The Amazing Race 33: Meet the Teams Part 3

 

Going into this I didn't realize how many of the teams already had their 15 minutes of fame. We carry on ...

AKBAR AND SHERIDAN

First off ... shout out to more New Jersey in da house! Now, this couple live in very suburban Martinsville, near my old workplace. I didn't connect. Oh, d'oh! He's that school principal in a really bad part of Newark who was in all the papers a while ago. He's done some amazing things there and is such an advocate for the children! I hope he and his wife can indeed be amazing on the race!

Like the singing cops, he was on Ellen ...

This article is well worth the read.

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ANTHONY AND SPENCER

I searched all over and could not find the official TAR cast introduction video for this team. What that means, I do not know. However, I found a lot of other things about them. They too had their 15 minutes and heroic ones at that. I recall reading and hearing about the terrorist shooting on a train in Paris thwarted by a few heroes. There was even a movie made about the incident. Well, guess who?

They are shown in this overall cast video --

And, guess what? They were on Ellen also!

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CONNIE AND SAM

I suppose I should do a thorough search just to make sure they haven't made previous national news, eh? Oh, geez. First YouTube search comes up with a video with this caption --  "Four years ago, Sam Greiner made national news when he led Harding to its first state title in 53 years. Now he goes back as the head coach at rival West Charlotte." Okay. Now, this is one I wouldn't know at all because I don't follow football at all.

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RAQUEL AND CAYLA

Now, don't tell me two flight attendants have made national news. I guess I better go look! While there are other people with their names, they aren't them. Phew! Normal kind of people! 

Don't forget! Tonight's TWO-HOUR season premiere begins at 8PM ET/PT. The blog pool listing will be included in the blog party post. I hope to see you there!     

The Amazing Race 33: Meet the Teams Part 2

Not only do we have the "Internet Famous Three" teams I already spoke about in my previous post, but we do also have some other teams who might be well-known by some. Not by me, but by some!

CARO AND RAY

I don't watch Love Island, so I have/had no idea that these two were on the show. He is part of my shout-out for New Jersey in the house as he's from Toms River. No, there is no apostrophe in Toms. I didn't create the town. I'm not responsible.

RYAN AND DUSTY

Ryan has an interesting albeit kind of tragic backstory and is probably famous around Columbus, Missouri. The case was also fodder for many investigative television shows. I looked up the arrest and incarceration along with its eventual innocent outcome after ten years in jail. Eep. You can check that out here at the Wikipedia article about it.

LULU AND LALA

More Jersey in the house! That said, I don't ever listen to IHeart radio, so I have never heard of these twins. Now, this could just be me and I might be just a bit too judgmental, but I find the names Lala and Lulu just a tad cringe-worthy. They are very identical. I know right now when one is doing a Roadblock I will be stymied which one if I miss it listed on screen.

ARUN AND NATALIA

There is something about father/daughter teams which make me smile. Had life been different decades (scores!) ago, I would have loved to run the race with my own father. Due to Covid, I doubt we'll see his stickshift skills in India; hopefully he has taught her how to drive manual. She has watched the show since the age of eight with her Dad. Hopefully the Superfan sense will kick in for them!

Have you signed up for the blog pool yet?

If not, make sure you sign up at THIS HERE LINK.

The Amazing Race 33: Meet the Teams Part 1

My apologies for the delay in posting about the teams. I cut my finger quite badly and it's been limiting my ability to type! No, not life threatening or anything of the sort ... just a cross between painful and awkward. I'm going to cheat on these intros and use videos I found online.

We have three teams who are somewhat "internet famous." I was only familiar with one of them -- Kim and Penn Holderness.

Here is their show intro video -- 

Here is an example of their humor from their YouTube channel. It's usually more her than him. I find them funny for the most part although a bit of the humor is hit or miss with me. I just wonder what they will be like not "on" all the time.

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The next "internet famous" team would be the "singing cops" from Buffalo, New York. That would be Michael Norwood (tall one) and Armonde "Moe" Badger (shorter one, duh).

The video I'm including of them is from their appearance on Ellen a while back although there are many videos of them online. I am a bit worried that, due to their jobs, they could be one of the two teams who couldn't return. Police officers have been needed so much throughout the pandemic and the civil unrest. They look like they will be a fun team.

