The Amazing Race 11/15 *spoilers*

[Neenahboy]

And with that, this season has ceased being interesting for me. My thoughts on the remaining teams range from indifference to strong dislike.

[IJustLikeTivo]

I don't hate any of the teams but I no longer care much who wins.

The only ones left who haven't done something truly sneaky or nasty are the Meagan and Cheayne. OTOH, they haven't really played very well overall.

[VegasVic]

I've liked this season but tonights episode was pretty bland. Other than Miss America I don't really not like anyone.

[gossamer88]

I do like this season and am rooting for the Globetrotters.

The father/son team had no chance. I still can't believe he didn't know what a candelabra is. Then again the way he was pronouncing it was a dead giveaway.

[VegasVic]

"Are you a candelabra?

[omnibus]

Well at least he finally figured that the prefix root of the word "candle" was more important than the suffix "bra"

[latrobe7]

The Globetrotters shouldn't be mad at the gay brothers - they're the ones that went the wrong way!

[MarkofT]

The only ones left who haven't done something truly sneaky or nasty are the Meagan and Cheayne.Meagan and Cheyane cancelled the call for the second taxi.

[debtoine]

I was rooting for them to catch up and survive the leg, but oh well.

Just watched the Elimination Station video and:

The guys were only a few minutes behind team #4.

deb

[SoakinginSoap]

I was impressed that anyone could play volleyball in the mud. They didn't make it look that hard. Of course, we don't know how long it took them to reach 5 points.

I don't have a favorite. They all whine. So give them some cheese and may the best team win!

[wendiness1]

So, what do you think happened in the footrace? I reran the scene a number of times and it looks to me like the Globetrotter was trying to grab hold of Dave (is it Dave?). As for elbows, Dave had his left arm back and he was leaning forward into the run. I don't think, in that position, he could have thrown back his right arm without losing his balance. In fact, the arm I saw extended looked like Sam's but I may be wrong.

[tem]

looked like 100% the Globetrotter's fault to me.

[getbak]

The path didn't look wide enought for two people to run side-by-side. Flight Time tried to pass, but there wasn't any room to do so. I don't know how you can blame anyone but the Globetrotters for that one.

[cheerdude]

I don't think it was intentional on FT's part. I think that he tried to pass, fell (like he did previously on the path) and then either took Dave down because of the fall ... or reached out as a reflex move.

Only 2 more until (we believe) the spring...

[IJustLikeTivo]

Meagan and Cheyane cancelled the call for the second taxi.

I don't think that's sneaky, just good came play. Besides, they said not to worry, it was the cabbie who decided not to do it. Completely different than the one a couple seasons back where a team called and canceled the orders for a cab by two other teams.

[heySkippy]

I was surprised at how hard the slingshot proved to be and how little mud stuck to the players and their clothing. That might have been the least messy mud I've ever seen.

[IJustLikeTivo]

The path didn't look wide enought for two people to run side-by-side. Flight Time tried to pass, but there wasn't any room to do so. I don't know how you can blame anyone but the Globetrotters for that one.

The path was wide enough but the brothers ran on opposite sides making it impossible to pass. That why there was a collision when the trotters tried to pass.

Having said that, it's just good game play. They did not suddenly move into the way or shove the trotters in a proactive way at all. Taking all the space seems might seem sneaky but the trotters went the wrong way in the first place.

If they had looked for the tower before running this would be a non issue.

[laria]

I like how the clue said they must play it in their underwear and no one did, except one of the gay brothers.

They must have blown the entire blurring budget on this one episode on both of them. I have no idea why they needed to blur the other one when he kept his khaki shorts on, unless he REALLY thought those volleyball guys were hot.

[Jebberwocky!]

I like how the clue said they must play it in their underwear and no one did, except one of the gay brothers.

They must have blown the entire blurring budget on this one episode on both of them. I have no idea why they needed to blur the other one when he kept his khaki shorts on, unless he REALLY thought those volleyball guys were hot.

