First off, I was really amazed that the first person to run actually finished. I think that unprecedented. The first person sometimes makes it to the fifth obstacle, but to complete it was very unexpected, especially because I thought this course was a little harder than the others. Bootie Cothran and Morgan Wright really impressed me. First, these ANW courses and individual obstacles are only getting harder and harder every year in order to keep up with the youngsters like Drew. So, to be in your 40's and be able to complete the course is very admirable. Also, their first buzzer on ANW on a course like last nights, it just adds to the amazement. It was a great night for them, and though they may struggle in the finals, last night was incredible for them.
I have to talk about Drew. We all knew he was going to complete the course and with the fastest time. I mean, it's Drew Drechsel. I was absolutely shocked he didn't get 10k! I mean, I would have bet actual money that he and Flip would make it up the 19' Mega Warped Wall. Obviously, I don't know what went wrong. Maybe it was just a slight misstep or get got ahead of himself or whatever, but man was it shocking. Regardless, Drew is still at the tip top of my list, and I can't wait to see him back on Stage 2 and hopefully Stage 3.
Jessie Graff. What to say about her? She doesn't disappoint. I was surprised because she did look like she was struggling, especially on the Ring Turn. She couldn't quite figure it out for a second, and it looked like it sapped some strength. I think the Finals will go a little smoother because she knows what to do, but last night didn't look perfect. Clearly, she's the strongest female athlete out there, and I have nothing but respect for her. She's really killing it, and I definitely can not wait to see her on Stage 2.
I was glad to see Neil Craver back after an injury. I think it's smart to take a year off if you have an injury, unlike Ryan Stratis or James McGrath, who I believe had a shoulder injury and didn't take a year off. I think Craver was the one who was super close to the 10k, but he pushed against it towards the top and flew backwards. For him, it doesn't surprise me that he didn't make it, but it also wouldn't surprise me if he did make it. I'm hoping to see more of him because I really like him. Much more for his personality, though. He's the kind of guy I wish I knew personally. I am a hardcore introvert, but someone like him, everyone needs in their life. I probably couldn't be best friends with him, but I need that kind of energy and charisma somewhere, somehow.
Gotta talk about Ryan Stratis. I'm really glad he made it up the Wall and earned 10k. Last year, every single one of his runs was a "while you were away." He got no screen time, and he made it to Stage 2. He kind of got screwed last year, so I'm glad he was able to see the light again. I wasn't expecting him to be in Miami, since I thought he lived on the East Coast, but he was there, obviously. With Drew being in Miami, I would not have expected him to be the only one up the wall, but I'm glad someone got up. It's also impressive that he is 1 of 4 to be on all 10 seasons. I bet Lorin Ball will be in Indianapolis next week, but I'm not sure if he'll make it up the Mega Warped Wall. He's fast, but he is a little on the shorter side. Anyway, I hope Ryan can stay in the light a little longer, and I really hope he earns the recognition.
Niemitalo, Sims, Stewart, Patel, Carbone, and Suchocki are all names I recognize. Unfortunately, as I've said before, it's hard to recognize everyone because not everyone is shown or mentioned during the actual program. A lot of time is set off for biographies or hype for others like Drew and Jessie. Don't get me wrong, Drew and Jessie are definitely my favorites and the people I want to see the most, but I think more people could be shown without the other fluff. I know they do the "while you were away" but I'm pretty sure they still don't show everyone. Casey Suchocki is someone I didn't now see at all until the final score board, and in a previous city (Dallas?) Jeremiah Morgan made it through to Finals but was not shown at all. I know it sounds super heartless, but people with a sob story usually get shown even if they fall early. People who are trying to hit a buzzer for their kids or their dead relative or a cancer survivor, it's all inspirational, or whatever word you want to use, but most of the time, they don't finish, and they don't really even do that well at all. Again, I know I sound horrible and soulless, but, as you know, bios just aren't my favorite thing (unless they're 20 seconds or something short and sweet). It's trying to be super heartfelt and emotional, but the biggest draw people have to ANW is because of people like Drew and Joe and Jessie and Isaac who don't have a sob story, but are extremely strong and skilled. Ultimately, people would rather see athletes do amazing things on the course. So, it sucks that some people are cut out completely because they have neither (not to sound too harsh). What bugs me a lot about ANW is their favoritism, not just towards the greats, but women and people with sob stories. Personally, inspiration means nothing to me, and I've never experienced hardships, pains, struggles, and crises like what some people have. So, I'm probably ignorant of what they're really going through, and what their ANW run really means to them. I will admit that. I will also admit that the most inspiration I've had from this show comes from the greats, not the people with long bios.
