S09.E13: Las Vegas Finals - Night 1

[Lantern7]

From TVGuide.com:

Quote

A "Ninja Warrior" spin-off in which athletes tackle an array of challenging obstacle courses in hopes of advancing to the national finals in Las Vegas, where the winner walks away with a $1 million.

[slf]

Barclay and Jesse were amazing, especially Barclay. She got so close, so close, only to time out. She just struggled on Parkour Run, being so short. Took a lot out of her.

Allyssa Beird is a champ! The second woman to complete stage one! When she started slowing down at the wall I was shouting "GO JUST GO!!" So happy she made it.

Yay for Nick Hanson. He's one of the ones I came in rooting for. He seems like such a nice guy and he works hard. He doesn't seem to have great balance and on occassion it looks like his mass works against him? But good for him for making it past stage 1.

JJ Woods, my dude, nice jump. I actually expected to hear an alarm when he just jumped for the platform, I would've thought skipping the rope was against the rules. His run actually made me nervous, I thought he'd fall as fast as he was going.

My thoughts are with Heather, Lance's wife. MS is brutal. She's a tough lady. 

[Aliconehead]

Jesus they really upped their backstory game tonight with the Pekuses and the Eskimo ninja. Not to mention the broken skull on the MIT ninja. I am actually surprised that there aren't more serious injuries. But this one seems more freak accident. 

 

Barclay and Jessie LeBreck are beasts. I expect next year they will kill it.  BbarclH beating the Spider was impressive. Beird are her tiny shorts killed it. Very impressive 

[Lantern7]

I feel like a dick. I had a chance to go to a ninja event featuring Allyssa Beird. But I had to see my shrink. And it turns out she's the second woman to clear Stage One. How could I have known?!? I mean, she didn't beat the warning klaxon, but it was still one helluva effort.

Great night, even as established vets like Bull, Flip and Steffensen got the WWWA treatment. JJ Woods displayed awesome lateral thinking skipping the rope on Parkour Run. Lance Pekus obliterated the course for his ailing wife. And Chris Wilczewski went out on the first obstacle for the second time. Does that mean his ninja license is revoked? Poor guy.

ETA: Kudos to those who came up with Double Dipper and Domino Run. Super sadistic stuff. All they needed to add was Ring of Fire from TNW, and Flip would've quit right away.

[Chaos Theory]

You can already see the advantage of dropping the wild card and having the two best females of each round move on.   So many women...,so close I actually thought Labreck was going to pull one out there for a second and Barclay got remarkably close.  Hell even Maggie Thorne did better then expected.  Then Allyssa Beird the most popular fifth grade teacher in America becomes the second woman to beat stage one. 

I actually liked the backstories.  I don't mind them so much from the ninjas we know.  The Eskimo ninja was at  least interesting.  

Plus there was that one with the MIT kid Charlie who wont be running due to injury.  That has to suck.

Edited September 5, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[Taeolas]

Yeah the Wildcard change was a great one; the women challenged the course as well as the men did. 2 women effectively finished it; Jessie did fantastic. If she hadn't gotten turned around on the Parkour rope and had a bit more energy, she would surely have gone on to round 2. 

 

I was surprised that Bull and Flip both got "While We were away" runs. I guess they ran out of backstories for them, or are saving them for Round 2. 

 

Lots of wipeouts on the Double DIpper. I suspect it was underestimated.

 

All in all, a solid Stage 1; challenging enough to thin the pack, but no real killer obstacles (Double Dipper was bad but not unreasonably so). It might even have been a bit too easy; with 20 (so figure 40 when the next half runs) making it through. 

[sweetandsour]

Is it me or did they add 5 seconds to the time limit (from 2:30 to 2:35) this year? I wonder what went into the thought process that this year's course and the changes to obstacles should lead to 5 more seconds. Nick Hansen (eskimo) who finished last years' course but two seconds too slow finished this year's with 5.03 seconds on the clock, I think. Under last year's time, he would have finished with 0.03 seconds to spare.

