Author Topic: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!  (Read 552406 times)

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Offline SuperTux

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #25 on: November 29, 2011, 10:30:39 PM »
Also it is interesting to notice that usually the American version can hardly break curses, while other versions can easily make it.

Think of China Rush. Both 2 seasons of CR have broken many curses and have created many records. :js:
好像用中文做签名档会比较酷。

Offline theschnauzers

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #26 on: November 29, 2011, 11:53:16 PM »
At some point, I plan to also publish my compilation of each season's leg-by-leg finish order (including the uber-leg midpoints) that I use in computing the final placement averages for all the teams in all seasons list. (Wikipedia has never kept midpoint arrival order for the uberlegs.)
I'm well aware of some of those odd facts in the performance of teams.

 All uber-leg midpoints are seen already at Wikipedia now, though. I believe I started seeing Wikipedia adding race positions during midpoints at the time of Season 18 (maybe to settle the technicalities for the special TBC of Season 18, they added all race placements)

Coaco, I checked Wiki when I updated the list to post here early last year, and the uberleg midpoints from the early seasons were not used on Wiki once those double legs were completed.

I'm confident of my contemporaneous notes since I started keeping them during TAR 3, and that was at a time when the official leaderboard was still being used by CBS on the official site.

I can't speak to the various international versions because I haven't watched any of them and my connection wasn't fast enough; now I can barely avoid hitting the real data limits and download the episodes from I-Tunes. So it may be a long time, if ever, before I do get to watch any of the international versions of the show. A second reason for the variances about "curses" and such is that the international versions do not copy all of the rules used in a particular season of the mothership, they seem to have blended rules from some seasons, and introduced other rules to fit their particular versions of the show.
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Offline Jobby

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #27 on: November 30, 2011, 12:24:56 AM »
From what I've observed... the uber-leg midpoints are already updated on the various seasons of TAR on Wiki too...

Offline Cocoa

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #28 on: November 30, 2011, 12:31:52 AM »
All placements (both on pitstops and faux-pitstops) are in the wiki now for all seasons and all versions of the race. :tup:

But still, I'd love to see the trend (rising, falling, slowly rising) of each team! :hearts:
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Offline Best Loser

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #29 on: November 30, 2011, 01:38:27 AM »
I've actually made a list of the average placement of every team from every version. I don't count the midway points in the averages, so several averages are different from the list theschnauzers made. I don't include all the rising and falling data, and I'm far too lazy to make a list of that or one showing all the leg placements, so it's probably not what you guys are looking for. I don't rank the teams or split them up into 10's because the list changes so often, and I don't know if I can easily add spaces in MS Word to where a line will automatically jump down.


It's so much fun comparing international to US.

Marc & Rovilson (3rd) have the highest average of 1.42 vs. Eric & Jeremy's (2nd) 1.75
Highest average without a leg won- Sean & Amy's (6th) 2.83 vs. Terrence & Sarah's (5th) 3.25


Offline SuperTux

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #30 on: November 30, 2011, 03:16:26 AM »
Many curses are inexplicable in terms of probabilities.

For example, the Leg 3 curse. Given that each team is as competitive as each other, and 8 teams remain after Leg 3. In this case, the probability of the situation that the winners of Leg 3 fail to win the race is 7/8. This has happened 29 times. (US 18, CR 2, Aus 1, Israel 1, LA 2, Brazil 1, Asia 4.) Therefore, the probability of the existence of this curse is (7/8)^29=0.02. If we take into account other similar reality shows like Pekin Express and Shanghai Rush, the value would be even lower. (The only TAR-like show that has broken this curse is Expedition Impossible whose producer Mark Burnett, interestingly, hates people comparing these two shows.)

