Nick and Starr take it all!

35 Who Will Cross First?
Originally uploaded by ekrubmj

Thanks to ekrubmi for the Flickr photo.

So Nick and Starr keep their winning ways and do so for when it matters. The creative editing team made it look like there may have been some issues with taxis, but when you're anyone but Andrew and Dan, things can go alright.

Several of us placed our bets on Nick and Starr and came out ahead. What do you think the comparison of air time compared to Dandrew and Nick and Starr/Ken and Tina.

The bets were placed as follows:
Adam Nick/Starr 2010
Tracy Nick/Starr 2785
Linda Ken/Tina 3330
Mark Nick/Starr 1780
Amy 1480
Tyson Dan/Andrew 1140

And the scores after the Nick/Starr victory (something like 6 I think - that's more than half of the legs!)

Tracy 5570
Adam 4020
Mark 3560

Congrats Tracy - you took home the top prize! Which is bragging rights - yeeha!

Here's a great Wikipedia page about the race
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Race_13
- it's official, Nick and Starr won 7 of the 11 legs! Ken and Tina won 3 and Toni and Dallas won 1. That shows the level of competition between the teams this season.

Thanks for playing and I'm sorry I didn't always get bonus stuff out or update all the time, but I had fun. I hope you did and maybe we'll do it again.

Scoring Sheet

Click here to browse the scores

Week Ten Scores

Fun fun fun!
Great to see Nick and Starr back on top. Dandrew did okay - but too bad they need other teams to royally mess up for them to do well. Although, they seemed to clear the Detours just fine this time and didn't leave their shoes anywhere.
Toni and Dallas - at least they won a leg before getting sent home.

Anyone else catch the fact that the mandatory rest stop seemed longer than the normal 12 hours? Usually they say the times of when they arrive and then the same time 12 hours later when they leave. But this time around they didn't. The conspirasist in me says that the producers had the speedbump planned, but totally changed it to dancing when they reviewed last week's marching of Dandrew, and needed more time to make it happen.

I'm kinda happy with the final three. I'm sure Nick and Starr and Toni and Dallas are really pleased that Dandrew is playing the final leg.

I'm impressed with the clues these last couple weeks - somewhat challenging and next week's goodies look to be fun too.

No big losers this week. Although Tracy and Linda lost a team. Details for next week's leg will be posted after this week's scores.

Week ten
Adam 210/2010
Tracy 50/2785
Linda 140/3330
Mark 150/1780
Amy 150/1480
Tyson 0/1140

For the final leg. Tyson - you're included! You will be betting your points Jeopardy-style. So those of us behind Linda and Tracy, we could still have a shot.
Take your points and bet them against any team/s you like. That means you can split your points up between two teams (or more) or place them all on one team. Or bet 1/3 of your points on one team. Just one thing - you must make a bet.

Give me your bets by Saturday night. I'll work on some bonus points this week.

Good luck!

Week Nine Scores

Wow - I've been away for way too long. Sorry about that. We're in the process of getting caught up right now, so here are the scores from last week.
The first score is the episode score and then the total

Adam -60/1750
Tracy 220/2690
Linda 310/3110
Mark 60/1580
Amy 60/1330
Tyson 0/1140*

*Tyson has no teams left =(

and here's Dandrew marching:

Week Six Scores

Seriously - Kelly and Christy HAVE to be blonde. They are definately catching some breaks since there are other teams around, but I bet their mistakes will really cost them as the number of teams left dwindles. Dandrew need to pull it together. Stop whining and focus on the task at hand with a cool head. That's they way to not finish near the bottom all the time. Ken and Tina - need to to be Philiminated. Now. Hopefully next week's Speed Bump will send them packing. Her constant direction during the tuk-tuk painting was driving me crazy. Terrance and Sarah - he's too needy and needs to let Sarah do what she does. Nick and Starr - that's my team! I can see them winning this overall. So far very little bickering. Good communication and positive support (plus, they work well together at knocking sports bras off ledges). Toni and Dallas are in this way longer than I thought they'd be. They too play well together. I just don't see them taking the overall win, but who knows... Besides, as Dallas said, "My mom makes a terrible wingman."

Here's the breakdown of scores:
No bonus this week cuz I'm a bonehead and forgot to get your Philimination picks. Sorry about that.
 

