The Characters of ANW: Love them or Hate them

[Chaos Theory]

Jessie Graff is probably the only woman right now with a legit shot at the million dollar prize.   That's what makes her so darn cool.  I love all the other women.  I am one of the staunch supporters of Kacy Catanzaro.   I think she gets a bad rap for alot of different reasons but I think she is a genuinely nice person and I want her to succeed.  However right now she is not at the top of the ladder anymore which is a pity but maybe for the best.  It takes alot of the stress off of her.  It will be interesting to see if she gets any better when she isn't the top of the ladder.  Now that everyone is looking to Jessie Graff it may give her room to breathe.  Anyway  Jessie is awesome.   I can't wait until next year.  

[Kromm]

4 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Jessie Graff is probably the only woman right now with a legit shot at the million dollar prize.   That's what makes her so darn cool.  I love all the other women.  I am one of the staunch supporters of Kacy Catanzaro.   I think she gets a bad rap for alot of different reasons but I think she is a genuinely nice person and I want her to succeed.  However right now she is not at the top of the ladder anymore which is a pity but maybe for the best.  It takes alot of the stress off of her.  It will be interesting to see if she gets any better when she isn't the top of the ladder.  Now that everyone is looking to Jessie Graff it may give her room to breathe.  Anyway  Jessie is awesome.   I can't wait until next year.  

I think the difference (besides the big difference in height) is that Kacy is in prime shape for a human being.  Whereas Jessie Graff is in prime shape for an inhuman being.

[PetuniaP]

2 minutes ago, Kromm said:

Jessie Graff is in prime shape for an inhuman being.

Jessie is as human as anyone else. She's in amazing shape, she has the physical attributes as well as the talent and most of all, puts in the hard work to succeed. I wish her the best but will not forget her humanity or hold her to unrealistic expectations as she reaches for her goals. 

[Guest]

I liked that they mentioned Jessie studied the rules of the course thoroughly.  It made it clear they get more than a quick, verbal once-over on the rules and if someone screwed up and got DQed, it's not the show's fault.  Also when Drew said he deviated from his original plan on those climbing things.  They must have been given a detailed schematic of each obstacle, at a minimum.  

[Fukui San]

I know in the Japanese version, the field gets to watch testers complete each obstacle before they run the stage, presumably to show that it's humanly possible.  I imagine they do the same for the American version.

Of course the testers aren't under time pressure and probably are rested when they tackle each obstacle. Even so, there are occasional points where a competitor does something illegal due to misunderstanding or miscommunication, since some of the competitors don't speak Japanese.  Like, "no, you can't face the other way in the Cliffhanger jump" or "No, you can't skip that step even if you can jump over it". 

Edited September 14, 2016 by Fukui San

[Guest]

I kind of wondered if the people running each course competitively got some feedback from the people who tested and ran the demo runs for it.  Like how we saw mostly Stillings and Moravsky demoing stage 3 obstacles.   Were they then allowed to go tell Dreschel and Gil some tips from their own runs?  It kind of seems like there are obstacles where everyone has gotten the same tips.  Or maybe it's just common knowledge to do it that way, or they see the first person or two do well with that tack and just all follow suit.  

[meep.meep]

Last season when someone went out on Stage 2, he attributed it to training too much on the Stage 3 obstacles, and not enough on the Stage 2 ones.  So, I think they are told, and told enough so they can work on it.

I like all the characters.  It's great to have people running in costume and enjoying themselves.  It's not an Olympic sport after all.

But NBC makes a boat load of money off of this.  NBC has very few successful shows these days.  They could show some love - they should have given Jeff Britten the prize last year, they should give the people they want to feature some minor appearance money.

[Guest]

It seems like if the show was that successful for NBC they'd turn it into a fall and/or spring season thing, like DWTS or The Voice or something.  Find some bigger sponsors than Pom, like Nike or Gatorade.  Has it always been a summer show?  

[Lantern7]

I like the summer format. I know that Sasuke was held twice a year, but ANW works as seasonal entertainment.