As to the Leg 1 curse for the 5th, 7th and 10th, given that 10 teams remain after Leg 1, the probability of the case that all three teams fail to win the race is 7/10. This has happened 18 times in the US version, and therefore the probability of the existence of this curse is (7/10)^18=0.0016. It is even lower than that of the Leg 3 curse. Thus we should not overlook this curse. ;)
好像用中文做签名档会比较酷。

Online Dom

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #31 on: November 30, 2011, 03:19:01 AM »
Highest average without a leg won- Sean & Amy's (6th) 2.83 vs. Terrence & Sarah's (5th) 3.25

That's a great one! I'll include that in the original post! However, on Leg 5 of S13, Terrence & Sarah were retrospectively given a 30-minute penalty which, while they were checked in in 3rd, they were actually later brought down to fifth, and departed the next leg in fifth.

I'd count 5th as their official check-in position, which would bring their average down to 3.5, making Joseph & Monica of Season 9 the highest ranked team without winning a leg, with an average position of 3.4.

Online Dom

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #32 on: November 30, 2011, 03:26:45 AM »
Many curses are inexplicable in terms of probabilities.

For example, the Leg 3 curse. Given that each team is as competitive as each other, and 8 teams remain after Leg 3. In this case, the probability of the situation that the winners of Leg 3 fail to win the race is 7/8. This has happened 29 times. (US 18, CR 2, Aus 1, Israel 1, LA 2, Brazil 1, Asia 4.) Therefore, the probability of the existence of this curse is (7/8)^29=0.02. If we take into account other similar reality shows like Pekin Express and Shanghai Rush, the value would be even lower. (The only TAR-like show that has broken this curse is Expedition Impossible whose producer Mark Burnett, interestingly, hates people comparing these two shows.)

As to the Leg 1 curse for the 5th, 7th and 10th, given that 10 teams remain after Leg 1, the probability of the case that all three teams fail to win the race is 7/10. This has happened 18 times in the US version, and therefore the probability of the existence of this curse is (7/10)^18=0.0016. It is even lower than that of the Leg 3 curse. Thus we should not overlook this curse. ;)

You're right with the near-impossible likelihood of those particular 'curses' occurring, but with such a small sample size such as the number of TAR seasons, you're actually almost guaranteed to encounter a few 'curses'. There could have easily been a 'Leg 4' curse or a 'If you finish '3rd, 6th and 8th in the 2nd leg' curse. Of course, these outcomes are just as unlikely, but if you think about it, there are probably so many thousands of potential curses that you're always bound to end up with some of them.

Basically, with a sample size of the number of TAR seasons (30 or so), you're almost guaranteed to have at least some 'curses'.
With a sample size of 300 or so TAR seasons, we'd be virtually guaranteed not to have any curses.

Offline Prophet

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #33 on: November 30, 2011, 07:27:33 AM »
The Leg Three curse is explainable, IMO, because of psychological and physical reasons. Teams that tend to win that leg usually burn out by the end of the Race. This curse even works in Fantasy Races, so it must be real!
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Offline Best Loser

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #34 on: November 30, 2011, 10:47:23 AM »
Highest average without a leg won- Sean & Amy's (6th) 2.83 vs. Terrence & Sarah's (5th) 3.25

That's a great one! I'll include that in the original post! However, on Leg 5 of S13, Terrence & Sarah were retrospectively given a 30-minute penalty which, while they were checked in in 3rd, they were actually later brought down to fifth, and departed the next leg in fifth.

I'd count 5th as their official check-in position, which would bring their average down to 3.5, making Joseph & Monica of Season 9 the highest ranked team without winning a leg, with an average position of 3.4.

I knew there was a reason I had it listed as 3.5 before. I actually changed it just the other day because I read something that said it was 3.25. Time credits and penalties assessed the following leg make finding the averages confusing. Is it better to count when they arrived or when they left?


Offline Jobby

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #35 on: November 30, 2011, 10:48:21 AM »
The official rank. If CBS announced it, it means they did drop to 5th.

Offline Jobby

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #36 on: November 30, 2011, 11:39:46 PM »
Somebody check this for me please?

If Jeremy and Sandy doesn't win the last 2 legs of THE AMAZING RACE 19, it will be the ONLY season for the american edition to only have 3 teams come in FIRST PLACE (or win). Least teams winning 1st places for a particular season...

Offline ovalorange

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #37 on: November 30, 2011, 11:44:48 PM »
I think TAR13 would tie...

