On another note, have you ever noticed that teams with potential to win are sometimes eliminated in 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th as well?
I was seriously thinking the exact same thing when I read this.
But if there are curses for some of the placings, here's what I would call them:
11th: Usually younger, fairly average teams with potential to do at least moderately well.
10th: Usually teams that are sacrificial lambs that should have been out on Leg 1.
9th: Usually average to strong teams with the potential to go far. Often very likable.
8th: Traditionally (pre-TAR 11) for elderly or weaker teams or (post-TAR 11) teams with the potential to go far. No solid pattern anymore.
7th: Usually a co-ed dating or married team. Usually somewhere from strong to average in skill.
6th: Usually teams with lots of personality or some other thing for which they are memorable.
5th: Possibly the one with the least of a pattern of all eliminations. I can't find anything unique about 5th place.
4th: Usually a popular team that people want to see in the F3.
I won't judge 12th place. Not enough for a pattern yet.
Obviously all of these have their exceptions. What I put here is the
general rule that I observe, but these may not apply to every given season. Interesting how only one placing (5th) seems to have no observable pattern at all.