I think Kacy's biggest problem is her lack of height. Three inches taller, maybe she grabs the bar. I feel bad that she's been eclipsed by Jessie, who has set the bar higher for everybody AND she's a stuntwoman on a popular show AND she has a cute pet pig.

[SmithW6079]

On 9/7/2016 at 9:20 AM, Lantern7 said:

In case you're just tuning in, Geoff Britten has decided to call it a career, ninja-wise. With him gone and Isaac probably still mad at NBC, which male athlete will the show hitch to the wagon? Right now, I'm thinking Joe Morvasky.

Here's a story on American Ninja Warrior Nation about his retirement. He just sounds like a cool guy. 

http://www.americanninjawarriornation.com/2016/9/9/12864324/geoff-britten-confirms-taking-time-off-from-american-ninja-warrior

I know he's not one of the "characters," but why does Akbar say, "I see you..." all the fucking time? It drives me crazy. 

[holly4755]

I saw Jesse Graff on a main stream commercial the other day, can't remember which one but it was not cheesy so I guess this ninja has some money coming in. first mainstream ad I saw for anyone from this show. 

[SophiaD]

I think Jesse is about 5' 8" compared to Kacy's 5'0".  That's all of the difference in the world when you're talking about the Jumping Spider.

I also have high hopes for Flex LeBreck and hope she comes back next year.

[Chaos Theory]

Esquire has been running a marathon of "older" seasons and last night they got to Kacy's string of firsts. She was the first person to get up the warped wall in qualifying and she is STILL the only person to complete a finals course.  Watching her complete the course even knowing that she would was nerve wracking.  

Despite the fact that she hasn't done much since then she was the first and did a lot for women in the sport.  I enjoy watching her compete and hope she continues.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[craziness]

Jessie Graff was on Supergirl last week as the dark haired prisoner who helped Live wire escape. But later in the show, the evil guy was draining Livewire's powers and charging Jessie and another guy, and Jessie had white hair. She faught supergirl and other character. Yay, Jessie.

[SmithW6079]

I'm not sure where to put this, but I think I'm over ANW. I really can't stand Matt and Akbar screaming at the top of their lungs every time one of the contestants finishes an obstacle. I hate Akbar's "I see you..." again, every time a contestant completes an obstacle. There seems to be more theatricality and grandstanding, as opposed to physical prowess. 

While I don't mind the "sob stories" (some of them I really do find inspiring), I've come to hate a lot of the regulars they push on us. (If I have to see Casey or Brett one more time...)

I think a two-hour block every week is just too much. They stack up on my DVR, and I didn't even watch the finale this year. 

[profxavier]

My all-time favorites are Paul Kasemir and Travis Rosen. I LOVE THEM. Both incredible and consistent athletes, and seem to be nice guys as well. It makes me furious that Paul Kasemir has not been called back for ANW 9 (the 2nd year he wasn't called back). I really don't get why. He has been a very strong performer for all the years he's been in ANW, does far better than most rookies every year, and he's got a serious shot at conquering Midoriyama. This alone makes me not want to watch ANW 9 anymore.

Other favorites of mine are Jessie Graff, Nicholas Coolridge, Geoff Britten, Elet Hall, and the underrated Brett Sims. I also like Ryan Stratis, Chris Wilczewski, and Jamie Rahn, who all seem to be all-around nice guys. I don't care much for rookies whom they give so much airtime to show backstories but end up failing in the first obstacles. I get that they need to feature new competitors too, but I would personally much rather watch the veterans and long-time competitors whom I've been rooting for, have a real shot at Midoriyama, and have made me tune in to ANW in the first place.

[jhlipton]

On 5/13/2017 at 10:59 PM, SmithW6079 said:

While I don't mind the "sob stories" (some of them I really do find inspiring),

Fast-forward is your friend.  I don't watch the "profiles" and I don't miss them.