Nick & Starr won 7 legs
Ken & Tina won 3 legs
Toni & Dallas won 1 leg...

Offline Jobby

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #38 on: November 30, 2011, 11:48:22 PM »
I think TAR13 would tie...

Nick & Starr won 7 legs
Ken & Tina won 3 legs
Toni & Dallas won 1 leg...

Completely forgot about that season! So TAR 13 may not be the only season then.... if Jeremy and Sandy don't win either of the last 2 legs..

Offline Declive

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #39 on: December 01, 2011, 02:58:23 AM »
The most incredible thing that is a record in TAR is that all Tyler's that were on the race won at the end...
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Online Dom

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #40 on: December 01, 2011, 03:11:22 AM »
Somebody check this for me please?

If Jeremy and Sandy doesn't win the last 2 legs of THE AMAZING RACE 19, it will be the ONLY season for the american edition to only have 3 teams come in FIRST PLACE (or win). Least teams winning 1st places for a particular season...

Ooh I like that stat!! I'm gonna include a small table in the first post of the number of winning teams in each season.

ovalorange is right, S13 is the only season with 3 leg winners.

S5, S9 and S15 had only 4 leg winners.

S4 had an astonishing NINE different leg winners! Only three teams didn't taste victory!
S2 had seven, impressive in itself!

Offline Jobby

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #41 on: December 01, 2011, 09:58:14 AM »
S2 and S4 were because of the Fast Forwards. This is something that's what I like with different winners. Makes the race unpredictable. Ever since the Fast Forward was reduced, I think TAR 7, TAR 10, TAR 11, TAR 14 and TAR 16 are the ones with the most winners, with 6 teams winning 1st place throughout the race. No other seasons have gone beyond 7 or 9 winners like TAR 2 or TAR 4.

And not to forget that the first Leg of TAR 4 permitted 3 teams to win the leg, that is.. Amanda and Chris, Steve and Josh and Millie and Chuck. But Steve and Josh and Millie and Chuck each won a leg with the Fast Forward on another time other than the first leg, so it doesn't matter because it's still 9 different teams winning on different legs. The only 3 teams who didn't taste victory that season was Debra and Steve, Russell and Cindy and Monica and Sheree (nearly tasted victory if Steve and Josh didn't take the Fast Forward)

It's not some kind of a pattern, but it's interesting to see that after the reduction of the Fast Forward... no other season had managed to get more than 6 winners but we do have many stuck with 6 winners (5 seasons I think, if my calculation is not wrong)


Offline Best Loser

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #42 on: December 01, 2011, 01:22:53 PM »
I think the Brazilian version has the record for most winners with the reduction of Fast Forwards. There were three Fast Forwards; two of them resulting in the team's only first. In total, 7 teams won a leg.

Offline Prophet

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #43 on: December 01, 2011, 01:25:45 PM »
S2 and S4 were because of the Fast Forwards. This is something that's what I like with different winners. Makes the race unpredictable. Ever since the Fast Forward was reduced, I think TAR 7, TAR 10, TAR 11, TAR 14 and TAR 16 are the ones with the most winners, with 6 teams winning 1st place throughout the race. No other seasons have gone beyond 7 or 9 winners like TAR 2 or TAR 4.

It's not some kind of a pattern, but it's interesting to see that after the reduction of the Fast Forward... no other season had managed to get more than 6 winners but we do have many stuck with 6 winners (5 seasons I think, if my calculation is not wrong)

I think they made the change to fewer fast forwards to make the legs more skill based. Now the stronger teams can be rewarded for performing well even if they don't win the million.
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Offline apskip

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #44 on: December 01, 2011, 03:14:46 PM »
The only 3 teams who didn't taste victory that season was Debra and Steve, Russell and Cindy and Monica and Sheree (nearly tasted victory if Steve and Josh didn't take the Fast Forward)

Huh! With the FAST FORWARD going to Steve and Josh, Monica and Sheree were 54 minutes behind them, 2 minutes ahead of Reichen and Chip and 6 minutes ahead of Tian and Jaree. The more telling statistic is that in the first leg they managed to fall 57 minutes behind Steve and Josh, Amanda and Chris and Millie and Chuck DESPITE WINNING THE FAST FORWARD. I can say with conviction that they do belong on the list of teams who did not deserve to win any leg of AR4.


