Okay, unlike the previous three cities' courses, I have major beef with Tacoma's. First, the Lightning Bolts. For Qualifying, they were fine. It is a challenging obstacle which dropped a lot of athletes in Qualifying, BUT this week was the City Finals, and yet so many athletes still found their end on the Lightning Bolts! This does not make a good City Finals, period. When we do not get to see the back half of the course, there is not as much excitement or worth in the episode. I mean, how many people even made it past? The Lightning Bolts are so technical, so to begin with, they are not rookie-friendly. This in itself makes Tacoma's course more difficult than the other cities. Again, for Qualifying, it isn't nearly as bad; however, for the City Finals, in addition to the Monkey Bars and the Northwest Passage, it was too much. The Lightning Bolts and the Monkey Bars together are way too technical and precision based. Atlanta had Up for Grabs which is not nearly as difficult as the Monkey Bars. If the Lightning Bolts and the Monkey Bars were divided into different cities, it would even things out, but the fact that they were paired does not work. They also broke the pattern for the ninth obstacle. The past three cities all had a similar theme: Leaps of Faith, Fallout, and Snap Back all had the delicate touch & heavy impact jump, but the Northwest Passage was nothing like those. The Lightning Bolts, Monkey Bars, and Northwest Passage were too much to be in one city; it was unfair. It was too difficult compared to the other cities. I would absolutely love to see Drew or Daniel or the Kid or Flip on this City Finals course, because I would literally bet that none of them could finish. This was just too much. Maybe they were trying to compensate by having the Barrel Roll and The Broken Bridge, but I did not like this city course. The Lightning Bolts and the Monkey Bars require upper body strength and grip, but also coordination and body control and precision; these were not obstacles someone could muscle through. The placement is a challenge on its own, and they should not have placed two similar obstacles in one city. Plus, on top of that, the Northwest Passage made the course unbeatable. Truly, it may be a bet I lose and we'll never know, but I would love to see someone from another city, like Drew, try this course. My money would be on his failure. I just have serious issues with this course. I also liked the Iron Maiden from a previous year better than the Northwest Passage. The Iron Maiden had the same shape and idea, but it didn't have the element of the handholds. The obstacle course up to that point was challenging enough, so I don't think they needed such a difficult obstacle. Individually, the obstacles weren't a problem, I guess, but altogether, no. Just No. Sean Bryan's failure is another testament to the ridiculousness of the course. He has made it to Stage 3 two years in a row, and fell on the same spot that Drew did last year, so he is actually a great tester for the course, and he and Jessie Graff proved it was too much.
Next, I want to mention the Power Tower. You all know I hate it and its prize, but I really hate that they still have the race even without any finishers. I don't think someone deserves the Safety Pass if they can't even finish the City Finals. Granted, this was almost an impossible one, but if they can't finish the City Finals, we know that the Safety Pass is going to be wasted. I know it's the big closer now in the cities, but the Power Tower should be between finishers or not at all.
All right, let's move on to the athletes. Let's start with Sean Bryan. I, like many others, assumed that he would once again be racing for the coveted Power Tower prize. I was quite surprised that he dropped on the Monkey Bars. Of course, I wanted to see the Papal Ninja back on the Power Tower, but I also wanted to see him on the Northwest Passage. I still think he would have fallen because I think the course was too much. The one up-side to the course, though, is that the Lightning Bolts and The Monkey Bars were not so strength intensive. The Ferris Wheel from Atlanta, the Spin Hopper from L.A., and Coconut Climb from OKC all might have been a little more sapping than the Lightning Bolts; however, after the Lightning Bolts and the Monkey Bars, one might still be sapped from hanging so long. Even if you could recover from slip-ups in both obstacles, the time spent hanging is enough to prevent success on the Northwest Passage. I hate the idea of anyone having the Safety Pass, but I am more okay with someone like Sean Bryan having it over Drew or Flip, but that's just personal ninja preference and bias. I am really hoping Sean can still make it back to Stage 3 without the Pass, and that would be a sign of a true American Ninja Warrior. Oh, also, how could I almost forget?, his crazy move on the Lightning Bolts? Matt and Akbar chalked it up to having extra confidence from the Speed Pass, but I think it was a lucky accident. Sean's face didn't tell us that it was intentional, in my opinion. This move just shows how much of a beast he is on the course. I think Sean is coming out of his shell a little bit more. I noticed it during the Free Style competition on the All Stars episode where he mimicked several other ninjas. Sean just seems like a great guy, and regardless of whether it was due to the Speed Pass, I'm hoping we get to see more Sean Bryan antics out on the course.
