Okay, I have a few things to say about the L.A. Finals. First, why change the qualifying half of the course? The Floating Steps is fine; it's whatever, but why change the Sky Hooks to the shelf grab obstacle? I think this change contributed to the higher number of athletes who finished/ran farther. The Sky Hooks could be taxing on strength if you get stuck up there, but the Flying Shelf Grab doesn't really allow you to hang on as long. People could have trouble getting the ring over the hook or possibly transitioning. Both obstacles require momentum, yes, but the Flying Shelf Grab seemed much quicker and easier to fly through. I definitely think it helped athletes conserve strength for the back half. I am assuming they will make adjustments like this for the next 5 cities, otherwise it is very unfair and doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm guessing they made the change so that more athletes would have better runs, but it still doesn't make sense to me. I also was surprised that they changed the Invisible Ladder to the Spider Trap. I thought the Invisible Ladder was pretty tough and a brutal final challenge for the city finals. The Spider Chimney was fairly easy especially for the level these athletes are on. The trap walls are an interesting touch, but still a step down from the former Invisible Ladder. Again, maybe this was so they would have more finishers, since only one person dropped on it. Compared to last year, there were definitely more finishers, which would point to the assumption that the course was easier. Another thing, the cutoff was the 9th obstacle where it is usually the 8th, just more support for the course being toned down this year.
Now, as much as I love American Ninja Warrior, and as happy as I am for all the finishers, this episode had me a little pissed off at the end. My favorites finished, and that is the bottom line; however, half of the 9 were skipped. It bothers me that 5 guys bested 21 other competitors, but weren't worthy of being shown, or something. Here's the thing about the finals. We are finally passed all the "story" people and the emotional/inspirational aspect of ANW. The City Finals is about the other half (the much better and interesting half) where we get to see people for their strength, not just their backstory. The City Finals is the time for certain people to shine and truly show people what they've got. The City Finals are difficult courses, and people watch ANW to see those who have what it takes to finish it. The five that finished and were skipped: Nicholas Coolridge (no surprise), Josh Levin, Adam Rayl, David Campbell, and Brian Rambo. I just think it's unfair that they get completely glossed over for someone who fails where everyone else did. These are the exciting people I would much rather see run the course. These are the people who make ANW what it is. These are the people who made ANW an emmy nominated reality TV show, and yet all they get for finishing the course is a "while you were away" and a congratulatory nod in the distance. I thought in the City Finals we would get passed the biographies and witness some true talent, but to some degree, I guess I was wrong. Also, Adam Rayl made it up the Mega Wall. Both him and Nick Hanson earned 10k and were skipped. Well, Hanson was half skipped. He got his time in the corner while ads played over him. Adam Rayl went from being the Qualifiers last runner to having a commercial break run him over.