Jesse would have finished if she hadn't gotten tangled up on Parkour Run.  I am sure Barclay could complete the Flying Squirrel, but even if she wasn't so gassed out at the Warped Wall, I'm not sure she could have finished in time.  She would have needed a good 30 seconds or so for the last obstacle and I don't know if she could shave 30 seconds of recovery and attempt time off the Wall.

It was Brian Wilczewski who fell on Snake Run. I really don't know how he was strategizing - it seemed clear from his vantage point the way that first step sloped. The guy who launched off the same step right after (Kevin Carbone the Maker?) was able to do it because he leaped onto it at an angle, not head on the way Brian did.

I'm not mad at WWWA'ing many of the vets. We've seen them do stage 1 with a different set of obstacles, but the same general concept, multiple times before, plus they have more finishers than last year so they can't show a lot of them.  We'll see them more in future stages.

I am not sure what to make of Kacy and her new career at the WWE??  That's not my thing, but I can't even picture it. She's so so so much smaller than the WWE women, and maybe I'm not giving her and her personality enough credit, but I don't really see her doing all of the bravado and theatrics and trash talking in a way that's at all "believable" (believable in WWE terms, I mean).  I don't know, hahaha, that'll be interesting.

I really felt for the Pekuses and I hope things take a positive turn for Heather.

[slf]

On 9/5/2017 at 0:41 AM, sweetandsour said:

I'm not mad at WWWA'ing many of the vets. We've seen them do stage 1 with a different set of obstacles, but the same general concept, multiple times before, plus they have more finishers than last year so they can't show a lot of them.  We'll see them more in future stages.

Neither am I. So many of these guys have done stage 1 several times so they just fly right through it. I was actually thinking they could've cut Moravsky's run since it was predictable; he hit the buzzer and ran fast. For me there's nothing fun about watching the ones who can get through obstacles super easily. I'd rather watch the people who struggled (so I might've liked to watch Bull's run) than the people who glided through unless they're setting a new record or something.

Edited September 7, 2017 by slf

[majormama]

My kids were pretty upset about the WWWAing of Kevin Bull and Flip Rodriguez, and the hubby about Brent Steffenson. My son is a HUGE Kevin Bull fan, even dressed up as him for Halloween last year with a bald hat.

[LadyNebula]

Hey guys, did you hear Maggie Thorne got divorced??  No?  We've only mentioned it every time she's on camera!

I feel for the MIT guy, but since he can't compete, do they bump someone up to take his spot?

Yay, Nick Hanson!!  Last year was a heartbreaker. So glad he hit the buzzer. 

[Good Queen Jane]

I just started watching last year, so a lot of this is new to me. I know the qualifying rounds were in March. When did they do the Las Vegas rounds? How do they keep spoilers from leaking out with all those spectators?

[Chaos Theory]

I'm actually curious about Maggie Thornes divorce.  Then again I really like her.  She may have been one of the weaker women to qualify but she is always there on the sidelines to cheer for her friends and it is damn fun to watch.  

[ClareWalks]

Allyssa can't claim ignorance that those shorts are ill-fitting. She must enjoy having to constantly pull them out of her butt. She did great on the course,  I just hate seeing anyone pick wedgies repeatedly on national television when it is totally preventable.

[Vickismom]

1 hour ago, Good Queen Jane said:

I just started watching last year, so a lot of this is new to me. I know the qualifying rounds were in March. When did they do the Las Vegas rounds? How do they keep spoilers from leaking out with all those spectators?

I believe they filmed the Vegas finals in June, sometime around June 19 and 20, give or take.  I don't know how they try to keep spoilers from leaking or if they try that hard to do so.  I was in Vegas during this time and while we were in the lazy river at the Mandalay Bay, I heard people talking about it and how certain people made it through really fast and others didn't.  I really tried to not listen to the names because I didn't want to be spoiled, and honestly the guy that apparently was there didn't seem to know all their names anyway when he was talking about it.  

