Coming back to Atlanta after L.A., I don't think ATL's course was as difficult. Now, honestly, I am in no real position to be making this kind of claim since I myself would be able to do 0% of these courses. However, after watching for years and seeing what some of these people can do, ATL's course didn't seem hard enough. For starters, I hate the Bouncing Spider, and second, Up for Grabs didn't seem on par with The Hinge. I think Fallout and Leap of Faith were fairly even as well as The Ferris Wheel and Spin Hopper. I wasn't too crazy about Up for Grabs, and it definitely wasn't the Ninja Killer that some other 8th obstacles are. It seems like veterans, in particular, wouldn't find this as challenging because they are used to the feeling of the obstacle and the hard impact which is the really the only difficult thing about the obstacle. That's really all I have regarding the course. It wasn't my favorite, I guess.
Let's move onto the finishers. I suppose it's only logical to start with none other than the one and only Drew Drechsel! At the beginning, I actually forgot that he had the Speed Pass, so I was a little nervous. Think about Drew not being in Vegas, right? Then Matt said he was guaranteed, and I loss the tension. This is one reason I'm not too crazy about the Speed Pass. It takes away all the tension and mystery. I'm sure this is helpful to those who have the ease of security, but it's not as fun for us. Then again, it's also Drew, so we could all probably expect him to hit the buzzer anyway. Now, Drew has achieved the Trifecta, and the only other one to do so will be Daniel Gil, who I am very excited for. Drew is unbelievable, truly. Kevin Carbone, who I will talk about later, ran very smooth and effective, but then you see Drew, and it is so unbelievable how effortless he makes the course look. I don't have any other words; he is amazing! He never even looks winded, he never gets hung up, he never stumbles or waits. He just runs things so easily. I mean, this is obviously nothing new to anyone who has seen Drew run before, but it has to be mentioned. There are always big upsets, and Drew has failed to hit a City Finals buzzer before, but Drew rarely disappoints. I still hate the Safety Pass, but it'll be interesting to see if Drew even needs it. So, Drew was Drew. I'm used to seeing him be flawless on the course, but something about last night was extra extraordinary. Am I the only one who thinks so?
Let's just move on. I want to talk about Kevin Carbone next. It absolutely kills me that they skipped him in Qualifying, mostly because he scaled the Mega Wall. He's also only 5'8", so it's pretty impressive. Maybe last year he didn't do so hot, but I still think all finishers should be shown, at least partially. I am glad he was shown in the Finals, though. I would have actually liked to see Carbone win the Safety Pass instead. He's got some energy this season, and I'm excited to see where it takes him. He was a bit of a shocker in Atlanta.
Speaking of people they skipped in Qualifying, let's talk about Ryan Stratis. He scaled the Mega Wall this year and last year (he was also skipped then, I believe), and he's competed on every season. I really don't understand why they choose to skip people like Stratis. Although, I don't have much to say about Stratis. I think he's becoming a little under appreciated. In Vegas, he may not do as well as some of the others, but in the City courses, he does really well. He has a tendency to go unnoticed lately, in my opinion. I get uncomfortable when people cry, especially men, so seeing him emotional was kind of weird. I guess I just don't know the feeling, though. I can't be mad at him for being happy, right?In truth, I do think it's kind of great to see people overwhelmed with happiness. When it is tears of sadness, then I think it's over the top. Also, he bled. There have been a lot of bleeders this season. There was someone else in Atlanta (I'm sorry I don't remember the name!), and then Michelle Warnky, and Hunter Guerard all had issues with blood on the course. I guess I don't realize how sharp or heavy these obstacles are. On Block Run, Crazy Craver took a corner to the chest, and I imagine that must have hurt. Anyway, he powered through, as one would expect from Stratis, but I thought it was kind of gross that he basically bled on the next 6 or 7 obstacles.