 

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The last of the "internet famous' teams would be Taylor Green-Jones and his husband Isaiah Green-Jones. No, I never heard of them, and it seems the only thing on YouTube of them is the video I'm posting below the show introduction. If TAR has a dance challenge, my money would be on them!

Have you signed up for the blog pool yet?

If not, make sure you sign up at THIS HERE LINK.

The Amazing Race 33: What's Up With This Season?

This season of TAR will be like none other. It started filming pre-pandemic and made it to the third pitstop. Then it stopped for what Phil is calling "the longest pitstop ever." At the beginning, the cast was the usual eleven teams of two racers each. However, over a year went by before they could pick up the filming and two teams couldn't reschedule their lives to return. So, post-pandemic (although we are not only still in a pandemic but it's getting worse again), only seven teams returned instead of nine. 

Another big "post" change is now they have their own jet plane so they won't be scrambling at airports. Teams also could no longer use public transportation and could only mingle with tested and/or vaccinated locals. The countries visited were cut down and limited to Mediterranean countries with low infection rates.

I hope they all know how to drive cars with manual transmissions! I'm thinking public transportation could include taxis. If that's the case, then no team will lose due to a bad taxicab ride. 

Here are the eleven teams who start the race ...

Akbar Cook Sr. (45) and Sheridan Cook (44) - Married educators from Martinsville, N.J.

Anthony Sadler (29) and Spencer Stone (29) - Childhood friends from Sacramento, Calif.

Arun Kumar (56) and Natalie Kumar (28) - Father and daughter from Detroit, Mich.

Caro Viehweg (23) and Ray Gantt (25) - Dating from Los Angeles and Toms River, N.J., respectively.

Connie (37) and Sam (39) Greiner - Married couple from Charlotte, N.C.

Kim (45) and Penn (47) Holderness - Internet personalities from Raleigh, N.C.

Marianela “Lulu” (37) and Marissa “Lala” (37) Gonzalez - Twins and radio hosts from North Bergen, N.J.

Michael Norwood (36) and Armonde “Moe” Badger (42) - Singing police officers from Buffalo, N.Y.

Raquel Moore (31) and Cayla Platt (30) - Flight attendants from Chicago, Ill. and Gulf Breeze, Fla., respectively.

Ryan Ferguson (37) and Dusty Harris (38) - Best friends from Columbia, Mo.

Taylor Green-Jones (38) and Isaiah Green-Jones (31) - YouTube personalities from Portland, Ore.

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First, let's just say it now, loud and proud ... NEW JERSEY IS IN DA HOUSE! (Had to get that out of my system.) I'll be exploring each team a bit in upcoming posts. The season premiere is next Wednesday, January 5 at 8PM ET/PT.

If you want in on the blog pool, you need to sign up right now at this here linked link. If you leave your name here on this here post you're reading, it will NOT make it to the blog pool!

Survivor 41: Blog Pool Match-Ups

 The revered and wonderful Lifeguard Laurie has made the random picks for the blog pool. So ... who is your castaway?

