I'm not going to lie, this week's episode actually might have had more (major) downfalls than buzzers. I was a little surprised that the Diving Boards gave people so much trouble, but they were also in the OKC city course. I think it's a little unfair that some people got to see it/try it before they might have faced in it Vegas. It probably doesn't mean too much in the long run, but this has happened before, and frankly, I think all the obstacles in Vegas should be exclusive to Vegas, at least for that particular year. Spin Your Wheels also looked difficult especially in comparison to their previous 2nd obstacles. They also didn't change the course quite as much as I thought, I think. I usually expect them to drastically change the Stages of Mt. Midoriyama. I think we see that more in Stage 2 and Stage 3, though. I think Stage 1 can be kind of boring, despite all the upsets we still see. Don't get me wrong, I do like it, and they have managed to keep Stage 1 full body/foot work centered, which I like and appreciate. Stage 2 and Stage 3 can focus on the grip and upper body and take people out that way, but Stage 1 helps round everything out. I think Spin Your Wheels and even Diving Boards were actually decent changes, too. They were definitely difficult, and took people out, but they weren't too outrageous, in my opinion. They were obstacles we could almost expect to see due to their difficulty. I still wonder about Stage 2, and what they will change. I think Wing Nuts will stay for at least one more year, so if it is still there in two weeks, I expect that it'll be gone by next year. One thing I thought I noticed was their platforms. Something about the Archer steps looked steeper, and obviously there was a new gap after Double Dipper, which I was a little surprised that no one slipped through it, to be honest. I'm not sure if the alteration to Tire Run made it any harder or not, but I guess it still took people out, so it was good enough. If they ever change or remove the Spider Jump, it will be a tragedy. It's like the Warped Wall in the city courses; it's a classic, so I'm glad it still remained. Overall, I was happy with Stage 1. It wasn't outrageous, completely do-able, and an accurate course for Stage 1's general focus.
All right. Let's talk competitors. There are going to be a lot of familiar faces next week, but this week had some great names, too. First, let's talk about those whose season ended. And who better to start with than our leading ladies: Michelle Warnky and Jesse Labreck.
I don't want to sound mean, but I mentioned it last week's post, so I'll say it again: I knew Michelle would fall. Michelle actually does great on the city courses, but she really drowns in Vegas. She's clearly proven that she is really strong and a great competitor, but I don't think we'll ever see her on Stage 2. It was also a really bad sign that she was shown first. We'll never see a finisher be the first shown (expect maybe once it has happened?).
Jesse was so close, and I, along with so many others, really believed this was her year, especially after last week in Cincinnati. Spin Your Wheels really messed her up. After she struggled and passed it, she was still making great time, to my surprise. She actually probably had enough time to finish, bu I think time still gets to her head. It could also be in conjunction with the fatigue in her grip after spending so much time on the Wheel, or completely due to it, but I think she gets in her head a little too much? There is a reason she has failed on the final obstacle 3 years in a row. After seeing what she can do in city courses, I highly doubt there is a lack of strength. I really think the time pressure affects her to a decent extent. Women run slower, even the best-- Jessie Graff-- moves slower than a lot of the men (who reach the same point as her, anyway). Jesse Labreck is no exception. While she does hustle a lot more, part of which makes her one of the best female athletes in my opinion, having a strict time limit can probably affect your mental game, which we're starting to realize is a huge aspect of this sport. I know her downfall came when her hands couldn't grab the cargo net, but I think her time on Spin Your Wheels really hurt her more than her possible lack of strength.