This - pretty funny stuff.

At this time anyone other than the brothers would be fine with me.

[KevinG]

If they had looked for the tower before running this would be a non issue.

Why isn't this a non-issue either way? Both teams knew that they weren't first, and both teams knew that they weren't last... I don't understand the hurry to be in 2nd place verses third.

[Jebberwocky!]

Why isn't this a non-issue either way? Both teams knew that they weren't first, and both teams knew that they weren't last... I don't understand the hurry to be in 2nd place verses third.

They don't like to lose to each other - plain and simple.

[laria]

Why isn't this a non-issue either way? Both teams knew that they weren't first, and both teams knew that they weren't last... I don't understand the hurry to be in 2nd place verses third.

I blame testosterone. :) They were already "feuding" with them about the taxi.

[KevinG]

I suppose that's true, but this is one of my pet-peeves with this show anyway.

First rule: Try to be first (because there is usually a prize associated with that)
Second rule: Don't be last.
Third rule: There is no third rule.

[zaknafein]

I was surprised at how hard the slingshot proved to be and how little mud stuck to the players and their clothing. That might have been the least messy mud I've ever seen.

I thought the same thing. I couldn't believe it when someone would dive on the ground, get up, and would appear completely spotless.

[KyleLC]

I like how the clue said they must play it in their underwear and no one did, except one of the gay brothers.It didn't say they must play it in their underwear. It only suggested it. Otherwise they would have been penalized for not following the rules.

[laria]

It didn't say they must play it in their underwear. It only suggested it. Otherwise they would have been penalized for not following the rules.

Ohh, I thought that when they were discussing it in the car the clue said they had to. And was surprised that no one was penalized, but figured maybe they didn't mention it because none of them did it.

[Magnolia88]

They must have blown the entire blurring budget on this one episode on both of them. I have no idea why they needed to blur the other one when he kept his khaki shorts on, unless he REALLY thought those volleyball guys were hot.

I thought all the blurring was funny too, and odd. One of the brothers was blurred the whole time, and the one in khaki shorts was blurred and then not, and then blurred again. I was wondering what was going on with that on-again, off-again blurring - just how entertaining was that volleyball game? :o

Pink hair got blurred too, but from behind. The censors were definitely working overtime on this episode.

[IJustLikeTivo]

I blame testosterone. :) They were already "feuding" with them about the taxi.

Now about the taxi, the trotters were right. No way that taxi just arriving was one called by the other team's driver. The brothers flat out lied to claim it. I'm just glad the trotter's didn't allow them to get away with it.

[uncdrew]

The path didn't look wide enought for two people to run side-by-side. Flight Time tried to pass, but there wasn't any room to do so. I don't know how you can blame anyone but the Globetrotters for that one.

Agreed.

But...

Could the Trotters shove the brothers off the path? The Trotters were obviously faster, and caught up to the brothers. What's the rule if the brothers started walking, thereby blocking the whole path? I assume they don't want violence.

I like the Trotters and dislike the brothers. But I'll admit it looked like the Trotters were in the wrong on this one.


Now about the taxi, the trotters were right. No way that taxi just arriving was one called by the other team's driver. The brothers flat out lied to claim it. I'm just glad the trotter's didn't allow them to get away with it.

Yeah, seemed like that cab was the Trotters, as they got to it first. Glad at the least they shared it.

[laria]

What's the rule if the brothers started walking, thereby blocking the whole path?
Big Easy probably would have just picked one of them up and moved him. :)

I was definitely glad the brothers didn't get away with stealing that taxi. They had no reason to be mad about that, there's no way that was the taxi that the other guy was calling for. The taxis didn't even look like they were from the same company!

As for the path thing, it was hard to tell, but the Globetrotters definitely could have avoided it by looking for the tower for a minute before they took off in the wrong direction. It looked to me like Flight Time slipped and maybe grabbed the brother out of reflex, but the angle was too bad to really see.