They also completely skipped Brett Sims, and this really peeves me. He finished! There were only 5 finishers, and they don't have the decency to show all of them? They show the guy who failed on the second obstacle in the City Finals, but they don't have the time to show an actual finisher? I know he hasn't done the best every year he has competed, but this was his second City Finals buzzer, and again, there were only 5 finishers! They prioritize bios and stories way, way too much that it treats the athletes unfairly. I know, I know: it's not about screen time, but I still think it's rude and unnecessary. The producers all think people love the stories, but if you look at the best of the best, none of them have sob stories. Most of them don't even get stories, they just run the dang course and beast it. Seriously, Drew doesn't have personal stories, but he's one of the ultimate best on the show. People like him are really the ones to carry the show. I truly believe that the stories are not needed. At least, they don't need to be over 30-45 seconds, and they especially don't need to be longer than the length of the runner's actual time on the course. All right, I know I go on this rant at least every other post, but it really annoys me. Brett did well, and he should be recognized for that. We all know that he is probably going to drown in the Big Names at Vegas, anyway, so this should be his time to shine. Okay, I guess this covers Stratis and Sims. I'll be on the lookout for these two, but something tells me, we won't be seeing much of either of them anymore.
Now, Tyler Gillett. You know I love him, and I think he's slightly underrated. Again, it bugs me that he wasn't shown. He has a better shot at scoring some screen time in Vegas, but it doesn't mean he should be overlooked. I really like Gillett. I really want to see him do well. To be honest, I would have been happier if someone like Gillett, Carbone, or Stratis had won the Safety Pass, but when you go against someone like Drew, what can you do? I actually don't have much to say about his run, possibly because we didn't see him run. It did surprise me that his time was over 1 minute slower than Carbone. I know they're friends, and probably train together sometimes, but Gillett has a faster vibe than Carbone. Anyway, I'm excited to see Gillett in Vegas. He's quickly rising to one of the top spots in my favorites.
Let's talk about the next three: R.J. Roman, Jody Freeman, and Kenny Niemitalo. These kinds of guys show you how important good shoes are (unless you're Jamie Rahn, right?) This doesn't actually happen very often. It's nothing against the athlete's abilities, but it's kind of a bummer that they lose out because of their choice of shoes. Hopefully, they all learn their lesson and find better shoes for the Spider Jump in Vegas. I'd actually love to see all these guys do well.
I guess Travis Rosen is the last person to really address. In my opinion, if I was married to someone in Rosen shoes, I would not have let him compete. These people are risking their physical health just to compete, and it seems unnecessary. Especially when you think that Travis is 44 and was thought about retiring several years ago. It just seems like he didn't need to prove anything and should have rested for an extra year. I think I mentioned this in the Qualifiers, so I don't need to run over it again. He did have an interesting fall on Up for Grabs, though. I think this is the only other issue people would have had on this obstacle. It was a little odd that this happened to Rosen since he's such a pro vet. I was expecting to see this lopsided mistake with someone else. This gives the obstacle some merit, but I still wasn't a fan.
The women weren't particularly exciting, I'll say. I doubt they'll surprise us too much in Vegas.
I'm excited for Caleb Bergstrom and Jody Freeman. Personally, I found the brother-sister duo a little obnoxious, but both of these guys are 19 years old, and I love seeing new faces. I'm excited for the next generation of ninjas, and these guys could be leading the way. Matthew Day and The Kid paved the way for 19 years olds, so one of these guys could be the next Drew Drechsel!
What else is important about last night? Well, we all knew Drew was going to best Kevin for the Safety Pass. It was kind of like Flip against Brian last week. Something tells me, the Finals Power Tower may be a little more obvious in terms of winners than Qualifiers. There are a lot less finishers in the Finals to begin with, so the second fastest time may not mean much next to the fastest time.
I still have some issue with the new rules about who they are letting through to Vegas. This week, because Drew finished, I guess, he was included in the overall list, so it was Top 12 + Speed Pass, but he was still ranked (as 1) so there were 13 total. Last week in L.A. Hunter was just tagged on at the end, and it was 12 total. To begin with, I don't like that they include the top 2 women in the 15, but it bothers me that the Speed Pass winner is also included. So, in Atlanta, there were 15 total, but only the Top 12 fastest time and farthest distance, whereas in the past, the women were separate. I liked this way better. Then people like Devin Harrelson (probably spelled that wrong) and Josiah Singleton might have made it. Granted, they may have drowned in Vegas, but isn't it worth having more people? I don't know. Maybe I'm the only one who has an issue with this. I suppose they still have a total of 15 moving onto Vegas. The women isn't as bad, but the Speed Pass winner should NOT be included.
Also, the last thing I was surprised by was the final times. Not Drew, of course, but Tyler Gillett and Ryan Stratis were a twist. I know they edit it because there was no way they spent over 8 minutes on Stratis's run. I know Stratis isn't a speed demon, but I would never have guessed that it was that long. Gillett was also interesting because he is known to be a little faster. This goes to show the editing power and influence.