On 5/16/2017 at 11:55 PM, profxavier said:

My all-time favorites are Paul Kasemir and Travis Rosen. Other favorites of mine are Jessie Graff, Nicholas Coolridge, Geoff Britten, Elet Hall, and the underrated Brett Sims.

Kevin Bull and the new and improved Flip Rodriguez.  Kacy is OK, but the new group coming behind her -- Graff, Martin, Doran, etc. -- are sooooo much fun to watch!

[slf]

Jessie Graff completed Stage 2 on American Ninja Warrior vs. The World. She went out on obstacle three during last season and she all but glided through it this time around. She was amazing! Definitely the top female competitor and one of the top five regardless of sex.

Edited June 5, 2017 by slf

[Destiny74]

18 hours ago, slf said:

Jessie Graff completed Stage 2 on American Ninja Warrior vs. The World. She went out on obstacle three during last season and she all but glided through it this time around. She was amazing! Definitely the top female competitor and one of the top five regardless of sex.

She was great.  Although, I think after she reached the salmon ladder she secured the points for her team and could really just concentrate on her body and what needed to be done as opposed to worrying about time issues too.  In a normal end of season run, I don't know if she would have finished.  These obstacles are tough enough when you have all the time in the world to really concentrate.

But congrats to her.  I am glad she keeps doing better and better each team she tries.  Hell, congrats to them all.  I am only the ninja warrior of my couch.  ?

[slf]

They're re-airing older seasons on NBCSN and I just saw Jamie Rahn in nothing but shoes, body paint, and a speedo. I sure do appreciate how his costume as evolved into an actual costume that covers his body 'cause I just had to watch that man's junk bounce when he was on the trampoline, which makes kind of me chuckle, but also: dude.

[Lantern7]

While Jamie has clung to his gimmick, he looks to have evolved past it. Watch the current season of Team Ninja Warrior, where he captains Superhero Squad. They came up short in the opening round, but they qualified for a shot at the wild card. Jamie got his team the win, running four times total, as well as the anchor leg of the "Relay Showdown." The Squad will face the winners of the other wild card episode.

[JenMD]

On 6/5/2017 at 4:56 PM, Destiny74 said:

She was great.  Although, I think after she reached the salmon ladder she secured the points for her team and could really just concentrate on her body and what needed to be done as opposed to worrying about time issues too.  In a normal end of season run, I don't know if she would have finished.  These obstacles are tough enough when you have all the time in the world to really concentrate.

 

That's what I used to think about her and Stage 1.  :-)  She tends to be so methodical and she likes to take her time when she can, but she killed it when it counted.  I wouldn't put it past her to make it through Stage 2 when the clock was on her.  I really hope we get to find out.

18 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

While Jamie has clung to his gimmick, he looks to have evolved past it. Watch the current season of Team Ninja Warrior, where he captains Superhero Squad. They came up short in the opening round, but they qualified for a shot at the wild card. Jamie got his team the win, running four times total, as well as the anchor leg of the "Relay Showdown." The Squad will face the winners of the other wild card episode.

He is killing it on TNW.  He is just so impressive run after run.

[Destiny74]

Where are they showing Team Ninja Warrior?  I'd like to watch it but hadn't heard about it.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Destiny74

[JenMD]

It's on Tuesday at 10pm on USA.

[Destiny74]

1 hour ago, JenMD said:

It's on Tuesday at 10pm on USA.

Thanks.  I need to check it out.  

[Chaos Theory]

On 6/5/2017 at 4:56 PM, Destiny74 said:

She was great.  Although, I think after she reached the salmon ladder she secured the points for her team and could really just concentrate on her body and what needed to be done as opposed to worrying about time issues too.  In a normal end of season run, I don't know if she would have finished.  These obstacles are tough enough when you have all the time in the world to really concentrate.

But congrats to her.  I am glad she keeps doing better and better each team she tries.  Hell, congrats to them all.  I am only the ninja warrior of my couch.  ?

These athletes have great muscle memory.  I am thinking if she is able to tolerate the stress she might be able to handle time restraints on stage 2 now that she knows she can beat it.  