Go Globetrotters! :) I was so bummed for them about their lead evaporating like that... 2-2.5 hour headstart over the other teams, and 4 hour headstart over the guys that got eliminated! It definitely seemed like fortuitous producer intervention there. With an almost 17 hour ferry ride, anyone who didn't make the ferry was toast.

[MrGreg]

First rule: Try to be first (because there is usually a prize associated with that)
Second rule: Don't be last.
Third rule: There is no third rule.

I would reverse the order of rules 1 and 2 (except on the final leg).

[Ment]

I was surprised at how hard the slingshot proved to be and how little mud stuck to the players and their clothing. That might have been the least messy mud I've ever seen.

It looked they were in a marsh area and the mud contained alot of peat(partially decomposed plant material) vs clay based mud which sticks to you.

The slingshot was the task I'd have chosen to do. Perhaps the irregular size of the radishes made them hard to aim. Guessing it took the Gary & Matt less time than Brian & Ericka to hit the target based on how they were handling the slingshot, bringing the band way back and sighting it correctly.

[BrandonRe]

It looked they were in a marsh area and the mud contained alot of peat(partially decomposed plant material) vs clay based mud which sticks to you.

The slingshot was the task I'd have chosen to do. Perhaps the irregular size of the radishes made them hard to aim. Guessing it took the Gary & Matt less time than Brian & Ericka to hit the target based on how they were handling the slingshot, bringing the band way back and sighting it correctly.

I agree about the bog material. Some of the contestants while playing volleyball even commented about not knowing if it was even mud they were in. At the time I thought it was a fear of being hip deep in something nasty, but now I think they were just talking about the difference between the bog material and "regular" mud.

[IJustLikeTivo]

Go Globetrotters! :) I was so bummed for them about their lead evaporating like that... 2-2.5 hour headstart over the other teams, and 4 hour headstart over the guys that got eliminated! It definitely seemed like fortuitous producer intervention there. With an almost 17 hour ferry ride, anyone who didn't make the ferry was toast.

I checked the timetables for that ferry. It does, indeed, travel once and only once per day. Every afternoon at 5:45 PM.

[DevdogAZ]

I was rooting for them to catch up and survive the leg, but oh well.

Just watched the Elimination Station video and:

The guys were only a few minutes behind team #4.

deb
If that's the case, I'm surprised the producers didn't edit the show to have a little more suspense. Not that I expected any different outcome, but when they show one team finishing before the other team even shows up to the final task, I always assume that the time difference is pretty large.
As for the path thing, it was hard to tell, but the Globetrotters definitely could have avoided it by looking for the tower for a minute before they took off in the wrong direction. It looked to me like Flight Time slipped and maybe grabbed the brother out of reflex, but the angle was too bad to really see.
Had the Trotters simply left for the Pit Stop when they finished the volleyball and not taken the time to put their clothes and shoes on, that probably would have made the difference. Did the Trotters and the Brothers know that Meagan and Cheyne had already finished, or had they checked in before those teams showed up? Is it possible they thought they might be racing for first place?

[ElJay]

The blurring of the brothers in this episode was incredibly frightening!

I'm rather happy that the father and son team is gone, simply because I got so tired of looking at that pierced up face of the son. ick.

[refried]

Go Globetrotters! :) I was so bummed for them about their lead evaporating like that... 2-2.5 hour headstart over the other teams, and 4 hour headstart over the guys that got eliminated! It definitely seemed like fortuitous producer intervention there. With an almost 17 hour ferry ride, anyone who didn't make the ferry was toast.

They seem to have a lot more equalizers this year and not as many travel options. I don't think we've see any leg (besides the first) where teams took different flights. This leg they had over 24 hours of sit-and-wait after their mandatory rest break.

[KevinG]

I would reverse the order of rules 1 and 2 (except on the final leg).