LUVU TRIBE BLUE

Danny McCray - Cheryl in NC, Nickelpeed, Jennifer

Deshawn Radden - Kelsey NY, PDX Granny, Jlaf

Erika Casupanan - Petals, Pam Arceneaux, Margo

Heather Aldret - Debbie, Joanne Victoria

Naseer Muttalif - CherryPie, Tammy M

Sydney Segal - Joyce Erickson, Laurie

Top: Erika, Danny, Naseer
Bottom: Deshawn, Sydney, Heather

UA TRIBE GREEN

Brad Reese - Marlo L, Glenn Allen, Shannon

Genie Chen - SueGee, Laura in GA, Bren

Jairus Robinson - Sydney, Brandi

Ricard Foyé - Mikes Girl, GiLLL

Sara Wilson - Sharon N, monty 924

Shantel Smith- Marthalight, Jackie

Top: Shantel, Sara, Ricard
Bottom: Genie, Jairus, Brad

YASE  TRIBE YELLOW

David Voce - Donna NY, Judy Sweeney, Skyriverblue

Eric Abraham - Jennasmom, Janice, Donna in AL

Evvie Jagoda - Sharon C, bizaro22, Indiana Jane

Liana Wallace - Terry is a Texan, ChicMC

Tiffany Seely - David, Dr_Celine

Xander Hastings - Donna in FL, April

Top: Tiffany, Liana, David
Bottom: Evvie, Xander, Eric

Survivor 41: Promo Video and Blog Pool Reminder

Are you excited? The two-hour season premiere is only two days away! However, the blog pool sign up for the show ends TOMORROW! If you want in and haven't signed up yet, head to the POOL OPENS post and sign up in the comments there. That is the only place we're looking for pool entrants. Do not sign up on this post. Do not sign up on Facebook or Twitter. Only sign up on the post I linked above and do it NOW. The deadline for entries is tomorrow, Tuesday at 3PM EDT / 12PM PDT. 

Survivor 41: Blog Pool Opens! Plus Cast Info!

Survivor 41 premieres next Wednesday, September 22, with a two-hour show starting at 8PM ET/PT. Yes, BB23 is pushed back to 10PM ET/PT that night and its finale is the next Wednesday, September 29th.

The Lovely Lifeguard Laurie has once again graciously offered to run the blog pool for the show. She, but of course, rocks!

I want in! What do I do?

If you want in to the blog pool, you need to sign up in the comments of this post and this post only! Please don't try signing up on any other posts -- we might miss your comment.

Is there money involved in this?

Of course not! You needn't pay anything to get into the pool. You don't need to buy a pool pass or anything! Mind you, you don't win any money either. What you do win is bragging rights until the next season and the smugness that goes with it.

How does it work?

Lifeguard Laurie makes random picks for the castaways and the blog folks. You cheer on that castaway all season until they either win or get their torch snuffed along the way.

When is the cut-off for entering?

All pool requests must be in comments to this here post ONLY and submitted by Tuesday, September 21, 3pm ET. Be there or be square.

So ... who are these castaways? We have three tribes.

YASE TRIBE

Top row, left to right: Tiffany Seely, age 47, teacher, Plainview, NY - Liana Wallace, age 20, college student, Washington, D.C. - David Voce, age 34, neurosurgeon, Chicago, IL.

Bottom row, left to right: Evvie Jagoda, age 28, PhD student, Arlington, MA - Xander Hastings, age 20, app developer, Chicago, IL - Eric Abraham, age 50, cyber security analyst, San Antonio, TX.

Ua Tribe

Top row, left to right: Shantel Smith, age 34, pastor, Washington, D.C. - Sara Wilson, age 23, healthcare consultant, Boston, MA - Ricard Foyé, age 31, flight attendant, Sedrow-Woolley, MA.

Bottom row, left to right: Genie Chen, age 46, grocery clerk, Portland, OR - Jairus Robinson, age 20, college student, Oklahoma City, OK - Brad Reese, age 49, rancher, Shawnee, WY.

Luvu Tribe

Top row, left to right: Erika Casupanan, age 31, communications manager, Toronto, Ontario - Danny McCray, age 33, ex-NFL player, Frisco, TX - Naseer Muttalif, age 36, sales manager, Morgan Hill, CA.

Bottom row, left to right: Deshawn Radden, age 26, medical student, Miami, FL - Sydney Segal, age 25, law student, Brooklyn, NY - Heather Aldret, age 52, stay at home Mom, Charleston, SC.

Interesting cast. More age diversity than some seasons -- we have a couple of people under 21 and five late 40s-52. We also have a castaway from Canada in there. 

Survivor 41: Meet the Cast Videos

Nah, I haven't given up on BB23 ... yet. I'm just waiting for more content, some kind of content, before I make my next live feeds post!

In the meantime, let's talk Survivor 41. Yes, that is what the season is called. No themes, just the number. They play for less than the standard 39 days, as well. I believe it's 26 days. The promos have the game being more brutal. And the CBS new diversity standards means more of a mix of people ... with the exception of an age mix, of course. However, if the game is to be a brutal as the promos claim, it's best to sacrifice the young. Heh.

Here are some cast videos I found:

 

BB23: So, Why is Christie Gone Already? And who is this Claire?

