Okay, so, there were a lot of surprises last night. First, DeFranco. I definitely remember him because he beat out Moravsky for the fastest qualifying time two years ago during his rookie debut. He's obviously fast, as they mentioned during his bio time, but his run was shocking. The way he choked and pulled his leg in, and on the first obstacle! He was no rookie, and he had completed the floating steps before. Honestly, I was jolted. It was so weird, too, whatever it was he did. Regardless of what exactly happened, he's out this year. Also, Chris Wilczewski. I will admit, they made his story sound super dramatic and overbearing, and I'm sure almost dying is pretty extreme, but they made it sound oddly dramatic. It's hard to explain how I felt about it, and I realize they always make things sound dramatic, but this time it was so extra. I do remember he did not run last year, of course I didn't know why, but I am glad to see him again. He was always pretty reliable, and this run definitely proved that. Not only was he a 10k winner, but he also had the fastest time. He went strong and consistent, and that is the true mark of a veteran ninja. Also, apparently he does the best during even number seasons, so he could be very promising. Lastly, three women to not only qualify for the City Finals, but actually hit the buzzer. Michelle was someone who I remember being a leading woman in ANW, but lately she hadn't been doing too well. She did manage to make it to the 8th obstacle last year, and she was the first runner, if my memory serves correctly, but, unfortunately, she was up against Labreck and Beird in Cleveland. Last night, she did tremendous. She acted like a real vet and super strong. She did look a touch winded toward the 5th and 6th obstacle, but she impressed me, nonetheless. As did Beird. She was someone who, in all honestly, I thought was a bit of a one-hit-wonder. I wasn't sure if she could repeat her success. I didn't think she could compete with someone like Jessie Graff, but she looked even better than Michelle. She looked pro out there, and she surprised me at how strong and steady she was throughout the whole course. I am looking forward to seeing her again. Part of me thought she would fall, but she proved me wrong. Next, Casey Rothschild. She was stunning! 20 years old, rookie, female, I mean, she was incredible. She may have had the slowest time, and it took her three attempts to scale the wall, but she was phenomenal. She is now the youngest woman to ever hit a buzzer, and it was her first year-- that is true talent, dedication, and strength. I really, really hope she does well in the City Finals. Against Beird and Warnky, she may not make it to Vegas this year, but I definitely think she has what it takes to be an elite female athlete. She may fail on the Warped Wall. I know she made it up last night, but it took her three attempts, so she may choke and slip up trying again. I also don't know if she has much experience on the Salmon Ladder. She trains with Drew Drechsel at his gym, so she has to have been on it once, but again, after all of the first half, it may be too much for the rookie. Normally, I don't go too crazy for the female athletes, and I still don't over the top males, but the women here were great and very enjoyable last night. Graff, Labreck, and Stockett still take the top three slots for me, but Beird may be edging out Stockett. We'll have to gauge the City Finals. For the women alone, I am excited for Philadelphia.
Of course, there are other reasons to be hyped over Philly. Najee "The Phoenix" Richardson, Jamie Rahn "Captian NBC", and James "The Beast" McGrath are some of my top, top favorites. I was a little surprised they skipped over Rahn and McGrath, only because they advertised them so heavily. They were acting like these two were their top dogs, and it was going to be great, and then they just skip them? Again, I say this every time: I'm surprised even though I shouldn't be, and yet again, I am surprised. I am also pretty bummed because I absolutely love McGrath and Rahn. Both of them have flown to the top of my radar because they are such amazing athletes. Both have proven themselves time and time again, and have been exciting and consistent, albeit screwed over a little here and there. When everyone is gathered at Vegas, these two would always be shown if I was in charge. I said it last week, I believe, when Rosen competed, but McGrath is kind of an OG for me. I remember him and Rosen were two members of the first Team USA in USA vs. Japan, and it was closer to when I first started watching. They were huge to me before even Drew and Joe, and before Rayl, Gil, and Richardson were even competing. I think McGrath has definitely been brushed under the rug a little too much. Rahn was chosen for Team Matt during the All Stars 2018, so at least he has that. Anyway, I'm really happy they hit the buzzer. I did think they had good shots at hitting the mega wall. Out of the six who have earned the 10k, I would have expected Gil, Richardson, and probably Rayl. Hanson, Wilczewski, and Stratis were a little less predictable. Obviously, they have what it takes, but even after thinking of them, I would have never believed if someone said the Eskimo ninja scaled the mega wall and not Drew. I also noticed Jon Alexis Jr. wasn't there. I thought for sure he would be. If he's competing I guess we'll see him next week. If he's not, it's a little ironic that the year they add the mega 10k wall, the tallest guy doesn't compete. Overall, regardless of who is shown and who is skipped, I am happy and relieved that Jamie and James and Najee and Chris all made it. Philly would have been even better if Joe was there, but even without him, this was a good city. It had its obligatory feel-good/sob stories, but overall, it didn't seem too sappy or overdone.