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that there was any priority associated with the order of the list. :-)

Basically, there is one rule, go for first, and don't be last. No need to fight over the middle spots as you are all going to bunch up again at the next airport anyway.

[laria]

I checked the timetables for that ferry. It does, indeed, travel once and only once per day. Every afternoon at 5:45 PM.

Yeah, if they had done the 24 hour stop as they have done a couple times, the Montana guys would have been out. The Globetrotters would have made it, and probably the next 3, depending on how far away the ferry terminal was (I think team #4 left at like 5:00).

[laria]

They seem to have a lot more equalizers this year and not as many travel options. I don't think we've see any leg (besides the first) where teams took different flights. This leg they had over 24 hours of sit-and-wait after their mandatory rest break.

Yeah, not only that I was commenting to my SO last night that no one ever seems to worry about money anymore, and we never see people sleeping outside or scrouging money or pooling it together to share a room in some shady motel. It seems like they all just get put up in a nice hotel at the pitstop. Also they never show us any scenes from the pitstop, they used to do that sometimes in the past.

[DevdogAZ]

Yeah, if they had done the 24 hour stop as they have done a couple times, the Montana guys would have been out. The Globetrotters would have made it, and probably the next 3, depending on how far away the ferry terminal was (I think team #4 left at like 5:00).
Although we don't know that this pit stop wasn't longer than 12 hours already. Once again, Phil didn't say that it was a 12 hour stop, so it could have been any length of time. I'm thoroughly convinced that the producers manipulate pit stop times to ensure that no team gets left behind on a travel leg, and also to ensure that the schedule remains intact. I'm fairly certain that they have the dates and times for every leg of the race all planned out before the race ever begins, and they have to build enough time into each leg to compensate for fast teams, slow teams, etc. Therefore, there are certain points in the race where it's guaranteed that they'll have to sit for a significant length of time, if for no other reason than to get back on the producer's timeline.
Yeah, not only that I was commenting to my SO last night that no one ever seems to worry about money anymore, and we never see people sleeping outside or scrouging money or pooling it together to share a room in some shady motel. It seems like they all just get put up in a nice hotel at the pitstop. Also they never show us any scenes from the pitstop, they used to do that sometimes in the past.
You are right. They did used to show us footage from the Pit Stop occasionally. In fact there was one season where the pit stop was in a remote part of Africa, and there were beds set up right there in the middle of the desert behind Phil when the teams checked in. You'd think that if they were still doing that, this episode would have been a perfect time to show it, since the pit stop was in the middle of nowhere. So I think it's safe to assume that regardless of where the actual mat is, the teams are then taken to a hotel or some other accommodations for the eating/sleeping/interview portions of the pit stop.

Which reminds me: a few episodes ago, after Mika and Canaan were eliminated, all of the teams met up in the airport in Dubai and were asking what happened to Mika and Canaan and that's when the Trotters told everyone what happened at the top of the slide. Was that something recreated for the cameras, or do the teams really not have any contact with each other during the pit stop, such that they wouldn't even know what happened to Mika and Canaan until the next leg began and they met up with the other teams at the airport?

There are so many reasons why I wish they'd produce a "behind the scenes" special or provide a DVD with commentary for this show.

[tiams]

Yeah, if they had done the 24 hour stop as they have done a couple times, the Montana guys would have been out. The Globetrotters would have made it, and probably the next 3, depending on how far away the ferry terminal was (I think team #4 left at like 5:00).

One team was said to have left at 4 am and when they were shown reading the clue it was broad daylight.

[KyleLC]

One team was said to have left at 4 am and when they were shown reading the clue it was broad daylight.They were pretty far north and it was summertime. For example, the sun rises at about 3:30 AM in Stockholm in the middle of June.

