Season 12 Semifinals Night 1

 Let's Get Started

I don't have anything to say for an introduction, so let's just dive right in!

Speculations

So, I have a theory. Jon Alexis Jr. was part of Season 12. We know he was on the leader board last night, and on the first night of Qualifiers. My guess is, he was on Drew's "team." I don't know what connection he had, but I would be willing to bet that he was on Drew's team, and he got cut from all this because they had to get rid of any ties to Drew, since Drew was there for filming. Now, it's also possible that Jon Alexis Jr. majorly pissed someone off post-filming, pre-editing, and I have seen this happen before. Someone is completely skimmed over--not even a "while you were away"--so, it's not so crazy to think that this would happen to The Giant. However, the fact that the same exact thing happened on night one of the semifinals, paired with him running the same course as Drew (a.k.a. Night 1), I wouldn't be surprised if he was linked to Drew. I don't who the other person was. It could have been a woman who didn't do very well, so it wasn't a big deal to cut her out (or him), but Jon Alexis Jr. probably won't get any screen time this season. Now, if he does in the finals, then my whole theory is out the window, and maybe he just upset someone after the fact. It just seems odd that they would completely ignore him during both Qualifiers and Semifinals. It's not just the usual diss of commercial break, but they acted like he wasn't even there. We saw him briefly on the sideline, I think, while Labreck ran, but otherwise, it's like he didn't even compete. I remember being shocked that first night to see him on the board when there was no mention. To have it done again seems fishy. 

Also, they have to go and do it again! When I say there's a formula, they go and mess it up. Last week, there was a finisher at the 10 minute mark after I say they usually come around 30-40 minutes. Now, this week, the last runner to go was not the fastest time! So, maybe I'm just flat-out wrong, or maybe others are used to this formula, too, and they're trying to shake things up. 

While we're talking about it, let's just mention the other things not specifically related to athletes or the course (which I will definitely get to). First, The Kid. I was absolutely shocked, shocked, when The Kid lined up first. Now, they may be shaking up the formula for finishers, but there is absolutely no way that the first runner would ever finish. Advance, maybe, but finish? No. It's all edited so that they can order the runners the way they want, have finishers at a certain time. Notice how a lot of the big names usually go in the second hour, or at least later? I don't know if the actual run order is random or not, but considering that people start to finish after a certain amount of time is on coincidence. They can't know who will do well and who won't. The Kid wouldn't be running first if it was a fixed order.

Bit of tangent, but I remember seeing on Instagram that Daniel Gil had pulled a number for running order. This was a year or two ago, and he pulled number 2. So, maybe it's all random, and Gil is just so good that it doesn't matter when he runs. Of course, he wasn't shown 2nd when the episode aired. Just goes to prove that it's edited. Anyway, I don't know how they go about things. I'll have to wait until I can see a live taping, and then compare. 

So, back to The Kid. Like I said, shocked. Going first is never a good sign. Not only did The Kid not advance to the finals (which let's face it is okay because he's young and he'll pop back in the spotlight), but he was placed first. It might have been a tactic to draw people in right from the get-go, but I would have expected him to be later, regardless of his placing. Maybe it was also to show just how serious The Corkscrew is, since it ended up being quite the beast. It was just surprising that they'd put such a big name at the front. I'll talk about The Kid later in the Athletes section. Try to keep it organized here. 

The next shock came from Jody Avila. Honestly, with him running last, I definitely believed that he was going to be the fastest time of the night. It's the formula, right? I was in disbelief because how could Avila be faster than Jake and Daniel? He's strong and fast and tall, sure, but faster than Jake and Daniel? I was already surprised that Jake was faster than Daniel, even if it was only by 1 second. Then, another shock was him falling! As the last runner of the night, I didn't think they'd put someone who fell. I'm not sure why they chose to end with him. Maybe it was because of his wife and it was Covid related? I don't know. Kind of a weird way to end the night, but whatever, I'm not in charge. Jake was a big surprise, especially given the way he ended his run, but I will talk about that later.

Athletes

So, there's a lot to unpack here, I think. Let's go ahead and start with Daniel and Jake. Daniel ran that course flawlessly. Oh my gosh, it was a breeze for him. Daniel is immensely skilled and gifted, and that run proved he's one of the best. He wasn't even tired at the end. It was so easy and natural for him! I couldn't believe how great that run was. Even though Jake beat him by 1 second, if POM Wonderful still sponsored them and had the "Run of the Night" Daniel would have been my pick to get it, not Jake, even though the fastest time was usually the winner. Daniel is so great on this show. I really have nothing but praise for him. I would love to see him back on Stage 4 next year when everything is hopefully back to normal. Aside from Joe, he is the best bet. Between him and Joe, it'd be difficult. So, I don't really have any more to say about Daniel. He's pretty much the best. 