The next lady to talk about would be Barclay Stockett. She is definitely strong and capable of finishing Stage 1, but her height really, really hurts. The Warped Wall on Stage 1 is so steep, it practically shoots vertically. I also think there might be a little less running room, and I imagine that the upward curve at the back doesn't really help much (if not hurt). Like I've said in the past, there is a height limit, but on the other end, there is also a height standard, that's not the right word, but you know what I mean, right? Jesse is 5'7", and Jessie is probably around 5'6"-5'8" (which is probably too tall). That's decent. The good height for men is only a few inches taller than Jesse. Barclay is too short. I know people always talk about "there is nothing that can stop you", "Don't let anything stand in your way", "Anyone can do anything" blah blah blah. But there are restrictions based on height. It hurts the tall and the short. Barclay on one end of the spectrum, and people like Brandon Mears on the other end. Obviously, I want to see Barclay again, and I'd love to see what she could do on Stage 2 given a chance in the regular season. I know in the All Stars episode she fell on the final move of the Criss Cross Salmon Ladder, I believe that was her section, so maybe that would happen again, but she is definitely one of the strongest women. I actually think that with some extra height, she might be better than Jesse Labreck. (And by better, I just mean more consistently accurate, if that makes sense, and/or consistently make it farther each season.)
I think this is a major problem with women in Vegas. On Stage 1, it's not really that these women lack the ability (now, at least), but it's time and height, maybe even a little of the mental aspect. I know we've seen Jessie and Allyssa hit that buzzer, but I believe, for the most part, in the future, we still won't see women on Stage 2. Jessie is probably our best hope, and she may break the pattern, but she's more of a rare exception. Of course, I'd love to see her next to Barclay and Jesse and Michelle and Allyssa, but I just really doubt these women's seasons will extend that far, and definitely not all together.
Next, Bull was a sad surprise. Seeing him second, I knew he was going to fail. Then he made it to the last obstacle, and I thought maybe they would actually place a finisher second, but then he dropped. The first handful of people never make it, so you do not want to see your favorites hitting the starting line in the beginning of the episode. Bull has slipped quite a bit. His rookie year was phenomenal, and he had a good thing going for a couple years after that, but recently, he's barely been a big star even in his city courses. I do still like Bull, but I suppose he hasn't been high on my list, either. He is easily recognizable, I will say. Bull also strikes me as the kind of person who prioritizes his real life way more than ANW; this is just a hobby or something he does once a year for fun. He seems like he's got a great cause and is doing great work for Alopecia, which is obviously more important. I was a touch shocked, though, that he fell because Stage 1 doesn't really seem like his weak spot. He's a good fan favorite, but I wonder what is in store for his ANW career from now on.
I also want to mention, because I am listening to ANW's last year's final podcast where Jake Murray was the guest, it was cool to see him show Spin Your Wheels. It was unexpected to see this weird insert because we've never seen an obstacle debut like this. We've seen other guys test in from earlier in the day, but to have Jake there was odd, but fun. Later on Instagram, on his story, he zoomed in on the image of when the description thing said 'failed to qualify' and it was so funny. I love Jake Murray; go listen to the podcast; he's great. I really wish he was in Vegas this year.
Anyway, that was kind of a rabbit hole, I just really like Murray. Until we see Stage 2 and 3, he is the biggest upset in my book, so far.
Um, we've also got to mention Flip. I was just as shocked as everyone else when he fell. I thought Karson, who was shown later, would have used his pass, and Flip typically can do this stuff on the first go. But, we have things switched up when Flip finds himself wet, and Karson was perfectly fine that night. You know I hate the Safety Pass, so from now on, true to my word, I am against Flip. I think he'll fall on Stage 2, and even if somehow he manages to pass, Stage 3 will definitely take him out, 100%, no doubt on my part. For now, though, he is the only one I am actively rooting against. Usually, I don't want to see any of these guys fail, and as long as they're running on their first attempt, I have no qualms with them. Once they activate that stupid pass, though, they've lost me. So, Flip is the first. I was impressed with Karson, though. I don't really remember much of his past in ANW, so I was thinking he would fall on Stage 1. I still think he'll fall on Stage 2, but when he uses his pass, I think he might pass the obstacle he falls on and then will fall on another. This is unless it's the Wing Nuts, should they be there. If he falls on that, I still think he'll fail the Stage, I just don't know if it'll be on the same obstacle. So, we still have Cavanagh, The Kid, Drew, and Michael to see and what happens with their passes. I will stand by it, too. Even if Drew Drechsel himself fails on Stage 1 or 2 and uses his pass, I will be against him. To be honest, Drew is one of the best, yes, I will agree with that. He is definitely at the top for winning everything; however, if he needs to use his pass, I will not be rooting for him. Even now, Drew isn't actually my favorite, but is still high on the list.