A lot of the other names I don't recognize, and I think they said 17 of them were rookies? So, if 12 finished, and only Casey was a rookie, there were 18 who made it to the Lightning Bolts, and 17 were rookies? That's probably wrong, but like I said, I don't recognize most of the other names of people moving on. If they are rookies, I think that's actually really great. I like to see new faces and hopefully get some great new talent, like Casey. Cavanagh and Licciardello were familiar names, definitely, but their faces are harder to remember. They are veterans who get skipped a lot, I think, and not just like Jamie and James were last night. They're almost always skipped, and they have a few years under their belts, Cavanagh at least. These are the people who aren't super stars within the competition, otherwise they'd get a lot more attention, but they don't seem to get anything. Noticing a name is a lot easier than the face, so it says a lot that I wouldn't be able to place them in a crowd. I also think it's really unfair. They still both finished their Qualifiers, and are loyal veterans. I understand that there are favorites, and there are people I'd rather see, too, and screen time isn't the most important thing, but I think it should still be spread around and not just to the best or those with the "best" stories. It's hard to appreciate them when I never get to see their runs. Anyway, there is my weekly rant about bios and screen time and missed faces. I'm hoping they'll spend a little more time on the others during the City Finals because certain people definitely won't get any love if they advance to Vegas.
Moving onto the course itself. The Lightning Bolts were clearly a veteran obstacle. They mentioned it numerous times how technical it was and how difficult it was for rookies. As a side note, I think Joe would have done absolutely fantastic here-- fastest time and 10k, no problem. The Wingnuts have proven troublesome in the past, but these were the easier version of them. When Riddle ran, he made the space in between look tiny, and he executed his technique really well. I noticed someone else did that, though I can't remember who exactly, but they did it much choppier and heavier than Riddle. He didn't look like Najee who flew through perfectly, but Riddle did look very smooth and effortless. If he manages to reach Stage 2, the big Wingnuts (I don't know the Vegas version's name) is a whole different animal. It also seemed like much less of a problem than last year. People still fell on them, but vets knew how to move and some had already been on the large scale version. Even rookies probably had an easier time because they saw how to work them even if they didn't have the personal experience. So, Philly does not receive a point in difficulty for that. The broken bridge also was not the most difficult looking balance obstacle. I think that is either the Tuning Forks in Dallas or Razor's Edge in Miami. Block Run also tripped up a lot in Indianapolis. This one seemed a little easier just because a few people simply walked across. Beird and Richardson stepped on them and walked across like no big deal. The second obstacle, The Spinning Bowties, seemed more difficult than others because you had the potential to get stuck and sap strength by hanging too long. The second one is usually momentum based or gravity based like Fly Wheels in Miami or Cannonball Drop in Indy or Jumper Cables in L.A. Dallas and Miami were the like Philly in the sense that they were more momentum based, but someone could also get hung up and expend too much energy. Indy and L.A. were not like that because it was more of a gravity and commitment type obstacle. So, there is some unevenness there amongst the cities. It should also be considered the order of the obstacles, i.e. where the balance one is. Sometimes it is 3rd and others it's 4th. Looking at Philly, I think the hardest obstacle was the Lightning Bolts, obviously, but the others didn't seem too bad. The Bowties were the next worst, and Miami had the Fly Wheels which is arguably worse. In Miami, the ring thing looked bad, so Miami could possibly have been the most challenging course. The Doorknob Drop gave some trouble, and Miami's Slippery Summit looked painful, and Indy's Spin Hopper was similar. The fifth obstacle is hard to compare between cities because they are all meant to be difficult; they are the main challenge in all the cities. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th obstacles are easier to compare, though. The Floating Steps and Warped Wall are the same everywhere, so clearly that's irrelevant. Some cities clearly had harder balance, like Dallas, and others had harder 2nd obstacles like Miami. Maybe it all balances out to a fair degree, but thinking back, I definitely think Miami has won thus far. Also, like I said before, I think someone like Joe would have annihilated this course had he run like planned. Minneapolis will be interesting to see its difficulty level.
