or like Westrick who ran for his donor. For Choi, the story ran a little long, but he is trying to raise awareness and run for Parkinson's disease. I realize I'm probably constantly contradicting myself regarding bios because I keep calling some of them sweet and important and whatnot. Overall, I could do without some of them, and I could definitely do with them all being shorter. His run was important, and that is all I will say about that.
I did want to mention Jody Avila really quickly. Him and Mears had similar runs, both ending on Block Run. The third block is what tripped them up, as well as a couple others, probably. Plus, those two were some of the bigger contestants, and some of the tallest. I didn't really surprise me that those two fell hard while Tyler Yamauchi ran across effortlessly, barely even moving the blocks. Avila, it was easy to see coming because his nickname is The Big Dog. Balance is harder for bigger guys. Mears was also a little easy to see coming because the showed his run, and he fell on the balance one last year. I noticed when Isaac ran, he skipped the third block, and some others skipped the last block. I think he knew the third block spun faster and was more likely to trip you up, so he was observant and jumped over it altogether.
Honestly, I thought this city might be a dud. I didn't know what kind of names were going to be here, except for Isaac since they advertised for him. I didn't realize Labreck lived in Illinois; I thought she was in Philly. I figured Yamauchi, Towers of Power, and Swanson would be here, too, but I wasn't completely sure. I also guess I didn't realize how much I liked Swanson and Yamauchi, either. Overall, this was a pretty good city. Isaac is raising a lot of attention, and was definitely the big hype of the week. I'm ready to see the rest in Philly and Minneapolis, too. The Qualifiers are more just for some feel good stories and finding out who is where. The real fun is going to start in 3 weeks with City Finals. I love watching them in Vegas, but in individual cities, you get to see more in-depth of what people can do because they're not all bundled together. Certain people aren't overshadowed by the big stars. City Finals courses are pretty gruesome, too, and strength is really revealed, sometimes more than in Vegas. We have another $1 million prize winner. It's going to be a good season.
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