[stellie93]

It seemed like the father and son were the only ones actually trying to navigate by the map instead of asking or following someone. Didn't work too well for them. I wonder if they never saw the show before or didn't realize they could ask, or if they were afraid to trust strangers to give correct directions. :confused:

[laria]

Although we don't know that this pit stop wasn't longer than 12 hours already. Once again, Phil didn't say that it was a 12 hour stop, so it could have been any length of time.
Right, but my point was it wasn't a multiple of 24 hours as we've sometimes seen, otherwise only 4 teams would have left before the ferry did at 5:45.

One team was said to have left at 4 am and when they were shown reading the clue it was broad daylight.

That didn't really surprise me. :) There is a lot of daylight in the summer that far north.

[DevdogAZ]

Right, but my point was it wasn't a multiple of 24 hours as we've sometimes seen, otherwise only 4 teams would have left before the ferry did at 5:45.
I don't think you can say that for sure. Again, we don't know what the time difference was from when they checked in at the mat to when they left the pit stop. The 'Trotters left the pit stop at 2:23 a.m. in this episode. However, the fact that Phil didn't say that they checked 2:23 p.m. leads us to believe that they checked in at some other time. Therefore, it's impossible to say that four of the teams would have made the ferry if they left the pit stop 24 hours after checking in, because we have no idea what time they checked in. Nor do we know how long it took to drive from the pit stop to the ferry terminal. It's entirely possible that if the 'Trotters left the pit stop at 2:23 p.m., they wouldn't have been able to make the 5:45 p.m. ferry.

[smak]

We don't know for sure, but I don't think there's any way they would have chanced a team missing a once a day ferry. Going on a flight 90 minutes later is ok as a punishment for being in the back of the pack, but ending their race because they were an hour behind 1st place, and they miss a ferry by 5 minutes. I don't think so.

It seems weird for the time they left to not be an interval of 12 or 24 hours, when they would have to wait 13 or 14 hours for the ferry. If they were going to arbitrarily make up a leave time, it wouldn't be in this situation.

-smak-

[marksman]

Anyone else creeped out by the "sonorbus" where the father kept creepingly focusing on the young blonde woman next to his son at the expense of the two people sitting next to him?

[laria]

I don't think you can say that for sure. Again, we don't know what the time difference was from when they checked in at the mat to when they left the pit stop. The 'Trotters left the pit stop at 2:23 a.m. in this episode. However, the fact that Phil didn't say that they checked 2:23 p.m. leads us to believe that they checked in at some other time. Therefore, it's impossible to say that four of the teams would have made the ferry if they left the pit stop 24 hours after checking in, because we have no idea what time they checked in.
Yes, yes, fine. Maybe they pulled 2:23 am out of a hat. I am assuming 2:23 pm seems like a likely checkin time since they were at the farm in what appeared to be full daylight the entire time.

Nor do we know how long it took to drive from the pit stop to the ferry terminal. It's entirely possible that if the 'Trotters left the pit stop at 2:23 p.m., they wouldn't have been able to make the 5:45 p.m. ferry.

It's possible, but really unlikely. I still think they and probably the next 3 teams would have made it. Anything's possible of course, but I think only the brothers would have been cutting it close. The farm (Google Maps: Bögs Gård Farm (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=B%C3%B6gsg%C3%A5rd+AB+191+62+Sollentuna&sll=59.517712,17.916298&sspn=0.018265,0.034976&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=B%C3%B6gsg%C3%A5rd+AB&hnear=19162+Sollentuna+Municipality,+Sweden&ll=59.444726,17.892609&spn=0.292868,0.559616&z=11&iwloc=A)) is only about 30 miles from Stockholm and a stones throw from the major highway that leads there.

[heySkippy]

Anyone else creeped out by the "sonorbus" where the father kept creepingly focusing on the young blonde woman next to his son at the expense of the two people sitting next to him?
Not even a little bit. The other two people were his freakazoid son and some big guy with man boobs. I know what I'd have been looking at.

[pdhenry]

Sonorbus?

Saunabuss (http://www.saunabuss.ee/).

[KyleLC]

Sonorbus?Marksman was making fun of the way the dad pronounced it.