 

What did I list in a post yesterday as the number one reason she might be out? Yep, you got it. She failed Covid testing. She's asymptomatic and has no idea where she picked it up, but she tested positive. And, they are positively sure about it 

CBS released this statement from Christie Valdiserri: 

“Hey guys, I don’t want to be sharing this news, but I tested positive for COVID and I have no idea how I got it. I have the vaccine and I have been following all the guidelines up to this point. I have absolutely no symptoms and I feel perfectly fine. So I’m really grateful for that, but it’s really frustrating because I won’t be playing in Big Brother this summer.”

So, who is this Claire person replacing her?

Claire Rehfuss is 25. an AI (Artificial Intelligence, I assume) Engineer living in NYC but originally hailing from Chagrin Falls, Ohio. We now have our definitely alpha-WOMAN in the house. She's an ubersuperfan with an online presence, her own popular Survivor online game, creates crosswords and might just be the first one to make a women's alliance actually work. She "wants to target the alpha males and team up with her fellow “black widows” to clear a path to finale night." 

In the article I read at the Big Brother Network, she shows extensive BB knowledge even dating as far back as BB2. Why the heck didn't she make first cut? Sheesh! 

By the way -- if you go to the BBN site I linked above, they have extensive bios on each hamster. Alas, that information was not available when I wrote my post!

BB23: Somebody Out Already Update

 

Christie Valdiserri is the hamster gone before she even got in. Supposedly BB will explain tomorrow. I wouldn't hold my breath. Christie herself has had to sign all kinds of NDA forms and I believe she might stand to lose the stipend for her quarantine and sequester time (my guess, not official info on that), so she won't be able to say anything if they don't want her to.

She was on my Meet the Cast Part 1 of 2 post. I've crossed her out (as above) but know so little about her replacement that I haven't updated the post otherwise yet.

Her replacement will be someone named Claire Rehfuss. I guess. 

This is Claire ...

BB23: Eep! Someone Out Already??

 

Oh noes! They aren't even in the house yet! Really ... this season they will enter the house on premiere night live, not taped.

Yep, someone already got the boot either from production or due to personal matters. Right now we don't know who. We expect notification sometime later today. Now, I believe it was Christian who was already a replacement (alternate in sequester) for one of the people (Garret) in the original leaked BB cast photo. Hopefully they have had a second alternate waiting in sequester.

How did this happen? Well, it could be one of many reasons --

• Failed Covid testing
• Broke NDA 
• Ill
• Family emergency
• Too close ties with previous hamsters (many seem to have interacted online prior to selection)
• Self-evicted pre-show
• Came to their senses screaming "What the hell am I doing to my life?!?! Get me out of here!!!"

I guess we might never really know why. But we should know who before long. I'll update you when I know.

BB23: Meet the Cast - Part 2 of 2

 If you missed the first part of my cast photos/info, you can find it right at this link here. Without further ado, I present the remaining eight hamsters --

Derek Xiao

Say what? Another Derek? Two spelled the same way and not like previous BB winner Derrick? This Derek is 24. His hometown is Baltimore, MD and he's currently living in NYC. He's a start-up founder. Azah in my Part 1 is also from Baltimore, but six years older. Again, like Philadelphia, a big city and they probably do not know each other. He sounds kind of interesting. He started a company that ships meal kits from food influencers, rented and crashed a citi-bike to compete in a triathlon in college, took hip-hop dance lessons and was 1 of 2 Asian kids in his high school graduating class. Sounds all kinds of new wavy, right? 

Hannah Chaddha

Hannah is a very young'un -- nope, no diversity in ages, for sure. She's 21. She's from Chicago, IL and still lives there. She's a graduate student. Oh ... she's a competitive hip-hop dancer! She can give Derek X lessons! She says (without going on and on about it, Britini) that she graduated university at 19. The way that's phrased sounds like not in the US. Her parents are from South Africa and India, so possibly abroad. She can hold her breath for 90 seconds and used to be a personal stylist. It sounds like she might be good at both mental and physical comps.