[Chaos Theory]

1 hour ago, Good Queen Jane said:

I just started watching last year, so a lot of this is new to me. I know the qualifying rounds were in March. When did they do the Las Vegas rounds? How do they keep spoilers from leaking out with all those spectators?

It's not like this gets a ton of national attention.  I actually tried to look up reviews after one of Jessie Graff's  record breaking runs online and they are mostly from ANW themselves.  I think mostly the spoilers come from word of mouth and individual twitter feeds and I think people might get warned and blocked by those who matter.  The actual ninjas and their families know enough not to give away what happens if they want to get asked back. 

Edited September 5, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[majormama]

Anyone who gets into the stands has to sign a confidentiality contract. Not sure how aggressive they'd be at enforcing it, though. And people can stand outside the course and still see quite a bit of what's going on without having signed anything.

[SophiaD]

For some reason, that was much more enjoyable, at least, for me.  It was GREAT to see the women kill it - especially Alyssa.  I did feel badly for Flex, but you know she's going to come roaring back next year.  Barclay also impressed me a lot.  Seeing her make it through the jumping spider was awesome, even though it looked as if she was holding on by her toes, at least, at the very start.  I REALLY like this new system that allows women to get experience on the City Finals and National Finals courses.  Go, Alyssa!

The backstories weren't as annoying either.  I really felt for the MIT guy and for Lance Pekus.  I hope they find a new treatment protocol for his wife.   

[Lantern7]

13 hours ago, sweetandsour said:

It was Brian Wilczewski who fell on Snake Run. I really don't know how he was strategizing - it seemed clear from his vantage point the way that first step sloped. The guy who launched off the same step right after (Kevin Carbone the Maker?) was able to do it because he leaped onto it at an angle, not head on the way Brian did.

Looking at the replay (and brother, I did that a lot), I think Brian went off the platform at a bad angle, hit the step at a worse angle, and now he is never going to hear the end of it from his family. He'd have to clear Stage Two just to stop the taunting.

[mlp]

Quote

now he is never going to hear the end of it from his family. 

That's probably true and I'm sure he's still kicking himself but he's in good company.  Travis Rosen fell on the first obstacle once and so did Geoff Britten.

[eel2178]

7 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

. I know the qualifying rounds were in March. When did they do the Las Vegas rounds? 

Filming schedule was:

Los Angeles March 7 & 8

San Antonio March 26 & 27

Daytona April 7 & 8

Kansas City April 24 & 25

Cleveland May 8 & 9

Denver May 23 & 24

Las Vegas June 19 thru 24 (includes taping all the specials that will air next spring, such as Team Ninja Warrior)

[saber5055]

I enjoyed this episode and loved all the new obstacles. They were challenging but not impossible, like whatever course that was a few weeks ago where only one ninja could even complete it. That is not a good viewer time IMO. Meanwhile, I like the backstories. It helps me know more about the competitors so I don't go, "Who?" for ninjas that it turns out have been competing for as long as I've been watching. (Translation: Since the beginning of time.) And Lance looked hot in his not-jeans pants, which he deserved after his heart-breaking backstory package. You go, "Powered by beef."

[Chaos Theory]

7 hours ago, SophiaD said:

For some reason, that was much more enjoyable, at least, for me.  It was GREAT to see the women kill it - especially Alyssa.  I did feel badly for Flex, but you know she's going to come roaring back next year.  Barclay also impressed me a lot.  Seeing her make it through the jumping spider was awesome, even though it looked as if she was holding on by her toes, at least, at the very start.  I REALLY like this new system that allows women to get experience on the City Finals and National Finals courses.  Go, Alyssa!

The backstories weren't as annoying either.  I really felt for the MIT guy and for Lance Pekus.  I hope they find a new treatment protocol for his wife.   

I know people don't like to talk about Kacy but she was the first to do alot of things.  Like climb the warped wall.  Once she did it.  Other immediately followed.  Sometimes all you need is one to break the barrier and others will follow.  Then again maybe its that the show has dumped the wild card rule which often had females who flamed out during qualifying and I often had completely forgotten about instead of women who have just had one hell of a winning streak.  Despite being the weakest of the women of day one, even Maggie Thorne held her own getting past the second obstical which has always stumped women in the past.  2/3 of the females (Including Kacy) for the last couple years have flamed out there.  Even though I hate the name "women rule" it seems to pass through the best or at least the women on the strongest runs of the year and not random (who the hell knows why) ninjas.  