Here's the finish order:
Nick and Starr
Kelly and Christy
Toni and Dallas
Terrance and Sarah
Andrew and Dan
Ken and Tina - Almost Philiminated (still in the race due to a non-elimination round)

The Team Scores:
Nick and Starr 140
Kelly and Christy 100
Toni and Dallas 80
Terrance and Sarah 70
Andrew and Dan 60
Ken and Tina (-120)

Your scores:
Adam 300
Tracy 380
Linda 160
Mark 200
Amy O. 240
Tyson 160

Week-to-date Scores:
Linda 2240
Tracy2140
Adam 1470
Tyson 1280
Mark 1260
Amy O. 1040

And some bonus points for ya:
10 pts: What year and team did Ken have the most interceptions? (must get both right for the points)
5 pts: Translate the following into English - Bura na mano, Holi hai.
10 pts each - Tell me about the following:

• Radha-Krishna Legend
• The Holika-Prahlad Episode
• The Kamadeva Myth
  

Week Five Scores

Fun episode I thought. Some really cool locations and it's always fun to see the teams get down and dirty.

The whole diesel thing wasn't that exciting, but it was exciting watching Andrew and Dan try to figure it out!

Note to Nick - don't let Starr stop and ask for directions when the driver is waiting to drive you somewhere. That means they know where they're supposed to go!

Finally Ken and Tina didn't come in last. I'm looking forward to next week though - will Tina succomb to the yelling of ex-QB Ken?!

Kelly and Christy....I know you two are a team of mine, but come on....read, will ya?

And who was it that did a Hail Hitler motion in the echo chamber?!!

Teen Wolf was scared of the water and the mud...sorry ladies, he's a mama's boy for sure.

No non-elimination round yet? I thought for sure it was going to be tonight.

Most of us lost a team last night. Aja and Ty just couldn't catch a break and were back markers for the entire race. A couple times it looked like they were going to catch up, but it just wasn't in the cards for them. Too bad.

Bonus Picks:

None of us correctly picked Ty and Aja, so no bonus points there. HOWEVER! I did get bonus points from Tracy +10 and Tyson +10. Both submitted info about Phil. Here are some highlights from Wikipedia.

While completing a TV cameraman apprenticeship, he
successfully auditioned for New Zealand children's show Spot On at age 19. After a series of further presenter work on television in New Zealand television, he set off to further his career abroad. Before joining The Amazing Race, he was considered as a host for Survivor, but was unsuccessful partly due to his nationality.[2][3] In a 2002 interview, he admitted that his pay for a single episode of The Amazing Race is more than an entire year on Spot On.[4]

According to his book, No Opportunity Wasted, Keoghan set out to live his life to the fullest by accomplishing exotic goals and taking risks after a near-death experience at the age of 19. Since then, he's broken a world bungee jumping record, gone diving in the world's longest underwater caves, eaten a meal on top of an erupting volcano, and renewed his vows underwater. He was a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where he shared with Oprah his list of things he wants to do before he dies. The focus of many of his shows is helping others live their lives to the fullest.

Tyson then went a step further and submitted some Amazing Race facts +15. Here's one highlight:

Do the losing teams get any cash prizes?Yes, the losing teams do get small cash prizes, staggered according to how long the team stayed in the race. For some reason, these amounts are kept very secret (much more so than the Sequesterville locations), but we have heard rumors that the second-place prize for some seasons has been $25,000 or $50,000, and third place was $10,000 or $25,000.
According to Aaron of TAR6, here's the prize breakdown:

1st- 1,000,000

2nd- 25,000

3rd- 10,000

4th- 7,000

5th- 6,000

6th- 5,000

7th- 4,000

8th- 3,500

9th- 3,000

10th- 2,500

11th- 1,500

This picture was included in his email.