Because it was so devastating last night, let's talk about Jake Murray and Lance Pekus. What hurts the most with these two is that they both completed the Lightning Bolts the night before in Qualifying. Jake is so fun to watch, and honestly, seeing the mistake on the tear-away suit was hilarious. It was definitely cut out of the final edit for Qualifiers. I didn't think Jake was going to finish the course in the first place, but I thought he would reach the 9th obstacle. Unfortunately, as soon as I saw him line up 3rd in the rotation, I knew he was done for. The first person they show is actually doing pretty well. Nick Hanson and Jeff Harris from last week were both shown first, and they advanced. Now, it is the next several people who are running after the first guy who have the death sentence. Jake is such a fan favorite, and if he had done better, there is no way he would have been placed 3rd. They also gave him a bio, so I knew it was the kiss of death. Truly, I am really bummed we won't be seeing him back in Vegas. I wanted to see him back on Stage 2 to take on the Epic Catch-and-Release since his downfall on it last year was pretty embarrassing. I also learned (from his Q&A on Instagram) that this is only his 5th year competing. I really thought he had been on longer, but I guess 5 years is still a long time. I mean Grant McCartney and Daniel Gil's first season was season 7, too. I really thought Jake was more of a veteran. This was just crazy in my mind. So, I guess Jake became one of my favorites really quickly. He still kind of falls in the slightly above average group, but his personality is so great. I really hated seeing him fall on Lightning Bolts. P.S. this is not a major reason for why I hated the Lightning Bolts in Tacoma. It didn't help that it took Jake out, but it wasn't a real reason.
Similar to Jake's fate: Lance Pekus and Meagan Martin. Let's start with Lance. I was equally as surprised to see him drop as I was Jake. I wasn't quite as disappointed since I like Jake a little more than Lance, but I feel like Lance was hitting his stride the past year or two. I feel like he's been doing a little better. I don't think it is as impressive if it take 3 tries to get up the Mega Wall, but he still managed it, so it isn't nothing. Lance is a little more dense (not stupid, but mass/volume). He's not particularly tall, I don't think, be he has a lot of muscle. Matt and Akbar mentioned it, I believe, that most of his weight is muscle. I, personally, don't think muscle makes the Ninja. Don't get me wrong, you've got to be strong, and you can visibly see muscle on all the best athletes, but I think the reason Lance isn't above the rest is that he is a little bulky. It's still weird to think that neither Lance nor Jake will be returning for the National Finals.
Honestly, since they never reached the back half, they aren't as much of a testimony to the course's difficulty. I still would have been sad that they fell, but they did fall on the front half's most difficult course, and because they never touched the Monkey Bars or the Northwest Passage, we can't use them as examples. They failed, and it's harder to blame the course since it was the first real challenge of the course. I'm sad nonetheless, though.