Now, Jake... Do not get me wrong at all. I love Jake. He is amazing to watch and seems like such an awesome person. I follow him on Instagram, and he's great. He's so much fun to watch, and I love when he does well. He's definitely one of my favorite ninjas. Now, with that said, it was kind of unbelievable that he beat Gil, especially considering how smooth and fluid Gil was. We didn't see his run from the start (we also didn't see Jake's), but before Jake, I would have assumed that Gil ran the course perfectly. Now, Jake must have made up some serious time in the front have of the course--what we didn't see. He got that second wind on The Dungeon, but seeing him on the Spider Trap was gruesome. I really thought he was going to drop. He looked to be in such pain, honestly. He had a lot of cushion time when he made it to the Spider Trap, but I doubted him. I doubted my boy. Jake has a lot of personality. He's great on the course, no doubt. However, he's not a guarantee, right? I expect a lot more from Daniel than Jake. Jake has made it to the spotlight because of his fun personality, which is fantastic. I really don't want anyone to think I don't like Jake, because I do. Absolutely love seeing the guy, and I'd probably like him a lot in-person, too. I'm just saying, he has failed in the past. Early. Last year, I think he dropped in the City Finals on the Slingshot. That all considered, seeing him at the top of the leader board. Wow. I know he goes fast. And he was on the Power Tower, and won against The Swan, which is no easy feat. It's just Daniel Gil is Daniel Gil. It was impressive. He must have really flown through the front half of the course to be able to spend that much time on the Spider Trap. I am always on the lookout for Jake, and honestly, if he is the champ this year. I ain't complaining. 

So, that's Jake and Daniel. Now, The Kid didn't advance, so there's not much to say. What I will mention is that I think he has some growing to do. Not in height, obviously, but what I kind of noticed on his run this week is that he got tired. I remember last year, City Finals, he was absolutely winded when he reached the top. Granted, he finished, which was great, but he was exhausted. I somewhat noticed that again. When it comes to speed, The Kid is great. Stage 1 is like home to him, but when it comes to more upper body, endurance obstacles, I think he struggles a bit. Stage 3 is enemy territory. By Corkscrew, he already looked fatigued. He's still a fantastic rising star, but I think endurance/stamina is his weakness. I have no doubt that we'll see him again, though.

So, who else to discuss? Let's start with finishers. Cameron Baumgartner. Honestly, a surprise. I think it was based on his story because it seems like people have these stories that tug at heart strings, and then nothing comes from their run. Maybe it's just because I'm a jerk and I hate the bios. Cameron was interesting, though. I really hope they keep some of these young guys in the spotlight because they're the future of the show, and some of these guys are really, really good. Now, I think they'll get a little dwarfed in the Finals because they're put in the same ring as people like Daniel Gil and Joe Moravsky, and those guys are just so reliable that how can you not talk about them? Anyway, he did really well. I don't have much to say about him specifically, but looking at the times. Wow, Jake and Daniel really blew all the competition away. For them to best Cameron by nearly 1 minute, is impressive all over again. Anyway, not about them. They're just so good, I can't help but mention them at every chance. I think Cameron will be overshadowed by the other big names, but he's there, and hopefully, he'll be returning.

Tyler Gillett. Okay, a bio is a bio. Not my favorite things, but I'm a little biased towards my favorites. It's like Jake. (I know I'm mentioning him again!) I forgot earlier, so while I'm on the topic of bios, let's swing back around. Jake's was hilarious! I don't think Hunter and Kyle competed this year, but I absolutely loved them on camera cheering him on. The Blonde Boyz was amazing! I've been following them on Instagram, and I love to see them being friends. It's so wholesome. Clearly, I can not stop going on about Jake. Okay, back to Tyler. I love Tyler, too. He get's screwed over a little bit, but he's a really strong athlete. Honestly, on my All Star teams, he would definitely be a contender. I think Tyler is an excellent choice for special teams. He's done pretty well through all his years, but I don't think he gets quite enough attention. His story was sad. It's extra sad because his cousin passed away a couple months after that run. I can't imagine that kind of grief. I'm really glad Tyler finished. I kind of guessed because they spent so much time on his bio, and he was in a prime spot (timing wise; 30 minute mark) to be the first finisher. He's not a rookie, but I still think he'll get dwarfed in the Finals, too. He really shouldn't, and it is a shame he does. But, I guess they can't show everyone. (Although they could show more if they cut down on bios.) I wouldn't be surprised if he gets pushed aside. He's one of my favorites, though.