I still think the Power Tower is stupid, but I am excited for OKC. Again, I really want to see Gil against The Kid. I think this would make an interesting run. I think Gil would win, but it's a good test for The Kid. Without the Mega Wall in the way, it is much more possible. There are always upsets and surprises, so we'll just have to wait and see! So, until then... (I need to find a good way to sign off).
Let's move onto the finishers. I suppose it's only logical to start with none other than the one and only Drew Drechsel! At the beginning, I actually forgot that he had the Speed Pass, so I was a little nervous. Think about Drew not being in Vegas, right? Then Matt said he was guaranteed, and I loss the tension. This is one reason I'm not too crazy about the Speed Pass. It takes away all the tension and mystery. I'm sure this is helpful to those who have the ease of security, but it's not as fun for us. Then again, it's also Drew, so we could all probably expect him to hit the buzzer anyway. Now, Drew has achieved the Trifecta, and the only other one to do so will be Daniel Gil, who I am very excited for. Drew is unbelievable, truly. Kevin Carbone, who I will talk about later, ran very smooth and effective, but then you see Drew, and it is so unbelievable how effortless he makes the course look. I don't have any other words; he is amazing! He never even looks winded, he never gets hung up, he never stumbles or waits. He just runs things so easily. I mean, this is obviously nothing new to anyone who has seen Drew run before, but it has to be mentioned. There are always big upsets, and Drew has failed to hit a City Finals buzzer before, but Drew rarely disappoints. I still hate the Safety Pass, but it'll be interesting to see if Drew even needs it. So, Drew was Drew. I'm used to seeing him be flawless on the course, but something about last night was extra extraordinary. Am I the only one who thinks so?
Let's just move on. I want to talk about Kevin Carbone next. It absolutely kills me that they skipped him in Qualifying, mostly because he scaled the Mega Wall. He's also only 5'8", so it's pretty impressive. Maybe last year he didn't do so hot, but I still think all finishers should be shown, at least partially. I am glad he was shown in the Finals, though. I would have actually liked to see Carbone win the Safety Pass instead. He's got some energy this season, and I'm excited to see where it takes him. He was a bit of a shocker in Atlanta.
Speaking of people they skipped in Qualifying, let's talk about Ryan Stratis. He scaled the Mega Wall this year and last year (he was also skipped then, I believe), and he's competed on every season. I really don't understand why they choose to skip people like Stratis. Although, I don't have much to say about Stratis. I think he's becoming a little under appreciated. In Vegas, he may not do as well as some of the others, but in the City courses, he does really well. He has a tendency to go unnoticed lately, in my opinion. I get uncomfortable when people cry, especially men, so seeing him emotional was kind of weird. I guess I just don't know the feeling, though. I can't be mad at him for being happy, right?In truth, I do think it's kind of great to see people overwhelmed with happiness. When it is tears of sadness, then I think it's over the top. Also, he bled. There have been a lot of bleeders this season. There was someone else in Atlanta (I'm sorry I don't remember the name!), and then Michelle Warnky, and Hunter Guerard all had issues with blood on the course. I guess I don't realize how sharp or heavy these obstacles are. On Block Run, Crazy Craver took a corner to the chest, and I imagine that must have hurt. Anyway, he powered through, as one would expect from Stratis, but I thought it was kind of gross that he basically bled on the next 6 or 7 obstacles.
They also completely skipped Brett Sims, and this really peeves me. He finished! There were only 5 finishers, and they don't have the decency to show all of them? They show the guy who failed on the second obstacle in the City Finals, but they don't have the time to show an actual finisher? I know he hasn't done the best every year he has competed, but this was his second City Finals buzzer, and again, there were only 5 finishers! They prioritize bios and stories way, way too much that it treats the athletes unfairly. I know, I know: it's not about screen time, but I still think it's rude and unnecessary. The producers all think people love the stories, but if you look at the best of the best, none of them have sob stories. Most of them don't even get stories, they just run the dang course and beast it. Seriously, Drew doesn't have personal stories, but he's one of the ultimate best on the show. People like him are really the ones to carry the show. I truly believe that the stories are not needed. At least, they don't need to be over 30-45 seconds, and they especially don't need to be longer than the length of the runner's actual time on the course. All right, I know I go on this rant at least every other post, but it really annoys me. Brett did well, and he should be recognized for that. We all know that he is probably going to drown in the Big Names at Vegas, anyway, so this should be his time to shine. Okay, I guess this covers Stratis and Sims. I'll be on the lookout for these two, but something tells me, we won't be seeing much of either of them anymore.