There has been so much downfall from this city: Geoff in Qualifying, and now Jake, Lance, and our next athlete: Meagan Martin. I think what has separated Meagan all these years and pushed her through to Vegas was the lack of talent from the female pool. She has the rock-climbing background which has also helped, undoubtedly, but her veteran experience is important. I think the veteran experience is underrated or unrealized which is why I think it is so phenomenal when a rookie comes in and hits buzzers. Not only is it knowing the weight and distance and grandeur of the real deal of ANW, but it is also the mental aspect of being able to focus with the crowd and the lights and cameras, and completing difficult obstacles consecutively. Rookies who can go head-to-head with the big guys show a lot of promise and really prove themselves. This is directly related to the second woman advancing from last night, Mady Howard, but I will get to her in a second. For now, let's look at Meagan. She is pretty slow, as I think I have mentioned in the past, so I knew she would have to get past the Monkey Bars if she wanted to move on. They don't give us the clock anymore, and they edit the runs so we don't know how much actual time they have spent until the end, but I know Meagan takes her time. To be honest, once I saw Mady and Sandy run, I doubted Meagan a lot. To see all these guys fall on the Monkey Bars or before, her chances looked slimmer and slimmer. I was thinking that she would still reach the Monkey Bars, but she would be too slow. So, I was actually quite surprised that she didn't make it past the Lightning Bolts. Like I said, after seeing Mady and Sandy, I didn't believe she would be making it to Vegas. I think the reason she has always made it was because she never had true competition. She's done well, but all the others did worse, so she made it by default. I mean, go through the past and prove me wrong, but that's the reason in my mind of why this is her first year on the sidelines in Vegas.
Okay, now Mady Howard. My nickname for her is the Unfulfilled Nurse. In her bio, she made a comment about "I didn't know what to do after college until I found American Ninja Warrior" which I thought was hilarious because she is a nurse. She doesn't sound lost. I know they just wanted something extreme and related to ANW, but it was so over the top and probably (hopefully) a lie. Anyway, she did really great. First it was parkour, then it was rock climbing, and now it seems to be gymnastics which is leading the way. I still think rock climbing is important probably mostly for Stage 3, though. But now we're seeing gymnasts everywhere, and they're all really good. Mady Howard, Joe Moravsky, Barclay Stockett, Najee Richardson, Adam Rayl, and Sean Bryan, just to name a few, are all super stars in the ANW world, and they all have gymnastics backgrounds. Let me know who I missed! She made everything look really effortless. She completed the Lightning Bolts with such ease, like everything was executed perfectly. It makes you surprised that veterans like Jake, Lance, and Meagan all dropped on it. She was even doing the Monkey Bars really well up until she fell. Honestly, this was a surprise because she looked so good. I couldn't even tell that she was winded. She also has some height. 5'6" puts her in a decent position, I think. She'll probably drop early in Stage 1 (I'm think the Propellor Bar or the Spider Jump), but I liked seeing her in the City portion. Her and Taylor Amann are two women to look out for in a few weeks!
While we are on women, I guess we should talk about a Jessie Graff. I would have loved to see her be the only finisher, but after seeing literally everyone else fail, I knew there would be no finishers. I definitely did not doubt her ability to pass the Monkey Bars, but the Northwest Passage was brutal. She actually did the best out of everyone because she made it the farthest on the Northwest Passage, so I feel like she should have been on the Power Tower. It's funny because they mention Kacy as the only women to hit a City Finals Buzzer, and technically, it is true that she is the only one, but there is no way she could do what Jessie can do. No way. Kacy herself already proved that before she retired from ANW. I also firmly believe that Jessie could complete the course that Kacy did all those years ago. The course is completely different now, a whole new beast, and Jessie proves yet again that she is the Top Female Competitor on American Ninja Warrior. I really hope she competed in Vegas this year. We've seen her complete Stage 1 and Stage 2 (albeit separately), so we all know she is the real deal. We've also seen her on a portion of Stage 3. The only problem is that we don't know how they changed Mount Midoriyama this year. I still think it's ridiculous and slightly unnecessary to make changes nearly every year, but hopefully they keep it the same. The Wingnuts might last one more year, but people are definitely training on them (what with Carbone installing them around the country), so it won't last too long. I think Jessie could do maybe half of Stage 3 before splashing down. I knew Jessie would replace Sandy Zimmerman, but I was very impressed that Sandy could replicate her success, and honestly, I wouldn't have minded seeing her in Vegas. Obviously, I want Jessie more, and Mady is promising, but I think she's still got a great chance next year, especially if she isn't competing in the same city as Jessie.