Kyland Young

Ohh ... one of the older ones. Kyland is 29 but will turn 30 on the 13th. He's an account executive (?) originally from San Bernardino now living in Venice Beach, both CA. He's read all the Twilight books (so impressive), has four sisters, has seen every Best Picture Oscar film for the last 20 years (again, achievement!), sneaks into Comic Con with a fake police badge in costume because it can be done, went to sky-diving school, thinks he's a Jedi (no, he's NOT Howie of BB6!), works for an app company that helps students find finances for their schooling. Well, he might be one of the "older" hamsters but most mature? Probably not!

Sarah Steagall

Sarah is 27, will be 28 on August 9. She's originally from Boiling Springs, SC and currently resides in Ft. Myers, Fl. She's a forensic scientist. Born with a speech impediment, she couldn't communicate clearly until she was seven. Although a chemist, she's a horrible cook and cannot follow a recipe. She has moth/butterfly phobia. She's into cosplay and apparently is very creative with styling, props and sewing. I'm not seeing anything physical listed. She may or may not be good at comps. I hope she realizes that she will need to clean since she can't cook and, if you do nothing around the house, you become very expendable.

Tiffany Mitchell

Here's the "old" hamster! Yes, indeed. She's, get this, 40. She will be 41 on August 5. I hope she packed her Geritol. She's a phlebotomist from Detroit MI and still in Detroit. She loves cats, especially her own two cats. That's really how it should be. She's obsessed with horoscopes, does voice impersonations of friends and family and her favorite color is Tiffany Blue. Hmm. I like blue and I like cats. But none of this gives me any kind of hint how she will do in the house.

Travis Long

Travis is 22, originally from Austin TX now living in Honolulu HA. He's a tech sales consultant (and I bet surfer). He's an author who has published books available on Amazon. I'll have to check him out. He's almost fluent in Spanish due to soccer and growing up in Costa Rica. He says he's started up many businesses since high school and has been sued by "massive titans of industry." Hmm. Sketchy stuff? He's into pranks and spearing fish for dinner multiple times per week. Oh, gee, sounds like quite the free spirit, doesn't he?

Whitney Williams

Whitney is 30, a make-up artist hailing from Portland OR and still residing there. Now, we will be having a blog pool but we need to band together for her success this season. She's a friend of one of our original blog community people! For all I know, she might have even been a regular reader here. If the person who knows her speaks up, fine. Otherwise, we just all root for her! She was named after Whitney Houston, but cannot sing. Her company won a Best in Oregon award only three years after she started it. She can wiggle her nose like a bunny. Now, if she were older she would say like Samantha! She developed her own Tillamook ice cream flavor -- white chocolate raspberry -- and it's available in stores that carry that brand. Remember ... blog wide cheering but you will still be assigned a random hamster if you join the pool.

Xavier Prather

Xavier is 27, an attorney originally from Kalamazoo MI now residing in Milwaukee WI. Oh my gosh. He has ten siblings. His poor parents! He was born with a severe clubfoot and learned to walk in a cast. He did a cross-cultural study in Scotland and England. That sounds great! I think I'm jealous! He does not like coffee. He gives us nothing on physical stuff but in the photo looks very fit. He also must be smart to have made it through law school and pass the bar. Plus he's attractive. He can stay around ... unless he's obnoxious, that is.

BB23: Meet the Cast - Part 1 of 2 UPDATED

 Now we can get a bit excited. BB23 cast information and photos were revealed today. It's really coming! Since there are 16 of them, I'm breaking it into two parts and it's still lengthy. You might want to go get a tasty beverage and settle in! Part Two will be up in a few hours.

Alyssa Lopez

  

Alyssa is 24, will be 25 on July 17. She's from and still resides in Sarasota, FL. She's a swimwear designer who has plans to release a swimwear line. She might do well in physical comps -- she did gymnastics for ten years. Her Bachelor's degree is in Broadcast Production and she has her drone aircraft license -- neither of which will probably help her in the hamster house.

Azah Awasum

Azah is from and currently residing in Baltimore, MD. She's 30. She's a Director of Sales Operations, company not mentioned. Her name means "able to make friends." We'll be the judge of that! Oh my -- her grandfather was a polygamist with six wives and 47 children. Yikes! She attended a Messianic Jewish primary school and loved to travel before COVID. Don't think any of that will help her this summer. I do love the old school 'fro!

