Season 12 Finals Part 1

 Welcome to the Finals

So, this week and next week are it for season 12. For what they had to work with, it's not bad. Of course, I would have much rather preferred the regular Mt. Midoriyama. The extra 10 obstacle course and the Power Tower Playoffs aren't really that great for a finale, but hey, you do what you can. I think this course wasn't anything special. It was basically a regular City Finals course, right? Honestly, I know only 4 people finished, but everything was spread out in terms of what obstacle took people out. You know, it wasn't the usual where the 8th or 9th obstacle is the season killer. Only Jody Avila went out on Slam Dunk, I think, and only 2 or 3 people fell on Dragonback. They have definitely had harder courses in the past, so I wouldn't go saying this was really "finals worthy." I guess they couldn't have made it impossible because that wouldn't have been fair. Or I should say they could have made it impossible, but they shouldn't. They could have brought back the Invisible Ladder as the 10th obstacle. That alone would have kicked the course up a notch. Even so, with the Power Tower Playoffs accepting only 8 people, and considering 4 already finished, I think all 8 people on the Power Tower will be finishers. We don't know about the handful who are running next week, but there are still a lot of strong runners left, so I definitely think we could see 4 more finishers. They also told Jesse that she was going to be in the Playoffs, but realistically, couldn't there have been 9 finishers? Then it would have come down to speed, right? But they already confirmed that Jesse would be moving on, so that must mean that no more than 4 people finish next week? Does any of that make sense? I suspect 4 people will finish, but I was wrong about the Semi-finals. I thought there would be more finishers each night. If not 4, then I am going to guess at least 3. Honestly, I would be absolutely flabbergasted if only 1 or 2 people from next week's batch hit the buzzer. Okay, let's get into the first week of the Season 12 Finals!

Housekeeping Items

All right, so first on my list: Ethan Swanson. I did figure out what happened to him. If you don't' know, he advanced to the Semi-Finals, but he was not seen running the course. In fact, he may have been missing altogether on Night 1, and then he was shown on screen as a supporter for someone on Night 2. So, at first I was confused, but recently on Instagram, he explained what happened. He was in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, so he was sent home and was unable to continue his season despite qualifying. It is disappointing, because he was a good contender for the Power Tower playoffs. Although, with that said, I believe that those in the Top 8 have to finish this course, and I'm not super positive that he would have been able to finish. Not because it is an extremely challenging course, cause honestly, I've seen worse, but a lot of people didn't finish. They slipped up, including his training buddy Michael Torres. So, maybe he would have missed the Power Tower Playoffs, anyway. 

Next, Jon Alexis Jr. I received confirmation that Drew did in fact run the Power Tower on Night 1 of Qualifiers. His partners did not include Jon Alexis Jr., so I suppose he just pissed someone off really bad. Something tells me we won't be seeing anything of him next week, either. 

So, for Drew, as I figured, he was on the Power Tower on Night 1 of the Qualifiers, and we know that he would have been against Jody Avila because Avila raced for the fastest time (or I suppose 2nd fastest time since Drew was cut out). What was really surprising is that Jody won. Someone read an article and told me that Drew faced off against Jody, and Jody won meaning his teammates advanced. Here's the thing. I remember Drew's partners: Taylor Johnson and someone else whose name I don't completely remember, Julius Ferguson maybe? Anyway, I remember Taylor Johnson at the Semi-finals, so it doesn't seem like she needed Drew to win, anyway. Maybe the other guy did? They showed his teammates during the commercial break so as to not accidentally show Drew. The other thing is that I thought I remembered Jody's wife, Pauline, on the screen when Jody was running his semi-finals course. However, if he won, then she would have been there running the semi-finals, too. So, was her image on the screen edited on using the footage from Jody's Finals run? Someone would have to look back at the clips and see if any actions matched up, or if the clothes did. I definitely don't remember enough detail to say for sure. That's just really weird. I mean, it's fantastic for Jody, but it's shame he can't tout that victory. It's pretty immense, being able to claim that you bested Drew Drechsel on something like the Power Tower. Although I don't know what actually went down. Maybe, if Drew's teammates were already advancing, Drew threw it so that Jody's teammates could move on, too. Drew wasn't perfect on the course, that's easy to say, so it is also feasible that he actually slipped up, but I'll probably never know. 