All right, who else? Travis Rosen had quite a story. I remember he was going to retire years ago when he was on Team USA, and he went up against Sean for the climb and the trophy. I thought he said that if he had won, he would have retired, but because he lost, he wanted to continue. So, it's not like Rosen hasn't mentioned this. To be honest, I really admire the fact that he made the conscious decision to retire from the show. He is getting older and he did severely injure himself the year before. I understand that he wanted to return for one final year to have a comeback after his great injury, and save face to some degree. He ended with a bang, I guess, although I would have loved to see him hit the Stage 1 buzzer. Not necessarily because I wanted to see him on Stage 2, but conquering all of Stage 1, not just the Double Dipper, would have been a good way to end his ANW career. I think people were a little over the top with describing him as a 'legend' and not being able to imagine ANW without Rosen, but I think we can at least appreciate the good things people have to say about him. You now, at the end of the day, that's what people want anyway. To be remembered and loved. I think ANW will be the same without him, but it was nice that people had such good things to say, albeit a little annoying, too.
Looking at the list of finishers this week, I'm surprised that there were no rookies. Sem was 1 of 22, and some like Conor Galvin and David Wright, I was really cheering for, not going to lie. I guess, realistically, we only see 2 or 3 rookies make it to Stage 2, anyway. I was glad to see Lucas Reale was a finisher. He was a rookie who advanced to Stage 2 last year, so he's got potential to be leading the next generation. Currently, it feels kind of like The Kid is bringing in the new generation, but we'll have to see how he fares on Stage 1 and how he makes the best of his Safety Pass.
Dan Polizzi was also a bit surprising. He is definitely better than his fellow Tower of Power, Mears, and he has proven that multiple times before. Dan still pushes the tall side, though, and he's a little bulky in muscle. I am going to be brutally honest, I don't really think either him of Mears is really ANW material. No doubt they're strong, and clearly they can do enough fast enough to get to Vegas, but let's face it, Dan will fall on Stage 2, it's just a matter of how early.
Not much to say about Stratis, Rayl, Roman, or Carbone although I am happy all of them made it. Lorin Ball was a bit of a surprise only due to his slower time, not his ability. Ball is usually a speed demon, so to see him at the bottom of the 12 man list is interesting. Especially considering he's after Stratis who kind of has a reputation (for me) for being slower. It does amaze me that these people can run the same course and yet have such different times. I know they cut out when people idle between obstacles, so everyone seems to running at the same pace, for the most part. Ball has also had some trouble hitting the Stage 1 buzzer for the past couple of years, it would appear, so maybe that had something to do with it, even though they did not show his run.
Speaking of Stratis, he won the beard battle again. I kind of figured. I expected Stratis to win the bet, but I didn't expect Sims to go out on Spin Your Wheels. I completely understand how it could be an obstacle you get hung up on, but I thought he would slip up elsewhere. I think last year, though he lost, he lasted a little longer. It also surprises me that Sims can stay on par with Stratis in the Finals. Last year when they had the bet, I didn't believe that Sims could hit a city buzzer. Even this year, I was a little surprised that they both made it to the top and kept the bet alive. So, I have to give kudos to Sims for that. His season may have ended early in Vegas, but it is no easy feat to conquer a City Finals Course.
I guess the closest we have to rookies are Nate Burkhalter and Chris DiGangi. While neither of these are newbies to the obstacles, hitting that buzzer was new for both, I believe. In terms of Jesse versus Chris, I definitely think Jesse is stronger, despite not hitting the buzzer like Chris this year. I think most people would agree with me, probably DiGangi himself, too. Obviously, I still like seeing him succeed, and this has a lot to do with the fact that him and Jesse are a couple. They're really cute together. I think it would be cool if they had a ninja wedding like Jamie Rahn.