Brandon "Frenchie" French

Frenchie-Brandon is 34, originally from Camden, TN and currently residing in Clarksville, TN. He's a farmer with a two-time grand national champion bull. He was very athletic at 13, winning a national NFL punt, kick and pass competition. He's prior military. The only thing he's scared of is his rooster! (I understand!) But, what's most interesting in this increased diversity cast -- he's a proud card-carrying member of the NAACP. Hmm. He just might be a contender. It will depend on personality and threat level.

Brent Champagne

Brent is a flight attendant, age 28. He's from and still resides in Cranston, RI. He's a former D1AA Collegiate Athlete although I'm not quite sure what that is. He's also formerly the Yolanda Vega of Rhode Island! Er, sorry, she's the New York one. I mean to say that he formerly was the Live Lottery Television host for Rhode Island. He won his first car, a 2008 Honda Civic in a video making contest. He has his own fishing website. I'm not sure how much any of that will help him win, maybe the athletics.

Britini D'Angelo

Britini, who I rhyme in my head with bikini so I spell it right, is a kindergarten teacher raised in Niagara Falls, NY and still there. She's 24 and apparently very smart. She won both the Niagara Medal (voted on by the members of the senior class as the individual who represents Niagara University the best) and the Senior Medal (Valedictorian – Perfect 4.0 GPA across 2 Degrees) at Niagara University. Oh my, the first to win both in 162 years. She has her Master's and all kinds of certificates, as well as a black belt and she dances and and and ... Dang, I hope she doesn't talk as much as she writes about her accomplishments. She just went on and on about how smart and great she is. Hmm

Christian Birkenberger

Christian is 23 and currently residing in Harwinton, CT. I don't know where he's originally from. Maybe raised by wolves with that hairstyle. He's a general contractor assistant. He can ride a unicycle, his pupils are two different sizes, he likes chicken and waffles, he has had only one girlfriend and he can do multiple flips. I already like him better than I do Britini. 

Christie Valdiserri

Christie is 27, originally from Philadelphia, PA, currently living in North Hollywood, CA. She's a professional dancer. She's been a vegan for 3.5 years and a pescatarian for ten. Instead of bragging that she was graduated from Penn State early she gave a "lol" when mentioning it. Hear that, Britini? When she was 15 she started a dance company called Diva Dance in her parents' basement. She has11 piercings, five done by herself. I think I might like her.

REPLACING CHRISTIE ...

Claire Rehfuss

Claire Rehfuss is 25. an AI (Artificial Intelligence, I assume) Engineer living in NYC but originally hailing from Chagrin Falls, Ohio. We now have our definitely alpha-WOMAN in the house. She's an ubersuperfan with an online presence, her own popular Survivor online game, creates crosswords and might just be the first one to make a women's alliance actually work. She "wants to target the alpha males and team up with her fellow “black widows” to clear a path to finale night." 

In the article I read at the Big Brother Network, she shows extensive BB knowledge even dating as far back as BB2. Why the heck didn't she make first cut? Sheesh! 

Derek Frazier

Oh, cool. Derek is "Smokin" Joe Frazier's (the boxer) son. He's 29 from Philadelphia and still living there. He's a safety officer. Now, Christie above is also from Philly and only two years younger. Do they know each other? Probably not. Philly is a big city with many schools. Scratch the thought of high school -- he went to a military boarding school. We'll find out. He can fall asleep sitting up or standing. Hey, my cat can do that! He must be quite strong as he goes on about bench presses and such. That isn't always a plus in the comps in BB. He LOOKS like a safety officer, doesn't he?

Part 2 with the remaining hamsters can be found here at this link.

BB23: No Cast Information Release Today

 ... now they are saying tomorrow. CBS put up a tweet saying so. 

So it must be true.

Remember last season ...

TAR32: UPDATED Blog Pool Team Match-Ups!

To familiarize yourself with your team you can find photos and my brief takes on the teams on my Meet the Cast posts here, here and here.

Lifeguard SueGee (affectionately also known as SqueeGee) has kindly done the random pool match-ups. 

