Alright, I know this is really late. I watched it, of course, but at first I was unsure whether or not to write a post about it. I had thoughts, as I always do, but they were not particularly abundant, so I didn't think it would be worth it. Follow up to today, over a month after it aired, I think I am going to write something.
I still have my usual gripe that I think the other countries have a disadvantage. Yes, some of the competitors have experienced Ninja Warrior obstacles in their home competitions, but some of the have never been on the American ones. Akbar and Matt say so whenever someone is trying something new. I know it's not like they are going in completely blind, but the USA members literally just ran these courses in their regular season (save Jesse Labreck). Anyway, I have discussed that in the past, so there's no need to ramble on about that.
Let's just talk about the people. First, Europe, I am sorry to say this, but they were a huge disappointment. Honestly, without Sean McColl, is it really Team Europe? Is it really a true victory? I also thought it was very odd they sent in one of their women on Stage 3, especially when everything was on the line. I'm sure they always planned to send her in there, and their plans never changed, but to choose a woman to begin with is kind of bold. It is a really difficult course after all. I actually have next to nothing to say about Europe. They kind of turned into the Japan of the competition.
Speaking of whom, I wasn't all that surprised to not see them again. They've been kind of humiliated these past couple of years, so I'm sure their pride has been hit one too many times. However, just like with Latin America, there could be another reason outside of not wanting to for their absence. I think Japan probably didn't want to return, but I wonder about Latin America. Did they not want to come back, were they not invited, or was there no one who could come? I may never know.
Moving on a bit quickly: Australia. They really brought it; I was surprised. They were the new Europe. I was a little surprised when they chose Ashlin to climb the rope. He would have been my second choice, though, which is why I say a little surprised. I thought their first choice would be Bryson, their youngest member. I thought he did a really great job on Stage 2. I don't remember everything exactly, so I am sorry if I make a mistake about who ran which stage for Europe and Australia. Anyway, I thought he would have been a better choice for a rope climb against Drew, but Ashlin does have the nickname Flashlin, so maybe they thought he would be the quickest. Either way, Australia did fantastic. I definitely did not see them coming, but it was good. Hopefully they'll return. Another thing to think about, though, is the team was not necessarily an accurate representation of Australia, just as this year's USA team is not an accurate representation. These people could have been the cream of the crop. Just as we have seen with Europe, it is the people not the country. Regardless, I wonder if they will become a new staple to this special competition.
Finally, USA. It is actually a little crazy that all 5 members hit a buzzer. I will say, though, in my slightly negative ways, Jesse and Barclay, as amazing as they are and did that night, would have failed in the regular season. Both may have completed the stages, but they definitely did not do it under the time limit given in the regular season. So, this makes a slight difference. Time is still a major factor during both of their runs, but in different ways. The reg. season is a race against time, whereas The World is more of just a factor. It's something which affects other women, too. Time starts to freak people out. I think, particularly with Jesse, is she technically has all the time she needs. Granted, she has yet to make it to Stage 2, so I suppose she should have never experienced it, so I do need to give props to her. If she had reached it in the reg. season, I imagine she would have failed because of time pressures, but I shouldn't shortchange her on hypotheticals and technicalities. Then with Barclay, again, I should give her credit where credit is due, but she definitely went over the time limit. Also, there is something I slightly wonder about. She attacked the same obstacle she fell on in the reg. season with the same technique, and this time it did not fail her. Does anyone else wonder if there was something else behind the scenes? I know it's kind of mean and horrible of me to think she may not have been able to do this alone because she is an extremely strong and impressive woman, but nothing changed. It was probably only a couple days after her initial fall, and nothing about her or the obstacle should have changed, realistically. So, it's just food for thought. Either way, I do genuinely enjoy watching both of these women take the course, and I hope they can replicate their results this upcoming season. Barclay knows she can complete Stage 1, but she may have trouble with time. Same with Jesse and Stage 2. The odds, from past years, are probably in favor of them changing up the courses, but only time will tell. We'll just have to wait and see.
Let's touch on Najee now. It is also really great that he was able to complete Stage 2. Again, time is something to consider. The clock is counting up, not down. I don't remember his finishing time, and I would believe it was under the reg. season limit, but the clock might not have been the same issue it was previously. He could afford to take his time much more on this night compared to his failed run. Also, quick note, he said this night's Stage 2 was slightly easier. ??? Not sure exactly what was different, but it would definitely affect the significance of the athletes (albeit only slightly). What I will say about him, though, is he ran Stage 3. They didn't show it because I imagine they did not need to Europe had been eliminated, thus they had the final 2 teams to climb Stage 4; however, I do know he ran it (thanks to Instagram), and he made it really far. He reached the same obstacle as Drew, Cane Lane. He may have stated that it was at a much slower pace, but he ran Stage 2 in the same night, like Joe did the year before. I have much more respect for the amount of effort rather than time. Drew is always impressive because he is so quick and natural, but he was freshly energized for Stage 3, and Najee, although I'm sure had some rest, still ran Stage 2 which Drew did not. So I have mad respect for him. I think he could become a huge force to be reckoned with this upcoming season. Time has never been his strong suit, and I feel like this is his greatest weakness, especially if his asthma is going to become more of a problem. Najee may not come off quite as naturally as Drew and Joe, but he has skill and talent; there is no denying that. Every time I watch him run, I get more and more pumped to see him again.