From another point of view, I could be a little bit of a hypocrite because I say I want the underdogs and the little men shown, too, which they did more of. Adam Rayl and Josh Levin probably have a much better shot at getting screen time in Vegas, so it is nice to see new faces, especially since the city courses are probably their only real shot at exposure. Also, to be fair, they did skip those who dropped on the Qualifying half which I appreciate for not wasting time. So, maybe they were trying to even things out by skipping big names now and saving them for Vegas and focusing on the newbies. I have said that I want to see new people, so I can't be too mad, I suppose. I will say, though, that I can't say I remember a lot of the people who were shown who didn't finish. I guess I don't really know what I want. I wished they had shown all the finishers for sure, but I shouldn't be mad about rookies and unknowns being shown instead of veterans because I do want to find some new gems, and everyone deserves a little time in the spot light. What does honestly have me baffled is the decision on who gets skipped and shown out of the 9 finishers. Flip? Okay, he's a big name and he hasn't hit a finals buzzer in 5 years? David Campbell? A well-known, 10 time vet who also has not hit a finals buzzer in 4 years gets skipped? Nicholas Coolridge who has the 2nd fastest time, losing by only 1 second gets skipped? Josh Levin? A rookie break out sensation and still one of the best who was on Team USA his first year gets skipped? Kevin Bull? I'm glad he was shown because I think he needed a little pick-me-up since he's been dipping a little, but the same can be said about Campbell. Brian Rambo? A rookie with the fastest Qualifying time gets skipped, too? Why do they get passed up but Flip and Derek and Kevin don't? What makes these 4 more worthy than the other 5? Why was Grant McCartney's bio so long and made such a big deal over when he didn't even advance? I genuinely do not understand this. Qualifiers and Stage 1 of Vegas can be about the stories and the inspiration and personalities, but the Finals and Stage 2-4 of Vegas should focus on the actual abilities of these people. American Ninja Warrior is a bit of a personality competition, and some people get screwed for it. Josh Levin was skipped in Qualifiers, too. I mean, does he just have too perfect of a life or too boring of a day job or something? He's very good in this competition, but seems to get replaced by people who can only do half of what he can. It tells you where the show and producers are at and what they think is more important. Maybe it's working because the show is doing well and it's emmy nominated again, but it's not my preference.
Starting the City Finals rounds, I thought we were going to get what we got last year: an unbelievable course where all the finishers were few, shown, and praised. Now, the course seemed easier and half the finishers only got 3 seconds on face time. Obviously, it is too early to tell, but so far, the vibe is completely different from last year, and it's just not as exciting.
Truly, though, I am ecstatic for the 9 finishers: Sean Bryan, Nicholas Coolridge, Josh Levin, Kevin Bull, Brian Rambo, Adam Rayl, Flip Rodriguez, David Campbell, and Derek Miyamoto. I'm sure most of these guys will do great in Vegas, but will still be skipped (*Cough *cough Nicholas Coolridge).
Sean Bryan surprised me with being the final runner. He delivered on a fantastic run, and he's doing really great on ANW. I cannot wait to see him take on Stage 2 and 3 again. He is quickly growing to the top of my personal favorites, and he is beginning to secure that Drew Drechsel level of respect where you don't necessarily need a story to be guaranteed some attention.
Poor, poor Nicholas. I absolutely love him and think he is one of the best. He earned the second fastest time in both Qualifiers and Finals, and was skipped both nights. He was passed over last year, too in the majority of his runs. I just don't know what it is with him. He's phenomenal, but the producers just don't want to show him. I actually would have loved to see him take on this course, particularly for the Giant Cubes part. I assume he attacked it like everyone else with the splits, but I still would have enjoyed it. Same goes for Levin, since he's fairly short, so I wonder if he was able to execute the splits move as well as everyone else. I hope to see both of these guys run in Vegas because they are both truly amazing.
Overall, these 9 finishers proved to be the best of L.A.'s 30, and I think they all deserve to be in Vegas. I can't wait to see them, and there isn't much more to be said.
The women definitely surprised me. First, I thought Zhanique was going to be the second woman, but Anna Shumaker really came out of nowhere. Same for Webberley. Tiana wasn't really in the same league as Jessie or Barclay; they only hyped her up in LA this year, probably because she had the best run of her ANW career. I didn't expect much of her because I don't remember her really performing on the same level as some of the other women, but she did really well. Making it to the 9th obstacle is no easy feat, especially for a woman. I still expected Webberley to be in the top 2, but they both did a great job tonight.