Nicely done Ty! But wait. He didn't stop there! As I was checking my email late Sunday afternoon, I saw he sent a video +75. Here were the requirements for the video:

A Phil Keoghan eyebrow raise

The following phrases:
"A roadblock is a task that only one team member may perform." (you make up the roadblock) and
"(insert two of your competing teams), you are the last team to arrive. I’m sorry to say that you have been eliminated from the race"

And now the rest of the scores:

Finish Order:

Nick and Starr: 100
Toni and Dallas: 90
Terrance and Sarah: 80
Ken and Tina: 70
Kelly and Christy: 60
Andrew and Dan: 50
Aja and Ty: -100 Philiminated

Team Scores:

Nick and Starr: 190
Toni and Dallas: 90
Terrance and Sarah: 110
Ken and Tina: 70
Kelly and Christy: 60
Andrew and Dan: 60 They said the episode title
Aja and Ty: -150

Your Scores:

Tracy: 460
Linda: 460
Adam: 160
Mark: 150
Amy O: 100
Ty: 45

Week-to-date Scores:

Linda: 2130
Tracy: 1770
Adam: 1220
Ty: 1145 (was in third place before the episode aired due to bonus points)
Mark: 1110
Amy O: 800

So there you have it. Keep an eye on the blog for more bonus points this week. Tracy and Linda still have all their teams, I have three left, while the rest of you are down to two.

Keep at it and do the bonus - it'll come in handy later. I don't know if I discussed this or not, but the final showdown between the three teams will be Jeopardy style, even if you don't have any teams left. Whatever points you have left you can barter with. I'll go over it more as we get closer.

Bonus, bonus, bonus

Three chances. Try them all or pick and choose.

For 10 points:
Write me a short bio on our favorite host of The Amazing Race (TAR). Does he have siblings? How'd he start TAR? Does he have family? etc.

For 15 points:
Give me a short history on TAR. Facts and figures; number of episodes, locations, camera crews etc. I love numbers so dig deep

For 75 points:
Make me a short video that includes the following:

• A Phil Keoghan eyebrow raise
• The following phrases:
• "A roadblock is a task that only one team member may perform." (you make up the roadblock)
• and
• "(insert two of your competing teams), you are the last team to arrive. I’m sorry to say that you have been eliminated from the race"

Send me your bonus answers by race time Sunday night. I'll update the blog with some info and video next week. Remember, you can do some, all or none, but I need your answers by race time 10/26.

Good luck!

Week Four Scores!

I liked this week's episode. I don't like how often Ken and Tina are coming in first....hopefully they'll not come in first when it really matters.

You can read a review of the episode over at TV Squad.com.

How cute were Phil and his dad!

The wipe-out at the Blowcarts looked like it was pretty bad.

The teams visiting the warrior dudes in the morning seemed to have a better time than those teams visiting at night.

How come Christy and Kelly didn't get a penalty for walking to the summit when the clue said to drive?!

Scoring was pretty good. If your name is Linda Daley that is. She's the only person who has Ken and Tina and with their streak of good finishes, she's getting a hefty lead on the rest of us.


Here's how this week's scoring breaks down:

Bonus Picks: Marisa and Brooke were Philiminated. Mark, Linda and myself had them picked to go home, so we nabbed 50 points.

Here's the finish order:

Ken and Tina

Terrence and Sarah

Kelly and Christy

Toni and Dallas

Nick and Starr

Andrew and Dan

Aja and Ty

Marisa and Brooke - Philiminated

The Team Scores:

Ken and Tina - 240 (first place win and FF points)

Terrence and Sarah - 130
Kelly and Christy - 80
Toni and Dallas - 70
Nick and Starr - 60
Andrew and Dan - 60
Aja and Ty - 40
Marisa and Brooke - (-190) (they did get 10 points for saying the episode title though!)

Your scores:

Adam 290

Tracy 340

Linda 550

Mark 280

Amy O. 180

Tyson 250

Week-to-date Scores: No change in the overall standings.

Linda 1670

Tracy 1310

Tyson 1100

Adam 1060

Mark 960

Amy O. 700

Looking at our standings, 3 of us have all 4 teams, while the other 3 have 3 teams left. Pretty good so far. I think once Ken and Tina are out of the picture, we'll be able to reel Linda back in.

As far as picking who's off next week - I'll send a reminder before Friday, so do some research, watch vids on cbs.com or pull a random team out of a hat until then.

Later!

Week Three Scores!

