First, yes, this is really late, but I'm still here. Better late than never!
Anyway, I don't think I have much to say. Concerning the course, I don't have much to grief. They have used the Bouncing Spider before, and I have stated my feelings about it. They are still the same; I still don't like it, but if you want to know why, you can look at the qualifiers/finals from the cities Jake Murray was in two years ago and Daniel Gill was in last year. Those were the cities, I believe, in which the Bouncing Spider was in previously.
Let's talk about Drew and Tyler first. If I had known these two were both competing in this city, I definitely would have bet on them competing against each other. I knew Drew would be in Atlanta, but I wasn't sure about Tyler. Anyway, I love them both, but I still don't feel so great about the Power Tower, so I feel bitter-sweet about Drew winning the Speed Pass. I stand by the City Finals, and I think they are good competitors. In Drew's case, we know he's the real deal, and we know he's an ANW champ, so the City Finals are probably just extra training for him. However, I still like watching him because he's one of the best. The finals are getting to a point where only a handful of athletes can hit a buzzer. Now, I don't think Drew was our only hope for a finisher in Atlanta, but I still like seeing him run last and sweeping people out of the water. He's really impressive, and the City Finals are one of the best ways to show the raw skill and strength. National Finals are one thing, but the City Finals are a more precise spotlight. I'm sure this doesn't mean much to Drew in the grand scheme of things, but I think I'll miss him.
Tyler Gillett: I still stand by him. I think he is going to be big this year. He might even be our final runner for Atlanta with Drew not running. Every time I see Tyler, I like him more and more. I really want him to do well, and I really want to see more of him, so I'm hoping he can push it.
Actually, I also want to touch on the Power Tower again. As you know, I do not care for the prize of the Power Tower, but I like the excitement of the competition. I like trying to guess who will be competing against each other. Sometimes it'll be an obvious duo like Gillett and Drechsel, but other times, I'm hoping it will be unpredictable like L.A. and The Lizard vs. The Godfather. Honestly, I am hoping it will be more like the latter. It's great for Drew, and I'm sure he's stoked because security for the National Finals is more important than seeing how well he can do in the City Finals, but I think it'd be great to see some new faces. It's a really great game, too. Let's think. Next week, it could be like this week. I'm thinking Gil and The Kid. However, as we know it could be anyone. I think the later cities will prove to be more interesting, granted I don't know all the people running in OKC. I was just thinking about who we might see racing. People like Najee and Sean Bryan aren't particularly known for their speed, but this is the qualifiers. Grant might be racing in Cincinnati against Swanson or Caldiero, Joe will probably be in Baltimore possibly against Najee or Chris W. or even Jamie Rahn. Sean or Geoff or Jake or Lance could be in Tacoma. Honestly, though, there are probably a lot of curveballs coming our way. People like The Lizard and R.J. Roman were people I never would have expected to see put up such a fast time. The Mega Wall could screw people up like it did Soderman and Flip, though, too. The Power Tower is going to get in people's head, that's for sure. It does add a little flare of drama, I have to admit.
Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent, but like I said, I don't have much to say. I think Bergstrom was foolish to attempt the wall. He's 19, I believe, which means this is the first time he's on the official course. Now, I have absolutely no doubt that he has practiced on Ninja courses before including a Mega Wall. So, I'm sure he's done it before which is why he thought he could go for it in the real thing. He did get it, so good for him. He did not get it on his first try, though. In your rookie year, I think you should be concerned with a sure fire buzzer. If he had made it up on the first try, I wouldn't be saying anything, but he didn't. I'll be watching for him continuing on, but there's something about him that rubs me the wrong way. Too confident? I don't know.
Carbone really surprised me. I wasn't even thinking that he's attempt it, so I was completely shocked to see him after a commercial break. I still find it extremely annoying that they skip not only finishers but Mega Wall finishers. Him and Stratis deserve a little attention especially because it's not any more likely that they'll be on camera for the Finals. That's really it for my two-bits on Carbone and Stratis. Stratis is a returning Mega Wall champ, so I'm hoping I'll see more of them. I'm also excited to see if Carbone comes up with any more obstacles. He's got some good ones. He may be designing complete Stages and courses. I mean Stage 2 already has 2 of his creations, why not more?