 

Gary / DeAngelo -- JLaf, CherryPie, Judy Sweeney 

Hung / Chee -- Bizaro22. Glenn Allen. chrob61 

Riley / Maddison -- Dr_Celine, PDX Granny, Marthalight 

Will / James -- Petals, CherylNY, Nickelpeed

Philiminated:

Nathan / Cody (everyone reassigned back into pool)

Kellie / LaVonne -- David, ChicMc, Sharon N

Jerry / Frank -- Donna NY, Monty924, Andi, Willie J

Michelle / Victoria -- Mario L, Jackie, SueGee

Alana / Leo -- Jennasmom, Sharon C, Donna in FL

Kaylynn / Haley -- Jennifer, Indiana Jane, Ed in Ohio

Aparna / Eswar -- Cheryl in NC, Kelsey NY, Skyriverblue    

TAR32: Meet the Cast - Part 3

The show starts tonight, right after Big Brother. Be there or be square. Or something like that. You can catch up on the teams in my posts -- Meet the Cast - Part 1 and Meet the Cast - Part 2. Without further ado, here are the remaining three teams we'll be watching --

Best Friends: Nathan and Cody

Nathan Worthington is 39 from Dayton, TN. He works in La-Z-Boy manufacturing. Ohh ... how comfy! He's very outdoorsy which can be a plus, but he doesn't seem well-traveled or used to big strange cities. 

Maybe it's just me but there are far too many guys named Cody in reality television! Cody Buell is 33, from Point Lick, KY. He too is outdoorsy liking hiking, scuba diving and more. Both friends are into noodling. No, not canoodling! That's way different! Noodling is catching catfish by hand. Yikes. They seem like they will be fun to watch.

Pro Volleyball Players:
Riley and Maddison

Riley McKibbin is 31 and lives in Honolulu, HI. Yes, both he and his partner are professional beach volleyball players. Um. Okay. Sounds athletic enough.  But what isn't mentioned is that they are brothers. Yep, I can see the resemblance. Riley is a YouTuber whom I have never noticed. In his bio on the CBS site he's extremely longwinded while his brother is simply longwinded.

Maddison McKibbin is 29 and also from Honolulu. I certainly hope they aren't as wordy on the race as they are in the bios. He's also involved in the YouTube Channel -- The McKibbin Brothers. They have traveled with the volleyball circuit, but I don't know how much travel outside the country. We'll see.

  

Dating: Will and James

Will Jardell is 30, residing in Nederland, TX. He is a public health specialist and dance teacher. Ohh ... maybe he will have to do a dance roadblock! His dance instruction is in Los Angeles. I have no clue on the commuting! He's 6'6" so I will be able to tell them apart from the start. That's a problem I always have in the beginning with same-sex teams.

James Wallington is 31 and from Grand Rapids, MI. He's apparently living in the Los Angeles area where he's an event coordinator and social media manager. Of course, the latter can be done from anywhere. He says he's a superfan of the show, watching since he was 12. We'll be the judge of that -- keywords: stick shift and swimming. He's applied to be on the show nine times and finally made it. 

TAR32: Meet the Cast - Part 2

Father and Son: Jerry and Frank

Frank Eaves is 25 and resides in Louisville, KY. He makes a living in luxury car sales. It sounds like he has some interesting clientele between stars and sports figures! He's athletic, always a plus in the race. His bio makes it sound like he's in it just as much for the adventure with his father or more so than for the money.

Jerry Eaves is 61, also residing in Louisville. He's a host of sports radio and also the athletic director/coach of men's basketball at Simmons College of Kentucky. Heh ... he said what scares him the most about traveling is the middle seat. I can so get behind him on that one! He seems athletic considering he's probably the oldest racer on the show. Like his son, it seems the adventure and bonding are more of an incentive than the winning monies.

Sisters: Kaylynn and Haley

Kaylynn Williams is 30, living in Bluffton, SC. She's a real estate agent. It sounds like she's a pretty good fit for the race -- likes anything to do with on the water, running and such. She refers to her sister as her best friend and it sounds like they have a great relationship unlike some of the love/hate ones we've seen.

Haley Williams is 31 and also lives in Bluffton. She is also a real estate agent. I think I'm sensing a theme here! She refers to her sister as her "best friend attached at the hip." They share not only the same town, same job but pretty much the same interests, too. Both seem on the athletic and adventurous side. Hopefully their personalities will shine as much as their smiles do.