Its just enjoyable to watch people succeed after such a tough year.  Especially among the women.   All of them should be proud of their run.  All of them deserved to be there.  And I don't think the course is beyond any of them.  

Edited September 6, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[Terrafamilia]

I was very surprised that skipping the rope was allowed. I kinda wished he had been disqualified. The rope swinging seems like the main reason for the obstacle.

[ClareWalks]

3 minutes ago, Terrafamilia said:

I was very surprised that skipping the rope was allowed. I kinda wished he had been disqualified. The rope swinging seems like the main reason for the obstacle.

I was surprised he got away with it but I can't be mad at it. That was, like, a ten foot broad jump from a tilted-back platform, which is practically impossible.

[Lantern7]

54 minutes ago, Terrafamilia said:

I was very surprised that skipping the rope was allowed. I kinda wished he had been disqualified. The rope swinging seems like the main reason for the obstacle.

I think that triggered the biggest reaction from Matt & Akbar that wasn't related to Allyssa Beird. I'll allow it . . . though I wouldn't have been shocked if JJ got the DQ.

[healthnut]

5 hours ago, eel2178 said:

Filming schedule was:

Los Angeles March 7 & 8

San Antonio March 26 & 27

Daytona April 7 & 8

Kansas City April 24 & 25

Cleveland May 8 & 9

Denver May 23 & 24

Las Vegas June 19 thru 24 (includes taping all the specials that will air next spring, such as Team Ninja Warrior)

Team Ninja Warrior is filmed completely separate at a different location months later but specials like all-star, USA vs. The World are filmed then. 

My thoughts: 

Entirely too many finishers. 20/50=40% that's way too high. The course has been practically the same for several years now. It's time to get rid of the propeller bar. The parkour run isn't all that different than the sonic curve they've had in the past. I don't want to see 40 people make it to stage 2 which is where it looks like we're headed. Stage 1 needs a redo. 

I'm bummed for Jesse La Breck, so close. Much respect to Barclay kicking serious butt in year 1. This is a very attainable course for ladies (and apparently everyone else). 

[Destiny74]

The only WWWA I took issue with was Genie Pants.  Wasn't he given the WWWA during his first two runs also?  Seems like, even without a backstory, they could've aired the whole run.

And I get it.  The Maker is a newbie who did really well and designed a hell of an obstacle but, I needed to see the same story on him for the third time like I needed another hole in my head.

JJ's jump was awesome.  And his comment that if there were 299 out of 300 ninjas using the switch grip he would still not use it was hilarious.

I laughed when the newbie who did the backflip off the Double Dipper failed on the Spider Jump.  I just think if he ran straight and clean he would've done better.  Not to mention the showboating aggrivates me.  He didn't do what he set out to do because I still didn't remember his name.

Did anyone catch the 2 episodes left teaser.  Great.  Thanks ANW.  Now we know that no one makes it to the end.  I mean, they have a whole evening next week for the second half of stage 1.  Then one more night for over 20 runs of stage 2?  I can't imagine there is even anyone in stage 3, or at least only a few people.  Unless they do a whole lot of WWWAs.  I thought that teaser was idiotic.

Edited September 6, 2017 by Destiny74

[Lantern7]

6 minutes ago, Destiny74 said:

Did anyone catch the 2 episodes left teaser.  Great.  Thanks ANW.  Now we know that no one makes it to the end.  I mean, they have a whole evening next week for the second half of stage 1.  Then one more night for over 20 runs of stage 2?  I can't imagine there is even anyone in stage 3, or at least only a few people.  Unless they do a whole lot of WWWAs.  I thought that teaser was idiotic.

Maybe the finale is three hours long.