Okay, so there's my obligatory rant on all of that good stuff. I was also quite impressed by Lindsay Eskildsen. I guess she was a pretty big name, female wise, last year, because I do remember her. She also looked like she struggled a lot on the Ring Turn, so it'll be interesting if she can correct herself for the Finals. Rachel Goldstein was similar, although her run was passed over. With Graff in Miami, the 2nd slot for women will be between those two. Personally, I have no real bets. I didn't see how Goldstein did on the Ring Turn, but she did seem to make it up one or two more ledges on the Slippery Summit, so maybe she is looking more favorable? In every city, there have always been some good females athletes. I know the rule is 2 moving to Vegas, and the best will be there, most likely: Graff, Stockett, Martin, LaBreck, Beird (?). The other slots will probably be filled by women who are really good, but not quite there like Goldstein and Eskildsen. I would be interested in some rookie women made it to Vegas, though.
I think the only disappointment came from JJ Woods. I did expect him to complete, but when he started off for Razor's Edge, you could tell he wasn't going to make it. JJ has never been one of my favorites, but at the end when he hugged his friend Zoey, I thought it was really sweet. Even though he didn't hit the buzzer for her, I think it was so pure and adorable when she came up to him. I know I just got through sounding all heartless and saying I don't like sob stories, but what Matt and Akbar said about some things being more important in life, I thought it was a sweet ending (and there was no official bio, so it still lines up with my views).
11 finishers, one walking away with 10k, and all 30 moving on made it to the Slippery Summit. I think that shows strength in Miami. In Dallas, the fourth obstacle was the cutoff for some, so to have everyone reach at least the fifth obstacle is hopeful. I almost feel like this was a more difficult course than the other two. Particularly because of the Fly Wheels. It just did not seem like a second obstacle kind of obstacle. Usually it's a gravity-esque slide down, hold on for dear life kind of situation. Catch and Release in Dallas was a little more in the middle, but the Fly Wheels was the third or fourth obstacle in the Denver region last year, and seems more like it should be a little later. It relies on grip strength and upper body strength, and you could tell that some people were winded after and then to have to do the Ring Turn and Slippery Summit. It seemed unbalanced compared to the others. I still think Dallas had the hardest balance obstacle so far, but Miami had the hardest second obstacle. I think the Ring Turn looked harder than the Sky Hooks because some people had to figure it out and get comfortable while trying to move through it. The Ring Turn set you up for failure more so than the Sky Hooks or the Spider Bounce which was not upper body intensive like the other two. As far as the competition between Crank It Up, he Doorknob Drop, and Slippery Summit, I don't know. Crank It Up you could use momentum to your advantage, if you were smart enough. Both the Doorknob Drop and Slippery Summit had potential for fingers peeling off. It was more clear in L.A., but on the way down from Slippery Summit, you could let go from the impact, too. Slippery Summit was like the Railway Runner from last year, except that you couldn't see where you were going; however, Railway Runner didn't have ledges to land on; you had to make good distance in one or possibly two jumps (if you were lucky). Plus, there was not transition. So, I think I would give the fifth obstacle to L.A. Overall, I think Miami was harder than Dallas, but I have to do a quick micro look to determine Miami or L.A.
Jumper Cables vs. Fly Wheels --> Miami
Spinning Bridge vs. Razor's Edge --> Miami
Sky Hooks vs. Ring Turn --> Tie, leaning towards Miami
Doorknob Drop vs. Slippery Summit --> L.A.
So, I guess I'm saying Miami. These courses seem like they're getting harder with every city. In L.A. all 30 at least made it to the fifth obstacle, so I was wrong about it only being Miami. Dallas had a fourth obstacle cut-off though for the final 3 or 4 athletes. Miami did have 1 more completer than L.A., but one less 10k winner.
Indianapolis will be a treat. I am super excited for Isaac to run again. He was never my favorite athlete, and I would still cheer for Joe or Drew over him, but I do want to see him do well again. I would actually love to see him on Stage 3 since they changed it so much. They made it a lot harder, but very rock climber's heaven-ish. I hope he can keep up with the changes because I don't want him to be some one-hit-wonder type of guy. I hope he can prove that he is worthy of being the first official American Ninja Warrior. Isaac will be their big star name, but I don't think any other wolf pack, rock climbers will be there. Meagan is going to be in Minneapolis, so I would expect Brian Arnold and Jake Murray and the others to be there, too. For Indianapolis, I was not expecting Isaac, but I think the people from Kansas City will be there this year: Lorin Ball, Ethan Swanson, Lance Pekus, and Tyler Yamauchi. We will have to see. I am excited to see Isaac again, but mostly for his return to Mt. Midoriyama.
