S16.E12: The Playoffs

[Tara Ariano]

The teams disband and the players compete on their own for the first time in an obstacle course, with the grand prize being immunity. Later, the trainers surprise the players with videos featuring words of encouragement from loved ones.

[dustoffmom]

Well for goodness sake!  I had to quickly come look up cast last names after that 'in memoriam' thing at the end!  I was stunned as I thought that was the Damien they just finished highlighting!  It sort of looked like him and I couldn't tell you anyone's last names.  Odd placement I thought.

[ramble]

Initial thought: I love that they put Angry Kermit in the green shirt. Hee.

[Mu Shu]

So, are these the results after one week, or is this two weeks since Peter Pan was on last week?   If so,  the 15lbs makes sense, but the 3 does not.    Damn Laurie,  I weigh more than 100 lbs less than you and I can drop more than 3 in 2 weeks. 

[pally]

Laurie had immunity, it didn't make sense to push the weight loss when she can go for a larger loss when it counts for her. 
I've decided that I don't like Comeback Canyon.  It is set up for whoever is the newcomer to win as they are coming off a bad weight loss week.  I suppose though it means the last person to get voted off is likely the person to return to the game which is somewhat fair since they did last almost the entire time.  We will have to see how the bring the Comeback winner back into the game.

 

Sonya for the win!

[WhineandCheez]

Sonya for the win!

I agree, but I don't know why when Sonya loses massive weight all the time, why she still looks so big?  Laurie is surely gone next week. Sonya based her decision that way it should be--the least weight loss goes.  This who needs it more is bullshit.

 

[Suzysite]

 

I don't know why when Sonya loses massive weight all the time, why she still looks so big?

I think Sonya still looks big because she is so tiny short.  Plus, she's a classic apple shape with no hips and a bigger middle, so she is a long way from looking slim around the waist. 

 

I'm another one who doesn't like Comeback Canyon.  Maybe it's just my dislike of Bob. 

[ProfCrash]

Laurie also has a stress fracture so working out enough to lose three pounds while letting her foot heal is a good thing. I have no problem with that strategy.

 

I doubt that the weigh in was over two weeks. The show is taped in advance so I would guess that it was a normal week. I did not see the previous episode so I don't know what everyone lost but it sounded like very little weight was lost and so some big numbers this week were to be expected.

 

I want the red line back. I was glad they sent JJ home, it sounds like he had two bad weeks which is worrisome.

[Primetimer]

The Biggest Loser gets very Amazing Race.

Read the story

[newyawk]

That hiatus was a little too long. I started catching up on back Castle episodes and kind of lost some interest in TBL. But, I is back.

 

Previously on The Biggest Loser:  Scott was voted off , officially meaning that there is nobody left on the ranch that I want to see win.

 

Sonya continues to annoy me. Rob continues to be a d-bag. Jordan sounds like a Muppet when he speaks. JJ may be the least irritating to me of those contestants left on the ranch.  I didn't think I'd be happy to see Lori win anything, but I am glad that she won the challenge over everyone else and got the immunity.

 

I thought it was odd for Toma to get a hometown message from a complete stranger, star soccer player or not. Everyone else knew the people sending them support messages.

 

Jen talks too much at the weigh-ins. 15 pounds less of D-bag Rob is good progress. JJ did not have a bad week..a 6 lb loss isn't terrible. But  At least we get Waterworks Woody for another week..yay? So glad we got the phony ass backstabbing elimination table again. </sarcasm> It *would* be fun, though, to see each of those phonies have to face the table themselves in the remaining weeks. 

 

I am so sad that Damian went home. One of the two people I did not want to leave..him and Scott, and I think they are both outstanding people and both seem to be gentlemen. I wish there was a Comeback Canyon From The Comeback Canyon. But Damian did astoundingly well for as long as he could. I hope Scott sticks around, gets back on the ranch and takes it all. And I hope Damien takes it all for the At Home Prize. Everyone else can suck it, lol.

Edited December 12, 2014 by newyawk

[pally]

ESPN was doing a thing where everyone had to describe their best ever day.  Damien said it was the day he decided to go on the Biggest Loser.   He's got a lot of support both at home and work.  Work even has a top notch gym and trainers so he'll have easy access for exercise.  He looks a lot more relaxed on air too than before the weightloss.

[auntjess]

 

I wish there was a Comeback Canyon From The Comeback Canyon. But Damian did astoundingly well for as long as he could.

I'm picturing Jillian, pissed because she's not making prime-time money anymore, hijacking the limo for real, and carting them off to a warehouse somewhere, sweating their deepest secrets from them.