Then again ALOT of the male athletes have been competing for years and haven't beaten stage 2.   So who knows.  

[Lantern7]

Just bumping this up since individual ninjas have been talked about lately. Once again: I don't loathe most of them, though I understand where some would make you itch.

Has Neil Craver run this season? It's a bit alarming that the other two "free spirits"I know about  -- Grant McCartney and Jake Murray -- went out in ignoble fashion.

ETA: Here's the Instagram of Sammo Hog, the four-legged friend of Jessie Graff. The cutest thing there lately? Sammo rubbing herself on Jessie's stomach.

[Chaos Theory]

Not sure where to put this but I am quite curious now how this new women's rule will shake out in Vegas.  Women have never done particularly well there.  Most have flamed out on the 2nd jumpy obstical or the spider thing.  With the new rule which is based on merit I am curious if anyone (besides Megan and of course Jessie) will get passed the jumping spider.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[SophiaD]

I think Flex has a good shot at the spider.  She's almost as tall as Jessie. 

I've seen Kacy nail it in practice, so I wouldn't rule out the shorter women entirely, but they have to hit it just right.  I wouldn't be surprised if Barclay and/or Alyssa make it past it as well.

[Lantern7]

Just wondering if anybody out there has met a "ninja." I have not. However, I was on Facebook recently, and I found out about an event in Chatham, NJ, later this month. I think I can make it . . . it's less than an hour from where I live. The ninjas listed: James McGrath, Allyssa Beird, Lucio Battista, and Anthony DeFranco. Here's the link . . . I don't know if anybody not on Facebook can see it, though.

[Lantern7]

This Just In: Matt announced that Kacy Catanzaro will be retiring after the finals in Las Vegas.

In other news,  I didn't make it to the event on Saturday. Forgot that I had an appointment that day.

[healthnut]

WWE signs Kacy Catanzaro

[Fukui San]

lol. I'm not a Kacy hater, but I don't see that as a good match at all. She can learn the moves physically I don't doubt. But she's so tiny she doesn't look like anyone who could be in a fight, and I can't imagine what her character would be. Can you imagine her talking tough in her pixie voice? There's a half dozen other ladies from ANW I'd choose before Kacy. 

[ClareWalks]

8 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

lol. I'm not a Kacy hater, but I don't see that as a good match at all. She can learn the moves physically I don't doubt. But she's so tiny she doesn't look like anyone who could be in a fight, and I can't imagine what her character would be. Can you imagine her talking tough in her pixie voice? There's a half dozen other ladies from ANW I'd choose before Kacy. 

Agreed. She weighs 95 lb. I am fairly Amazonian (as I imagine most female wrestlers are) and I could easily just pick her up, FFS.

[Chaos Theory]

46 minutes ago, healthnut said:

WWE signs Kacy Catanzaro

 

30 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

lol. I'm not a Kacy hater, but I don't see that as a good match at all. She can learn the moves physically I don't doubt. But she's so tiny she doesn't look like anyone who could be in a fight, and I can't imagine what her character would be. Can you imagine her talking tough in her pixie voice? There's a half dozen other ladies from ANW I'd choose before Kacy. 

Well there are always the high fliers.  Those are never big guys.  There a speed demons on WWE as well as brute strength guys.  

[Lantern7]

This came from WatchMojo yesterday:

I think the Honorable Mentions needed a little more background, particularly Michael Stanger. And I think either Sam Sahn and/or Jon Stewart should have gotten that. And where's Kevin Bull? His inverted take on Cannonball Alley alone should earn him a spot on the list.

[Lantern7]

Just bumping up due to ninja talk on the episode threads. Once again, I don't outright hate anyone from the show like I would other "spectacles." If Grant McCartney and Jake Murray want to have fun and be goofy, let 'em. Neil Craver lives up to "Crazy" with a flaming Salmon Ladder? Alrighty, then. I try not to let outside stuff shape my viewing experience. Hey, at least Lorrin Ball and Flip Rodriguez aren't that gung ho for speed anymore.