Oh, I have to mention Travis Rosen. Yes, it is really impressive that he can come back onto the course and clear it within a year of a broken ankle; HOWEVER, I think he should have stepped back this year. McGrath and Stratis did this when they had shoulder surgery, and both of them were hurting. Craver was smart and took a break, and he's probably better off for it. I think Rosen is great. It's not that I don't want to see him, I just think he should put his health first. I know he thinks he's okay, and he's received the green light, but there's no harm in resting. His ankle is not at risk as much as a shoulder is, so in that regard, it's different from McGrath and Stratis, but my point remains the same. Hopefully, he didn't hurt himself any further.
There were quite a few recognizable names here. Suchocki, Yuri, Craver, Sims, Niemitalo, Gomes, and Stewart are all familiar faces who were all skipped (by the way). We had a lot of finishers, but it's a shame I can't recognize most of them. It's hard to tell if it's just because I have a rotten memory or if it's because they never show people who deserve to be shown but instead dedicate time to bios and (to put it plainly) failures. I will never not be bitter about this.
The women weren't particularly fantastic, but I was surprised by Jessica Clayton. I remember her story from last year. So far, there has been 1 great woman in each city, but the female game has yet to rise. I think Barclay may break that next Monday, but it's been a little weak. The show has noticed, too, so to speak, because they haven't made too big a deal out of any of the women. A couple, yes, but I don't care for any bios, usually, so maybe I'm just forgetting.
So, I think this is it. The only issue I had with the course was the Bouncing Spider, and I have discussed this before. I'll probably talk about the Mega Wall and the Power Tower in every city, but my main thought for this week was about the unexpected people we might be seeing. Ultimately, I expect it will be more like Atlanta than L.A., but the fun thing about the Power Tower for me is trying to guess who will be running. I also want to throw out the fact that 5 people have already scaled the Mega Wall successfully in 2 cities, whereas only 6 people total made it up in all 6 cities. So, people have definitely prepared. Let's see if Daniel, Nick, Chris, and Najee can come back like Ryan or if they choke like Adam.
Well, that's all from me. My bets are on Gil and The Kid for OKC, so until then...
Anyway, I don't think I have much to say. Concerning the course, I don't have much to grief. They have used the Bouncing Spider before, and I have stated my feelings about it. They are still the same; I still don't like it, but if you want to know why, you can look at the qualifiers/finals from the cities Jake Murray was in two years ago and Daniel Gill was in last year. Those were the cities, I believe, in which the Bouncing Spider was in previously.
Let's talk about Drew and Tyler first. If I had known these two were both competing in this city, I definitely would have bet on them competing against each other. I knew Drew would be in Atlanta, but I wasn't sure about Tyler. Anyway, I love them both, but I still don't feel so great about the Power Tower, so I feel bitter-sweet about Drew winning the Speed Pass. I stand by the City Finals, and I think they are good competitors. In Drew's case, we know he's the real deal, and we know he's an ANW champ, so the City Finals are probably just extra training for him. However, I still like watching him because he's one of the best. The finals are getting to a point where only a handful of athletes can hit a buzzer. Now, I don't think Drew was our only hope for a finisher in Atlanta, but I still like seeing him run last and sweeping people out of the water. He's really impressive, and the City Finals are one of the best ways to show the raw skill and strength. National Finals are one thing, but the City Finals are a more precise spotlight. I'm sure this doesn't mean much to Drew in the grand scheme of things, but I think I'll miss him.
Tyler Gillett: I still stand by him. I think he is going to be big this year. He might even be our final runner for Atlanta with Drew not running. Every time I see Tyler, I like him more and more. I really want him to do well, and I really want to see more of him, so I'm hoping he can push it.