Then Adam Rayl. Okay, honestly it really, really peeves me that they didn't show him. He finished. He might have been the slowest time, but he was 1 of 5 finishers. They should have shown him. It's just unfair. Maybe he doesn't have a sob story or nothing exciting happened during his run, but the did him dirty. It's not the first time, either. I'm pretty sure that Adam has been skipped before even though he does well.

Jackson Twait was also skipped, and that's kind of annoying. Now, Twait isn't my favorite young guy. He's a little...over the top, but he did great last year, and he's kind of continuing that this year. Maybe the producers think he's a little annoying or something, but I thought they skipped him in Qualifiers, too, so it's a little odd that they continue to skip certain people. Again, not my favorite newcomer, but still promising. 

Working down the list, next would be Jody Avila. I already mentioned him above, though, so there's nothing new to add. He messed up my formula, and I really thought he was finishing. When I saw that he was the last runner, I was thinking, "he definitely finishes" but I also assumed he'd be the fastest time, and I was in disbelief over that. He was running smoothly through the course, and I don't doubt that Avila can go fast (he did get the fastest time in Qualifiers); however, beating out Jake Murray who beat out Daniel Gil? I would have been skeptical even if he did finish. Honestly, he was on a good track to do that, too. Seeing him on The Dungeon was startling. Avila is a bigger guy, and The Dungeon's second half is a brutal hold. I really thought he'd fall, so seeing him whiff and fall on the transition was unexpected. (especially because he was last, as I've mentioned) His attempt on The Dungeon was enlightening, though. I didn't expect him to be able to do that. I don't know what we can expect from him in the Finals. Avila is the kind of guy who will get a lot of attention in the city courses, but when it comes to the Finals, and grouping everyone together, he doesn't always stand out. With less people--usually there are almost 100 people at Vegas or something--but now we'll only have about 25. So, maybe everyone will get their due attention--although probably not because they love to screw people over. He might get skipped.

Alrighty, Donovan Metoyer! Yes, I enjoyed him a lot. It really helps to have a "thing" like he has the tuxedo ninja or the well dressed ninja (or whatever his official persona is). Regardless, his fancy dressing really helps him stand out, which is good if you want a return invitation or screen time. I'm pretty sure he was skipped on Qualifiers, though, so maybe not? *shrug* His little trick on the Warped Wall is something else, though. I remember that Jake (Jake again, dang it) did something fancy on the Warped Wall one year. He grabbed it backwards and then pulled himself up with a flip (you'll have to look it up because clearly I suck at describing things). That was really fun, and Najee has had his little trick with catching air on the Warped Wall. With what Metoyer did, you have to be so confident and know what you are doing. It was executed so naturally and flawlessly; I loved it. I really hope he does well and gets some attention. It's hard for me because I want to see everybody. I really don't mind a little bit of bio, a little snippet of who this person is. The bios are just sooooo long, right now. I like what they had with Jake, albeit that was also longer than necessary. But a little insight isn't the worst. Maybe this sounds really contradictory and hypocritical?

Anyway... TL;DR Metoyer was great. And he's from Kansas City, which I have ties to. So, it's the little things that make me a fan, I guess.

Next was Jon Alexis Jr. Again, I've already gone over him. There's literally nothing I can say because we saw nothing of him. He probably understands this, if he was on Drew's team. He probably knows that he can't really reference or confirm anything, so maybe he's okay with being sidelined. I highly doubt he'll be making too big of a splash in the Finals, so it was probably fairly easy to re-edit.

Flip was skipped. A little surprising, but Flip is one of the OG, in my opinion. I think he still does well (he advanced) but he's winding down in terms of being in the spotlight. Newer, younger guys are doing better and have interesting backgrounds, so I really wouldn't consider Flip to be one of the best anymore. He still has potential to shake things up in the Finals, though.