Of course, we can't forget about Karson Voiles and Dan Yager. Let's start with the latter for no other reason than that he bled. I swear he's the 4th or 5th person this season. I know Hunter Guerard was one in the Finals, and Michelle Warnky bled in Qualifying, and someone bled it Atlanta because the Spider Bounce hit him in the head, but I feel like there was someone else. Please, if you know, let me know! I do know that an unnatural amount of people have bled on the course this year. It makes you wonder how sharp/heavy the components of the obstacles actually are. I never would have thought that one of those handles from the Northwest Passage would cause blood to flow. I would have thought that it would leave a nasty bump or a concussion as a souvenir, but I did not think it would draw blood. Anyway, we can add another bleeder. But seriously, moving on to the actual man, Yager was a little out of left field, as was Voiles. I still don't think there should have been a Power Tower race to begin with, but seeing these two run was like Baltimore's Speed Pass between Cavanagh and Twait. It was definitely their moment to shine. I wonder if they will show Voiles at all. I would guess that they would at least have the decency to show their second run after they use their Safety Pass, but based on their history, I wouldn't be surprised if they skip over some of the Prize winners, either the Speed Pass or the Safety Pass. Both Voiles and Yager are well seasoned veterans, but they rarely get attention on screen. I really enjoy seeing these kinds of veterans do so well. I've mentioned before that seeing these veterans is impressive because the courses get more difficult every year, so it really proves that these guys are getting stronger or are just getting lucky. It's actually quite hard to gauge these guys' abilities and guess where they might fall. Maybe they're just somewhat average and had one good year. I am not sure for these kinds of guys where their farthest points were. I would guess that they've never made it to Stage 2, but some people surprise me when I learn they've never passed Stage 1. Of course, I want to see them do well, but these guys definitely aren't the powerhouses of ANW, so it'll be interesting to see how the rest of their season plays out, Voiles and Yager alike. It was also somewhat amazing how similar these two were in age and weight. I guess I can't be too mad about the match-up. I've said before that these races cater more towards the pro-veterans like Drew and Flip, and though having Sean win would have been nice, I suppose I can't be too mad with Voiles. I still stand by the fact that the Safety Pass is going to be wasted and is pointless and almost like cheating, but if it must exist, then Voiles getting it is a bit of a twist which I can appreciate. In the previous races, I wanted to the underdog to win: Kretsch and Carbone, but the other guy won. I wanted to see Daniel win last week, but The Kid should shake things up. So, if they're going to have the Safety Pass, then it should go to these underdogs. Maybe, somehow, we'll find someone new on Stage 3?
Oh, I can't forget. Lorin Ball. They said he's competed every year, but Please, please tell what happened to him last year. I don't remember him at all! I don't remember what happened to him in Qualifying, but I would have thought he would have been in the running for the Speed Pass.
Nate Burkhalter and Sean Darling-Hammond were some other familiar names. I honestly don't know what to think of someone who has competed for 6 years but only made it to Vegas once. I don't really want to poo-poo on them because they're trying their best, but...
I'm glad to see another 19-year old, Zach Scholes go to Vegas. I think they skipped his run, but these 19-year olds should not be overlooked.
Some of the other people I noticed who didn't make it, Jackson Meyer, Leif Sundberg, Ben Martin, and Bart Copeland. This is just another illustration of how stupid this course was. When people are dropping on the Qualifying portion of the Finals course, how is that entertaining? Again, my anger wasn't from Jake Murray's fall, it was from everyone's!
I also want to mention the Top 15 which I now realize is the Top 12. I know the women are only separate if they don't crack the Top 12, and it is not the Top 12 men, but times and distance. I also realize now that they rank the Speed Pass winner if they finish, and then they have 13 listed, so there is still the Top 12 and maybe two women if they don't crack the list. So, my question now is, Why are there only 12 advancing? What happened to 15? Why the change? What's the purpose? Is it because of the speed pass? Again, I think it's stupid. I can honestly say that I don't like any of the changes they've been making. Even the Mega Wall is iffy.
