New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Another season is under way, which means another several weeks to prove how poor my Amazing Race conclusions can be.

The previous few seasons I got pretty close on the winners from early on, but this crop of teams hasn't given me much to work with, so these rankings are truly more guess-timations than I'd like to offer.

Let's dive right in:

1) Misti & Jim (Married). My expectations for hating this couple were so high based upon the hubris Jim spewed in his intro interview. But they were surprisingly helpful and personable to the other teams. The assumed cockiness seems to be more confidence, actually, and given how they raced the first leg, they earned the right to be confident. With the newly added advantage of The Save in their race-assigned fanny pack, Team DDS can be assured a place at least one away from the bottom until it's used. But regardless of the Save, the dentists proved what they – or more accurately Jim - can do on tasks. Plus, he seems methodical and cautious in his clue reading to avoid a boneheaded mistake. They earned the top spot.

2) Tim & Te Jay (Dating). Dubbed TNT by their Race mates (Team Not-Quite-Out seems more accurate), this couple proved to be more than meets the eye. Twice in the first leg, they were able to sneak by a team to claim first at a location, once at JFK Airport when the surfers flubbed getting to the right counter, and then skirting past the dentists to get the first seaplane. Whether this was just the result of opportunity or shrewd play, I don't know but I am giving them credit for it. The guys surprised me with their racing.

3) Kym & Alli (Friends). These competitive cyclists with their Ride or Die motto just may be the toughest all-female team the Race has seen in 25 seasons. The ladies embrace their wild side, which is why I want to call them Psycho Cyclists. This first leg presented no fear to the ladies (but maybe a hint of motion sickness for Kym), and I think these friends will go very deep this season. Even go as far to say they could win it if they are mindful and play smart AND hard.

4) Brooke & Robbie (Dating). Pile Drivers, Body Slam, or Turnbuckle...not sure what I will land on for them. I have to make sure the nickname is a good one, because I think they will be around for a while. Here's another team that I pegged as dunderheads that would be all showboating cheesiness, which would get old. Like Team DDS they came across better in reality than I assumed. Keep your head in the match, wrestlers, and you can go deep in the Race.

5) Adam & Bethany (Married). Team Hang Ten or #SoulSurfers would've been in the top spot if I did a preseason prediction. I assumed the competitiveness and perseverance would shine through. It did, but they might be a bit careless in the mental department. They flirted with disaster on the first departing flight and Adam struggled with solving the compass/treasure intricacies. They are a physically imposing team, but they will need to be mentally imposing as well. I do give them credit for keeping a positive attitude throughout the entire leg. That goes a long way for me.

Continued:       1       2