[majormama]

I think they've always done Stage 2 and 3 (and 4 that one time!) in one night. Can't remember if it's two or three hours, though. There's usually only 2 or 3 that even make it two Stage 3; it's not exactly enough for a full show. The first two nights of finals have 50 runs in two hours. Finale should have 40ish runs of Stage 2 plus maybe 3-5 of Stage 3 plus maaaaybe 1 of Stage 4 (hey, we can hope!), so that's fewer total runs than the first two nights.

Edited September 6, 2017 by majormama

[Guest]

Interesting that the guest commentator guy mentioned it was 100 degrees out there.  The ANW people never say.  I always look at the crowd and try to gauge the temps.  So finally Kristine who seems to always be in sleeveless tops was dressed appropriately, and so were the ninjas, and Matt and Akbar in their sport coats weren't.  They did a good job of keeping their faces mopped.   I wondered why Eskimo mom and grandma(?) were in jackets.  I guess his run could've been much later in the night.  

Speaking of, I don't love a sad back story but I appreciated the alcoholism one because recently the Navajo ninja back story mentioned obesity and diabetes running rampant in his community and I thought, "and alcoholism, but I guess that doesn't suit the narrative here as well." 

I like a course with a lot of finishers because I like to see them succeed, but I did wish we'd seen more of those successful runs, like Thomas Stillings'.  I don't think they've really shown him at all this year.  

[Chaos Theory]

Last year two  made it to stage 3.  8 made it the year there was a winner. That's not exactly a lot.  My guess is we will have around 5 this year.   Then again we are due for another winner so somewhere between 2-10 would be about right.  

Edited September 6, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[Fukui San]

Two episodes left doesn't really spoil anything. They could WWWA as many as they need to fit in all of the action. Do we even know if they presented the first 50 competitors last night? Or could it be 60 last night, 40 plus the beginning of round 2 next episode.

It's hard to gauge how difficult this Stage 1 should be. It seemed about as challenging as it usually is. If you watch the Japanese version, you're used to only 10-20 people passing Stage 1, BUT over half of the field is made up of celebrities, no-hopers, and gimmick competitors. In this field it's 100% serious challengers.

That poor guy who failed the first obstacle again. To make it through qualifying only to biff the gimme obstacle twice. Yikes.

By the way, I disagree with the description in the original post which said that this episode was a "Ninja Warrior Spinoff". From this episode on is the original format of Ninja Warrior, with the clock ticking down and eliminations when you fail.  It's everything that has come before which is the spinoff.

[Guest]

I wonder if there's more (or less) to the Charlie Andrews story.  It's crazy, though believable, that a world class rock climber would fracture his skull falling off a 8" tall obstacle.  And we did see it happen.  It occurred back in March and finals were in June so I'm a little surprised he couldn't run.  Is the course much of a head injury risk?  I'm always amazed when ninjas run months from a knee or back or shoulder surgery.  It seems like a bad idea but I guess who knows how minor some of these surgeries are.  But I guess why mess with any risk of brain damage over a tv show, if you've got a healing fracture.  I wonder why the hospital shaved the side of his head.  It didn't look like they had to do any punctures or incisions or anything.  Maybe it makes for easier monitoring of the site.  

Since hearing of some of the exaggerations in stories, and outright mis-reporting on Spartan, I get a little skeptical sometimes.

I also wonder why the Pekus family chose now to air their MS story, and if NBC shells out for some peoples' stories.  I can see the lesser known guys just being pressured to share a sad story to get on the show at all but Pekus was going to be on regardless, I assume.  So if they kept it private for years why share it now.  Or maybe until recently she's been able to mostly hide the MS and didn't want it widely known, but now she can't so figures why not.  

Don't get me wrong... I loved both of these stories.  In a 'wow, poor them, I have it so good' kind of way.   The Maggi-single-mom one, not so much.  Not to minimize her situation, I'm one, too, but I'm sure those kids have a father's support still, and marriages break up all the time.  I think it's the norm.  Kind of like parents of adults dying.  