I think this is all my thoughts on last night's show. My biggest issue was the course itself, and not really the runners. Obviously, I am devastated by Jake's fall, but everything kind of played out normally. Obviously the veterans' falls and Sean Bryan and the Power Tower were somewhat unexpected, but there are always surprises and upsets. I hated the course, and there shouldn't have been a Power Tower race at all.
Looking at next week in Baltimore, I want Joe to be on the Power Tower, but if the course is anything like this week's, we may have some trouble. Najee isn't particularly fast, and I don't think he will finish. Honestly, I don't know who will be on the Power Tower. My guesses are Joe, Conor Galvin, Anthony DeFranco, or maybe Chris Wilczewski. Dave Cavanagh might also surprise us again by returning to the Tower. Oh, Tacoma also had no finishers, whereas the past two cities had 5 total finishers. The course... no. My predictions: Joe, Najee, Jamie, and Chris will all be fine. Cavanagh is fine, obviously, and I think Lucas Reale, Anthony DeFranco, and Conor Galvin will be looking at Vegas, too. I think Allyssa and Abby will be the women. Looking back, I don't really remember the other competitors or finishers, so I can't make predictions. Garrett Lam, Brandon Stenta, and Alex Goodwin sound familiar. I'm looking forward to seeing some more fan favorites, and I'm hoping we don't see a redo of this week. Let me know what your predictions are! Y'all know I don't have a sign-off, so I guess this is it. Until next time.
Next, I want to mention the Power Tower. You all know I hate it and its prize, but I really hate that they still have the race even without any finishers. I don't think someone deserves the Safety Pass if they can't even finish the City Finals. Granted, this was almost an impossible one, but if they can't finish the City Finals, we know that the Safety Pass is going to be wasted. I know it's the big closer now in the cities, but the Power Tower should be between finishers or not at all.
All right, let's move on to the athletes. Let's start with Sean Bryan. I, like many others, assumed that he would once again be racing for the coveted Power Tower prize. I was quite surprised that he dropped on the Monkey Bars. Of course, I wanted to see the Papal Ninja back on the Power Tower, but I also wanted to see him on the Northwest Passage. I still think he would have fallen because I think the course was too much. The one up-side to the course, though, is that the Lightning Bolts and The Monkey Bars were not so strength intensive. The Ferris Wheel from Atlanta, the Spin Hopper from L.A., and Coconut Climb from OKC all might have been a little more sapping than the Lightning Bolts; however, after the Lightning Bolts and the Monkey Bars, one might still be sapped from hanging so long. Even if you could recover from slip-ups in both obstacles, the time spent hanging is enough to prevent success on the Northwest Passage. I hate the idea of anyone having the Safety Pass, but I am more okay with someone like Sean Bryan having it over Drew or Flip, but that's just personal ninja preference and bias. I am really hoping Sean can still make it back to Stage 3 without the Pass, and that would be a sign of a true American Ninja Warrior. Oh, also, how could I almost forget?, his crazy move on the Lightning Bolts? Matt and Akbar chalked it up to having extra confidence from the Speed Pass, but I think it was a lucky accident. Sean's face didn't tell us that it was intentional, in my opinion. This move just shows how much of a beast he is on the course. I think Sean is coming out of his shell a little bit more. I noticed it during the Free Style competition on the All Stars episode where he mimicked several other ninjas. Sean just seems like a great guy, and regardless of whether it was due to the Speed Pass, I'm hoping we get to see more Sean Bryan antics out on the course.