And when JJ and Woody went out, Jen was crying.  For which one?

While I'd like Damien to have won, he's probably the most successful financially, I'd guess.

I feel sorry for Rob, so I'm glad he's still there.

I think Sonya has what is, or was, called a stocky build, so she'll probably never be thin.

 

[newyawk]

Jen would cry if a leaf fell from a tree, she is getting as bad as Woody. Jillian has money to burn, I think she just is glad she doesn't have to deal with the producers anymore. 

 

Yeah, there are a few of them that are probably better off moneywise than the average bear, but since the NFL'ers do have kids, I won't begrudge them competing for a money prize. But Rob is the only one I see who is acting  outright moneyhungry, and it makes me wonder how longterm his weightloss will actually be. Once the show is over and he only has himself to lose weight for, is he really going to keep it off? 

[Mu Shu]

Excuses, excuses.  Laurie has always pulled small numbers.   I suspect they're setting her up to continue since she was the only female other than Blake who would make a good "after", but it's annoying to see her pull her damn Eyeore face every time she loses three lbs or less, which is often.

 

I dig Sonya.    She must be a cool person to work and hang with.   Such a great attitude.

[auntjess]

I didn't mean that the NFLers shoudn't compete for the money, just that it may not be as important to them as to some of the others.

[ProfCrash]

Well, Scott probably made more money then Damien since he was a starting quarterback. Lineman get paid well but not nearly as well as other positions and the Patriots are not known for spending a ton of money on their players. The Patriots are known for finding the folks who no one else thought would do much and all of a sudden they are superstars making good money but not huge money. When the original contract is up, they leave for another team and make the really big bucks.

 

And Pro Athletes seem to have some problems with saving money, there are a fairly large number of folks who lose it all due to poor management and over spending. I am not saying that Damien or Scott are in that position but assuming that former professional athletes are in a better place financially then others is not a great assumption. Most of them should be but many are not. Also, keep in mind that many Pro Athletes did not do the best job in school, yes a stereotype and there are plenty who do well in school but many do not. They come out of college and make a lot of money fast but their careers are short.  The average career in the NFL is 3.3 years. A first round draft pick averages 9 years in the NFL. So they are making a ton of money in a short period of time and then have to get jobs afterwards. Some struggle with that because they did not do so well in College and are not as well known in the sport so cannot turn their playing career into a TV or radio career. Damien and Scott seem to be doing very well after their football days but who knows where they are financially.

 

http://www.statista.com/statistics/240102/average-player-career-length-in-the-national-football-league/

[Guest]

When Scott Mitchell was with the Lions, he signed a $21 million contract.  While I am rooting for him because he's my favorite contestant, I don't think he's hurting for the money.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I'm another one who doesn't like Comeback Canyon.

FWIW, neither does Bob; you could see it in his face. All these weeks of being off on the side, trying to do something with the castoffs, never working with the season's top contestants, is taking its toll.

[realdancemom]

This is one of the weeks that I think Bob liked Comeback Canyon because he got to work with two NFL players.  They really pushed themselves.  He also liked working with Mike, the lawyer. 

 

Comeback Canyon is a terrible idea.  As others mentioned, the one staying is at a disadvantage because they had a huge loss to stay but the new person had a terrible week so it's easier for them to get a big loss the following week.

[editorgrrl]

When Scott Mitchell was with the Lions, he signed a $21 million contract.  While I am rooting for him because he's my favorite contestant, I don't think he's hurting for the money.

 

Damien Woody made a minimum of $11 million just with the New York Jets, and he's been an NFL analyst at ESPN for three years. Zina Garrison had a professional tennis career and currently coaches Taylor Townsend. Mike Murburg went to an Ivy League school (Princeton) and has his own law firm.

 

Here are their occupations from the Biggest Loser website:

Andrea - vice president of operations for the Detroit Pride Cheerleaders

Blake - student

Chandra - optometric technician

Damien - ESPN analyst

Emmy - substitute teacher

Gina - makeup artist/photographer

Jackie - clinical care coordinator

JJ - bouncer

Jordan - regional sales manager

Lori - director of security for a Las Vegas hotel

Matt - self-employed/business entrepreneur (modeling photos)

Mike - attorney who represents the disabled

Rob - head rugby coach and residence manager at Western New England University

Rondalee - nursing student

Scott - business owner (according to LinkedIn, he's president of sales at Kinum debt collection)

Sonya - physical education teacher/coach

Toma - senior project manager (according to his bio, he went to DeVry)

Vanessa - child welfare intake and placement specialist

Woody - car salesman

Zina - tennis coach of Taylor Townsend and the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy

[auntjess]

I've already forgotten who a lot of these people are.
Looks like JJ may lose himself out of a job, and I think of bouncers as big, beefy guys.