[xtwheeler]

On 8/17/2017 at 11:38 AM, Lantern7 said:

Just wondering if anybody out there has met a "ninja." I have not. However, I was on Facebook recently, and I found out about an event in Chatham, NJ, later this month. I think I can make it . . . it's less than an hour from where I live. The ninjas listed: James McGrath, Allyssa Beird, Lucio Battista, and Anthony DeFranco. Here's the link . . . I don't know if anybody not on Facebook can see it, though.

I know this is from forever ago, but I just saw it. Alan Connelly owns Apex Movement NorCal in Concord, CA, and my daughter has both taken classes there and had her birthday party there. We didn't expect to see him at her party, but he basically hosted it (she nearly died from excitement - - I think this was her 10th or so). He's a great guy, awesome with the kids, generous with his time, etc. Autographed something for everyone, took photos with everyone, and was just the best. He loves his sport and he just wants people to be excited about it. He's super down to earth and easy to talk to. His chiropractic practice was next door, but I don't know if he does it anymore. He hosts other NW's all the time. If you have a chance to meet him, do so. He's a great ambassador for the sport. 

[ninjaman]

Sorry to burst bubble, but isaac caldiero is a pompass ass. He leeterally lied on nantional tv saying he was THE ONLY ONE, and get ready, THE FIRST ONe TO MAKE IT AND THE CHAMP. Dont believe me? Check indianapolis qualifier,  forst 2 minutes. An outright lie, and why they let him say it i really dont kno. Now, conjieture u say? Well,  I  competed on ANW and met him. Non stop bragging and making crappy comments abojt other ninjas. Everything ANW IS NOT ABOUT. Totay lying ahole

Excuse typos,  small phone

[Chaos Theory]

There are a lot of people who look like they would be pompous asses and it doesn’t surprise me all all that Cordero is one.  I didn’t like Drew Drechel because there was something off putting about him but recently my opinion changed I am not sure what it was.  There are others that look like genuinely nice people.  Regardless of what you think of her skill Kacy has always seemed like a nice person to me who just got overhyped and she just hit a....(warped) wall.  

[majormama]

With Drew it could just be maturity. Some of these athletes start out when they're still in the young-and-stupid phase of life, but a little maturity and some life experience settle them down into decent people. Jamie Rahn and Flip Rodriguez would also seem to fit this category (at least for me).

And some never seem to outgrow the college frat boy douchiness. 

Not that I actually know any of these people. A few minutes on my TV each year isn't much to go by, really.

[jhlipton]

2 hours ago, majormama said:

Not that I actually know any of these people. A few minutes on my TV each year isn't much to go by, really.

But I thought the whole point of the bios was so we would know them so well! [/sarcasm]

[DEL901]

On 2018-06-21 at 6:44 PM, ninjaman said:

Sorry to burst bubble, but isaac caldiero is a pompass ass. He leeterally lied on nantional tv saying he was THE ONLY ONE, and get ready, THE FIRST ONe TO MAKE IT AND THE CHAMP. Dont believe me? Check indianapolis qualifier,  forst 2 minutes. An outright lie, and why they let him say it i really dont kno. Now, conjieture u say? Well,  I  competed on ANW and met him. Non stop bragging and making crappy comments abojt other ninjas. Everything ANW IS NOT ABOUT. Totay lying ahole

Excuse typos,  small phone

I watched the rerun.   He doesn’t say he was the first to conquer stage 4.   He says he was the first winner which he was.    Ten guys run the 100 metres and finish... only the fastest gets the gold.   

I’m not saying he is a nice guy.  I don’t know him.   But he didn’t lie.

[Ciarrai]

Hate *hate* hate the Towers of Power or whatever the eff they call themselves. They seem like total meatheads and I howl every time either one of them fails.

[enoughcats]

The ANW book got to me yesterday from the Library. 

The full title is "The Ultimate Insider's Guide      Become an American Ninja Warrior " and the authors?