Because it was so devastating last night, let's talk about Jake Murray and Lance Pekus. What hurts the most with these two is that they both completed the Lightning Bolts the night before in Qualifying. Jake is so fun to watch, and honestly, seeing the mistake on the tear-away suit was hilarious. It was definitely cut out of the final edit for Qualifiers. I didn't think Jake was going to finish the course in the first place, but I thought he would reach the 9th obstacle. Unfortunately, as soon as I saw him line up 3rd in the rotation, I knew he was done for. The first person they show is actually doing pretty well. Nick Hanson and Jeff Harris from last week were both shown first, and they advanced. Now, it is the next several people who are running after the first guy who have the death sentence. Jake is such a fan favorite, and if he had done better, there is no way he would have been placed 3rd. They also gave him a bio, so I knew it was the kiss of death. Truly, I am really bummed we won't be seeing him back in Vegas. I wanted to see him back on Stage 2 to take on the Epic Catch-and-Release since his downfall on it last year was pretty embarrassing. I also learned (from his Q&A on Instagram) that this is only his 5th year competing. I really thought he had been on longer, but I guess 5 years is still a long time. I mean Grant McCartney and Daniel Gil's first season was season 7, too. I really thought Jake was more of a veteran. This was just crazy in my mind. So, I guess Jake became one of my favorites really quickly. He still kind of falls in the slightly above average group, but his personality is so great. I really hated seeing him fall on Lightning Bolts. P.S. this is not a major reason for why I hated the Lightning Bolts in Tacoma. It didn't help that it took Jake out, but it wasn't a real reason.
Similar to Jake's fate: Lance Pekus and Meagan Martin. Let's start with Lance. I was equally as surprised to see him drop as I was Jake. I wasn't quite as disappointed since I like Jake a little more than Lance, but I feel like Lance was hitting his stride the past year or two. I feel like he's been doing a little better. I don't think it is as impressive if it take 3 tries to get up the Mega Wall, but he still managed it, so it isn't nothing. Lance is a little more dense (not stupid, but mass/volume). He's not particularly tall, I don't think, be he has a lot of muscle. Matt and Akbar mentioned it, I believe, that most of his weight is muscle. I, personally, don't think muscle makes the Ninja. Don't get me wrong, you've got to be strong, and you can visibly see muscle on all the best athletes, but I think the reason Lance isn't above the rest is that he is a little bulky. It's still weird to think that neither Lance nor Jake will be returning for the National Finals.
Honestly, since they never reached the back half, they aren't as much of a testimony to the course's difficulty. I still would have been sad that they fell, but they did fall on the front half's most difficult course, and because they never touched the Monkey Bars or the Northwest Passage, we can't use them as examples. They failed, and it's harder to blame the course since it was the first real challenge of the course. I'm sad nonetheless, though.
There has been so much downfall from this city: Geoff in Qualifying, and now Jake, Lance, and our next athlete: Meagan Martin. I think what has separated Meagan all these years and pushed her through to Vegas was the lack of talent from the female pool. She has the rock-climbing background which has also helped, undoubtedly, but her veteran experience is important. I think the veteran experience is underrated or unrealized which is why I think it is so phenomenal when a rookie comes in and hits buzzers. Not only is it knowing the weight and distance and grandeur of the real deal of ANW, but it is also the mental aspect of being able to focus with the crowd and the lights and cameras, and completing difficult obstacles consecutively. Rookies who can go head-to-head with the big guys show a lot of promise and really prove themselves. This is directly related to the second woman advancing from last night, Mady Howard, but I will get to her in a second. For now, let's look at Meagan. She is pretty slow, as I think I have mentioned in the past, so I knew she would have to get past the Monkey Bars if she wanted to move on. They don't give us the clock anymore, and they edit the runs so we don't know how much actual time they have spent until the end, but I know Meagan takes her time. To be honest, once I saw Mady and Sandy run, I doubted Meagan a lot. To see all these guys fall on the Monkey Bars or before, her chances looked slimmer and slimmer. I was thinking that she would still reach the Monkey Bars, but she would be too slow. So, I was actually quite surprised that she didn't make it past the Lightning Bolts. Like I said, after seeing Mady and Sandy, I didn't believe she would be making it to Vegas. I think the reason she has always made it was because she never had true competition. She's done well, but all the others did worse, so she made it by default. I mean, go through the past and prove me wrong, but that's the reason in my mind of why this is her first year on the sidelines in Vegas.