[martinp13]

Sonorbus?

Saunabuss (http://www.saunabuss.ee/).Heh, English part is "Sry underconstruction.....". :)

[IJustLikeTivo]

Right, but my point was it wasn't a multiple of 24 hours as we've sometimes seen, otherwise only 4 teams would have left before the ferry did at 5:45.



That didn't really surprise me. :) There is a lot of daylight in the summer that far north.

That time of year it hardly gets dark. More of a semi twilight. I went a bit farther north in Norway one summer and you had to close the drapes to sleep.

[Anubys]

nobody noticed the shot of Meghan in her underwear putting her skimpy shorts on before the volleyball game?

what is wrong with you people?!

[DevdogAZ]

Anyone else creeped out by the "sonorbus" where the father kept creepingly focusing on the young blonde woman next to his son at the expense of the two people sitting next to him?
What I thought was funny was the way the son was sitting. It seemed like he was trying to cover up the fact that might be a little aroused sitting that close to a hot Swedish chick with very little clothes on.

[DevdogAZ]

Yes, yes, fine. Maybe they pulled 2:23 am out of a hat. I am assuming 2:23 pm seems like a likely checkin time since they were at the farm in what appeared to be full daylight the entire time.
I'm guessing that this was one of the 36-hour pit stops. The 'Trotters probably did check in at 2:23 p.m., but Phil didn't say that because it wasn't just 12 hours.

[JLucPicard]

nobody noticed the shot of Meghan in her underwear putting her skimpy shorts on before the volleyball game?

what is wrong with you people?!
Oh, I definitely noticed! Certainly explains why she didn't do it in her underwear! :D

Being from MN, I LOL'd hearing the SOW-na pronunciation!

[Anubys]

Oh, I definitely noticed! Certainly explains why she didn't do it in her underwear! :D



yes, but did you replay in slow mo? :p

[Steve_Martin]

What I thought was funny was the way the son was sitting. It seemed like he was trying to cover up the fact that might be a little aroused sitting that close to a hot Swedish chick with very little clothes on.

I noticed that too.

[Alpinemaps]

The only ones left who haven't done something truly sneaky or nasty are the Meagan and Cheayne. OTOH, they haven't really played very well overall.

They've finished: 1st, 6th, 2nd, 5th, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 1st (twice as many 1st place finishes as anyone else). Not sure what your definition of 'haven't played really very well overall' is, but I think they've done pretty darn good.

I would reverse the order of rules 1 and 2 (except on the final leg).

I've always said that, too. Just don't be last! First is great, but, you just don't want to be last.

What I thought was funny was the way the son was sitting. It seemed like he was trying to cover up the fact that might be a little aroused sitting that close to a hot Swedish chick with very little clothes on.

Estonian chick, not Swedish chick. :p But, more importantly *hot* chick. :)

[DevdogAZ]

Estonian chick, not Swedish chick. :p But, more importantly *hot* chick. :)
Oh, yeah. You're right. Forgot that they left Sweden and went to Tallinn in this episode.

[sushikitten]

Not much of a speed bump, IMO. Sure, they had to find the bus, but to only sit there five minutes?

There is probably a list of speed bumps somewhere with how long they all took, but just from memory (which is spotty at best) it seems that some speed bumps have been much longer than others. :confused:

[TriBruin]

Not much of a speed bump, IMO. Sure, they had to find the bus, but to only sit there five minutes?

There is probably a list of speed bumps somewhere with how long they all took, but just from memory (which is spotty at best) it seems that some speed bumps have been much longer than others. :confused:

Agreed. When reading a summary of the episode on another website, the term they used was "time out." That's all that speedbump was, a 5 minute time out. Quite disappointing.

[laria]

Agreed. When reading a summary of the episode on another website, the term they used was "time out." That's all that speedbump was, a 5 minute time out. Quite disappointing.

