Amazing Race -- The Cowboy Way

This season's Amazing Race is shaping up to be a fun season.

I'm becoming a big fan of the "cowboy" team of Jet & Cord. Going in, I didn't expect to have them on my "favorites" radar, figuring they'd be annoying, but their easygoing style (contrasting with the at-each-others-throats conflict we always seem to see from teams every year) and sense of humor, even poking fun at themselves, has won me over. The fact that they're running one hell of a good race is gravy. Sure, the Gsucho roping roadblock played to their strengths (after all, they are rodeo guys), but on the previous leg, the creative solution to the bus problem, getting a jump on those who stuck to the more "direct" routes, showed some smarts. I think these guys could win... they've got the strength to deal with the physical challenges and have shown they're not just "dumb hicks". 


Another favorite team is "Team Big Brother"... Jeff & Jordan. As a Big Brother fan, I already had an affinity for them as likable and fun-loving people. They've proven to be pretty good competitors, too, but a disturbing habit of not always reading the clues carefully could prove to be their downfall if they do it at a time when it could cause them a major delay, or even a time penalty. I hope they stick around a while, because they're fun to watch with their kidding banter, but I expect that they'll be long gone by the time it gets down to the final 3 teams sprinting for the finish line.


Another team that I've taken a bit of a liking to that I didn't expect to like is Brent & Caite. That they're billed as "dating models" was the kind of red flag that usually puts me off on a team right off the bat. But they've taken on a bit of the "underdog" edit, starting with other teams, upon realizing that she's a former Miss Teenage South Carolina (yes... THAT Miss Teenage South Carolina...) started mocking her among themselves and to other teams. Jeebus, people! OK... the girl had a televised "Deer in the headlights" moment that's become a viral internet classic. That was two frigging years ago! Let it go... get over it.
This past episode when their start got delayed 3 hours when they woke up sick and puking their guts up in the hotel due to food poisoning or something (Dammit! I told you not to drink the damned water!). They looked like they were going to be doomed right from the start, but after getting treatment at the local emergency room, and being dehydrated from the morning's expulsion of inner liquids, they battled back and wound up reaching the pit stop in 7th place. That's a bit more grit than I'm used to seeing from "model" teams.

I think I'm going to enjoy this season as it plays out.

Icy relations

First off, it seems trivial talking about today's huge gold medal between the U.S. and Canada without first giving our thoughts and prayers to those suffering in Chile after that 8.8-size earthquake hit yesterday. Our nations must provide aid and helping hands to those people in dire need. It surely won't be the last catastrophe and I'm hoping 2010 doesn't go down in history as the Year of the Earthquake.

All the way up the Pacific coast from Chile, an outstanding Winter Olympics prepares to close shop for four years, but not without first settling some serious stakes in the men's gold-medal hockey game. This is Canada's game and surely it will be watching to see whether Crosby and co. will claim yet another gold for the Maple Leaf. On the other hand, Americans see shades of "the Miracle on Ice" in this team and will no doubt be rooting for the Stars and Stripes to stick it to "America's Hat" in their sport on their ice. If the U.S. wins, it should lay claim to Vancouver Island and demand Canada cedes it to the U.S.

U.S. goaltender Ryan Miller has clearly been the story of this hockey tournament so far, but if Canada gets ahead early like it did against Russia, Miller's story ends here. Roberto Luongo has looked better than Brodeur and I think the energy of the home crowd will energize Canada to take this game. Canada will put a lot of traffic in front of Miller, so we'll see how the U.S. back line holds up.

I'm predicting Canada winning 4-3 after withstanding a late U.S. flurry. Either way, it should be a doozy.

The Randy Man Can

Heh, got to give credit to the Randy man, he walked out without a word, the old grump.

Probst had a very good blog entry this week, wherever it is, but concluded with a stunningly dumb

At Least They Got The Vote Right!

Do they ever really? The Villains avoided the traditional slaughter of eyecandy which is a hallmark of Survivor, I guess we know how Jeff feels about that. And in doing that and getting rid of the old grump, who at least is an open and honest old grump who couldn't make a friend to save his life, they kept around...

A delusional maniac
An egotistical saboteur
A couple of hangers-on
Two evil witches
And Boston Rob.

And, well, you can fill it in yourself. I suppose had they gotten rid of Russell they'd never have a chance of finding the hidden, you know, machete.

Survivor: Heroes vs Villains -- Our picks for Episode 3

Reward belongs to the Villains

All of the competitors will "play dirty"

Nobody will play a hidden immunity idol this week

Devious Russell will stir up trouble and dissent again

Your Heroes will finally win an immunity

^
|
|__ And the bootee this week is...

Confessions of a Sports Junkie

Hello, my name is Thumper and I'm a sports addict.
What's that, you say? This isn't a 12-step meeting? Bummer... because I've got it bad!

I've been a pretty typical sports fan for a long time, following my favorite baseball and football teams and taking in the occasional basketball or hockey game.This in addition to personal participation in bowling leagues for many years, and 13 years as a player/manager of a company softball team.

Before long, the telltale signs began to emerge...
Season tickets for football games of my alma mater.
Then came half-season tickets for baseball, followed shortly thereafter by season basketball tickets for my old college. Along the way, I also took in assorted hockey, volleyball, baseball, and softball games.

It wasn't long before the truly alarming symptoms began to emerge.
I discovered fantasy sports.