Daniel Gil is amazing. There's not much else to be said. He ran last, so I pretty much expected him to hit the buzzer and with the fastest time. I have a lot of favorites, obviously, but Gil is really one of my favorites. Gil and Moravsky are my top two absolute favorites, and above anyone else, I would want one of them to win before anyone else (after Caldiero and Britten, of course). I can't say I would have full confidence in him on Stage 3, but I believe he would still go far, and I'd love to see him there again.
We also can't forget about poor Najee. This was the biggest upset of the night. Najee was really in the spotlight in his city courses, and he has had great success the past 2 years in Vegas. It was definitely shocking to see him go out on Tire Run, and almost more shocking to see that he couldn't recover. Najee seems like one of the few people who could have somehow saved himself just in time, and it's unfortunate that the Phoenix has grounded for the season. I actually kind of just assumed he would be trying for revenge on Stage 2, so he's another case of how quickly a season can end. I guess we'll have to see how much love they give him next year. If him and Joe are together, and Joe does better, Joe will be back in the spotlight, and Najee may find himself shown in the middle of the night.
You know, it's funny, I watched the episode just last night, less than 24 hours ago, but I can't really remember many people who ran. There is another person I wanted to mention, not because of his performance on the course, but because of the way they handled his bio. It was exactly the same as his City bio which was literally last week. It was the same information, too, and they just showed clips of his run from last week!!! I thought, of all the stupid issues with bios, this was ridiculous. No hate against Philip Scott, of course, he did great, but his bio was bad. I hate bios, and this is part of the reason why.
Anyway, aside from probably Najee and maybe Travis, there weren't actually too many shockers. I guess this may be a tad contradictory from what I first said up above. There were some people in the middle -- like Brett Sims, Brian Kretsch, and David Campbell-- who were question marks, and then we had some bigger upsets -- Najee, Travis, Bull, Jesse, Michelle, and Barclay-- but except for Najee and maybe Jesse, I can't say I wouldn't believe you if you told me the other four would fall, you feel me? You know what's interesting... I think they said 86 people total, and it's split in half between two nights. Well, if you google a recap and look at all the people who ran, only 36 (or something like that) were shown/talked about. That means a few people were skipped all together? I feel like this happens in City Courses, too, where some people just show up on the final list, but I never remember them being shown at all during the episode. Am I missing something or is my math off? Let me know if you know how the show works behind the scenes.
Lastly, there are a lot of big names left to run. I'm excited for:
Drew Drechsel
Joe Moravsky
Sean Bryan
The Kid
Michael Torres
Dave Cavanagh
Jessie Graff
Allyssa Beird
Hunter Guerard
Chris Wilczewski
Nick Hanson
I'm missing people, I can just feel it, but I'll let you know my thoughts next week. I really have no predictions. Realistically, I want to have faith in all of these people, but a couple of them have to fall. Hopefully, not too many, and hopefully, not my top favorites.
Comment who you are most excited for next week, and who you think will be the Last Man Standing this season. Until next time...!
All right. Let's talk competitors. There are going to be a lot of familiar faces next week, but this week had some great names, too. First, let's talk about those whose season ended. And who better to start with than our leading ladies: Michelle Warnky and Jesse Labreck.
I don't want to sound mean, but I mentioned it last week's post, so I'll say it again: I knew Michelle would fall. Michelle actually does great on the city courses, but she really drowns in Vegas. She's clearly proven that she is really strong and a great competitor, but I don't think we'll ever see her on Stage 2. It was also a really bad sign that she was shown first. We'll never see a finisher be the first shown (expect maybe once it has happened?).