Okay, now Mady Howard. My nickname for her is the Unfulfilled Nurse. In her bio, she made a comment about "I didn't know what to do after college until I found American Ninja Warrior" which I thought was hilarious because she is a nurse. She doesn't sound lost. I know they just wanted something extreme and related to ANW, but it was so over the top and probably (hopefully) a lie. Anyway, she did really great. First it was parkour, then it was rock climbing, and now it seems to be gymnastics which is leading the way. I still think rock climbing is important probably mostly for Stage 3, though. But now we're seeing gymnasts everywhere, and they're all really good. Mady Howard, Joe Moravsky, Barclay Stockett, Najee Richardson, Adam Rayl, and Sean Bryan, just to name a few, are all super stars in the ANW world, and they all have gymnastics backgrounds. Let me know who I missed! She made everything look really effortless. She completed the Lightning Bolts with such ease, like everything was executed perfectly. It makes you surprised that veterans like Jake, Lance, and Meagan all dropped on it. She was even doing the Monkey Bars really well up until she fell. Honestly, this was a surprise because she looked so good. I couldn't even tell that she was winded. She also has some height. 5'6" puts her in a decent position, I think. She'll probably drop early in Stage 1 (I'm think the Propellor Bar or the Spider Jump), but I liked seeing her in the City portion. Her and Taylor Amann are two women to look out for in a few weeks!
While we are on women, I guess we should talk about a Jessie Graff. I would have loved to see her be the only finisher, but after seeing literally everyone else fail, I knew there would be no finishers. I definitely did not doubt her ability to pass the Monkey Bars, but the Northwest Passage was brutal. She actually did the best out of everyone because she made it the farthest on the Northwest Passage, so I feel like she should have been on the Power Tower. It's funny because they mention Kacy as the only women to hit a City Finals Buzzer, and technically, it is true that she is the only one, but there is no way she could do what Jessie can do. No way. Kacy herself already proved that before she retired from ANW. I also firmly believe that Jessie could complete the course that Kacy did all those years ago. The course is completely different now, a whole new beast, and Jessie proves yet again that she is the Top Female Competitor on American Ninja Warrior. I really hope she competed in Vegas this year. We've seen her complete Stage 1 and Stage 2 (albeit separately), so we all know she is the real deal. We've also seen her on a portion of Stage 3. The only problem is that we don't know how they changed Mount Midoriyama this year. I still think it's ridiculous and slightly unnecessary to make changes nearly every year, but hopefully they keep it the same. The Wingnuts might last one more year, but people are definitely training on them (what with Carbone installing them around the country), so it won't last too long. I think Jessie could do maybe half of Stage 3 before splashing down. I knew Jessie would replace Sandy Zimmerman, but I was very impressed that Sandy could replicate her success, and honestly, I wouldn't have minded seeing her in Vegas. Obviously, I want Jessie more, and Mady is promising, but I think she's still got a great chance next year, especially if she isn't competing in the same city as Jessie.
Of course, we can't forget about Karson Voiles and Dan Yager. Let's start with the latter for no other reason than that he bled. I swear he's the 4th or 5th person this season. I know Hunter Guerard was one in the Finals, and Michelle Warnky bled in Qualifying, and someone bled it Atlanta because the Spider Bounce hit him in the head, but I feel like there was someone else. Please, if you know, let me know! I do know that an unnatural amount of people have bled on the course this year. It makes you wonder how sharp/heavy the components of the obstacles actually are. I never would have thought that one of those handles from the Northwest Passage would cause blood to flow. I would have thought that it would leave a nasty bump or a concussion as a souvenir, but I did not think it would draw blood. Anyway, we can add another bleeder. But seriously, moving on to the actual man, Yager was a little out of left field, as was Voiles. I still don't think there should have been a Power Tower race to begin with, but seeing these two run was like Baltimore's Speed Pass between Cavanagh and Twait. It was definitely their moment to shine. I wonder if they will show Voiles at all. I would guess that they would at least have the decency to show their second run after they use their Safety Pass, but based on their history, I wouldn't be surprised if they skip over some of the Prize winners, either the Speed Pass or the Safety Pass. Both Voiles and Yager are well seasoned veterans, but they rarely get attention on screen. I really enjoy seeing these kinds of veterans do so well. I've mentioned before that seeing these veterans is impressive because the courses get more difficult every year, so it really proves that these guys are getting stronger or are just getting lucky. It's actually quite hard to gauge these guys' abilities and guess where they might fall. Maybe they're just somewhat average and had one good year. I am not sure for these kinds of guys where their farthest points were. I would guess that they've never made it to Stage 2, but some people surprise me when I learn they've never passed Stage 1. Of course, I want to see them do well, but these guys definitely aren't the powerhouses of ANW, so it'll be interesting to see how the rest of their season plays out, Voiles and Yager alike. It was also somewhat amazing how similar these two were in age and weight. I guess I can't be too mad about the match-up. I've said before that these races cater more towards the pro-veterans like Drew and Flip, and though having Sean win would have been nice, I suppose I can't be too mad with Voiles. I still stand by the fact that the Safety Pass is going to be wasted and is pointless and almost like cheating, but if it must exist, then Voiles getting it is a bit of a twist which I can appreciate. In the previous races, I wanted to the underdog to win: Kretsch and Carbone, but the other guy won. I wanted to see Daniel win last week, but The Kid should shake things up. So, if they're going to have the Safety Pass, then it should go to these underdogs. Maybe, somehow, we'll find someone new on Stage 3?