It will also be interesting to see who runs there. Joe is there as is Meagan Martin. Murray, Ball, Dory, and Pekus should also be there, and Alexis, if they are all running. Aside from Martin, I don't know what other women are there. I think there will be some good names aside from Joe, so I am looking forward. I always look forward to American Ninja Warrior, though if we're being honest.
Although I don't mention it every week, please feel free to comment. I would love to know if anyone else has some good insight to the show or behind the scenes type facts. Or, if you want to just give a shoutout to someone you think I should watch for or who you love, too. I would really appreciate it. Talk to you next week.
Of course, there are other reasons to be hyped over Philly. Najee "The Phoenix" Richardson, Jamie Rahn "Captian NBC", and James "The Beast" McGrath are some of my top, top favorites. I was a little surprised they skipped over Rahn and McGrath, only because they advertised them so heavily. They were acting like these two were their top dogs, and it was going to be great, and then they just skip them? Again, I say this every time: I'm surprised even though I shouldn't be, and yet again, I am surprised. I am also pretty bummed because I absolutely love McGrath and Rahn. Both of them have flown to the top of my radar because they are such amazing athletes. Both have proven themselves time and time again, and have been exciting and consistent, albeit screwed over a little here and there. When everyone is gathered at Vegas, these two would always be shown if I was in charge. I said it last week, I believe, when Rosen competed, but McGrath is kind of an OG for me. I remember him and Rosen were two members of the first Team USA in USA vs. Japan, and it was closer to when I first started watching. They were huge to me before even Drew and Joe, and before Rayl, Gil, and Richardson were even competing. I think McGrath has definitely been brushed under the rug a little too much. Rahn was chosen for Team Matt during the All Stars 2018, so at least he has that. Anyway, I'm really happy they hit the buzzer. I did think they had good shots at hitting the mega wall. Out of the six who have earned the 10k, I would have expected Gil, Richardson, and probably Rayl. Hanson, Wilczewski, and Stratis were a little less predictable. Obviously, they have what it takes, but even after thinking of them, I would have never believed if someone said the Eskimo ninja scaled the mega wall and not Drew. I also noticed Jon Alexis Jr. wasn't there. I thought for sure he would be. If he's competing I guess we'll see him next week. If he's not, it's a little ironic that the year they add the mega 10k wall, the tallest guy doesn't compete. Overall, regardless of who is shown and who is skipped, I am happy and relieved that Jamie and James and Najee and Chris all made it. Philly would have been even better if Joe was there, but even without him, this was a good city. It had its obligatory feel-good/sob stories, but overall, it didn't seem too sappy or overdone.