Jesse was so close, and I, along with so many others, really believed this was her year, especially after last week in Cincinnati. Spin Your Wheels really messed her up. After she struggled and passed it, she was still making great time, to my surprise. She actually probably had enough time to finish, bu I think time still gets to her head. It could also be in conjunction with the fatigue in her grip after spending so much time on the Wheel, or completely due to it, but I think she gets in her head a little too much? There is a reason she has failed on the final obstacle 3 years in a row. After seeing what she can do in city courses, I highly doubt there is a lack of strength. I really think the time pressure affects her to a decent extent. Women run slower, even the best-- Jessie Graff-- moves slower than a lot of the men (who reach the same point as her, anyway). Jesse Labreck is no exception. While she does hustle a lot more, part of which makes her one of the best female athletes in my opinion, having a strict time limit can probably affect your mental game, which we're starting to realize is a huge aspect of this sport. I know her downfall came when her hands couldn't grab the cargo net, but I think her time on Spin Your Wheels really hurt her more than her possible lack of strength.
The next lady to talk about would be Barclay Stockett. She is definitely strong and capable of finishing Stage 1, but her height really, really hurts. The Warped Wall on Stage 1 is so steep, it practically shoots vertically. I also think there might be a little less running room, and I imagine that the upward curve at the back doesn't really help much (if not hurt). Like I've said in the past, there is a height limit, but on the other end, there is also a height standard, that's not the right word, but you know what I mean, right? Jesse is 5'7", and Jessie is probably around 5'6"-5'8" (which is probably too tall). That's decent. The good height for men is only a few inches taller than Jesse. Barclay is too short. I know people always talk about "there is nothing that can stop you", "Don't let anything stand in your way", "Anyone can do anything" blah blah blah. But there are restrictions based on height. It hurts the tall and the short. Barclay on one end of the spectrum, and people like Brandon Mears on the other end. Obviously, I want to see Barclay again, and I'd love to see what she could do on Stage 2 given a chance in the regular season. I know in the All Stars episode she fell on the final move of the Criss Cross Salmon Ladder, I believe that was her section, so maybe that would happen again, but she is definitely one of the strongest women. I actually think that with some extra height, she might be better than Jesse Labreck. (And by better, I just mean more consistently accurate, if that makes sense, and/or consistently make it farther each season.)
I think this is a major problem with women in Vegas. On Stage 1, it's not really that these women lack the ability (now, at least), but it's time and height, maybe even a little of the mental aspect. I know we've seen Jessie and Allyssa hit that buzzer, but I believe, for the most part, in the future, we still won't see women on Stage 2. Jessie is probably our best hope, and she may break the pattern, but she's more of a rare exception. Of course, I'd love to see her next to Barclay and Jesse and Michelle and Allyssa, but I just really doubt these women's seasons will extend that far, and definitely not all together.
Next, Bull was a sad surprise. Seeing him second, I knew he was going to fail. Then he made it to the last obstacle, and I thought maybe they would actually place a finisher second, but then he dropped. The first handful of people never make it, so you do not want to see your favorites hitting the starting line in the beginning of the episode. Bull has slipped quite a bit. His rookie year was phenomenal, and he had a good thing going for a couple years after that, but recently, he's barely been a big star even in his city courses. I do still like Bull, but I suppose he hasn't been high on my list, either. He is easily recognizable, I will say. Bull also strikes me as the kind of person who prioritizes his real life way more than ANW; this is just a hobby or something he does once a year for fun. He seems like he's got a great cause and is doing great work for Alopecia, which is obviously more important. I was a touch shocked, though, that he fell because Stage 1 doesn't really seem like his weak spot. He's a good fan favorite, but I wonder what is in store for his ANW career from now on.
I also want to mention, because I am listening to ANW's last year's final podcast where Jake Murray was the guest, it was cool to see him show Spin Your Wheels. It was unexpected to see this weird insert because we've never seen an obstacle debut like this. We've seen other guys test in from earlier in the day, but to have Jake there was odd, but fun. Later on Instagram, on his story, he zoomed in on the image of when the description thing said 'failed to qualify' and it was so funny. I love Jake Murray; go listen to the podcast; he's great. I really wish he was in Vegas this year.
Anyway, that was kind of a rabbit hole, I just really like Murray. Until we see Stage 2 and 3, he is the biggest upset in my book, so far.