I've always loved it when the clues are specific about something. This week marked disastrous for Mark and Bill as the clue was specific about how to get to the Detour and they overlooked it and incurred a 30mn time penalty and were Philiminated. Which is too bad, because I was really enjoying them. Christy and Kelly were all over the place and may as well have been hit with a silly stick, cuz they couldn't do much of anything well. Except maybe wipe out.
Those bikes looked awesome! Do you think it was carved out of one piece of driftwood (Meet The Parents movie reference)?

When will teams learn that it's a race. For money. And that you might just happen to get Yielded or U Turned. That's part of racing! I'm sick of teams taking that part of the game seriously. If you're good or doing well in the race, there's a chance that you'll get slowed down by either of the above-mentioned tactics. It's not personal. Deal with it.

Anyway - I enjoyed the episode and was glad to see they had to deal with the altitude. I think that was the first time I've seen that happen to the teams.

On with the scores (if you haven't already checked them out - which by the way...it is possible for you to pretty much watch the scoring session LIVE. Assuming we're not watching it a tad later to skip commercials, but try it sometime it might be fun).

Bonus Picks: No one picked the correct team to be eliminated, so no points were awarded.

Here's the finish order:
Ken and Tina - I think they won a 7 night vacation
Toni and Dallas
Terrence and Sarah
Marisa and Brooke
Aja and Ty
Nick and Starr
Andrew and Dan
Kelly and Christy
Mark and Bill - Philiminated

The Team Scores:
Ken and Tina - 120
Mark and Bill - (-80)
Terrence and Sarah - 80
Aja and Ty - 60
Toni and Dallas - 70
Nick and Starr - 60
Kelly and Christy - 70
Andrew and Dan - 50
Marisa and Brooke - 70


Your scores:
Adam 240
Tracy 280
Linda 330
Mark 200
Amy O. 190
Tyson 130

Week-to-date Scores:
Linda 1120
Tracy 970
Tyson 850
Adam 770
Mark 680
Amy O. 520

I want to know...did they ever find out who pushed the sports bra over the ledge?!

Week Two Scores!

First off - sorry for not getting your picks to be Philiminated before the show. We'll start up with the bonus picks this week, so get thinking.

While the episode was pretty funny, there wasn't much to see in regards to the place they were. Sure they drove along a beach and pushed a sailboat on logs, but we didn't get to see much of the country/culture of where they were racing. Unless you count the wall of adverts....

Here's a recount of last night's episode here at http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/10/06/the-amazing-race-do-you-like-american-candy/.

Scoring was pretty straighforward. Terrence and Sarah were almost always shown in first place, while Anthony and Stephanie were lagging behind at the back. Kelly and Christie nabbed 10 points for saying the episode title "Do you like American candy?".

How funny was Kelly and Christy misreading the clue and trying to dig for a container!? And then letting their taxi go! Nick and Starr didn't spend as much time up front this week and Nick showed us that's able to lie to your face and keep going once he has what he needs. Mark and Bill are cool headed and know what they can and can't do and haven't expressed interest in living with each other just yet. Tina bugs me. A lot.

Two people lost a team this week: Amy and Mark

Here's the finish order:
Ken and Tina
Mark and Bill
Terrence and Sarah
Aja and Ty
Toni and Dallas
Nick and Starr
Kelly and Christy
Andrew and Dan
Marisa and Brooke
Anthony and Stephanie - Philiminated (at least he has his good looks!)

The Team Scores:

Ken and Tina - 100
Mark and Bill - 120
Terrence and Sarah - 120
Aja and Ty - 70
Toni and Dallas - 60
Nick and Starr - 50
Kelly and Christy - 50
Andrew and Dan - 30
Marisa and Brooke - 30
Anthony and Stephanie - (-160)

Your scores:

Adam 200
Tracy 280
Linda 330
Mark 80
Amy O. 10
Tyson 360

Week-to-date Scores:

Linda 790
Tyson 720
Tracy 690
Adam 530
Mark 480
Amy O. 330

Week One Scores!

Team Scores first:

Terrence and Sarah 140
Marisa and Brooke 10
Andrew and Dan 40
Mark and Bill 90
Aja and Ty 70
Toni and Dallas 50
Nick and Starr 160
Anita and Arthur -110 Philiminated!
Kelly and Christy 60
Ken and Tina 110
Anthony and Stephanie 30

And now YOUR scores:

Adam 330
Tracy 410
Linda 460
Mark 400
Amy O. 320
Tyson 360

Nicely played so far everyone. Nobody lost a team so we're off to a good start!
It's been way to long since TAR has been on - how did you like the episode? Who were your favorite teams? Who's getting on your nerves already? Who beat your expectations?