Chris DiGangi surprised me. He really isn't one of the bests. I don't really know how to say that in a nice way. He seems like a stand-up guy, and his relationship with Labreck is cute, but he seems to get skipped a lot. I guess he's just not interesting enough. However, he did do well this week. Honestly, I am a little shocked that he advanced and passed the Corkscrew. He gets overshadowed by Jesse, but I don't really think that's a bad thing. Also, he probably wants it that way. He is very supportive of Jesse and I think he likes her in the spotlight. 

And last, but certainly not least, Jamie Rahn. Jamie is like Jake for me. He's just terrific. Years and years ago, when I first started watching ANW, Jamie was one of the very first people I remember loving and actually remembering the name of. He has definitely grown in my opinion. I didn't see him on his first season--although apparently he wasn't too great--but seeing him now, he's gotten a lot stronger. He still falls in the middle, sometimes. He gets skipped, he falls, etc. But then he comes around and shows you what he can do. He's great. I was joking that I hope ANW never moves stations, because then his entire persona would be screwed up. He couldn't be Captain NBC anymore. Jamie is just one of the OG, and he is still able to hold himself up which is good.

Now, the women. Jesse was no surprise. I'd say she's getting stronger, too. Obviously she wanted the buzzer, because it would have been the equivalent of the City Finals buzzer, but The Dungeon was gruesome. I would have been really surprised if she passed it. I'd be surprised if any woman passed it, honestly, even Jessie Graff. It is interesting to see her and Chris go toe-to-toe on obstacles. In my mind, Jesse is stronger than Chris, so it's weird to see that they're actually pretty even. Maybe it's because it's a man vs. a woman, but does that make me sexist? Jesse just seems more comfortable and more natural on the course. Like she handles it better than Chris. She also gets a lot of attention because she is one of the top women, but like Matt or Akbar said, she has really proven herself as one of the top competitors overall, male or female. I like that. She's really impressive. Also, sorry that I can't seem to use any other words besides 'great' 'surprise' and 'impressive.' I suppose those are the only adjectives I know. 

Sandy was unexpected. At first, I thought Jessie Graff was running this week, too, because I thought they showed her, but I suppose that would have been unfair to the other women. Allyssa or Ashley was who I was expecting. Allyssa is kind of in the middle of the women. I know she finished Stage 1, and Jesse hasn't done that, but she isn't as reliable as Jesse. She's a lot like Michelle. You know she is incredibly strong and perfectly capable of completing obstacles, but when it all comes together, it's not a safe bet. It's safe to think that she'd be one of the two women, but it's also not the craziest thing in the world if she isn't. Ashley had surprised me in Qualifiers, so I thought she had a really good shot at being next to Jesse, but then they skipped her, so it was like "oh, guess not." She is really promising for the future of women, though. Her and Mady Howard, I'll be keeping in mind. Mady might give Meagan a run for her money next week, but we'll talk about that then. Anyway, Sandy isn't a bad female athlete. I think the whole "first mom" history is a little unnecessary because they'll make anything history. This is a tangent, but a little related. I've been watching NFL football this season, and I swear, they'll make a record for anything. If you follow, Burrow made some record for 300+ passing yards in 3 consecutive games as a rookie, or with the Cowboys, they made some comment about them never having thrown a pick-6 (or interception, I don't remember exactly) against the Giants at home, and that is just very specific, so does it really matter? Eh, like I said, a tangent. It's not important to this, but I guess the whole "first mom" thing made me roll my eyes. Now, it is different, I suppose, being a mom and hitting buzzers versus someone younger like Jesse. Sandy is in excellent shape, and she does a hell of a lot better than I ever could at 21. Still, I really thought someone would edge her out. I don't know how they're doing Finals, but I will expect that Jesse or Jessie outdoes her. But, I should be impressed. She does good.

So, those are the ones advancing. There are a few more people I am going to mention. First, Jake's teammates, Glenn Albright and Barry Goers. They didn't advance, so literally, what was the point of Jake's win on the Power Tower? Honestly? What kind of prize is that? Jake gets the fastest time. Jake beats Ethan Swanson. And Jake gets nothing? Then his teammates come around and fail again? Is it really worth it? I guess it means a lot more to them than viewers, but it just doesn't mean anything. I know they probably don't want to give more money away, and they can't really have a "save" like last year due to the different arrangement, but what is the point of the Power Tower other than glory? I guess I'm a little hypocritical because I enjoy some of them. Last year, I wasn't as interested in the Power Tower, but I didn't care for the match-ups as much. Jake vs. Ethan and Joe vs. Michael was fun. I actually can't remember who the other Power Tower was, and you know I'm too lazy to look it up. I think the Power Tower would be fun to watch as a completely separate thing. Just pitting people against each other and seeing who would win. Not the top 2 times across 4 different nights, no prize, no whatever, other than just some fun. Like a tournament type thing. Maybe that's kind of what they're going for to determine the winner of the season, but I think that's stupid. The Power Tower really isn't difficult enough for that, but I guess we'll talk a lot about that in a couple of weeks. That was my tidbit on those two. 