[Eeksquire]

auntjess, I'm glad it's not just me that has no recollection of half of those people!

[Canada]

And you can add me to the list of people who don't remember some of those names!  I feel like this season has just been dragging on and on.  I almost wish they would cancel the show, just to put it out of its misery.  I don't know what they're doing with the show, but I can't imagine it's increasing ratings at all.

 

I'm surprised that Bob agreed to Comeback Canyon.  He doesn't get much air time and he doesn't get his usual cult following.  I'd rather see him at the main ranch; at least he's more interesting and entertaining than snoozeville Jen and Jake.

[Eeksquire]

I think this show needs a format change - less contestants to start with, but give them all a certain amount of time at the ranch.  And also: please for the love of all that is holy, TALK ABOUT THE FOOD.  There is a whole cable channel devoted to food! Surely TBL could spare 15 minutes now and then? It couldn't possibly be worse for ratings than anything else they've done, including Comeback Canyon, which is terribly boring.

[Jersey Guy 87]

I really don't care how much money any of these people make - it's not a prize for the most "deserving", it's a prize for losing the most weight.  Your outside income is not relevant.

 

I'm glad Bob has been severely reduced in his role - he annoyed the crap out of me in the past, he still annoys me but I enjoy seeing him uncomfortable with his reduced role.  I'm sure he agreed to it because it was comeback canyon or out the door and he's too much of a fame whore to choose out the door.  Plus, I'm sure he loves when the contestants squeal when he opens the limo door and they see him.

 

I agree some discussion of food would make sense.  They used to do more of that, didn't they?

[WhineandCheez]

Plus, I'm sure he loves when the contestants squeal when he opens the limo door and they see him.

 

 

Actually that's my favorite part of the show!  Its kind of like a Christmas morning face they have it makes me smile.

 

Thanks editorgrrl for posting their occupations.  Some of them are real WTFs. I don't know how it is physically possible for Sonya and Rob to be working phys ed teachers/coaches.  How?

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I don't know how it is physically possible for Sonya and Rob to be working phys ed teachers/coaches.

The stereotype is that it's the players that run around while the coach mostly stands nearby yelling. Rob also works for a Division III school; they don't tend to be known for their sports programs (MIT was one of his school's recent homecoming opponents).

[AnnaBaptist]

Rob is probably making most of his money as residence manager at the university. Most likely he is getting a modest salary, but he gets to live free on campus and probably gets free board as well. The rugby coach position involves far fewer hours and is just a way for a Division III school to fill the position without having to pay much, if anything. It's somewhat like having a social studies teacher at a high school coaching the cross-country team on the side.

[Eeksquire]

 

and probably gets free board as well

You know, if that's the case, I bet it's a big part of his weight issue.  If you're eating at the "all you can eat" buffet of college dining halls all the time, it would be really hard not to gain a lot of weight.  If I recall college correctly, my diet consisted mainly of grilled cheese sandwiches, mashed potatoes, cereal and ice cream.

[MsVixen]

I'm surprised that Bob agreed to Comeback Canyon.  He doesn't get much air time and he doesn't get his usual cult following.  I'd rather see him at the main ranch; at least he's more interesting and entertaining than snoozeville Jen and Jake.

 

If his salary hasn't decreased, Bob probably isn't completely upset. 

[ProfCrash]

I am sure that college food is a part of the problem, at least, the access he has to a wide variety of poor choices but it does not have to be that way. Many schools are moving to have a large amount of healthy food in the cafeterias. He would have access to the salad bar and a good number of other healthy choices. Those insane college tuitions are not going to pay for the faculty, trust me, I am a reformed academic. My salary more then doubled when I left academia. Most professors (not Medical and Business School Prof's) are making pretty low salaries and with the increase in hiring adjunct professors, the salary cost has gone down for colleges. That tuition money is going into new dorms with great amenities, the cafeterias, new buildings and rec rooms. If Rob is living on campus and working with the Rugby team, he has access to healthy food and a gym.

[Mu Shu]

So basically instead of the freshman 15, Rob gained the Freshman 200. 

[jimmora]

 

The teams disband and the players compete on their own for the first time in an obstacle course, with the grand prize being immunity. Later, the trainers surprise the players with videos featuring words of encouragement from loved ones.

 

 

Playoffs????  Playoffs?   Don't talk about Playoffs.  I just hope they can win a game!