----------------
Listening to: Chevelle - Closure
via FoxyTunes

Our Team Picks

Adam:
Andrew/Dan
Aja/Ty
Nick/Starr
Kelly/Christy

Tracy:
Terrence/Sarah
Toni/Dallas
Nick/Starr
Kelly/Christy

Amy O.
Aja/Ty
Anthony/Stephanie
Kelly/Christy
Nick/Starr

Linda D.
Terance/Sarah
Toni/Dallas
Nick/Starr
Ken/Tina

Tyson
Kelly/Christy
Terence/Sarah
Aja/Ty
Mark/Bill

Mark D.
Terrance/Sarah
Aja/Ty
Nick/Star
Anthony/Stephanie

For your consideration...

Take a gander at this year's lineup and make your choices wisely. You'll be picking four (4) teams. You cannot have the same four teams as someone else, but you can have the same 3. Obviously those who pick sooner are less likely to be whining about their picks. Send me an email with your 4 teams and I'll tell you if you can have them or not.

Here we go:
This long-distance couple is looking for an opportunity to be together for an extended period of time. They’ve been dating long distance for nine months, living in two separate states and the longest time they’ve spent together was last Christmas for two weeks. They feel that the Race will help them determine if they can truly handle living together on a daily basis.

Having met each other four years ago at the University of Michigan, they quickly became friends, although Aja was dating someone else. When things turned sour, Aja realized Ty was the one for her – the only problem was she was living in Los Angeles and Ty was in Detroit.

Aja is an aspiring actress who also works as a makeup artist. She describes herself as energetic, insightful and compassionate. When asked what her biggest pet peeve about her teammate was, Aja said that Ty is known to have a poor estimation of time.

Ty is no stranger to the gym and he describes himself as ultra-competitive and hates the thought of losing. Currently, he works as a banker out of Detroit. He has not had the opportunity to travel much outside of the United States and looks forward to the Race as a chance to explore other cultures and compete against the game's best. He hopes they are as hungry to win as he is. Ty believes that Aja’s biggest weakness is she is easily upset.

Life couldn’t be any better for these fraternity brothers. Andrew and Dan met while attending Arizona State University and the last four years have been filled with good times. Some of the Teams refer to Andrew and Dan as “Team Superbad.”

Now they are ready for a life-altering experience. Andrew, a senior, is studying urban planning. He is hoping to make the most of their last year in college before they part ways. His laid-back appearance can be deceiving so count on him to be assertive, hands-on, and ready to take on anything that comes his way.

Dan graduated last December with a degree in Tourism Management. He enjoys bar hopping, sports and all things funny. Dan also loves to travel and hopes to use his extensive global travel knowledge and expertise to get a leg up on the competition.

These two say they can talk their way in or out of anything by cracking jokes and keeping the mood light, and they promise to bring more to the Race than any other Team. Look for them to always keep things entertaining in their own special way.

Anita and Arthur can’t wait to make the Race their next big adventure. This energetic couple is open hearted and free spirited. They make and sell their own honey and recently purchased an organic blueberry farm. They have known each other for over 26 years and have been married for almost 14 years. Their blended family and children are the most important part of their lives.

However, don’t be fooled by their snowy white hair – they are no strangers to hard work. Living on a farm, they are responsible for maintaining their land, chopping wood and braving the hazardous conditions of beekeeping.

Anita describes herself as optimistic, enthusiastic and compassionate. She is running this Race in hopes of gaining insight to people and places from all corners of the world while traveling side by side with her husband. Her biggest pet peeve about her husband is that he sometimes over-analyzes situations…Anita believes simple can be so much better.

Arthur identifies himself as a problem fixer and hopes to gain a better understanding of himself and his partner. When asked how he and his teammate are most alike—Arthur says that he and his wife share a basic belief in the goodness of people.

This nature-loving couple is still young at heart, and they are ready to experience the world.

This competitive couple is hoping to be engaged by the end of the Race. Back together again after a year-long break-up, Anthony says he will propose to Stephanie if they make it through the Race.