Kevin Bull has been on the decline lately, too. He had huge opening seasons, but he's kind of fallen by the wayside in the past couple of years. He got skipped this week and during his Qualifiers, I think, so that's a bummer. He seems like a really genuine guy. 

Grant McCartney. How could I almost forget Grant? Okay, I knew that he wasn't going to advance when he dropped because how could he have been faster than The Kid? And, it was pretty obvious that beating the Corkscrew was going to be the minimum. What really gets me is Matt saying that Grant had perfect technique on the Corkscrew, because he most definitely did not. Everyone who passed it had good technique. Daniel had good technique. Grant was getting all twisted up. His face was showing some serious pain, and Matt kept saying he was perfect? That was funny. It's really just because they're so in love with him. Grant's personality and character precedes him. He's such a big name for his dancing over his actual ability. I'm sure he's made friends with a lot of people; he seems very friendly, but he's definitely not going to be winning ANW any time soon.

There were other people that I will acknowledge. Nate Hansen (bummer), Abel Gonzalez, Jonathan Horton, and Gabriel Hotchkiss sounds familiar, though I don't know much about him. They're all right in the middle. The Finals does a great job of weeding out the middle section, which, of course, is its job. Usually, there are more people reaching the Finals (a.k.a. Vegas) but this year, there is a dramatic difference in the number of people advancing, so the Semi-finals are weeding out even more people than the City Finals normally do. We're really getting the best of the best, and honestly, so far, these 12 are proving that. I would have bet that The Kid would be up there, but hey, we can't all win. Jake, Daniel, Adam, Jamie, Jesse, Tyler--they're all great. 

Next Week's Predictions

Now, as for who will be advancing with these guys? I'm going to make some predictions. Jessie will probably advance. We already know she made it to the Corkscrew, since the preview spoiled that. Joe and Sean I think are safe bets. I want to say Najee. I think that he will be able to best the Corkscrew. Ethan Swanson would probably be a good choice. Michael Torres may drop. That wouldn't surprise me too much, although he has been looking really good since last year. I think Joe's teammate (the one we saw) will do better, but I don't think it'll be enough. I don't think his other teammate (the one we didn't see) will do much, either. Lucas Reale could do well. Tage Herrington, the guy who looks 12, might be surprising. Amir Malik and David Wright would also be on my list. 

So, here's my list. I'm not doing times because I don't know the obstacles, and quite frankly, I have no clue. The list is in no particular order

Joe Moravsky --> finish

Sean Bryan --> finish

Ethan Swanson --> 9th obstacle or finish

Lucas Reale --> 9th obstacle or finish

RJ Roman 

David Wright --> speed?

Najee Richardson --> 9th obstacle (not a speedster, so he'll have to do well)

Michael Torres --> 9th obstacle or speed?

Amir Malik --> speed?

Lorin Ball --> speed?

Jessie Graff --> 9th obstacle

Mady Howard --> 8th obstacle

Okay, it's not a complete list. I literally have no idea. They'll be keeping the Corkscrew, so it will probably come back down to who can beat that. I really don't know. Consider this week. 5 finishers, and 4 of them were the absolute best of the best. They might not have The Dungeon next week, but I'm really just trying to see who will pass the Corkscrew. I want people like Amir and Tage and David to do well, but I really don't know if they'll be able to handle it. I think people like Joe and Sean and Najee will actually do fine, though, but they're kind of obvious guesses. I think Reale will do well, Ethan, and RJ. But honestly, browsing through the remaining, it's really hard to tell. There's someone like Thomas Stillings. Let's take him. He has done well in the past, but he also hasn't. I don't know if he is the kind of guy who can do the Corkscrew. I definitely wouldn't peg him for being able to finish, but who knows? David Campbell is another question mark. He surprised us with his initial speed and his save in Qualifiers, and his Mega Wall climb. But...? Maybe some of the best have already been weeded out or never even competed? 

