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It’s the 23rd season of the Amazing Race and that number is fitting since, as far as the Emmys seem to be concerned, this show is the Michael Jordan of its “Outstanding Reality Program-Competition” category. Our little travel adventure program here has taken home that particular award nine times since 2003.

Having lost this year to The Voice, it’s a logical question of whether the Race is at Jordan’s mid-'90s break in championships or at the end of its legacy a la MJ’s not-so-stellar Washington Wizards comeback. It will all depend upon how this fall’s and next spring’s seasons shape up. Regardless of the awards, The Amazing Race has logged well over a million miles of global travel in 22 seasons and it’s time to add even more stamps to its passport.

Last season’s winning team of Bates & Anthony is by far the closest I have gotten to predicting a champion before the show started with my guess of them getting third overall. Can I improve upon this record for the new season? Doubtful, but here goes. Let’s look at the teams who will be "entertaining" us over the next 13 weeks.

Rowan & Shane: Business partners/actors. Coming from an acting background, these friends appear to already be going Method in preparing for the Race. Rowan explains that they won’t tell the other teams that they are actors, but rather competitive bingo players (?!?) who “go where the money is.” I don’t get this ruse at all. I mean, it makes sense to let your fellow competitors on Survivor not know you are a lawyer because you might be a more persuasive speaker to a jury or even on the Race itself, like when the female federal agents told the others they were teachers to appear as less threatening. I don’t see how hiding the fact they are actors achieves the same goal. It seems as if it was done more to entertain themselves than benefit their game. It’s unfortunate because they seem to be likable and fun guys but I suspect their fear of being the first ones eliminated will be the reality.

Tim & Danny: Childhood friends from Oklahoma. Another pair of "nice guys" for this season and I suspect another not-so-great showing. There seems to be much trepidation in these guys based upon the interview alone with Danny, in particular, fidgeting the entire time. Plus, when it came time for them to explain that they’ll be nice to the other teams, but they won’t help them if it jeopardizes their game, it seemed like Tim was trying to convince himself and not the viewer of the fact. They seem too timid and unsure of themselves, which spells disaster here. I fear the Race will chew them up and spit them out after only two legs, giving them a tenth place finish.

Ally & Ashley: Members of the LA Kings Ice Crew. It’s time for this season’s interchangeable blonde team that will give me fits throughout the season because I will not be able to tell them apart. I pray that the editors regularly and accurately tell us which girl is performing which challenge. The upside (for me, that is) seems to be that the ladies won’t hang around for long. They are both young and come across as a bit naïve with little experience to scream "Amazing Race winners." Not to diminish it, but their role as essentially ice hockey cheerleaders doesn’t quite have the same heft as being players like Bates & Anthony last season. I don’t suspect that they fully grasp what lies ahead for them on the Race. Like their Oklahoma season-mates listed immediately above them here, the Race will prove to be too much and they will be out in ninth place.

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