TAR15, Recap Leg 0, 9/27/09

Welcome back to the Amazing Race! Miss me? I thought so. So, before we hunker down for the first episode, I thought we could talk a wee bit about the teams. Toyouke and her sister Kyoko are on hand to provide a little bit of excitement (as if my predictions weren’t exciting enough). This year we start with twelve teams. However, in a little bit of a twist, there are only eleven tickets to the first destination city, Tokyo. So one team won’t even make it out of Los Angeles. Which? Sucks to be them. So I hope it isn’t a team that I like already. The twelve teams are: (click for more)

Brian and Ericka, are a married couple from Nashville Tennessee. Ericka is the former Miss America, but wants to become a country music artist. Ah, following in the footsteps of Darius Rucker, I see. (Toyouke: “How many black country music artists can you name?”) They are also the first inter-racial couple ever on the Amazing Race. And I feel that they are going to harp on it incessantly. (Toyouke: “I really want to like them...but their goal is to show that true love is colorblind? And ‘Our slogan is 'the yin-yang symbol' is possibly the stupidest slogan ever.” Kyoko: “No bitches, you're black and white, but personality wise you seem exactly the same. “) Prediction: Fifth Place.

Eric and Lisa, are vegan yoga instructors and former drug addicts from California, via Michigan. It’s like BJ, Tyler, Tyler and James, all rolled into one married couple! WACKY! Lucky for us, I don’t really see them in photos past the license plate game, so that’s good. (Toyouke: “God they seem annoying. Neither of you are the ones we want to see naked.”) Prediction: Twelfth Place.

Garrett and Jessica, are on again, off again daters from California. And Garrett is HOT. So I’m rooting for him. (Toyouke: He doesn't look like enough of a nerd to have an engineering degree from Stanford. A MASTER'S degree. However he is hot.”) And yet, I’m not going to care if they go away. Prediction: Eighth Place.

Gary and Matt, are father and son from Montana. And their last name is Tomljenovich. (Toyouke: “First of all, that last name is some crazy stuff. Second of all--"I'm a PC! I'm a Mac! I like Coke! I like Pepsi! But we make a great team! It's wacky!" *sigh*”) I agree. I feel like their wackiness is going to get old. Prediction: Tenth Place.

Herbert and Nathaniel, are from the south (Arkansas and Louisiana). But what makes them cool is that they are basketball teammates. Not any teammates. HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS. Hee. They will be fun. (Toyouke: “Globetrotters, people. Their nicknames are "Flight Time" and "The Big Easy". And it seems like their only worry is that they will have to eat weird things. They are so much fun. Win.”) I agree. Prediction: Winners, TAR15. And that would be nice since I don’t think we’ve had African American winners since Chip and Kim.

Lance and Keri, are an engaged couple from Masseschusetts. Lance says he has a street persona. (Toyouke: “No one named Lance has a "street persona". Is that why he has a bandana tied around his arm? Maybe he'll get shot by a rival gang as they're leaving L.A.”) I get the feeling that they are going to be Jonathan and Victoria, or Colin and Christie, or any other couple that we love to hate. Prediction: Fourth Place.

Marcy and Ron, are our oldsters this time, and they are dating from San Fransisco. They look like they could take the youngsters, and I like their vibe. Hopefully they won’t make a Brad and Victoria mistake. Prediction: Seventh Place.

Maria and Tiffany, are professional poker players from California. They are our only all-girl team this season, but they are also the only team with an Asian on it, which could help immensely in an Asian packed top of the race. (Toyouke: “If ever there was a team that truly was underestimated, I think it would be a team of hot female poker players.) And for that reason, I’m going to give them a chance. Prediction: Second Place.

Meghan and Cheyne, are a dating couple from San Diego. And I’m pretty sure that his name is supposed to be “Shane”, but his parents are a little off. I’m not getting much of a vibe off of them, proving once again that casting pretty people does not a race make. Prediction: Eleventh Place.

Mika and Canaan, are dating from Nashville Tennessee. And Canaan is adorable. I wish I could go to the land of Canaan. (Toyouke: “And so it begins.”) And once again, they’re a pretty team, but I feel their downfall is going to be a bad decision. Prediction: Ninth Place.

Sam and Dan, are so awesome it hurts to talk about it. Gay. Brothers. From MISSOURI. How AWESOME is that? And they’re pretty fit too. I’ll just watch them all day, provided that they stay on my television screen. (Toyouke: “Dan will admit to modeling himself after Rob and Amber so that is points from me. They seem like Reichen and Chip in levels of flaminess. OK the older one is hot. OK, they are hilarious.”) Prediction: Third Place.

Zev and Justin, are friends from California. And Zev has Aspergers. I think they are going to be interesting to watch. But it’s another team with something to prove. And I just think it’s goin g to be the Rain Man team. (Toyouke: “I would like to point you to this sentence from the bio: "Aside from occasional trips to Vegas (where Justin took Zev to lose his virginity)" That is all. Going on the race was Zev's idea? The person who has trouble with crowds and large groups of people?” Kyoko: “Wouldn't you think that people with Aspergers DON'T want to be on tv? “) Prediciton: Sixth Place.

And there it is. Don’t forget to tune in Sunday, September 27 at approximately 7 pm CDT (after football) for a two-hour premiere. This should be legs 1 and 2, just to make my life more difficult during homecoming week. See you with the first recap soon!