Um, we've also got to mention Flip. I was just as shocked as everyone else when he fell. I thought Karson, who was shown later, would have used his pass, and Flip typically can do this stuff on the first go. But, we have things switched up when Flip finds himself wet, and Karson was perfectly fine that night. You know I hate the Safety Pass, so from now on, true to my word, I am against Flip. I think he'll fall on Stage 2, and even if somehow he manages to pass, Stage 3 will definitely take him out, 100%, no doubt on my part. For now, though, he is the only one I am actively rooting against. Usually, I don't want to see any of these guys fail, and as long as they're running on their first attempt, I have no qualms with them. Once they activate that stupid pass, though, they've lost me. So, Flip is the first. I was impressed with Karson, though. I don't really remember much of his past in ANW, so I was thinking he would fall on Stage 1. I still think he'll fall on Stage 2, but when he uses his pass, I think he might pass the obstacle he falls on and then will fall on another. This is unless it's the Wing Nuts, should they be there. If he falls on that, I still think he'll fail the Stage, I just don't know if it'll be on the same obstacle. So, we still have Cavanagh, The Kid, Drew, and Michael to see and what happens with their passes. I will stand by it, too. Even if Drew Drechsel himself fails on Stage 1 or 2 and uses his pass, I will be against him. To be honest, Drew is one of the best, yes, I will agree with that. He is definitely at the top for winning everything; however, if he needs to use his pass, I will not be rooting for him. Even now, Drew isn't actually my favorite, but is still high on the list.
All right, who else? Travis Rosen had quite a story. I remember he was going to retire years ago when he was on Team USA, and he went up against Sean for the climb and the trophy. I thought he said that if he had won, he would have retired, but because he lost, he wanted to continue. So, it's not like Rosen hasn't mentioned this. To be honest, I really admire the fact that he made the conscious decision to retire from the show. He is getting older and he did severely injure himself the year before. I understand that he wanted to return for one final year to have a comeback after his great injury, and save face to some degree. He ended with a bang, I guess, although I would have loved to see him hit the Stage 1 buzzer. Not necessarily because I wanted to see him on Stage 2, but conquering all of Stage 1, not just the Double Dipper, would have been a good way to end his ANW career. I think people were a little over the top with describing him as a 'legend' and not being able to imagine ANW without Rosen, but I think we can at least appreciate the good things people have to say about him. You now, at the end of the day, that's what people want anyway. To be remembered and loved. I think ANW will be the same without him, but it was nice that people had such good things to say, albeit a little annoying, too.
Looking at the list of finishers this week, I'm surprised that there were no rookies. Sem was 1 of 22, and some like Conor Galvin and David Wright, I was really cheering for, not going to lie. I guess, realistically, we only see 2 or 3 rookies make it to Stage 2, anyway. I was glad to see Lucas Reale was a finisher. He was a rookie who advanced to Stage 2 last year, so he's got potential to be leading the next generation. Currently, it feels kind of like The Kid is bringing in the new generation, but we'll have to see how he fares on Stage 1 and how he makes the best of his Safety Pass.
Dan Polizzi was also a bit surprising. He is definitely better than his fellow Tower of Power, Mears, and he has proven that multiple times before. Dan still pushes the tall side, though, and he's a little bulky in muscle. I am going to be brutally honest, I don't really think either him of Mears is really ANW material. No doubt they're strong, and clearly they can do enough fast enough to get to Vegas, but let's face it, Dan will fall on Stage 2, it's just a matter of how early.
Not much to say about Stratis, Rayl, Roman, or Carbone although I am happy all of them made it. Lorin Ball was a bit of a surprise only due to his slower time, not his ability. Ball is usually a speed demon, so to see him at the bottom of the 12 man list is interesting. Especially considering he's after Stratis who kind of has a reputation (for me) for being slower. It does amaze me that these people can run the same course and yet have such different times. I know they cut out when people idle between obstacles, so everyone seems to running at the same pace, for the most part. Ball has also had some trouble hitting the Stage 1 buzzer for the past couple of years, it would appear, so maybe that had something to do with it, even though they did not show his run.
