Wolf359

Ah, thanks Groucho. Missed that part.

JuryDuty

I don't know what the answer is, because I didn't like the cab drivers talking to one another, but I also don't like the ideas of the producers interfering. I think they should interfere as little as possible. Between the two, I'd rather flukes like this happen than have the producers start getting people outside of the race involved in their shenanigans.

~~ PAL ~~

There were numerous occasions in the past seasons where a lousy cab driver either cost the team a win, or $1 million dollars, or caused them to come in last. This is one of the few times where cab drivers actually helped bump a team up positions; conversely that also dropped one team to the last position.

I view these "races" as a reality show and not as a sport, where the "integrity of the game" must be upheld. There is no doubt in my mind that the producers must have done some subtle manipulations to either a) create more drama, b) keep a particular team in the race longer, or c) hinder team(s) from gaining a massive lead. As far as how often they do this I have no idea. But it would not shock me if they do it to just about every leg of the race to create their vision of "better television".

TimeandTide

I'm not stupid enough to think that producers don't manipulate certain portions of the contest to create better television (see: Jeff Probst), but I seriously doubt that that happened in the case of the snowboarders. Having a hand in eliminating one of the more popular and successful teams of the season while keeping one the most anonymous (I still can't remember the names of the young couple) doesn't make sense then.

I DO think the producers force-bunch teams early in some legs (like when they have to wait half a day for a gate to open, allowing the back-of-the-pack teams a chance to catch up), but doubt it occurs towards the end.

bdshort

It's an incredibly sucky way for the best team to go out of the race, but I don't see it cheating on the part of the other teams either (though my girlfriend will disagree). They didn't have anything to do with the cabbies calling each other, and I really don't see it as any different then them asking their drivers to follow the car in front of them, or overhearing another team figuring out a puzzle.

~~ PAL ~~

I agree. With this specific leg in Panama, it does not appear how things went down was due to any blatant manipulation by the show. It was just mediocrity prevailing in this particular case, with all three teams limping toward the pit stop more or less at the same time. The snowboarders dug their own graves when they took off from the pagoda dancers with a bad interpretation of the clues. Again, there's nothing new here, teams follow each other to the pit stop or a destination all the time. The pooling of information by cab drivers just made it that much easier.

With no vested interest in any of the four teams, to me this final will actually be slightly more interesting because there is no dominant teams left; so parity/mediocrity will make the final leg a bit more competitive...

LiquidSky

Agreed.

Cardsfan111

No doubt. The snowboarders would have been overwhelming favorites had they advanced based on their play to this point.

Josh-da-man

Stuff like this used to bother me, but it's just the nature of the beast. Teams can get taken out by things that are out of their immediate control like delayed flights, incompetent taxi drivers, bad directions, cars breaking down, etc.

Josh-da-man

They have to do that. Otherwise the teams could get spread across continents and be days apart from each other. It would be a logistical nightmare for the producers.

TimeandTide

Didn't something like that actually happen one season?

the big train

Seasons 1 and 11

cdollaz

I can't really think of a way to describe why, but I want to punch Cindy in the face. She is extremely annoying.

Arpeggi

She's ugly as sin too.

bdshort

Really? I think she's quite attractive in that girl next door sort of way. Not saying she wouldn't be annoying though.

cdollaz

I think she is ugly also.

TheBang

Wow, I'm shocked at all the Cindy hate. I like her.

davidh777

I don't know if they actually knew those actors--I got the feeling they were using wikipedia similarities or something.

Easy for us to be snobby on a movie board.

Blatant product placement, but I'm a Tintin fan so I'll allow it. I would have liked to see them ask random people in the U.S. about Tintin, though.