It started harmlessly enough with a fantasy baseball league with some online friends. In the ensuing years, that branched out into football, basketball, hockey, soccer, NASCAR, and, so help me, golf!

This past football season, I had teams in 7 fantasy leagues. Made the playoffs in 5 of those, and took 2 championships. Pitchers and catchers have only just reported for spring training, but I'm already enrolled in my first fantasy baseball league. I suspect many more will follow.

Then there were the tournaments, NCAA March Madness, World Cup soccer, and the Olympics.

Ah, yes... the Olympics! I've been hooked on those games for a long time too. Both summer and winter games. I will watch just about anything that fits into the sports competition category: All the aforementioned sports, plus track and field, figure skating, skiing (both downhill and cross-country, and a mildly sick fascination with biathlon).

The sign that I've finally gone over the edge was the realization that I have become a hardcore fan of...
... curling! Yep, curling... that bizarre variant of shuffleboard with brooms on ice that's always dominated by the Canadians. Already twice this week, I've sat up until 2:30 in the morning watching tape-delayed curling matches... couldn't pull myself away.

... on the plus side, at least I haven't gone nutso for team handball yet.

Survivor: Heroes vs Villains - Episode 2 Haiku Picks

Villains rewarded
Immunity is their prize
Stephenie departs

Heroes? Villains? Wowza!

As I'm sure you've heard, the new season of Survivor, which premiered a few hours ago, features a heroes vs. villains theme. They have selected twenty past Survivors and dubbed half of them heroes and half of them villains. Here's the list:

Heroes:
JT Thomas - Survivor: Tocantins
Rupert Boneham - Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor: All Stars
James Clement - Survivor China, Survivor: Micronesia
Tom Westman - Survivor: Palau
Colby Donaldson - Survivor: Australian Outback, Survivor: All Stars
Stephenie LaGrossa - Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala
Sugar Kiper - Survivor: Gabon
Amanda Kimmel - Survivor: China, Survivor: Micronesia
Candice Woodcock - Survivor: Cook Islands
Cirie Fields - Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Micronesia

Villains:
Coach Ben Wade - Survivor: Tocantins
Tyson Apostol - Survivor: Tocantins
Randy Bailey - Survivor: Gabon
Rob Mariano - Survivor Marquesas, Survivor: All Stars
Russell Hantz - Survivor: Samoa
Jerri Manthey - Survivor: Australian Outback, Survivor: All Stars
Courtney Yates - Survivor: China
Danielle DiLorenzo - Survivor: Exile Island
Parvati Shallow - Survivor: Cook Islands, Survivor: Micronesia
Sandra Diaz-Twine - Survivor: Pearl Islands

If you missed the first episode, you missed a lot. Go find it on Hulu or at the CBS website or ask your friend to show you his DVRed copy. Cuz this was a great beginning to what could be an excellent season.

During the first challenge Stephenie (remember her? the last member of the doomed Ulong tribe from Survivor: Palau?) dislocates her shoulder and Rupert (arrgh! the pirate!) breaks his toe. Stephenie, the tough chick that she is, had them relocate it and she's fine. Rupert's toe was taped to the one next to it and he's determined to keep going. Now, there's not much you can do for a broken toe, but that doesn't mean that sucker won't be aching. I think Rupert's going to have a hard time lasting 39 days. Also in the first challenge, Sandra (Ms. I'll-vote-for-anyone-as-long-as-it's-not-me) proves she belongs on the villains tribe by playing dirty and unhooking Sugar's top thinking that will make her focus more on her modesty than winning. Best moment of the whole show was Sugar racing for a point for her team topless and turning around and flipping two birds at Sandra. And all that was before the first commercial break!

Later, we're treated to a possible showmance in the works between the original Survivor villainess Jerri and the crazy "dragonslayer" Coach. Seriously? Coach and Jerri? Fan fiction couldn't have come up with that pairing. Coach is also totally man-crushing on Boston Rob, who has already managed to reference his wife twice. (I think a drinking game could be based around the number of times Rob mentions Amber. And maybe add in every time Rupert's insecure nerdiness comes out. And every time Jerri cackles... I could go on and on....) Back to the man-crush.... Rob almost gets Coach to climb a tree 50 fifty in the air to retrieve some palm fronds. Palm fronds? Come on. I mean, if there were coconuts, maybe, but risking one's life for palm fronds? Coach, surprisingly, chickens out.

You have to give Boston Rob credit though. He made fire without flint. Aside from BB using his glasses in the original Survivor, has anyone ever done that? I seem to remember there was maybe one other time. But still - give the boy from Boston some credit - that was an amazing feat.

Russell is up to same game plan again - making alliances with everyone. (Although we didn't see him burning any socks this time.) Not surprisingly Danielle (who? why is she here?) falls for it. Also, not surprisingly Parvati sees right through him. I have to think Parvati is someone who could again go far. She's smart and knows how this game works.

All of these Survivors were playing the game from day one. James and JT seal an alliance with a handshake. And then JT and Tom hook up since as winners, they figure they have to go against each other at the Final 2 for either of them to have a chance of winning. Of course, Tom and Stephenie are allied too. Will the four of them create one strong alliance? Cirie and Amanda are more cautious with each other, clearly leaving their options open. Interestingly, Tom and Cirie both recognize the other as a major threat and float the idea of voting each other out. But in the end, it's the sweet sad Sugar who gets the boot. She was the weakest link, no question about it, but at least she had her moment at the Reward Challenge.

I can't wait til next week!