|
|
 |
|
|
TAR4 - Who Could Win?
Posted by Peaches on 2003-05-22 |
|
This is an opinion piece, just for fun, attempting to analyze the teams and try to guess who could win this race. I have no knowledge of any of the contestants. My sole expertise is that I have spent significant time hovering over their bios and Q&A sheets trying to choose the team most likely to win. I invite you to have fun with me. Other opinions are welcome and can be posted on our message board. Whatever you do, don’t bet any money on these choices.
Besides the obvious strengths and weaknesses I considered the ability to work together, history of travel and foreign languages, cunning and creativity, and very important - motivation. Fears can hinder a person but fear can also keep a person alert. Many contestants claim to have a fear of heights so I elected to ignore that particular fear. Of course, a variable we all hate, but which often plays an inordinately large part in winning or losing, is LUCK. Sometimes people just win or lose because of the cab driver. Sigh! I hate the unfairness of life.
Let’s look at the teams!
Amanda & Chris: A young dating couple who travel well together but have not traveled outside the USA. Chris speaks a little Spanish and Amanda took college French but states she wouldn’t be able to understand responses from the locals. If she asks the right the question, though, people could point them in the right direction. Chris is competitive and a good decision-maker but he is overly critical of himself and evaluates everything he does. These are time-wasting attributes, but if he can evaluate and kick himself during the long plane trips and stay focused at the right times, his attention to detail could keep them from making errors of judgement. Amanda’s motivation is to develop an inner security in independence. This is a strong personal motivation
which I feel helps to drive a person through the hard times. Chris’s motivation is to have the right to say “I kicked your ass” to 22 other people. This is shallow and his determination could wan in tough times. Amanda will negotiate with other teams to get help, but this skill is bound to be frustrated by Chris’s intent to betray and backstab the other teams. I place them mid-pack, 6th to 8th.
David & Jeff: Best friends are well traveled in Europe, although not with a backpack. Both speak Spanish and David, Swahili. While Jeff is a strategic thinker, he can be hung up with ‘analysis paralysis’. Both are successful in the business world which gives them edge to negotiate and find creative solutions. Jeff’s motivation is for adventure and Dave wants to brag while drinking beer, again a weak motivation. But these two have shown success in previous ventures and could do well although I don’t look for them to win, top three.
Debra & Steve: Married couple who have traveled outside the USA and have fun together on trips. Steve has people skills and always follows rules. Debra knows a bit of Spanish. She has a dominating demeanor and is stressed when not in total control. This could be a workable combination, or they could be led astray if Debra’s decisions are wrong. Motivation is to see the world together. Shrug! Age and weight could slow them down. I place them in the lower four.
Jon & Al: A couple of clowns who state they work well together when traveling and are determined to win. Both have traveled the USA and Al has done Europe. Al knows some Spanish and German. Motivation is for a fun, unique experience, and to win. Jon’s fear of a
disabling accident seems contradictory to his life’s work as a human cannonball, but, hey, we humans are complex. Problem is, I fear his fear could impact their success with challenges. Both claim to have people skills and Jon has tons of energy but is not organized. A dash in the wrong direction could spell trouble. They won’t be eliminated first. I put them in the middle of the pack, 6th to 8th. .
Kelly & Jon: This engaged couple are both young and athletic. They backpacked for a month in Thailand and have traveled extensively but speak no languages. Jon is calm in stressful conditions, competitive, and funny. Kelly is thoughtful and caring but gets frustrated easily according to Jon. And they argue. She is also obsessive which can be good if her obsession is to win the race. They say their motivation is for the once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Kelly says crazy people do crazy things. This couple could go far, but intuition made me put them in the middle, 5th to 7th.