Actually, I also want to touch on the Power Tower again. As you know, I do not care for the prize of the Power Tower, but I like the excitement of the competition. I like trying to guess who will be competing against each other. Sometimes it'll be an obvious duo like Gillett and Drechsel, but other times, I'm hoping it will be unpredictable like L.A. and The Lizard vs. The Godfather. Honestly, I am hoping it will be more like the latter. It's great for Drew, and I'm sure he's stoked because security for the National Finals is more important than seeing how well he can do in the City Finals, but I think it'd be great to see some new faces. It's a really great game, too. Let's think. Next week, it could be like this week. I'm thinking Gil and The Kid. However, as we know it could be anyone. I think the later cities will prove to be more interesting, granted I don't know all the people running in OKC. I was just thinking about who we might see racing. People like Najee and Sean Bryan aren't particularly known for their speed, but this is the qualifiers. Grant might be racing in Cincinnati against Swanson or Caldiero, Joe will probably be in Baltimore possibly against Najee or Chris W. or even Jamie Rahn. Sean or Geoff or Jake or Lance could be in Tacoma. Honestly, though, there are probably a lot of curveballs coming our way. People like The Lizard and R.J. Roman were people I never would have expected to see put up such a fast time. The Mega Wall could screw people up like it did Soderman and Flip, though, too. The Power Tower is going to get in people's head, that's for sure. It does add a little flare of drama, I have to admit.
Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent, but like I said, I don't have much to say. I think Bergstrom was foolish to attempt the wall. He's 19, I believe, which means this is the first time he's on the official course. Now, I have absolutely no doubt that he has practiced on Ninja courses before including a Mega Wall. So, I'm sure he's done it before which is why he thought he could go for it in the real thing. He did get it, so good for him. He did not get it on his first try, though. In your rookie year, I think you should be concerned with a sure fire buzzer. If he had made it up on the first try, I wouldn't be saying anything, but he didn't. I'll be watching for him continuing on, but there's something about him that rubs me the wrong way. Too confident? I don't know.
Carbone really surprised me. I wasn't even thinking that he's attempt it, so I was completely shocked to see him after a commercial break. I still find it extremely annoying that they skip not only finishers but Mega Wall finishers. Him and Stratis deserve a little attention especially because it's not any more likely that they'll be on camera for the Finals. That's really it for my two-bits on Carbone and Stratis. Stratis is a returning Mega Wall champ, so I'm hoping I'll see more of them. I'm also excited to see if Carbone comes up with any more obstacles. He's got some good ones. He may be designing complete Stages and courses. I mean Stage 2 already has 2 of his creations, why not more?
Oh, I have to mention Travis Rosen. Yes, it is really impressive that he can come back onto the course and clear it within a year of a broken ankle; HOWEVER, I think he should have stepped back this year. McGrath and Stratis did this when they had shoulder surgery, and both of them were hurting. Craver was smart and took a break, and he's probably better off for it. I think Rosen is great. It's not that I don't want to see him, I just think he should put his health first. I know he thinks he's okay, and he's received the green light, but there's no harm in resting. His ankle is not at risk as much as a shoulder is, so in that regard, it's different from McGrath and Stratis, but my point remains the same. Hopefully, he didn't hurt himself any further.
There were quite a few recognizable names here. Suchocki, Yuri, Craver, Sims, Niemitalo, Gomes, and Stewart are all familiar faces who were all skipped (by the way). We had a lot of finishers, but it's a shame I can't recognize most of them. It's hard to tell if it's just because I have a rotten memory or if it's because they never show people who deserve to be shown but instead dedicate time to bios and (to put it plainly) failures. I will never not be bitter about this.
The women weren't particularly fantastic, but I was surprised by Jessica Clayton. I remember her story from last year. So far, there has been 1 great woman in each city, but the female game has yet to rise. I think Barclay may break that next Monday, but it's been a little weak. The show has noticed, too, so to speak, because they haven't made too big a deal out of any of the women. A couple, yes, but I don't care for any bios, usually, so maybe I'm just forgetting.
So, I think this is it. The only issue I had with the course was the Bouncing Spider, and I have discussed this before. I'll probably talk about the Mega Wall and the Power Tower in every city, but my main thought for this week was about the unexpected people we might be seeing. Ultimately, I expect it will be more like Atlanta than L.A., but the fun thing about the Power Tower for me is trying to guess who will be running. I also want to throw out the fact that 5 people have already scaled the Mega Wall successfully in 2 cities, whereas only 6 people total made it up in all 6 cities. So, people have definitely prepared. Let's see if Daniel, Nick, Chris, and Najee can come back like Ryan or if they choke like Adam.
Well, that's all from me. My bets are on Gil and The Kid for OKC, so until then...
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