So that does clear up the Jon Alexis Jr. thing and the part of the Drew thing. The big question will be how will they edit the Power Tower Playoffs? Surely Drew was there. I would not doubt his ability on the courses we have seen. Maybe it was originally the Top 10, and they had to cut down two due to Drew. However, it gets dicey when you think about how far Drew might have made it? If he had won the $10k, then I don't think they would be advertising a champion this year. Drew was arrested after they filmed, so it's not like they could go back and redo anything. So, that would heavily imply that Drew did not win it all this season. But what if he was in the Final 2 or Final 4? What is the Power Tower Playoffs going to look like next week? Actually, I am probably more interested in that over who actually wins the $10k. Partly because it's so unknown who could win. Obviously, I want Joe to win. If not Joe, then Daniel, and I think if you have read any of these posts, you'd probably know that. However, I also would not be mad at all if someone else wins. Someone like Jake, or Lucas Reale. If Amir Malik is in there, that'd be interesting, too. I will be rooting for Joe regardless of who he is against, though, even if it is Daniel or Jake, as much as I adore those two. Joe will be number 1 going into next week. 

I also want to mention really quick that I am so happy that, probably for the first time ever, we got to see all the people's runs in their entirety. They could have crammed all 27 people into one night, but then the finale next week would have had to been shorter or really drawn out. I'm guessing the Power Tower Playoffs will be around 45 minutes of the finale, give or take 10 minutes. They showed the majority this week, and even with bios, I am grateful that they didn't skip anyone. They definitely didn't have to for this, so I'm glad they didn't give anyone the cold shoulder. (Except maybe Jon Alexis Jr. We'll have to see) I completely understand that it is difficult to show everyone's run when you have a lot of people. Like, on Stage 1 in Vegas, you have 75-80 people total, or something, so even across 2 nights, it is probably difficult to spread out; however, my issue is that the bios take up so much time that you could definitely squeeze in a few people if you cut them down or condensed the bios with the run. Anyway, we don't need to get into that because for once, we saw everyone!

Top 8 Predictions

So, I didn't predict a Top 8 last week since I was doing a new thing, and now I know half of them. Honestly though, 3 of the 4 who finished this week would not have been on my list. I might've guessed Lucas Reale, but definitely not Jesse, Najee, or Austin. Not that those people aren't phenomenal athletes, I just wasn't sure they had it in them to finish the course. Here's what I would have predicted, in no particular order

Joe Moravsky

Daniel Gil

Jake Murray

Michael Torres

Adam Rayl

Lucas Reale

Tyler Gillett

*The 8th person would have been in the air. I would have given it to Jamie Rahn, David Wright, Amir Malik, or R.J. Roman. Now, 3 of those guys could still be in it, but Jamie probably didn't make it, even though he is sitting at number 5 right now. 

So, we actually haven't seen a lot of these guys run, yet. Michael, Jamie, Lucas, and Tyler all went this week. 11 people should be running next week. 

Out of all these people, my guess for the remaining 4 spots would go to Joe, Daniel, Jake, and Adam, although after seeing Jesse Labreck, maybe Jessie will be there, too? That 4th spot is a little more flexible for me in terms of who I'd want to see there. I'd be happy with Jessie or David or Amir. Those are the ones I am hoping for, and obviously, Joe, Jake, and Daniel. 

So that's that. Austin, Lucas, and Jesse will be interesting to see in the Playoffs. Especially if they're up against people like Joe, Daniel, and Jake. I wonder how they designed the brackets.

Athletes

So, we still have a lot to talk about, don't we. Let's start with Najee since he was our first finisher. Honestly, I did not think he would finish. It's not that he isn't a good athlete, it's just that he's always seemed to be in the 9's group. You know, like if they were grouped, and you had people like Daniel and Joe at 10's (the ones who are the most reliable for hitting buzzers and advancing far into the competition), then Najee has always felt like an 8 or 9 to me. Not quite there with the absolute elites of ANW. Yes, he's a fan favorite, and I can definitely see him as a motivational speaker, but based on his record, it just seems like he'd come just shy of the buzzer. Clearly, I was proven wrong, but I still wonder about him on the Power Tower. 

Little detour to explain why I don't think Najee won it all. The Power Tower is about speed. The actual tower itself, for these people, is not difficult. It's like a basic training course, just 40 feet high, but these guys train on harder stuff than this. So, it's about speed and being cool under pressure. It's more precision and control based than raw strength or grip strength. Now, I'm not saying Najee doesn't have these. He does, we saw him run last night. It's just that he isn't known for being fast. He doesn't get the fastest time on the course, so how is he going to go toe-to-toe with someone who is fast on the course? The Power Tower may be easier than the courses, but that means they're easier for everyone, so Najee really doesn't have any advantage? Think of him going against Joe or even Lucas Reale from last night. Reale has the same skills, more or less, as Najee. Enough to finish the course with a faster time. Do you see my point? The Power Tower isn't all about strength or whatever like the courses; it's speed and composure. If you're more accustomed to moving quickly and you're confident in your ability to move fast, then you probably will do great. I'm not sure Najee works as much on speed? I guess I don't know anything about the guy, really. His mental attitude or how he trains or what happens. All I'm saying is that I think it'll be interesting to see Najee go up against certain people on the Power Tower. Not to be mean, but I probably wouldn't bet on him. I think he's a great guy, great athlete, all that jazz, it's just a thought.