"From the Experts and Competitors of American Ninja Warrior"

It'a  different kind of book, in that books used to be sit down, read page 1, turn page, read, and continue through to the end. 

This is lots of pictures, lots of inserted highlighted paragraphs, some meat, a couple of recipes, a huge, huge, huge section about the obstacles....not some of the obstacles , but all of them. Every one that's ever been used.  And for me it was unreadable.  If I were going to do the ANW bit, I'd read some of it, a few at a time.

I didn't think I got to know any of the competitors any better. 

Funny thing (to me) was I got to appreciate television.  The static pictures of active people just don't hold a candle to watching five minutes of a competitor trying to make it through a single obstacle. 

[mlp]

Quote

This is lots of pictures, lots of inserted highlighted paragraphs, some meat, a couple of recipes, a huge, huge, huge section about the obstacles....not some of the obstacles , but all of them. Every one that's ever been used. 

That's my biggest complaint about the book.  The list of obstacles went on and on.  I wouldn't have minded as much if there had been a thumbnail picture of each but the written descriptions didn't help me picture them much, especially a few that had the words "vertical" and "horizontal" interchanged.  Otherwise, I enjoyed it although the quotes from Isaac made me dislike him even more than I already did.

[LadyNebula]

I've never been keen on Isaac, but according to Geoff Britten (this was posted awhile ago on another forum, by Geoff himself), Isaac started out being fine, but then did a total 180. Told Geoff that he should've just fallen and let Isaac just have the glory, and that Geoff ruined his life. Like, total douchebaggery. I'll see if I can find the link if anyone wants it. 

[Lantern7]

46 minutes ago, LadyNebula said:

I've never been keen on Isaac, but according to Geoff Britten (this was posted awhile ago on another forum, by Geoff himself), Isaac started out being fine, but then did a total 180. Told Geoff that he should've just fallen and let Isaac just have the glory, and that Geoff ruined his life. Like, total douchebaggery. I'll see if I can find the link if anyone wants it. 

Jeez. I think they work better together as yin and yang. Telling Geoff to drop? If true, Isaac is a primo douchebag. As much as I don't want to think of a like-to-hate scale among the ninjas . . . yeah, that would swing Isaac towards "detestable." Of course, y'all haven't met John Devenanzio, better known as "Johnny Bananas" from The Challenge. He ran/runs in the Minneapolis qualifier. Part of me wants him to fall off the steps and into the water . . . and for someone to "accidentally" drop a plugged-in blow dryer in there. "I SEE YOU, JOHNNY!!! I SEE YOUR BODY STILL SMOKING ON THE STRETCHER!!!!!!"

[enoughcats]

Remember Isaac's girlfriend, well, whoever edited the book actually mentioned her first name in one of the Isaac sections towards the end of the book.  So she is immortalized.

The other thing about the book, and it still bothers me after the book has been back at the library for several days.  The writers, none of whom is named, wrote quite a bit about how they choose contestants.  Many slots are filled based on past performances and the videos that are sent in.  The people who wait in line at any city may have no chance of getting in , although I think they implied they pick and choose from the line, so early doesn't equal a guaranteed chance.  AND, and this made me sad, they are actively looking for personal interest stories because they like to feature them.  So, they have studied viewership and decided that people watch for the sob stories and filler.  
I'll keep watching episodes that I've recorded, but I'll make sure that the batteries on my fast forward remote are working not so much to cut out the ads, but to cut out the smaltz and fluff.

[ClareWalks]

1 hour ago, LadyNebula said:

I've never been keen on Isaac, but according to Geoff Britten (this was posted awhile ago on another forum, by Geoff himself), Isaac started out being fine, but then did a total 180. Told Geoff that he should've just fallen and let Isaac just have the glory, and that Geoff ruined his life. Like, total douchebaggery. I'll see if I can find the link if anyone wants it. 

IIRC they gave Isaac the choice of whether to run first or second on stage 4, and he CHOSE to go last. Maybe I'm wrong but I could swear he picked his position. He had to know he was risking that Geoff would beat the timer and achieve Total Victory before him.