Now, Tyler Gillett. You know I love him, and I think he's slightly underrated. Again, it bugs me that he wasn't shown. He has a better shot at scoring some screen time in Vegas, but it doesn't mean he should be overlooked. I really like Gillett. I really want to see him do well. To be honest, I would have been happier if someone like Gillett, Carbone, or Stratis had won the Safety Pass, but when you go against someone like Drew, what can you do? I actually don't have much to say about his run, possibly because we didn't see him run. It did surprise me that his time was over 1 minute slower than Carbone. I know they're friends, and probably train together sometimes, but Gillett has a faster vibe than Carbone. Anyway, I'm excited to see Gillett in Vegas. He's quickly rising to one of the top spots in my favorites.
Let's talk about the next three: R.J. Roman, Jody Freeman, and Kenny Niemitalo. These kinds of guys show you how important good shoes are (unless you're Jamie Rahn, right?) This doesn't actually happen very often. It's nothing against the athlete's abilities, but it's kind of a bummer that they lose out because of their choice of shoes. Hopefully, they all learn their lesson and find better shoes for the Spider Jump in Vegas. I'd actually love to see all these guys do well.
I guess Travis Rosen is the last person to really address. In my opinion, if I was married to someone in Rosen shoes, I would not have let him compete. These people are risking their physical health just to compete, and it seems unnecessary. Especially when you think that Travis is 44 and was thought about retiring several years ago. It just seems like he didn't need to prove anything and should have rested for an extra year. I think I mentioned this in the Qualifiers, so I don't need to run over it again. He did have an interesting fall on Up for Grabs, though. I think this is the only other issue people would have had on this obstacle. It was a little odd that this happened to Rosen since he's such a pro vet. I was expecting to see this lopsided mistake with someone else. This gives the obstacle some merit, but I still wasn't a fan.
The women weren't particularly exciting, I'll say. I doubt they'll surprise us too much in Vegas.
I'm excited for Caleb Bergstrom and Jody Freeman. Personally, I found the brother-sister duo a little obnoxious, but both of these guys are 19 years old, and I love seeing new faces. I'm excited for the next generation of ninjas, and these guys could be leading the way. Matthew Day and The Kid paved the way for 19 years olds, so one of these guys could be the next Drew Drechsel!
What else is important about last night? Well, we all knew Drew was going to best Kevin for the Safety Pass. It was kind of like Flip against Brian last week. Something tells me, the Finals Power Tower may be a little more obvious in terms of winners than Qualifiers. There are a lot less finishers in the Finals to begin with, so the second fastest time may not mean much next to the fastest time.
I still have some issue with the new rules about who they are letting through to Vegas. This week, because Drew finished, I guess, he was included in the overall list, so it was Top 12 + Speed Pass, but he was still ranked (as 1) so there were 13 total. Last week in L.A. Hunter was just tagged on at the end, and it was 12 total. To begin with, I don't like that they include the top 2 women in the 15, but it bothers me that the Speed Pass winner is also included. So, in Atlanta, there were 15 total, but only the Top 12 fastest time and farthest distance, whereas in the past, the women were separate. I liked this way better. Then people like Devin Harrelson (probably spelled that wrong) and Josiah Singleton might have made it. Granted, they may have drowned in Vegas, but isn't it worth having more people? I don't know. Maybe I'm the only one who has an issue with this. I suppose they still have a total of 15 moving onto Vegas. The women isn't as bad, but the Speed Pass winner should NOT be included.
Also, the last thing I was surprised by was the final times. Not Drew, of course, but Tyler Gillett and Ryan Stratis were a twist. I know they edit it because there was no way they spent over 8 minutes on Stratis's run. I know Stratis isn't a speed demon, but I would never have guessed that it was that long. Gillett was also interesting because he is known to be a little faster. This goes to show the editing power and influence.
I still think the Power Tower is stupid, but I am excited for OKC. Again, I really want to see Gil against The Kid. I think this would make an interesting run. I think Gil would win, but it's a good test for The Kid. Without the Mega Wall in the way, it is much more possible. There are always upsets and surprises, so we'll just have to wait and see! So, until then... (I need to find a good way to sign off).
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