S00.E12: USA vs. the World (2)

[OnceSane]

Three separate teams from America, Europe and Japan will compete in Las Vegas on the first three stages of Mt. Midoriyama, the famed four-stage finals course, featured in "American Ninja Warrior." Team USA will include winner Isaac Caldiero and runner-up Geoff Britten, along with veteran competitors Kevin Bull, Drew Dreschel, Ian Dory, and Joe Moravsky. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila are set to host and Kristine Leahy will co-host.

[Lantern7]

USA! USA! USA!

 

Once again, we have a wild three hours full of miscues, surprises and epic finishes. Isaac overcomes his flameout on Stage One, conquering Stage Three to win the whole thing. You can point out that Isaac had the most time to rest between runs, but it's still one helluva run. And Joe Moravsky did good filling in past the last minute for Geoff. Here's hoping Geoff has/had better luck on TNW.

 

Once again, no points for Japan. Should they keep competing as a team, or should they be folded into the Europe team to form a World squad?

 

I think the format might be tweaked in the future . . . maybe giving bonus points for finishing and for posting the fastest overall time on a stage. Then again, the 1-2-3 format is simple enough for viewers.

[mlp]

Yay USA,  It was a nail biter at the end.  I felt bad for Japan because they are all stars at home and must have felt humiliated to end up with no score.  Most of all I felt sorry for Geoff Britten.  I was looking forward to his runs because he's so good and because I just plain like him.  It broke my heart to see him crying.  He'll probably be embarrassed when he sees himself on TV but I could tell from his flushed face that he was feverish so he shouldn't be.  Joe Moravsky, one of my favorites, did a great job stepping in like that.

[SharonH58]

What is Kristine doing back?  I wish I could mute Akbar.  I cheered when Isaac failed in Stage 1.

Edited February 1, 2016 by SharonH58

[Richness]

Now that was a fun competition. I loved the constant place switching between USA and Europe. I suppose congratulations to Caldiero for bringing home the win for USA while under pressure, and doing it so decisively. However, I just can't like the guy for some reason. Actually, I found myself amused comparing his looks to McColl's. He looks like the all American clean-cut boy next door compared to Caldiero's long-haired hippie appearance, though I guess I need to change that to eccentric millionaire appearance. And actually, I thought McColl should have got the Pom Move of the Night for beating the previous two speed records on Stage 2, which were just set moments earlier.

 

I can't help but think the shorter on average ninjas on Team Japan are why they don't do as well on the American course, though the Spider Jump gave everyone the fits. Plus, there's the fact that Team America has had considerably more experience on this particular course. It just seems a bit unfair to expect Japan to do better.

 

Akbar didn't bother me until the end when he started chanting USA. Granted, I condensed a three hour show down to one hour by skipping everything but the actual runs. Heck, I even began skipping the first obstacle on Stage 2 and 3, because I find both of those obstacles to be boring to watch compared to all the others.

 

Wish I could afford a DirecTV package with Esquire so I could see Team Ninja Warrior.

[SophiaD]

I was so sad for Geoff Britten, who just looked inconsolable.  I hope he can compete in future events.  I was also bummed for Team Japan.  I did think Joe did a great job, especially with so little time to prepare.

 

Ugh, AKBAR.  At least TRY to be impartial?

 

Not a huge fan of Isaac or Ian Dory, either.  I have to hand it to Drew Dreschel - I've disliked him in the past, but he came up big, without all of that cocky, posturing stuff.  I wish they'd let Trayvon Martin or Abel Gonzalez compete sometime.

[MelinaBallerina]

I was rooting for Japan.  It sucks that they're the originators and have so many years experience competing on these type of courses and continue to fail here.  Jet lag?  

[mlp]

Jet lag was brought up during the first season when the competition involved just Japan and the USA.  As I recall, the Japanese team had just arrived the day before so they certainly might have been affected by their travel.  I don't think the time between arrival in the States and the competition was mentioned this time for either Japan or the Europeans.  I'd like to see them take the next shows to Japan and then Europe.  

 

I very much enjoy all the ANW competitions.  The one thing I didn't like about this one was Matt and Akbar yelling "USA, USA" at the end.  That was a really tacky thing for hosts to do.  Otherwise, I like both of them and enjoy their enthusiasm.

[Fukui San]

Let me say at this point I'm not sure that the Japanese competitors have more experience on the course than the Americans, nor would I necessarily favor them on, as sports fans say, a Neutral field with all things being equal. 

 

The Japanese show is structured as a one time special each tournament.  The "Los Vegas Finals" is all the entire show, there.  Their field is composed of 100 people.  The first 50 or so have no realistic chance of finishing the first stage.  They are celebrities or human interest stories. "World's toughest transvestite".  "Guy who runs in a sumo thong", "World's strongest comedian", "Pro wrestler", "J-Pop lip sync idol (I don't get it but it exists)", "Random noodle shop owner in uniform", etc. There was a long running "trio of doom", complete misfits for whom clearing the first obstacle is a major upset. 

 

There were 10 or so competitors who are invited every year, even if they're past their prime. The "All Stars" and then the younger "New Stars".  They never have to qualify. And the remaining 40 are pretty semi-serious athletes who are invited on a rotating basis. Some are "human interest story" competitors who turned out to be good athletes but who aren't necessarily invited every tournament.  There are occasionally qualifying tournaments to win spots into the Japanese show, but not the interminable multiround affairs that the US show is.  I would say that a US competitor who has been involved in Ninja Warrior for 5 seasons has much, much more time and experience on a timed course with all-or-nothing rules than the equivalent Japanese competitor.  They have seen more obstacles, they have dealt with more pressure. Then add to the fact that the US is just bigger than Japan and with a bigger pool of competitors to draw from.  I'd expect five random competitors drawn from the top 50 of the US version to be better at this than five random competitors drawn from the top 50 of the Japanese version. Honestly, I think they should call it the Asian team and include some guys from other Asian versions that I believe also exist.

 

Now Europe?  You got me there.  I guess that European free runners and parkourists are just darn good and deep.  Plus they had awesome names. 

[mlp]

Thanks for the above information ^^^^^^^^^^^^.  I've been assuming that the Japanese, as originators, took the whole sport very seriously.  Now I see it in a much different light.

[Fukui San]

They do take it seriously, build home replicas, and practice a lot. The US franchise is just structured in a way that gives many more competitors chances to run timed obstacle courses multiple times per season, not just in a one shot special. An unintended consequence of the US franchise's stretching out the concept for ratings.

[jhlipton]

This was worth watching just for the return or Roulette Row and the "he's only got one shot!"!!!!