Oh, I can't forget. Lorin Ball. They said he's competed every year, but Please, please tell what happened to him last year. I don't remember him at all! I don't remember what happened to him in Qualifying, but I would have thought he would have been in the running for the Speed Pass.
Nate Burkhalter and Sean Darling-Hammond were some other familiar names. I honestly don't know what to think of someone who has competed for 6 years but only made it to Vegas once. I don't really want to poo-poo on them because they're trying their best, but...
I'm glad to see another 19-year old, Zach Scholes go to Vegas. I think they skipped his run, but these 19-year olds should not be overlooked.
Some of the other people I noticed who didn't make it, Jackson Meyer, Leif Sundberg, Ben Martin, and Bart Copeland. This is just another illustration of how stupid this course was. When people are dropping on the Qualifying portion of the Finals course, how is that entertaining? Again, my anger wasn't from Jake Murray's fall, it was from everyone's!
I also want to mention the Top 15 which I now realize is the Top 12. I know the women are only separate if they don't crack the Top 12, and it is not the Top 12 men, but times and distance. I also realize now that they rank the Speed Pass winner if they finish, and then they have 13 listed, so there is still the Top 12 and maybe two women if they don't crack the list. So, my question now is, Why are there only 12 advancing? What happened to 15? Why the change? What's the purpose? Is it because of the speed pass? Again, I think it's stupid. I can honestly say that I don't like any of the changes they've been making. Even the Mega Wall is iffy.
I think this is all my thoughts on last night's show. My biggest issue was the course itself, and not really the runners. Obviously, I am devastated by Jake's fall, but everything kind of played out normally. Obviously the veterans' falls and Sean Bryan and the Power Tower were somewhat unexpected, but there are always surprises and upsets. I hated the course, and there shouldn't have been a Power Tower race at all.
Looking at next week in Baltimore, I want Joe to be on the Power Tower, but if the course is anything like this week's, we may have some trouble. Najee isn't particularly fast, and I don't think he will finish. Honestly, I don't know who will be on the Power Tower. My guesses are Joe, Conor Galvin, Anthony DeFranco, or maybe Chris Wilczewski. Dave Cavanagh might also surprise us again by returning to the Tower. Oh, Tacoma also had no finishers, whereas the past two cities had 5 total finishers. The course... no. My predictions: Joe, Najee, Jamie, and Chris will all be fine. Cavanagh is fine, obviously, and I think Lucas Reale, Anthony DeFranco, and Conor Galvin will be looking at Vegas, too. I think Allyssa and Abby will be the women. Looking back, I don't really remember the other competitors or finishers, so I can't make predictions. Garrett Lam, Brandon Stenta, and Alex Goodwin sound familiar. I'm looking forward to seeing some more fan favorites, and I'm hoping we don't see a redo of this week. Let me know what your predictions are! Y'all know I don't have a sign-off, so I guess this is it. Until next time.
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