I have to talk about Drew. We all knew he was going to complete the course and with the fastest time. I mean, it's Drew Drechsel. I was absolutely shocked he didn't get 10k! I mean, I would have bet actual money that he and Flip would make it up the 19' Mega Warped Wall. Obviously, I don't know what went wrong. Maybe it was just a slight misstep or get got ahead of himself or whatever, but man was it shocking. Regardless, Drew is still at the tip top of my list, and I can't wait to see him back on Stage 2 and hopefully Stage 3.
Jessie Graff. What to say about her? She doesn't disappoint. I was surprised because she did look like she was struggling, especially on the Ring Turn. She couldn't quite figure it out for a second, and it looked like it sapped some strength. I think the Finals will go a little smoother because she knows what to do, but last night didn't look perfect. Clearly, she's the strongest female athlete out there, and I have nothing but respect for her. She's really killing it, and I definitely can not wait to see her on Stage 2.
I was glad to see Neil Craver back after an injury. I think it's smart to take a year off if you have an injury, unlike Ryan Stratis or James McGrath, who I believe had a shoulder injury and didn't take a year off. I think Craver was the one who was super close to the 10k, but he pushed against it towards the top and flew backwards. For him, it doesn't surprise me that he didn't make it, but it also wouldn't surprise me if he did make it. I'm hoping to see more of him because I really like him. Much more for his personality, though. He's the kind of guy I wish I knew personally. I am a hardcore introvert, but someone like him, everyone needs in their life. I probably couldn't be best friends with him, but I need that kind of energy and charisma somewhere, somehow.
Gotta talk about Ryan Stratis. I'm really glad he made it up the Wall and earned 10k. Last year, every single one of his runs was a "while you were away." He got no screen time, and he made it to Stage 2. He kind of got screwed last year, so I'm glad he was able to see the light again. I wasn't expecting him to be in Miami, since I thought he lived on the East Coast, but he was there, obviously. With Drew being in Miami, I would not have expected him to be the only one up the wall, but I'm glad someone got up. It's also impressive that he is 1 of 4 to be on all 10 seasons. I bet Lorin Ball will be in Indianapolis next week, but I'm not sure if he'll make it up the Mega Warped Wall. He's fast, but he is a little on the shorter side. Anyway, I hope Ryan can stay in the light a little longer, and I really hope he earns the recognition.
Niemitalo, Sims, Stewart, Patel, Carbone, and Suchocki are all names I recognize. Unfortunately, as I've said before, it's hard to recognize everyone because not everyone is shown or mentioned during the actual program. A lot of time is set off for biographies or hype for others like Drew and Jessie. Don't get me wrong, Drew and Jessie are definitely my favorites and the people I want to see the most, but I think more people could be shown without the other fluff. I know they do the "while you were away" but I'm pretty sure they still don't show everyone. Casey Suchocki is someone I didn't now see at all until the final score board, and in a previous city (Dallas?) Jeremiah Morgan made it through to Finals but was not shown at all. I know it sounds super heartless, but people with a sob story usually get shown even if they fall early. People who are trying to hit a buzzer for their kids or their dead relative or a cancer survivor, it's all inspirational, or whatever word you want to use, but most of the time, they don't finish, and they don't really even do that well at all. Again, I know I sound horrible and soulless, but, as you know, bios just aren't my favorite thing (unless they're 20 seconds or something short and sweet). It's trying to be super heartfelt and emotional, but the biggest draw people have to ANW is because of people like Drew and Joe and Jessie and Isaac who don't have a sob story, but are extremely strong and skilled. Ultimately, people would rather see athletes do amazing things on the course. So, it sucks that some people are cut out completely because they have neither (not to sound too harsh). What bugs me a lot about ANW is their favoritism, not just towards the greats, but women and people with sob stories. Personally, inspiration means nothing to me, and I've never experienced hardships, pains, struggles, and crises like what some people have. So, I'm probably ignorant of what they're really going through, and what their ANW run really means to them. I will admit that. I will also admit that the most inspiration I've had from this show comes from the greats, not the people with long bios.