Okay, after Najee, let's touch on Reale and Gray. They both got skipped in the Semi-finals, which is annoying because clearly, they are fantastic athletes who deserve the spotlight more than the people who did get it. I won't get into it, y'all know what I'm talking about. They are the Next Generation. They are young. They are keeping the show alive. They are what we want, what we are glad to see. So, I am glad that they hit the buzzer. Austin looked good on Dragonsback. He was using his whole body, his hips and lower body to move the bar, and it seemed like that was working for him. Maybe it offered less strain on the arms or more control. It's also possible that everyone who completed that was moving more or less like him, but for some reason, the way he did that obstacle seemed really fluid. Again, Austin is fast, but I have the same fears with him as I do Najee. Austin maybe be used to moving fast, but when it comes to be face-to-face with an elite, he might crack under pressure. Heck, we see the greats slip up and stumble on the Power Tower when they're moving fast, when there's pressure. I think that if Austin is racing against someone like Daniel, that'd he might crumble under the stress. Everyone wants to win, but there's a lot of pressure when you're against someone everyone knows is in the top percentile. So, unfortunately, as great as Austin has proven himself to be, I also will not be betting for him. 

Reale, on the other hand, I might bet something on. He is doing some great things, and I really like him. He is a great example of the Next Generation. (I feel like I'm saying that about a lot of people.) Anyway, I wouldn't be mad if he beat out some of the best. Now, again, I am going to state that Joe, Daniel, and Jake are my Top 3, hands down. I definitely want one of those three guys to walk away with the trophy, but Reale, I wouldn't be upset with, I think. If he beat out any of my Top 3, it'd be upsetting for that guy, but Reale is really promising, and I look forward to seeing whoever he races against. 

Now, Jesse. Wow. I really didn't think she'd finish! It's so incredible. I am really excited to see her on the Power Tower. I don't care who she's against, it's going to be interesting. Now, as amazing as Jesse is, I would be bummed if she somehow beat out one of my Top 3. No one is coming before those guys. If she won it all, though? That'd really be something. I don't believe that anyone would throw it so that she won, but at the same time, maybe I would. We'll just have to see.

While we're on Jesse, let's talk Jessie. I thought she would have done better in the Semi-Finals, so honestly, I'm not sure what to think about her run next week. In the past, Jessie has always been the obvious number 1 choice for women, but I think Jesse is really stepping up her game. It'd be awesome to see Jessie go against Jesse, and if Jessie makes it, they might actually do that. Although, they'd probably want to keep the women in as long as possible, so they might give each of them a chance to advance. As for the other two women, I don't think Sandy or Jeri are the strongest women to be next to Jessie and Jesse. Don't get me wrong, they are really impressive (Sandy really surprised me earlier), but I definitely wanted to see Mady Howard. Meagan, Michelle, and Allyssa are kind of on the fence, but I think Tiana would have also been a strong addition to the Final 4 women. 

So, let's talk failures now. Starting with Tyler Gillett and Michael Torres because they hit the hardest. Both would have been on my Top 8. They're just so good and fast and reliable that I think it does actually hurt a little bit when they hit the water. If they had reached the back half, I fully believe they would have hit buzzers. Of course, we'll never know, and of course, I'm going to say that, but I've seen what these guys can do. I think they would have been fine on Slam Dunk and probably Dragonsback. They fell on the front half of the course, too, which stings even worse. If they had slipped on the 8th or 9th obstacle, it's whatever, a bummer. But the 2nd and 4th obstacles? NOOOOOO! Tyler hit harder for me because I've been rooting for him since his rookie year. Torres has been up and coming since last year, but Gillett has always been reliable in my books.

Jody Avila was a little bit of a twist. I know in his interview, he said, "I'm not good for a big guy, I'm just good." I laughed because I always say He's good for a big guy. Let's face it, he is big in terms of ANW. Look at the elites. They're not 6 foot. They're not over 200 pounds. They're pretty small, pretty lean. They don't have rippling muscles and 6-packs. ANW is something else completely for athletes. With that said, Jody has been looking really good this year and last year, too I think. He is good for a big guy. Let's face it, though, someone of his size isn't a grand champion. It sounds really, really impressive that he bested Drew Drechsel, but Avila isn't someone I bet on often. His height has helped him in the past, for sure. His legs on balance obstacles, or his wingspan on others, but it also hurts. The best of the best aren't nearly his size. There's a sweet spot. Even Jessie and Jesse, I think, are closer to that special height. Jesse is 5'7" and Jessie is 5'8" according to a basic Google search, and that pretty much tracks. 