Millie & Chuck: Millie is a quick, creative thinker, but can make hasty errors in judgement. Chuck is athletic and fearless, but is sometimes too laid back, and loses time over-analyzing things. His favorite backpack item is the lightest item. He says he can travel faster with a lighter load. I like this guy. They are both competitive and both well traveled, and Millie knows French, Chinese, and Russian. They admit to quarreling on vacations. We’ve seen this before. It doesn’t have to slow them down. They are motivated to see the trip through so as not to lose out on any of the experience. I like the chances of this couple. I place them in the top three.
Monica & Sheree: Two Black Mom’s out to prove themselves. Monica is well-organized and competitive per Sheree. But Monica says her emotions can interfere with better judgement. Monica seems to have felt left out of her pro-athlete husband’s travel and wants to experience what he has experienced. Sheree is patient, has physical strength, but is not organized and has short-term will power. Together they speak a bit of Spanish and French. Worried about
homesickness and dry lips, I look for early elimination for these two, 1st or 2nd.
Reichen & Chip: Married couple. Reichen is a pilot (wonder if he knows Steve & Dave, the re-trained air traffic controllers). Both are well traveled internationally. Chip has lived in Hong Kong, Paris, and London. He has stamina and determination but is over-analytical and won’t admit he doesn’t know something. Well, of course, he’s a consultant! But that little trait could lead them astray. Reichen is good with time management and communication. If he can time-manage Chip’s analytical sieges, they could go far. Their motivation is to present their lifestyle, a “new type of gay relationship”, to the world. Although it could be controversial, I believe these kinds of personal goals drive people to succeed. I look for them in the top four.
Russell & Cindy: Friends have lived in other countries. Cindy speaks Indonesian and Japanese, Russell speaks Spanish. They have never traveled together. Russell, a model, is hilarious and a
problem solver; analyzes a situation quickly and handles it. Cindy is a super-model turned inventor (what inventions?, brain buzzing, eyes bugging). She’s a great competitor who does not quit. Her Irish temperament is ‘in your face’. They are dating and both can get jealous. Motivation is adventure. I think they will make it past the first or six eliminations, 7th to 9th.
Steve & Dave: Air Traffic Controllers. My anxiety level increases when I think of these guys knowing they made an error on the job. Both claim to be funny. Jury’s out on that one. My only encounter is their bio. Steve is well traveled and has people skills. He likens himself to John Candy, heavy and happy. Dave is a perfectionist and has been married 4 times. Just can’t find ‘em good enough. They have never traveled together except to get pizza. Most of their answers were bent on humor and sidestepped the real issues and that makes them hard to evaluate. But Steve recently worked his way through red tape and travel to Russia to adopt his daughter. That’s gutsy. Their weight could slow them down in foot races. I’d put them somewhere in the 3rd to 5th range for elimination.
Steve & Josh: Father and son who have had a strained relationship and are taking this chance to reconnect. Steve doesn’t want to let Josh down. Is this because Steve took his son out of line camping on Hollywood Blvd. to see Star Wars? Josh doesn’t want to be eliminated first. Steve is a good negotiator and likens himself to Andy Griffith of Mayberry. Josh is physically fit and smart. Both are stubborn. They speak no foreign languages and travel experience is limited. Steve is a “stout” man but has been walking with a backpack to get conditioned. They seem to have a lot against them, but there is a connection there that may give them an edge. Still, I’m putting them in the 6th to 8th category.
Tian & Jaree: Models/ actresses. Wow, we have a lot of beautiful people this time! Tian lived in Paris 6 months and traveled extensively. Jaree has traveled Europe and the Middle East. Neither have language skills. Tian demands center stage according to her friend. She is fearless and has a high IQ. Jaree is a daredevil but fears being lost or being on a plane for hours. And she chose this game? When Jaree first found out about Tian’s alternate lifestyle there was tension between them. They say they have put that aside and they enjoy traveling together. Their motivation is adventure. Even though they are fearless and know how to travel, I think it’s a toss up between this team and the two black Mom’s for first elimination.
Come back in a couple of weeks and I’ll give you my precise countdown as I submit them for our pool on the RTVP message board. By the way, welcome to Realty TV Planet! |
|
|
|
|
