The Amazing Race Leg 9: (Cowboy down)

Week 9 of "The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business" saw Jet & Cord (a.k.a the Cowboys), the overwhelming fan favorites, get eliminated at the hands of the dreaded Double U-Turn.  It was rather sad, because I wanted them in the Final 3, but it wasn't meant to be.

After reading through some forums, just about everybody is up in arms over the manner in which the Cowboys exited the show.  Most think that the Globetrotters, the team ahead of them, shouldn't have turned back the Cowboys.  However, if you were in a similar position like the 'Trotters, what would you have done?  Actually, what I should ask is, had the Cowboys been in the Globetrotters' position, what would they have done?

Jet & Cord McCoy; brothers and Cowboys from Oklahoma

When this current season of Amazing Race started, my "dream Final 3" was Zev & Justin, The Globetrotters (Flight Time & Big Eazy) and the Cowboys.  I like Zev & Justin, just because they have the smarts to overcome any athletic shortcomings.  I like the Globetrotters because despite being good guys, some fellow contestants and most viewers have branded them the "dumb jocks" and they are the team most people would love to see eliminated.  I like the Cowboys because no matter the obstacle, they have always found a way to avoid elimination.

So let's recap this episode.  A lot of people have singled out the Globetrotters for cheating during a certain portion of the race.  The task in question required contestants to take a bike ride from Schaanwald to Balzers.  At the end of the ride, they were required to write on a postcard the correct distance (22 kilometers) that they had travelled and hand in the answer to Marco Büchel (an alpine skier).  An incorrect answer would require the player to go back and start over from Schaanwald.

Justin seemed to have got lost, while Kisha lost her map along the way.  They worked together and correctly came up with the right distance.  Since they worked together, I didn't see anyone accuse them of cheating.  Jet, who was riding along and appeared to be working with Gary, left him and somewhat got lost.  He reached the end, but had the incorrect answer and ended up starting over.  Flight Time took the wrong turn and on his way back, he ran into Justin who told him the answer.  Flight Time was going to guess 20 km; his answer wasn't that off, but being incorrect, he would have had to start over.  He ran into Gary and shared the answer with him.  So as we can see, neither Flight Time nor Gary had been to the finish line at that point. 

Granted, they both benefited from receiving the answer, but it's not like they had been sent back to start over.  So if the Globetrotters were "cheaters", then Gary too was a cheater because had he not received the answer, it is more than likely that he and Mallory (his daughter) would have been eliminated.  So the accusations should not be one-sided against the Globetrotters.

Then of course comes the "controversial" part of the game; the "Double U-Turn".  Four of the teams that came upon it chose not to use it.  However, when the Globetrotters came upon it, they opted to use it knowing that the Cowboys were not too far behind.  If anyone can remember the previous leg (Leg 8), the 'Trotters were in the lead heading toward the pit stop.  Unfortunately, they took a wrong turn only to come in second behind Zev & Justin.  Whether they would have encountered the same problem, we'll never know. What we do know, is that they did what they needed to do in order to survive and stay in the game.  The theme of the game is to "race around the world for $1 million".  There is no prize for second or third placed teams, only the winner gets the prize money.

I'm going to clarify myself.  I like the Globetrotters, but do I like the fact that they got the answer without completing the task?  No, I do not.  Do I like the fact that teams are often sharing answers during the race, or working together to complete certain tasks?  No, I do not.  This race is not run individually, even though certain tasks have to be completed individually.  Do I think that future races should bar teams from "working together" or even "sharing answers", and possibly even penalizing teams that do so?  I'm all in favor of that.  As it is, you already have a teammate.  If that's not enough, off with you then.

Now back to my question; had they Cowboys been in the Globetrotters' position, what would they have done?  Just going by most people's reactions, I don't think there would have been much argument should they have chosen to "U-Turn" the 'Trotters.  In fact, I have a feeling that these same people crying "foul" would have applauded them and gladly stated "that it's all part of the game".  Like I mentioned earlier, the Globetrotters have few fans and won't be attaining "cult status" anytime soon.  However, since it was their favorite team that got eliminated "within the rules of the game", we suddenly have a problem; the game is "unfair", too much "cheating" going on and the laundry list of grievances just keeps growing.

All teams are always notified whenever a Double U-Turn is present during a certain leg of the race.  Therefore, the faster you complete your task, the less likely you are to be turned back.  The Cowboys, by their own admission, have always stumbled during portions of the races, leaving them in a position where they have to hustle just to make the cut.  This leg of the race was no different, and even though they managed to catch up to most of the teams, it unfortunately just wasn't meant to be this time.

I can understand why most viewers, including myself, love these guys.  They are classy, play fair and always keep a good sense of humor.  I don't ever recall hearing them say anything bad regarding their fellow contestants.  They proved to be worthy competition and earned the respect of their peers.  It's sad that they are out of the race, but show must continue.

What makes "The Amazing Race" stand out from other reality/game shows, is that your progress in the game depends on how you adapt both mentally and physically.  Unlike other shows where situations are dramatized, and participants are sacrificed for the sake of ratings, such isn't the case here.  This is why The Amazing Race has managed to be and hopefully, will continue to be successful.

Maybe in the future, the producers will work toward creating a more even playing field.  Until then, the rules remain what they are and if your favorite team doesn't make it to the next round, tough luck.  Life goes on.