Even though they’ve overcome many of their differences, their constant bickering would suggest otherwise.

Anthony, a mortgage broker, describes himself as adventurous and entertaining. He enjoys talking sports, hunting and poker. When asked what country he’d most like to visit – Anthony said Italy because he’s 100 percent Italian and has yet to visit.

Stephanie is a financial saleswoman. She loves meeting new people and learning different cultures. She describes herself as outgoing, funny and athletic, and loves competition.

Both of them are eager to Race around the world and put their relationship to the test and ultimately prove to everyone – including themselves – that they do belong together.

Kelly and Christy are best friends that will not settle for second best. These two go-getters have been through a lot in the last year and want to prove that they can overcome anything.

Kelly, having been a collegiate dancer, and Christy, a collegiate cheerleader, are physically fit and are up for the challenges the Race will bring. They have supported one another through their own marriages and the dissolution of both, have worked together at the same company, have both remodeled homes and have tackled life together for the last 10 years.

Kelly works as a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company. She describes their team as quick, resourceful and resilient. She admits that she has a tendency to become impatient, and that Christy can be temperamental, but realizes they will need to focus on controlling these traits if they are going to be successful on the road.

Christy, a business development representative for a title insurance company, is determined to be the first Amazing Race all-female team to take the $1 million prize. She believes she and Kelly can accomplish anything they set their minds to. Christy also believes that their sweet, Texas charm will prove to be a very resourceful asset throughout the Race. Christy describes their team as magnetic, energetic and kind-hearted.

Neither has traveled extensively outside of the U.S., but both are eager to change that. This team’s drive, experience and competitiveness may provide them with the opportunity to see all the world has to offer.

This married couple is looking to be reconnected on the Race. They’ve been separated for nine months and living on different coasts and are ready to put their marriage back together.

Ken, an ex-NFL star who played for both the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Chargers, was also a college football assistant coach and is currently a home builder. He is competitive, athletic and believes his problem solving skills will help them win the Race. He thinks Tina is too controlling and should relax a bit more, but anticipates the Race will help them learn to appreciate their differences. His poor choices and infidelity tore their marriage apart and he prays that the Race will help Tina to trust him again.

Tina is a business owner and a CEO. She enjoys meeting new people and experiencing new cultures and believes that everyone has an endearing unique quality about them. She is the brains while Ken is the brawn. She has worked as a Director of Strategic Planning and has launched two successful companies. Tina is also Chairman of the Board of The Children's Cancer Center in Tampa. Tina is driven, athletic and competitive. Both Tina & Ken are Christians and have refocused their lives on building their faithfulness.

Despite their differences, they are still in love and eager to fix their marriage. Both are well traveled and adventurous.

These charming southern belles are best friends and are up for any challenge. They want to prove to the world that they’re not just cute blondes and that they can be athletic, cut-throat competitors.

Marisa is currently a broadcast journalism student at the University of South Carolina. She describes herself as ambitious, witty and spontaneous. Her extensive dance training has taught her to be focused and determined, skills that could help her to do well on the race.

Brooke is fascinated with other cultures and can’t wait to try out some of the Spanish she learned while living in Spain. She works as a graphic designer and enjoys traveling, painting and being outdoors. She believes that her take-charge attitude will be enough to get them through the rigors of the Race.

She and her best friend are certain this adventure will make them even better friends. And if they have to do a little flirting along the way, they’re not opposed to that either – whatever it takes to cross the finish line in first place.

These comic book aficionados are determined to be the most strategic team ever to compete in the Race. Mark and Bill, friends for over 23 years, first met at a science fiction club and have been bonding over their love for comics and games ever since. Mark says that he “wears geek like a badge of honor.”

Mark describes himself as outgoing, funny and smart. He is willing to go anywhere and isn’t afraid of adventure. His last vacation was to Vanuatu in the South Pacific where he climbed a volcano.

Bill is the opposite of Mark -- he describes himself as cautious, easygoing, goofy, yet competitive. When asked how the Race could change their friendship, Bill says that the Race might present them with some bad situations, but in the end, they’ll finish with a deeper respect for one another.

These masterminds are ready to see what they are made of and are convinced that they can be one step ahead of the competition if they play their cards right.