Overall, the course changes were a little annoying, and the whole skipped vs shown thing gets me riled up. Maybe they are trying to spread the love and introduce some new people, but at the same time, plenty of lesser names were still missed in addition to big names, so it is only half successful, in my personal opinion. I am definitely bummed that 5 of 9 were pushed to the sidelines despite their success, but it's out of my hands. The people who were shown, but didn't finish or even advance, I cannot honestly remember most of them, but that is my own fault. I do want to see the rookies and learn some new names, so I will admit to some hypocrisy on my part. I just think on a personal level for those 5 guys and as a viewer, it was a touch unfair and against what I am used to in the city finals. There is not much left for me to say. In the end, those who I wanted to finish did finish. I was cheering for Kevin, Adam, Josh, Sean, Nicholas, Flip and they all made it and others. I don't know what the other cities are going to be like, so maybe this night was some sort of special exception. Something tells me it's not, but I'm still pumped to see the rest of the cities. I'll be back in 1 week to talk about the Kingdom Ninja, The Kid, and Barclay Stockett.
Comment your thoughts on the 5 finishers and your opinions on the course tonight. Also, who is your favorite ninja from LA?
Now, as much as I love American Ninja Warrior, and as happy as I am for all the finishers, this episode had me a little pissed off at the end. My favorites finished, and that is the bottom line; however, half of the 9 were skipped. It bothers me that 5 guys bested 21 other competitors, but weren't worthy of being shown, or something. Here's the thing about the finals. We are finally passed all the "story" people and the emotional/inspirational aspect of ANW. The City Finals is about the other half (the much better and interesting half) where we get to see people for their strength, not just their backstory. The City Finals is the time for certain people to shine and truly show people what they've got. The City Finals are difficult courses, and people watch ANW to see those who have what it takes to finish it. The five that finished and were skipped: Nicholas Coolridge (no surprise), Josh Levin, Adam Rayl, David Campbell, and Brian Rambo. I just think it's unfair that they get completely glossed over for someone who fails where everyone else did. These are the exciting people I would much rather see run the course. These are the people who make ANW what it is. These are the people who made ANW an emmy nominated reality TV show, and yet all they get for finishing the course is a "while you were away" and a congratulatory nod in the distance. I thought in the City Finals we would get passed the biographies and witness some true talent, but to some degree, I guess I was wrong. Also, Adam Rayl made it up the Mega Wall. Both him and Nick Hanson earned 10k and were skipped. Well, Hanson was half skipped. He got his time in the corner while ads played over him. Adam Rayl went from being the Qualifiers last runner to having a commercial break run him over.
From another point of view, I could be a little bit of a hypocrite because I say I want the underdogs and the little men shown, too, which they did more of. Adam Rayl and Josh Levin probably have a much better shot at getting screen time in Vegas, so it is nice to see new faces, especially since the city courses are probably their only real shot at exposure. Also, to be fair, they did skip those who dropped on the Qualifying half which I appreciate for not wasting time. So, maybe they were trying to even things out by skipping big names now and saving them for Vegas and focusing on the newbies. I have said that I want to see new people, so I can't be too mad, I suppose. I will say, though, that I can't say I remember a lot of the people who were shown who didn't finish. I guess I don't really know what I want. I wished they had shown all the finishers for sure, but I shouldn't be mad about rookies and unknowns being shown instead of veterans because I do want to find some new gems, and everyone deserves a little time in the spot light. What does honestly have me baffled is the decision on who gets skipped and shown out of the 9 finishers. Flip? Okay, he's a big name and he hasn't hit a finals buzzer in 5 years? David Campbell? A well-known, 10 time vet who also has not hit a finals buzzer in 4 years gets skipped? Nicholas Coolridge who has the 2nd fastest time, losing by only 1 second gets skipped? Josh Levin? A rookie break out sensation and still one of the best who was on Team USA his first year gets skipped? Kevin Bull? I'm glad he was shown because I think he needed a little pick-me-up since he's been dipping a little, but the same can be said about Campbell. Brian Rambo? A rookie with the fastest Qualifying time gets skipped, too? Why do they get passed up but Flip and Derek and Kevin don't? What makes these 4 more worthy than the other 5? Why was Grant McCartney's bio so long and made such a big deal over when he didn't even advance? I genuinely do not understand this. Qualifiers and Stage 1 of Vegas can be about the stories and the inspiration and personalities, but the Finals and Stage 2-4 of Vegas should focus on the actual abilities of these people. American Ninja Warrior is a bit of a personality competition, and some people get screwed for it. Josh Levin was skipped in Qualifiers, too. I mean, does he just have too perfect of a life or too boring of a day job or something? He's very good in this competition, but seems to get replaced by people who can only do half of what he can. It tells you where the show and producers are at and what they think is more important. Maybe it's working because the show is doing well and it's emmy nominated again, but it's not my preference.