Offline Jobby

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #45 on: December 01, 2011, 09:53:58 PM »
The only 3 teams who didn't taste victory that season was Debra and Steve, Russell and Cindy and Monica and Sheree (nearly tasted victory if Steve and Josh didn't take the Fast Forward)

Huh! With the FAST FORWARD going to Steve and Josh, Monica and Sheree were 54 minutes behind them, 2 minutes ahead of Reichen and Chip and 6 minutes ahead of Tian and Jaree. The more telling statistic is that in the first leg they managed to fall 57 minutes behind Steve and Josh, Amanda and Chris and Millie and Chuck DESPITE WINNING THE FAST FORWARD. I can say with conviction that they do belong on the list of teams who did not deserve to win any leg of AR4.

What I was saying, was IF Steve and Josh didn't take Leg 3 Fast Forward, they could have tasted victory since they came in second at the pitstop. This is an IF situation.

And on the first leg, they took the Fast Forward because they were on one of the last bus, so they were afraid of being eliminated and took the FF. If they didn't take it, they could be eliminated too and not Debra and Steve if something went bad for them during their last tasks to the pitstop. They didn't FALL behind, they were trying to CATCH up on the teams in front. Their aim with the Fast Forward then was not to WIN the leg but to SURVIVE the leg.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2011, 01:57:18 AM by Joab »

Offline Best Loser

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #46 on: December 01, 2011, 10:08:09 PM »
Actually they were on the second bus, there was still another bus behind. They had no chance of winning with the Fast Forward and were in no danger of elimination. I think the fact that they came in 4th is less telling of them being a bad team for not winning and more telling of how unbelievably slow Team ATC was.

Offline Jobby

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #47 on: December 01, 2011, 10:12:57 PM »
Okay, I remembered them mentioning about how the times of the second and third bus was really close so they wanted to pull apart from the rest of the pack. I believe they knew something could happen on the race and their main ultimate aim was definitely not to win the leg but to survive it with a lead going into the second leg. But apskip have phrased it in his post it seems like he thought they didn't deserve to win any legs at all because even with the FF, they didn't win the leg. That was an unfair statement to Monica and Sheree, I believe.

Offline apskip

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #48 on: December 02, 2011, 02:13:17 PM »
I have phrased it the way I saw it. Taking a FAST FORWARD and then finishing in 4th place almost 1 hour behind is unbelievably bad performance no matter how you try to spin it. Most FAST FORWARDs are set up to have the teams that win them have a 2 to 3 hour lead, although there have been some exceptions (Bill/Joe into Krabi in AR1 the most noteworthy due to their not getting started from Bangkok to southern Thailand immediately and falling 8.5 hours behind the new leaders).

Offline Jobby

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Re: Some interesting (and some not so interesting) facts and records!
« Reply #49 on: December 02, 2011, 02:18:14 PM »
Quote
Most FAST FORWARDs are set up to have the teams that win them have a 2 to 3 hour lead

Dustin and Kandice beat Tyler and James and Rob and Kimberly to the pitstop even though the other two teams won the Fast Forward.

Uchenna and Joyce shaved their head and checked in one minute ahead of Rob and Amber and 2 minutes ahead of Ron and Kelly.

There are also more instances of teams winning the Fast Forward and only gaining a small lead.

Of course you can argue that in this case there are also MANY teams who took the Fast Forward and gained a huge lead, but for Monica and Sheree, they were already not in first place at that point of time as they were on the second bus. And in case you didn't realize, many Fast Forwards in the previous seasons were normally won by the teams who arrived at the FF task first. The Fast Forward could have been one of those which we have seen on the race that doesn't give you much of a lead, like that of Tyler and James, Rob and Kimberly and Uchenna and Joyce. So if they're not in first place then, and that the FF is already unable to propel them forward even if they took it, how is it their fault?