Speaking of Stratis, he won the beard battle again. I kind of figured. I expected Stratis to win the bet, but I didn't expect Sims to go out on Spin Your Wheels. I completely understand how it could be an obstacle you get hung up on, but I thought he would slip up elsewhere. I think last year, though he lost, he lasted a little longer. It also surprises me that Sims can stay on par with Stratis in the Finals. Last year when they had the bet, I didn't believe that Sims could hit a city buzzer. Even this year, I was a little surprised that they both made it to the top and kept the bet alive. So, I have to give kudos to Sims for that. His season may have ended early in Vegas, but it is no easy feat to conquer a City Finals Course.
I guess the closest we have to rookies are Nate Burkhalter and Chris DiGangi. While neither of these are newbies to the obstacles, hitting that buzzer was new for both, I believe. In terms of Jesse versus Chris, I definitely think Jesse is stronger, despite not hitting the buzzer like Chris this year. I think most people would agree with me, probably DiGangi himself, too. Obviously, I still like seeing him succeed, and this has a lot to do with the fact that him and Jesse are a couple. They're really cute together. I think it would be cool if they had a ninja wedding like Jamie Rahn.
Daniel Gil is amazing. There's not much else to be said. He ran last, so I pretty much expected him to hit the buzzer and with the fastest time. I have a lot of favorites, obviously, but Gil is really one of my favorites. Gil and Moravsky are my top two absolute favorites, and above anyone else, I would want one of them to win before anyone else (after Caldiero and Britten, of course). I can't say I would have full confidence in him on Stage 3, but I believe he would still go far, and I'd love to see him there again.
We also can't forget about poor Najee. This was the biggest upset of the night. Najee was really in the spotlight in his city courses, and he has had great success the past 2 years in Vegas. It was definitely shocking to see him go out on Tire Run, and almost more shocking to see that he couldn't recover. Najee seems like one of the few people who could have somehow saved himself just in time, and it's unfortunate that the Phoenix has grounded for the season. I actually kind of just assumed he would be trying for revenge on Stage 2, so he's another case of how quickly a season can end. I guess we'll have to see how much love they give him next year. If him and Joe are together, and Joe does better, Joe will be back in the spotlight, and Najee may find himself shown in the middle of the night.
You know, it's funny, I watched the episode just last night, less than 24 hours ago, but I can't really remember many people who ran. There is another person I wanted to mention, not because of his performance on the course, but because of the way they handled his bio. It was exactly the same as his City bio which was literally last week. It was the same information, too, and they just showed clips of his run from last week!!! I thought, of all the stupid issues with bios, this was ridiculous. No hate against Philip Scott, of course, he did great, but his bio was bad. I hate bios, and this is part of the reason why.
Anyway, aside from probably Najee and maybe Travis, there weren't actually too many shockers. I guess this may be a tad contradictory from what I first said up above. There were some people in the middle -- like Brett Sims, Brian Kretsch, and David Campbell-- who were question marks, and then we had some bigger upsets -- Najee, Travis, Bull, Jesse, Michelle, and Barclay-- but except for Najee and maybe Jesse, I can't say I wouldn't believe you if you told me the other four would fall, you feel me? You know what's interesting... I think they said 86 people total, and it's split in half between two nights. Well, if you google a recap and look at all the people who ran, only 36 (or something like that) were shown/talked about. That means a few people were skipped all together? I feel like this happens in City Courses, too, where some people just show up on the final list, but I never remember them being shown at all during the episode. Am I missing something or is my math off? Let me know if you know how the show works behind the scenes.
Lastly, there are a lot of big names left to run. I'm excited for:
Drew Drechsel
Joe Moravsky
Sean Bryan
The Kid
Michael Torres
Dave Cavanagh
Jessie Graff
Allyssa Beird
Hunter Guerard
Chris Wilczewski
Nick Hanson
I'm missing people, I can just feel it, but I'll let you know my thoughts next week. I really have no predictions. Realistically, I want to have faith in all of these people, but a couple of them have to fall. Hopefully, not too many, and hopefully, not my top favorites.
Comment who you are most excited for next week, and who you think will be the Last Man Standing this season. Until next time...!
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