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With this new season of The Amazing Race, we have a full decade of globe-trotting television behind us. This 20th season looks to be an entertaining one with big-talking contestants a-plenty, who essentially say they don’t play well with others and are in this on their own.

We’ll see if they can play as good of a game as they can talk.

Here’s a snapshot of this season’s teams (in the order I predict they will be eliminated):

• Joey ‘Fitness’ & Danny: Friends who hail from the Garden State and are proud proof of the Jersey Shore mentality.



• Dave & Cherie: Married clowns who will rely on luck and others to win.



• Misa & Maiya: Sisters from San Diego who are reminiscent of last season’s airheaded showgirls Kaylani & Lisa.



• Brendon & Rachel: Big Brother alumni, with Rachel destined be in the Most Annoying Reality Show Contestant Hall of Fame.



• Bopper & Mark: Friends from Kentucky, who wear their poor, family men personalities as a badge of courage.



• Art & JJ: Friends and Border Patrol Agents with high likelihood that their playful banter will turn into full-blown anger.



• Kerri & Stacy: Cousins with the motto “Double Trouble,” who came up with the notion that it's not that they hate to lose but that they love to win. I’d love to dub them “Team Glass Half Full”.



• Nary & Jamie: Friends and Feds. The first impression is that Nary is the alpha and Jamie is the follower in this partnership.



• Elliot & Andrew: Twins who are night and day personality-wise. Elliot is hotheaded and impulsive while Andrew is patient and even-tempered.



• Rachel & Dave: Married Army pilot and wife. He is recently home from deployment and this is their chance to reconnect. I will go ahead and call them Army of Two.



• Vanessa & Ralph: Dating divorcees for only a year but have known each for 15 years and they appear to have a very strong competitive streak.

There they are and there is my kneejerk reaction and predictions. If you need slightly more insight into why I picked this order, jump on over to my introductions column for this season.





It’s time for the proper kickoff of the next season of The Amazing Race. Pan over the scenic view of Santa Barbara that is apparently home to many vineyards, is a destination for cycling enthusiasts like our host Phil, and looks nothing like the Vancouver locales that double for the city on Psych (which also comes back later this month on USA…check your local listings.)

The show starts off with getting the teams’ collective heart rates up by making them follow Phil on racing cycles through the streets to the starting line. Thankfully, they are allowed to change out of their bike shorts before starting the race.

For the 20th time, Phil explains the race to the teams and the Express Pass is once again in play for the team that finishes first on this leg. Whereas Jeff Probst seems somewhat "over" repeating the same thing over and over on Survivor, Phil exudes the same enthusiasm he has since season one.

Their first clues are floating above a vineyard behind them in miniature hot air balloons. They simply have to pull them down to find the clue. The catch…there are only 11 clues amongst the 100 balloons. And GO!!!

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