This brother/sister team will stop at nothing to win the Race. Both are extremely driven and competitive, especially with one another. They admit to being over-zealous when a prize is involved – even if it’s only bragging rights. They’re excited to use this to their advantage on the Race.

Nick and Starr could practically be twins, and consider each other best friends, even though they rarely see each other due to distance. They hope to strengthen their relationship on this adventure, but do worry that since they haven’t spent much time together in several years that they could get on one another’s nerves. After all, in high-school they were bitter enemies.

Nick claims that the biggest difference between them is that Starr can be a bit reckless – she leaps into a situation without thinking about the repercussions - while Nick thinks everything through before acting. Starr claims that she is simply more spontaneous and figures everything will work out in the end.

Nick and Starr have both accomplished their life-long dreams. Nick performs on the New York stage in an Off-Broadway musical called The Fantasticks, while Starr was a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys for the past three seasons.

They’re anxious to bring a new approach to the game and are motivated to strengthen their relationship. They believe that their charisma, wit and relentless spirit will make for a dangerous combination.

Terence and Sarah have been dating for almost a year, but they couldn't be more different.

Sarah has an MBA from Wharton and is often the only woman in meetings during her long days working on Wall Street, while Terence sells real estate to pay the bills and satisfies his true passion by coaching runners.

Sarah claims that the biggest difference between the two is that she is lower maintenance and Terence is more emotional. However, she believes they share a competitive spirit and they’re smart, energetic, adventurous as well as fearless.

Terence describes himself as witty, sensitive and driven. One of his proudest accomplishments is finishing the last two New York City Marathons in under three hours.

This Team is determined to prove to themselves whether they belong together while on the Race. They hope that being well-traveled, physically fit, and highly competitive will help them win the $1 million. They think their biggest weakness could be the tendency to become too intense, fighting amongst themselves, or their dietary restrictions. Regardless of whether they win or not, this adventure will definitely be a journey that could make or break them.

Toni and Dallas have always been there for each other and will let nothing come between them. They are hoping the Race will provide them with some quality family time they’ve been missing out on since Dallas has been away at college - and maybe even a million dollars.

As a single mother, Toni sacrificed quite a bit to give Dallas a great childhood. Now Dallas is in college and living on his own.

Dallas can be very persuasive and enjoys getting people to do what he wants. His pet peeve about his Teammate is that she tells very long-winded stories. He describes himself as outgoing, persistent and passionate.

Toni considers herself a leader, but knows that she’ll need to lean on her son a bit more by relying on Dallas’s strengths rather than telling him what to do. Her biggest accomplishment has been raising her son. She currently works for herself as a corporate accounting consultant.

With Dallas’s constant flirting and sarcasm and Toni’s laughter and personality, they are sure to be one of the most entertaining Teams on the Race.

Rules of the game

Each player picks four teams. You must make certain that your picks are not the same as another players. This will help eliminate the chance of a tie.

Points will be based upon what happens in each episode and here's how they'll be assigned:

1. Place at the Pit Stop
First Place: 100 points
Second Place: 90 points
Third Place: 80 points
Fourth Place: 70 points
Fifth Place: 60 points
Sixth Place: 50 points
Seventh Place: 40 points
Eigth Place: 30 points
Ninth Place: 20 points
Tenth Place: 10 points
LAST (ALL ELIMINATIONS): -100 points

2. Team uses Fast Forward: 100 points

3. Team uses their Yield: 50 points

4. Team Gets Yileded: -50 points

5. Screen shows the team "Currently in first place": 10 points

6. Screen shows the team "Currently in last place": -10 points

7. Only team to complete a detour option: 20 points

8. Team gives up on Detour option: -10 points

9. MONKEY points: a team says monkey, 10 points. They show a monkey onscreen, 5 points to all teams.

10. Team says the quote that is the episode title: 10 points

I'll keep tabs of scores and post them here on the blog "reasonably quick" after the episode.

Welcome!

Get ready for a wild ride! The Race is back and with me helming my own free pool, things are sure to get ugly real quick.

This game doesn't stray too far from the pools I used to play in. I just hope that I can keep up with the scoring and such.

Lucky for you, you get what you pay for when you play my game. =)

Rules and team intros are forthcoming, so stay tuned.

Thanks for playing!