Dan Polizzi didn't surprise me. He actually surprised me by getting into the Finals, which I know is kind of mean, but as I have said in the past, The Towers of Power have movie muscles. He isn't too tall, I don't think, he just doesn't have the natural ability that the elites do. 

Chris DiGangi was interesting. I don't consider Chris one of the best, but he seems like a stand-up guy. You can actually tell that the producers don't consider him to be one of the best, either, because Chris gets skipped a lot. He probably gets more screen time on the sidelines for his fiancee, Jesse. Nevertheless, his early exit was still shocking. 

Flip was something else. As you know, he wasn't on my Top 8, and I don't think he did well enough to advance. He would be interesting on the Power Tower, but I think Flip has fallen from grace. He's still in great shape, and he's still relatively young, but he's been on the show so long, that I think his time has run out. He really isn't in the spotlight, anymore. He is one of the OG's (not all 12 seasons, but I think 10). Some people like him and Brent and Brian Arnold, I think are moving on, or at least they should. So, I guess his fall wasn't too exciting. He did well, but probably not enough.

Okay, I guess Cameron Baumgartner is next. He is really someone to look out for next year. His run on Dragonsback (I admit this could be the wrong name, but it's at least something like this, so that's what I am going with). Him not letting go, I really don't have anything to say about that. Is that a rookie mistake? Was it just hesitation? Yes, it was shocking, but it was also really weird. Regardless, I think he'll be back, and I think he's a great addition to Team Next Gen.

I'm going to go with Metoyer now. I really liked him. I had faith in him, too. Him falling on the 5th obstacle was surprising. They said it was him being callous, and I guess it was. Maybe he was trying to go too fast or maybe it was a rookie mistake. He didn't put enough thought into his hand placement or didn't realize how important it was to be more calculated. You see vets fail on that one, too, though, although, yes, he didn't complete that very well (or at all). Too bad, I liked him. He was fun. I wanted to see what he'd do on the Warped Wall if anything. I think he'll be back, and it seems like he's found his Shtick as the classy ninja. 

I'll mention Jackson Twait because I'm mentioning everyone, so it'd be mean to neglect him. I very clearly remember Jackson from last year. He was decent then and decent now. I think he's got a wild personality's and he's got the whole 'cat' thing going on, but I think he's a little too wild, a little too eccentric for their tastes compared to someone they adore, like Grant, so Jackson is in the middle of everything for me. 

Alright, the last person I really have yet to mention is Jamie Rahn. It would have been fantastic to see Jamie hit the buzzer, but it is what it is. Jamie seems like a great guy, but he's also one of those guys who falls in the middle. He's been on the show for a long time. He still does great, but it's almost the same deal as Flip. I still want to see Jamie in future seasons, but he's also been in the B group, if you know what I mean. I don't think he would have had a strong chance in the Playoffs.

What I will say about Jamie, I will also say about Najee and Sandy. These three in particular made an effort to have fun on the course, and I like that they highlighted that. For viewers, it is important and exciting for us when people hit the buzzer, and everyone who runs on ANW also wants that buzzer, but running it also adds another factor that viewers don't have, and that's fun running the actual course. That's why I really admire people who smile when they fall regardless of where it was on the course. Usually you see this in people who fall early. They say "thanks for this. It was a blast. It was great just to be on the show." That's really cool of people, so I admire Najee, Jamie, and Sandy for showing that it's not all about the buzzers and the glory. 

Wrapping up

So, I think I hit everyone and everything. I am very excited to see the rest of the finalists run. I don't like the Power Tower being the decider for the $100k because I think it's stupid, but at the same time, I completely understand that with all this happening, it was the easiest way to have a winner, and without Vegas, it's okay to have a mini-champion. I don't really like the Power Tower because it doesn't seem fair, nor does it seem as challenging as Mt. Midoriyama. It also adds competition because the Top 8 are actually running against each other. Before, with the slight exception of Stage 4, it was just the athlete and the course/clock. Now, they're literally racing each other for the title, and that has never really been what ANW is about. I know people will still be somewhat humble, and hopefully no ones going to pout. These guys have shown great community and sportsmanship, so I don't expect anything less of those who do not win. It just adds some soreness that doesn't need to be there. I'm not saying that people hold grudges, but it stings when you lose. 

Whatever, this is what is happening, and I'm still grateful and excited that we got a season 12 at all. As for who is going to win it all? Yes, you know who I'm betting on, but really, it could go to anyone. The Power Tower is really a mystery, so I guess we'll just have to tune in next week. Until then, stay safe and go vote!