Maybe it was longer because the bus was driving around. They may have only been in the sow-ner for 5 minutes, but we don't know how long the bus trip took.

[Anubys]

Maybe it was longer because the bus was driving around. They may have only been in the sow-ner for 5 minutes, but we don't know how long the bus trip took.

there was indication that the bus was in motion (or it has amazing shock absorbers)...plus, they got on and off at the same exact spot...

not definitive proof but...

[LlamaLarry]

Didn't the Poker Girls have a "pour some soup into a bowl and serve it" speed bump? I agree that this season seems to have very mild penalties for surviving the non elimination.

[DevdogAZ]

Maybe it was longer because the bus was driving around. They may have only been in the sow-ner for 5 minutes, but we don't know how long the bus trip took.
I think finding the bus and getting undressed/dressed took longer than the 5 minutes they had to sit in the sauna. But it was probably only a 15-20 minute detour.
Didn't the Poker Girls have a "pour some soup into a bowl and serve it" speed bump? I agree that this season seems to have very mild penalties for surviving the non elimination.
Frankly, it's not in the producers interests to give a team a task that is so difficult or time-consuming that they end up hours behind the other teams. A speed bump is supposed to be exactly that, something that forces you to slow down briefly. But it shouldn't take too long, or it would mean that surviving non-elimination just means that you're automatically eliminated in the next episode, and that makes for a boring episode.

[LlamaLarry]

Frankly, it's not in the producers interests to give a team a task that is so difficult or time-consuming that they end up hours behind the other teams. A speed bump is supposed to be exactly that, something that forces you to slow down briefly.I agree, but by removing the "No money for the next leg" to reduce unseemly bagging or "...only the clothes on your back" type penalties the slow down is pretty lame. I get that having them sit out for 5 mins doing nothing makes for totally wasted footage but the bumps so far are only mildly more interesting than nothing - although the blonde on the buss helped. ;)

I think an alternate pit stop or locale based charity/service task might be just as effective as disruptor to the team mojo.But it shouldn't take too long, or it would mean that surviving non-elimination just means that you're automatically eliminated in the next episode, and that makes for a boring episode.I have spent 0 minutes researching but seat of the pants it seems like the saved team ends up getting axed the next leg quite often anyway. I am 100% certain someone will be able to produce the records to dispute my impression. :D

[DevdogAZ]

I think an alternate pit stop or locale based charity/service task might be just as effective as disruptor to the team mojo.I have spent 0 minutes researching but seat of the pants it seems like the saved team ends up getting axed the next leg quite often anyway. I am 100% certain someone will be able to produce the records to dispute my impression. :D
More often than not, you're right. But it's much more interesting for the viewer if they perceive that the non-eliminated team actually has a chance to catch up, which is why you'll almost always see an equalizer on the leg following non-elimination, and the speed bump will usually happen at a point where the teams are pretty close to one another, such that the team that has to perform it won't be too far behind the others when they finish.

[MrGreg]

I'm fine with the speed bumps being short when the previous non-elim was decided almost entirely by chance (the hay bales).

Although this one did seem shorter than even a Yield we've seen on previous seasons.

[Bierboy]

....They must have blown the entire blurring budget on this one episode on both of them.
THIS....hahahahahaha

...I have no idea why they needed to blur the other one when he kept his khaki shorts on, unless he REALLY thought those volleyball guys were hot.

That's exactly what I told my wife....must have been PAINFUL to play in that aroused state....:D

[Anubys]

maybe he just poked out for some air ;)

I think they should have gone Borat on him...blurred all the way down to his knees :D

[Bierboy]

They seem to have a lot more equalizers this year and not as many travel options. I don't think we've see any leg (besides the first) where teams took different flights.....
I agree, and I find that incredibly annoying. It really takes away a lot of competition and suspense.

[Bierboy]

yes, but did you replay in slow mo? :p

...you mean frame by frame? ;)

[pdhenry]

Looking forward to more informative messages from you!