I kind of already mentioned Drew. Obviously, he was the captain, but I thought maybe they would send someone else up that rope. Drew did fine, winning the whole competition for USA, but I thought since he had just run Stage 3, he'd be slightly winded. I guess the time it took the secret heat with Najee gave him time to rest. They said he has been training especially for the Stage 4 rope climb, so I wonder if he wanted to do it because he wanted to do it at least once. Maybe there is some kind of unconscious realization that he may never reach it during the reg. season, and he needs to hit Stage 4 buzzer at least once. Perhaps it was simply a unanimous vote by the team to send him. Again, it's something I'll probably never know for sure. Not much to say about Drew this time.
Finally, The Kid. I saved him for last because I was the most impressed with him. Not even in terms of this night, but from the moment we were introduced to him, he's done fantastic. At first, I thought he was way too over-hyped. They kept going on and on about him because he was young, new, fresh, and trained with Daniel Gil. Then he completed Qualifiers, then completed his finals, then completed Stage 1 with the third (I think) fastest time OVERALL, and he made it to the Wing Nuts his rookie year, surpassing his training buddy, Gil. To add to his rookie record, he was invited to represent USA on USA vs. The World. Finally, topping it all off, he completely blew away Stage 1 and his competitors. I thought he would fall off during the competition, but he smoked it! I could not believe his time. He was pretty incredible. I am genuinely amazed with him and ready to see him next season. Hopefully, he can continue to live up to his hype. Definitely the Stand Out Rookie.
Actually, the last thing I will say about Australia, which just came to mind, is their spirit. They were super lively and animated, much more than Europe and USA. It seemed like they really did come for fun and sportsmanship, and I appreciate that. I enjoyed watching them, and I hope, should Australia return, that it will be with these particular faces. I would like to see more of them for sure.
So... I guess I did have a little more to say than I thought. Maybe it was nothing new, though. Everyone was impressive, blah blah blah, stuff everyone is thinking, right? But hey, if y'all have any comments or insights, I'd love to know! Do you still think The Kid is overhyped? Did you like Australia? Were you disappointed McColl was nowhere to be found? Do you think Barclay and Jesse can repeat their success? Let me know!
*I will be back for every week of Season 11. Check Instagram for cities and dates if you're curious because I know they posted them there. Also, a lot of Ninjas were nominees for Fan Favorite, so check it out. Joe is my favorite, but it is interesting to see who else was nominated.
I still have my usual gripe that I think the other countries have a disadvantage. Yes, some of the competitors have experienced Ninja Warrior obstacles in their home competitions, but some of the have never been on the American ones. Akbar and Matt say so whenever someone is trying something new. I know it's not like they are going in completely blind, but the USA members literally just ran these courses in their regular season (save Jesse Labreck). Anyway, I have discussed that in the past, so there's no need to ramble on about that.
Let's just talk about the people. First, Europe, I am sorry to say this, but they were a huge disappointment. Honestly, without Sean McColl, is it really Team Europe? Is it really a true victory? I also thought it was very odd they sent in one of their women on Stage 3, especially when everything was on the line. I'm sure they always planned to send her in there, and their plans never changed, but to choose a woman to begin with is kind of bold. It is a really difficult course after all. I actually have next to nothing to say about Europe. They kind of turned into the Japan of the competition.
Speaking of whom, I wasn't all that surprised to not see them again. They've been kind of humiliated these past couple of years, so I'm sure their pride has been hit one too many times. However, just like with Latin America, there could be another reason outside of not wanting to for their absence. I think Japan probably didn't want to return, but I wonder about Latin America. Did they not want to come back, were they not invited, or was there no one who could come? I may never know.
Moving on a bit quickly: Australia. They really brought it; I was surprised. They were the new Europe. I was a little surprised when they chose Ashlin to climb the rope. He would have been my second choice, though, which is why I say a little surprised. I thought their first choice would be Bryson, their youngest member. I thought he did a really great job on Stage 2. I don't remember everything exactly, so I am sorry if I make a mistake about who ran which stage for Europe and Australia. Anyway, I thought he would have been a better choice for a rope climb against Drew, but Ashlin does have the nickname Flashlin, so maybe they thought he would be the quickest. Either way, Australia did fantastic. I definitely did not see them coming, but it was good. Hopefully they'll return. Another thing to think about, though, is the team was not necessarily an accurate representation of Australia, just as this year's USA team is not an accurate representation. These people could have been the cream of the crop. Just as we have seen with Europe, it is the people not the country. Regardless, I wonder if they will become a new staple to this special competition.