A lot of the other names I don't recognize, and I think they said 17 of them were rookies? So, if 12 finished, and only Casey was a rookie, there were 18 who made it to the Lightning Bolts, and 17 were rookies? That's probably wrong, but like I said, I don't recognize most of the other names of people moving on. If they are rookies, I think that's actually really great. I like to see new faces and hopefully get some great new talent, like Casey. Cavanagh and Licciardello were familiar names, definitely, but their faces are harder to remember. They are veterans who get skipped a lot, I think, and not just like Jamie and James were last night. They're almost always skipped, and they have a few years under their belts, Cavanagh at least. These are the people who aren't super stars within the competition, otherwise they'd get a lot more attention, but they don't seem to get anything. Noticing a name is a lot easier than the face, so it says a lot that I wouldn't be able to place them in a crowd. I also think it's really unfair. They still both finished their Qualifiers, and are loyal veterans. I understand that there are favorites, and there are people I'd rather see, too, and screen time isn't the most important thing, but I think it should still be spread around and not just to the best or those with the "best" stories. It's hard to appreciate them when I never get to see their runs. Anyway, there is my weekly rant about bios and screen time and missed faces. I'm hoping they'll spend a little more time on the others during the City Finals because certain people definitely won't get any love if they advance to Vegas.
Moving onto the course itself. The Lightning Bolts were clearly a veteran obstacle. They mentioned it numerous times how technical it was and how difficult it was for rookies. As a side note, I think Joe would have done absolutely fantastic here-- fastest time and 10k, no problem. The Wingnuts have proven troublesome in the past, but these were the easier version of them. When Riddle ran, he made the space in between look tiny, and he executed his technique really well. I noticed someone else did that, though I can't remember who exactly, but they did it much choppier and heavier than Riddle. He didn't look like Najee who flew through perfectly, but Riddle did look very smooth and effortless. If he manages to reach Stage 2, the big Wingnuts (I don't know the Vegas version's name) is a whole different animal. It also seemed like much less of a problem than last year. People still fell on them, but vets knew how to move and some had already been on the large scale version. Even rookies probably had an easier time because they saw how to work them even if they didn't have the personal experience. So, Philly does not receive a point in difficulty for that. The broken bridge also was not the most difficult looking balance obstacle. I think that is either the Tuning Forks in Dallas or Razor's Edge in Miami. Block Run also tripped up a lot in Indianapolis. This one seemed a little easier just because a few people simply walked across. Beird and Richardson stepped on them and walked across like no big deal. The second obstacle, The Spinning Bowties, seemed more difficult than others because you had the potential to get stuck and sap strength by hanging too long. The second one is usually momentum based or gravity based like Fly Wheels in Miami or Cannonball Drop in Indy or Jumper Cables in L.A. Dallas and Miami were the like Philly in the sense that they were more momentum based, but someone could also get hung up and expend too much energy. Indy and L.A. were not like that because it was more of a gravity and commitment type obstacle. So, there is some unevenness there amongst the cities. It should also be considered the order of the obstacles, i.e. where the balance one is. Sometimes it is 3rd and others it's 4th. Looking at Philly, I think the hardest obstacle was the Lightning Bolts, obviously, but the others didn't seem too bad. The Bowties were the next worst, and Miami had the Fly Wheels which is arguably worse. In Miami, the ring thing looked bad, so Miami could possibly have been the most challenging course. The Doorknob Drop gave some trouble, and Miami's Slippery Summit looked painful, and Indy's Spin Hopper was similar. The fifth obstacle is hard to compare between cities because they are all meant to be difficult; they are the main challenge in all the cities. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th obstacles are easier to compare, though. The Floating Steps and Warped Wall are the same everywhere, so clearly that's irrelevant. Some cities clearly had harder balance, like Dallas, and others had harder 2nd obstacles like Miami. Maybe it all balances out to a fair degree, but thinking back, I definitely think Miami has won thus far. Also, like I said before, I think someone like Joe would have annihilated this course had he run like planned. Minneapolis will be interesting to see its difficulty level.
It will also be interesting to see who runs there. Joe is there as is Meagan Martin. Murray, Ball, Dory, and Pekus should also be there, and Alexis, if they are all running. Aside from Martin, I don't know what other women are there. I think there will be some good names aside from Joe, so I am looking forward. I always look forward to American Ninja Warrior, though if we're being honest.
Although I don't mention it every week, please feel free to comment. I would love to know if anyone else has some good insight to the show or behind the scenes type facts. Or, if you want to just give a shoutout to someone you think I should watch for or who you love, too. I would really appreciate it. Talk to you next week.
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