Okay, so there's my obligatory rant on all of that good stuff. I was also quite impressed by Lindsay Eskildsen. I guess she was a pretty big name, female wise, last year, because I do remember her. She also looked like she struggled a lot on the Ring Turn, so it'll be interesting if she can correct herself for the Finals. Rachel Goldstein was similar, although her run was passed over. With Graff in Miami, the 2nd slot for women will be between those two. Personally, I have no real bets. I didn't see how Goldstein did on the Ring Turn, but she did seem to make it up one or two more ledges on the Slippery Summit, so maybe she is looking more favorable? In every city, there have always been some good females athletes. I know the rule is 2 moving to Vegas, and the best will be there, most likely: Graff, Stockett, Martin, LaBreck, Beird (?). The other slots will probably be filled by women who are really good, but not quite there like Goldstein and Eskildsen. I would be interested in some rookie women made it to Vegas, though.
I think the only disappointment came from JJ Woods. I did expect him to complete, but when he started off for Razor's Edge, you could tell he wasn't going to make it. JJ has never been one of my favorites, but at the end when he hugged his friend Zoey, I thought it was really sweet. Even though he didn't hit the buzzer for her, I think it was so pure and adorable when she came up to him. I know I just got through sounding all heartless and saying I don't like sob stories, but what Matt and Akbar said about some things being more important in life, I thought it was a sweet ending (and there was no official bio, so it still lines up with my views).
11 finishers, one walking away with 10k, and all 30 moving on made it to the Slippery Summit. I think that shows strength in Miami. In Dallas, the fourth obstacle was the cutoff for some, so to have everyone reach at least the fifth obstacle is hopeful. I almost feel like this was a more difficult course than the other two. Particularly because of the Fly Wheels. It just did not seem like a second obstacle kind of obstacle. Usually it's a gravity-esque slide down, hold on for dear life kind of situation. Catch and Release in Dallas was a little more in the middle, but the Fly Wheels was the third or fourth obstacle in the Denver region last year, and seems more like it should be a little later. It relies on grip strength and upper body strength, and you could tell that some people were winded after and then to have to do the Ring Turn and Slippery Summit. It seemed unbalanced compared to the others. I still think Dallas had the hardest balance obstacle so far, but Miami had the hardest second obstacle. I think the Ring Turn looked harder than the Sky Hooks because some people had to figure it out and get comfortable while trying to move through it. The Ring Turn set you up for failure more so than the Sky Hooks or the Spider Bounce which was not upper body intensive like the other two. As far as the competition between Crank It Up, he Doorknob Drop, and Slippery Summit, I don't know. Crank It Up you could use momentum to your advantage, if you were smart enough. Both the Doorknob Drop and Slippery Summit had potential for fingers peeling off. It was more clear in L.A., but on the way down from Slippery Summit, you could let go from the impact, too. Slippery Summit was like the Railway Runner from last year, except that you couldn't see where you were going; however, Railway Runner didn't have ledges to land on; you had to make good distance in one or possibly two jumps (if you were lucky). Plus, there was not transition. So, I think I would give the fifth obstacle to L.A. Overall, I think Miami was harder than Dallas, but I have to do a quick micro look to determine Miami or L.A.
Jumper Cables vs. Fly Wheels --> Miami
Spinning Bridge vs. Razor's Edge --> Miami
Sky Hooks vs. Ring Turn --> Tie, leaning towards Miami
Doorknob Drop vs. Slippery Summit --> L.A.
So, I guess I'm saying Miami. These courses seem like they're getting harder with every city. In L.A. all 30 at least made it to the fifth obstacle, so I was wrong about it only being Miami. Dallas had a fourth obstacle cut-off though for the final 3 or 4 athletes. Miami did have 1 more completer than L.A., but one less 10k winner.
Indianapolis will be a treat. I am super excited for Isaac to run again. He was never my favorite athlete, and I would still cheer for Joe or Drew over him, but I do want to see him do well again. I would actually love to see him on Stage 3 since they changed it so much. They made it a lot harder, but very rock climber's heaven-ish. I hope he can keep up with the changes because I don't want him to be some one-hit-wonder type of guy. I hope he can prove that he is worthy of being the first official American Ninja Warrior. Isaac will be their big star name, but I don't think any other wolf pack, rock climbers will be there. Meagan is going to be in Minneapolis, so I would expect Brian Arnold and Jake Murray and the others to be there, too. For Indianapolis, I was not expecting Isaac, but I think the people from Kansas City will be there this year: Lorin Ball, Ethan Swanson, Lance Pekus, and Tyler Yamauchi. We will have to see. I am excited to see Isaac again, but mostly for his return to Mt. Midoriyama.
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