I noticed a handful of people did not return. Kevin Carbone (the Maker Ninja), Kyle Soderman and Hunter Guerard (2/3 of the Blonde Boyz), Brian Arnold, Ian Dory, Brent Steffensen, Nate Burkhalter, Barclay Stockett, Ryan Stratis, Mike Bernardo, and Brett Sims just to name a few did not show. I'm sure there were plenty more faces whom we have seen in the past that didn't appear this year. Maybe this was because they weren't invited (like Brent) or they chose not to (like Barclay and Ryan). I would have liked to see Kyle and Hunter again. Hunter in particular did really well last year. Plus, it would have been fun to see them with Jake. They had to be selective, and it's perfectly valid if someone doesn't want to compete this year. 

The Course

Alright, I've got one more section to ramble about. This has been a pretty long post already, so I'll try to keep it sweet. I have had issues with the courses this year. They keep changing it. Normally, people who are in their City Finals (the equivalent of this year's Semi-finals) have the same front half course as their Qualifiers, even if it is slightly altered. This year, with people being more jumbled together (i.e. people who ran on different Qualifiers nights are running together in the Semi-finals) they have to switch up the course, I guess. Now, not many people failed on these new obstacles, but it is still a disadvantage. Sideways is a really cool obstacle, but it was one 1 of the 4 Qualifiers nights, so if anyone had that obstacle on their Qualifiers night, they would have a slight, slight advantage. Now, I think this only applied to The Kid and Kevin Bull, because it looks like those were the guys who had it on the Qualifiers night. So, maybe it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but it's still a disparity. I can't piece together completely who ran what night with what obstacle, and how is seeing a repeat of something and who is seeing a new obstacle in the front half, but the fact that they reused obstacles, yet every course is different is kind of annoying. The regular season makes a lot more sense. The cities may have had different courses, but at least the people in each city had some uniformity. Then everyone had the same course in Vegas. I've had qualms about the courses before, but this is worse than usual, I think. There's just no sense of fairness. Allyssa went out on Clockwork, I think, but I don't think she saw that in her Qualifiers, so is it fair to spring a new obstacle on someone in the next round? I think Clockwork was new for everyone, so just the fact that she fell doesn't matter, it's just the principle of things. It also makes it immensely difficult to remember the courses without having 10 different tabs open on Safari trying to reference back and coordinate who had what. The placement of each obstacle has a specific typing (is that the word). Like the 2nd and 3rd obstacles aren't heavy like the 5th or 9th obstacles, but still. There needs to be some order. You could apply that to Nate Hansen, too. He didn't get a chance on the back half because they sprung a new balance obstacle on them. I guess it doesn't matter too much because everyone else still passed, and it is a mark of a good ninja to be able to complete a variety of obstacles, still it rubs me the wrong way with how they coordinated the obstacles this time around.

So, it also makes next week difficult to predict, because I don't know how they'll change it. I guess it's this way in the regular season across the cities, so what am I complaining about, right? My predictions are really shaky. Honestly, Joe and Sean might not finish, and someone like David or Amir might surprise me. We will just have to wait and see. 

I also want to mention that I really like the Corkscrew. It is a great obstacle. It tests grip strength, momentum, core strength, and body control. Not only do they have to hold on, but they have to prevent their bodies from swinging around, and they have to lache to the next thing. It makes the course more well-rounded. Obstacles start to focus solely on grip and upper body strength, but I love that Corkscrew combines a lot of different skills. Daniel did the Corkscrew really well. Someone like The Kid just flew all around. Now, Grant, at first, did a good job of holding on despite getting twisted up, but Daniel just knew how to control his body. Core strength also gets pushed aside sometimes, it seems, and I bet core strength really helped on the Corkscrew. I also appreciate that they're keeping for the second night. I don't think they'll keep Sideways, but the Corkscrew is fun to watch and a good challenge. 

They also seem to really be pushing the Obstacle Design Challenge. I don't remember them giving some deluxe trip away to the winner in previous years, but maybe they did. Is it vaguely familiar from last year, or am I just thinking that now that it is in my head? 

Wrapping Up (finally)

Well, this has been way too long. I have made predictions, discussed athletes, and ranted about the course. I mentioned Jake way too much. It was a good night. I'm very glad that some of my favorites are moving on, and I'm hoping that'll continue next week. It looks like we have to wait a little longer with the new night, but as long as we're getting ANW, I ain't mad. Until then...