Finally, USA. It is actually a little crazy that all 5 members hit a buzzer. I will say, though, in my slightly negative ways, Jesse and Barclay, as amazing as they are and did that night, would have failed in the regular season. Both may have completed the stages, but they definitely did not do it under the time limit given in the regular season. So, this makes a slight difference. Time is still a major factor during both of their runs, but in different ways. The reg. season is a race against time, whereas The World is more of just a factor. It's something which affects other women, too. Time starts to freak people out. I think, particularly with Jesse, is she technically has all the time she needs. Granted, she has yet to make it to Stage 2, so I suppose she should have never experienced it, so I do need to give props to her. If she had reached it in the reg. season, I imagine she would have failed because of time pressures, but I shouldn't shortchange her on hypotheticals and technicalities. Then with Barclay, again, I should give her credit where credit is due, but she definitely went over the time limit. Also, there is something I slightly wonder about. She attacked the same obstacle she fell on in the reg. season with the same technique, and this time it did not fail her. Does anyone else wonder if there was something else behind the scenes? I know it's kind of mean and horrible of me to think she may not have been able to do this alone because she is an extremely strong and impressive woman, but nothing changed. It was probably only a couple days after her initial fall, and nothing about her or the obstacle should have changed, realistically. So, it's just food for thought. Either way, I do genuinely enjoy watching both of these women take the course, and I hope they can replicate their results this upcoming season. Barclay knows she can complete Stage 1, but she may have trouble with time. Same with Jesse and Stage 2. The odds, from past years, are probably in favor of them changing up the courses, but only time will tell. We'll just have to wait and see.
Let's touch on Najee now. It is also really great that he was able to complete Stage 2. Again, time is something to consider. The clock is counting up, not down. I don't remember his finishing time, and I would believe it was under the reg. season limit, but the clock might not have been the same issue it was previously. He could afford to take his time much more on this night compared to his failed run. Also, quick note, he said this night's Stage 2 was slightly easier. ??? Not sure exactly what was different, but it would definitely affect the significance of the athletes (albeit only slightly). What I will say about him, though, is he ran Stage 3. They didn't show it because I imagine they did not need to Europe had been eliminated, thus they had the final 2 teams to climb Stage 4; however, I do know he ran it (thanks to Instagram), and he made it really far. He reached the same obstacle as Drew, Cane Lane. He may have stated that it was at a much slower pace, but he ran Stage 2 in the same night, like Joe did the year before. I have much more respect for the amount of effort rather than time. Drew is always impressive because he is so quick and natural, but he was freshly energized for Stage 3, and Najee, although I'm sure had some rest, still ran Stage 2 which Drew did not. So I have mad respect for him. I think he could become a huge force to be reckoned with this upcoming season. Time has never been his strong suit, and I feel like this is his greatest weakness, especially if his asthma is going to become more of a problem. Najee may not come off quite as naturally as Drew and Joe, but he has skill and talent; there is no denying that. Every time I watch him run, I get more and more pumped to see him again.
I kind of already mentioned Drew. Obviously, he was the captain, but I thought maybe they would send someone else up that rope. Drew did fine, winning the whole competition for USA, but I thought since he had just run Stage 3, he'd be slightly winded. I guess the time it took the secret heat with Najee gave him time to rest. They said he has been training especially for the Stage 4 rope climb, so I wonder if he wanted to do it because he wanted to do it at least once. Maybe there is some kind of unconscious realization that he may never reach it during the reg. season, and he needs to hit Stage 4 buzzer at least once. Perhaps it was simply a unanimous vote by the team to send him. Again, it's something I'll probably never know for sure. Not much to say about Drew this time.
Finally, The Kid. I saved him for last because I was the most impressed with him. Not even in terms of this night, but from the moment we were introduced to him, he's done fantastic. At first, I thought he was way too over-hyped. They kept going on and on about him because he was young, new, fresh, and trained with Daniel Gil. Then he completed Qualifiers, then completed his finals, then completed Stage 1 with the third (I think) fastest time OVERALL, and he made it to the Wing Nuts his rookie year, surpassing his training buddy, Gil. To add to his rookie record, he was invited to represent USA on USA vs. The World. Finally, topping it all off, he completely blew away Stage 1 and his competitors. I thought he would fall off during the competition, but he smoked it! I could not believe his time. He was pretty incredible. I am genuinely amazed with him and ready to see him next season. Hopefully, he can continue to live up to his hype. Definitely the Stand Out Rookie.
Actually, the last thing I will say about Australia, which just came to mind, is their spirit. They were super lively and animated, much more than Europe and USA. It seemed like they really did come for fun and sportsmanship, and I appreciate that. I enjoyed watching them, and I hope, should Australia return, that it will be with these particular faces. I would like to see more of them for sure.
So... I guess I did have a little more to say than I thought. Maybe it was nothing new, though. Everyone was impressive, blah blah blah, stuff everyone is thinking, right? But hey, if y'all have any comments or insights, I'd love to know! Do you still think The Kid is overhyped? Did you like Australia? Were you disappointed McColl was nowhere to be found? Do you think Barclay and Jesse can repeat their success? Let me know!
*I will be back for every week of Season 11. Check Instagram for cities and dates if you're curious because I know they posted them there. Also, a lot of Ninjas were nominees for Fan Favorite, so check it out. Joe is my favorite, but it is interesting to see who else was nominated.
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