[slaterain]

On 9/5/2017 at 10:26 AM, ClareWalks said:

Allyssa can't claim ignorance that those shorts are ill-fitting. She must enjoy having to constantly pull them out of her butt. She did great on the course,  I just hate seeing anyone pick wedgies repeatedly on national television when it is totally preventable.

I'm beginning to wonder if it is more of a nervous, subconscious type thing than an actual wedgie that needs to be picked. Her habit and part of a ritual/way to focus in before each major part. Like a basketball player and there specific bounce pattern before a free throw. just a random thought... 

[questionfear]

2 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I wonder if there's more (or less) to the Charlie Andrews story.  It's crazy, though believable, that a world class rock climber would fracture his skull falling off a 8" tall obstacle.  And we did see it happen.  It occurred back in March and finals were in June so I'm a little surprised he couldn't run.  Is the course much of a head injury risk?  I'm always amazed when ninjas run months from a knee or back or shoulder surgery.  It seems like a bad idea but I guess who knows how minor some of these surgeries are.  But I guess why mess with any risk of brain damage over a tv show, if you've got a healing fracture.  I wonder why the hospital shaved the side of his head.  It didn't look like they had to do any punctures or incisions or anything.  Maybe it makes for easier monitoring of the site.  

Since hearing of some of the exaggerations in stories, and outright mis-reporting on Spartan, I get a little skeptical sometimes.

I also wonder why the Pekus family chose now to air their MS story, and if NBC shells out for some peoples' stories.  I can see the lesser known guys just being pressured to share a sad story to get on the show at all but Pekus was going to be on regardless, I assume.  So if they kept it private for years why share it now.  Or maybe until recently she's been able to mostly hide the MS and didn't want it widely known, but now she can't so figures why not.  

Don't get me wrong... I loved both of these stories.  In a 'wow, poor them, I have it so good' kind of way.   The Maggi-single-mom one, not so much.  Not to minimize her situation, I'm one, too, but I'm sure those kids have a father's support still, and marriages break up all the time.  I think it's the norm.  Kind of like parents of adults dying.  

Concussion issues can last a lot longer than a few months though...he could have been having motor skill or vision issues, or NBC simply didn't want the liability. I know someone who had a concussion from just tripping and had side effects for months, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that by June he wasn't cleared (hell, even a minor balance problem is a huge liability-imagine someone with poor balance hitting the mini trampoline wrong and colliding head first with the propeller bar). 

[Aliconehead]

20 minutes ago, questionfear said:

Concussion issues can last a lot longer than a few months though...he could have been having motor skill or vision issues, or NBC simply didn't want the liability. I know someone who had a concussion from just tripping and had side effects for months, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that by June he wasn't cleared (hell, even a minor balance problem is a huge liability-imagine someone with poor balance hitting the mini trampoline wrong and colliding head first with the propeller bar). 

It might have been my imagination but it seems like his speech was a little stilted and changed a bit.  I do believe there is much more to the story and the severity of the injury

[Guest]

AH, good points above.  I did see an MIT article that mentioned the injury almost as an aside, which made it seem like no biggie.  It didn't even say it was a skull fracture, just that he had an injury a week after the LA round and didn't get to run finals.  And his last name is Andrews-Jubelt in that.

https://slice.mit.edu/2017/08/29/mits-ninja-warrior-scores-in-la/

Wedgie-gate (just kidding)-- I didn't think Beird's shorts were as bad this ep, and I noticed other women runners readjusting between obstacles.  And I realize now that I do that constantly when wearing gym shorts, too.  

[Fukui San]

Also there are any number of obstacles in which you can fall 6 feet or more into the water or a padded surface. The first obstacle. The Sonic Curve. You don't get enough distance off the Double Dipper and go face first into the padding of the landing deck. Heck, imagine getting a hold of the Warped Wall and then having your grip slip and falling backwards. Anyone with concussion symptoms could be held out.

[eel2178]

20 hours ago, healthnut said:

 Entirely too many finishers. 20/50=40% that's way too high. The course has been practically the same for several years now. It's time to get rid of the propeller bar. The parkour run isn't all that different than the sonic curve they've had in the past. I don't want to see 40 people make it to stage 2 which is where it looks like we're headed. Stage 1 needs a redo. 