Former Olympic Hurdlers:
Kellie and LaVonne

Kellie Wells-Brinkley is 38 and resides in Richmond, VA. She's an on-air personality, public speaker and is a strategic partnership manager for a tech company (whatever that is!). Oh my. She likes pole-dancing. I wonder if that particular hobby will come into play on the show! It's a pretty sure thing that she's athletic. She loves and is used to traveling and competition. We could have a contender team here.

LaVonne Idlette is 34 and resides in Hampton, VA. She's a real estate impact investor and fund manager/mortgage broker. She explains the former in her bio and it sounds way complicated. She has also passed her bar exam, so she has athletic skills and smarts, too. She calls Kellie her best friend.

 

Sisters: Michelle and Victoria

Michelle Newland is 34 from Lafayette, LA. She is a luxury auto salesperson, apparently BMWs as she hash-tagged in her bio on the CBS site and considers them "the ultimate driving machine." I just hope that includes stick shifts! She loves her job. She doesn't seem to enjoy any athletic pursuits but loves to photograph her food. She would like to see Vietnam as their parents came to the US for a better life and she has never been there.

Victoria Newland is 33, also living in Lafayette. She is a physician auditor, consultant and educator. Well, that's not like selling BMWs! She likes sleeping. I doubt she'll see a lot of that on the race! However, she does list some more athletic pursuits such as biking and working out. So, that's good. Both sisters like cats. So I must like them, right?

You can find Part 1 of the cast posts HERE.

If you want in on the blog pool, you would need to sign up HERE -- not here here, on that link! The deadline is looming!

TAR32: Meet the Cast - Part 1

Dating: Alana and Leo

Alana Folsom is 29 from Somerville, MA. She's an Internal Communications Associate at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Oh my. She enjoys poetry, cooking and running. Hmm. One of those might help her, maybe all dependent on the challenges. 

 Leo Brown is 31 and also from Somerville, MA. He's a senior healthcare data analyst. So, we're talking mostly about software computer stuff there. I don't think any of his hobbies are going to help him in the race too much -- "Playing the violin, vegetable gardening, eating peanut butter, and hosting friends in our backyard." He would like to go to Australia to meet a platypus. Ah, a man after my own heart. He wants to prove to Alana that he's a keeper. I don't know how they'll do but I think they will be likable.

Siblings: Aparna and Eswar

Aparna Dhinakaran is 26 from Berkeley, CA, She is an engineer/entrepreneur. Cool -- she's very involved with AI (Artificial Intelligence), It won't help her on the race, but cool anyway. She says she likes writing in cute little coffeeshops and preparing for her Bollywood breakout. Um. Okay.

Eswar Dhinakaran is 24, from Fremont, CA. He's a software engineer/entrepreneur. Thankfully, he at least has some more athletic hobbies than his sister. In his CBS bio he's nowhere near as wordy as she is. Both siblings grew up watching the show and it's a lifetime dream for them to actually be on it.

Former NFL: Gary and DeAngelo

Gary Barnidge is 34, from Middleburg, FL. He played for the Carolina Panthers and the Cleveland Browns and is now running a non-profit football-related organization. As I don't watch football at all, I had to look him up. He's the white guy.

DeAngelo Williams is 37, from Charlotte, NC. He played for Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers. All he lists is retired for now.

Both seem to be a bit bored and are looking for adrenalin excitement as well as adventure. They will probably do well.

Married Parents: Hung and Chee

Chee Lee is 38 from Houston, TX. He lists his occupation as financial planning and analysis. He seems to be athletic although he enjoys binge-watching shows with his wife and once ate five pounds of pizza in an hour to win a contest.

Hung Nguyen is 39 also living in Houston. She's a professional development coach -- turning potential into promotions (she says). She was born in a refugee camp and is kind of hoping the race will take her back there as she has never returned. Both parents seem to be supportive and both like to experiment with new foods. I think they too will do well!

If you haven't signed up for the blog pool yet, please sign up by going to THIS LINK. Please don't sign up on this cast post! The deadline is looming! The season premiere is Wednesday, October 14, after Big Brother.