Starting the City Finals rounds, I thought we were going to get what we got last year: an unbelievable course where all the finishers were few, shown, and praised. Now, the course seemed easier and half the finishers only got 3 seconds on face time. Obviously, it is too early to tell, but so far, the vibe is completely different from last year, and it's just not as exciting.
Truly, though, I am ecstatic for the 9 finishers: Sean Bryan, Nicholas Coolridge, Josh Levin, Kevin Bull, Brian Rambo, Adam Rayl, Flip Rodriguez, David Campbell, and Derek Miyamoto. I'm sure most of these guys will do great in Vegas, but will still be skipped (*Cough *cough Nicholas Coolridge).
Sean Bryan surprised me with being the final runner. He delivered on a fantastic run, and he's doing really great on ANW. I cannot wait to see him take on Stage 2 and 3 again. He is quickly growing to the top of my personal favorites, and he is beginning to secure that Drew Drechsel level of respect where you don't necessarily need a story to be guaranteed some attention.
Poor, poor Nicholas. I absolutely love him and think he is one of the best. He earned the second fastest time in both Qualifiers and Finals, and was skipped both nights. He was passed over last year, too in the majority of his runs. I just don't know what it is with him. He's phenomenal, but the producers just don't want to show him. I actually would have loved to see him take on this course, particularly for the Giant Cubes part. I assume he attacked it like everyone else with the splits, but I still would have enjoyed it. Same goes for Levin, since he's fairly short, so I wonder if he was able to execute the splits move as well as everyone else. I hope to see both of these guys run in Vegas because they are both truly amazing.
Overall, these 9 finishers proved to be the best of L.A.'s 30, and I think they all deserve to be in Vegas. I can't wait to see them, and there isn't much more to be said.
The women definitely surprised me. First, I thought Zhanique was going to be the second woman, but Anna Shumaker really came out of nowhere. Same for Webberley. Tiana wasn't really in the same league as Jessie or Barclay; they only hyped her up in LA this year, probably because she had the best run of her ANW career. I didn't expect much of her because I don't remember her really performing on the same level as some of the other women, but she did really well. Making it to the 9th obstacle is no easy feat, especially for a woman. I still expected Webberley to be in the top 2, but they both did a great job tonight.
Overall, the course changes were a little annoying, and the whole skipped vs shown thing gets me riled up. Maybe they are trying to spread the love and introduce some new people, but at the same time, plenty of lesser names were still missed in addition to big names, so it is only half successful, in my personal opinion. I am definitely bummed that 5 of 9 were pushed to the sidelines despite their success, but it's out of my hands. The people who were shown, but didn't finish or even advance, I cannot honestly remember most of them, but that is my own fault. I do want to see the rookies and learn some new names, so I will admit to some hypocrisy on my part. I just think on a personal level for those 5 guys and as a viewer, it was a touch unfair and against what I am used to in the city finals. There is not much left for me to say. In the end, those who I wanted to finish did finish. I was cheering for Kevin, Adam, Josh, Sean, Nicholas, Flip and they all made it and others. I don't know what the other cities are going to be like, so maybe this night was some sort of special exception. Something tells me it's not, but I'm still pumped to see the rest of the cities. I'll be back in 1 week to talk about the Kingdom Ninja, The Kid, and Barclay Stockett.
Comment your thoughts on the 5 finishers and your opinions on the course tonight. Also, who is your favorite ninja from LA?
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