 

Totally agree. I think they actually made parkour run easier by providing a landing pad to stop on before grabbing the rope. On sonic curve you had to keep moving the whole time. As for the other obstacles, there weren't enough changes to them. People have now had years to practice them. Remember when the spider jump was a "ninja killer?" Now, pretty much everyone who gets there gets through it. Same with the warped wall. They need to come up with something that people haven't practiced in their home gyms until they perfected it.

7 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I wonder if there's more (or less) to the Charlie Andrews story. 

He looked really good for someone who was "near death several times" just 3 months previously.

Edited September 6, 2017 by eel2178

[ClareWalks]

It is kind of redundant to have both Snake Run and Parkour Run.

[piequinn35]

Did Chris Wilczewski retire? I'm only watching the finals this year.

[healthnut]

8 hours ago, Fukui San said:

Do we even know if they presented the first 50 competitors last night? Or could it be 60 last night, 40 plus the beginning of round 2 next episode.

They specifically said 50 ran Monday, the other 50 will run next Monday, and Stage 2 and beyond the following week. 

[eel2178]

1 minute ago, healthnut said:

They specifically said 50 ran Monday, the other 50 will run next Monday, and Stage 2 and beyond the following week. 

Yeah, but they also say that six weeks elapses in between the taping of the qualifying round and the finals rounds in each city.

[enoughcats]

If I don't ask, I'll never guess the answer.  What does WWWA stand for?

[eel2178]

1 minute ago, enoughcats said:

If I don't ask, I'll never guess the answer.  What does WWWA stand for?

"while we were away"

[ClareWalks]

1 minute ago, enoughcats said:

If I don't ask, I'll never guess the answer.  What does WWWA stand for?

"While we were away," after what Matt Iseman says when they come back from commercial ;) It refers to the competitors who were montage'd.

[enoughcats]

Of Course.  DUH.

I was trying for world wide web/wes/wrestling.  

Too freakin' obvious.  Thank you.

[Destiny74]

You all are right.  I guess they could potentially have a winner this year.  I was just thinking there would be too many runs for only two shows left.

I just immediately felt bad for drew dreschel.  I think he really pushed his training this last year and seems super determined to win this year.  Thinking of the time left I just assumed he wouldn't make it to the end.  I never liked him before, really.  But this year I am rooting g for him to go all the way because of his attitude.  He's so much more serious this year than in the past and I want him to win.

Speaking of past winners, what is up with caldero?  I haven't heard anything about him at all in the last couple of seasons.  I thought  NBC and ANW would milk him for all he was worth.  Anyone know his story?

[slf]

1 hour ago, Destiny74 said:

Speaking of past winners, what is up with caldero?  I haven't heard anything about him at all in the last couple of seasons.  I thought  NBC and ANW would milk him for all he was worth.  Anyone know his story?

The rumor is that Cadiero wanted to get paid to come back, even if just to support the other ninjas on the sidelines. NBC refused. He wanted to compete on the other ninja shows but apparently you have to have NBC's permission or something and they won't give it to him. Rumor has him being pretty unpopular with a lot of other ninjas.

[SophiaD]

I so wish Geoff Britten had had the faster time.  He seems like such a genuinely nice guy.  I was always kind of meh on Isaac, and it got worse after he won.  They barely even mention him now, whereas, they're always going on and on about this person being the "oldest person to do this" or the "person who went the farthest in 2013" or "the first woman to do that!"  But it's like Isaac never even existed, except in the briefest of clips. 

Count me in as someone who never liked Drew before this year, but now really like him.  I'd be happy to see Flip Rodriguez go all of the way, too, but he doesn't seem as plugged in as Drew does.  I think the climbing guy - Josh Levin? - and Daniel Gill could go all of the way, too.

Of course, if Jessie Graff made it to Stage 4, I'd explode from happiness.  If she WON - well.  :)