The Amazing Race > The Amazing Race Discussion
Ranking the Teams -- A basis for comparing all teams (TAR 1 - 33)
georgiapeach:
:bigwelcome to RFF almightyblue!
theschnauzers:
I'm not going to belabor my point, but I'm segregating this particular objective methodology from my and anyone else's subjective opinions about who really were the "better" teams. That's a debate that is going to repeat itself every season, and as opinion, there's never going to be unanimous agreement on that labeling. All I have said is that this ranking system is a tool, and I've tried my best to have something that handles the variations in the Race from season to season in a reasonably consistent manner. I didn't come to that conclusion overnight (after all, I started in season three, and I wasn't satisfied that this approach offers some insights with all the variations created by Bert, Elise and Company until the last couple of seasons.
I also have a thread going about assessing teams in terms of identifiable Racer skills (which I label as "Racer mechanics") and I fully concede that that is a far more subjective approach, but it does offer insights about which teams ought to be able to finish higher over the course of a Race, and how to assess the "flaws" teams may have as Racers. But even there, different people are going to have different views about what those skills are and what skills different teams have.
That said, I wasn't as impressed with Charla and Mirna as Racers in season five or eleven, but that's just my opinion; and I don't think the fact that you view them differently can be used as an argument against the objective approach used in this ranking methodology.
mswood:
I have to seriously disagree about Charla & Mirna. They raced incredibly poorly (especially in season 11). Sure they made the final three but many teams that underperform make the final three.
When you break down the episodes and figure out the time to complete the days events Charla & Mirna were consistently one of the slowest teams.
They have two saving graces, that was the ability (on occasion to get help from locals, other times not at all as they can be very abrasive) and the ability to get themselves either good flights or bumped over others on those flights.
They are poor navigators, poor drivers, and didn't perform great on many tasks.
Episode 1: The only thing Charla & Mirna did superior to Eric & Danielle was getting to the airport. It took Charla & Mirna 56 minutes longer to finish that leg.
Leg 2: Early task who knows Charla was given the answer by Mary she never figured it out, so we can't actually judge how they would have done it. But even equalized at the very next part took them 21 minutes longer to perform the bulk of the days task (which they actually did themselves).
Leg 3: Remove the advantage Eric & Danielle had with an earlier flight and they still finished the leg an hour faster then Charla & Mirna.
Leg 4: When erasing flight times (which advantage is still Eric & Dani's) Eric & Danielle still complete the days tasks much faster the Charla & Mirna who handle especially teh first part of the days tasks poorly. And finish the 2nd half slower then Eric & Danielle as well.
Episode 5. Equalized by Hours of Operation, Eric & Dani finish the first part of the leg with a considerable lead over Charla & Mirna. The 2nd half of the leg, thanks primarily to a better choice in detour (where they were behind up to getting to that point) they end up with a lead of probably of about an hour and 15 minutes. It ended up being a very good leg (after being a very poor leg for Charla & Mirna).
Leg 6. FLight Hell Part 1, Now racers disagree on how Charla & Mirna got their tickets, but lets give them the benefit of the doubt. As for the days tasks, difficult to judge as the only times we have our with the boats (and unless they kept a strict time) then its impossible to say. If the boats took the same amount of time to travel then the team that actually performed the tasks fastest out of all of them was actual was Eric & Danielle. But I still say give credit to Charla & Mirna on this one.
Leg 7. Charla & Mirna ran an incredible poor leg, they took more then 2 hors longer then any team to perform the tasks of the day, Eric & Danielle were 2nd fastest with only Dustin & Kandice who ran a near perfect leg doing better. It took Charla & Mirna over 3 hours and 30 minutes longer then Eric & Dani to perform that legs tasks.
Leg 8. Equalized Charla & Mirna finished the leg 6 minutes ahead of Eric & Danielle. A serious point (based on clip footage during the actual episode, not Pit Stop) Eric deliberately took his time to get rid of the Guidos as they were tied together for the intersection (one of the few times you could actively hurt another team within the rules). It might be crappy sportsmanship, but he did it.
Leg 9. With a strong move on flights Charla & Mirna got a 2 hour and forty minute lead on all teams, Eric & Danielle suffered a yield of 20 - 30 minutes. So how long did it take each team to perform the days task? Charla & Mirna 8 hours ad 44 minutes. Eric & Danielle 5 hours and 45-55 minutes (depending on the length of the YIeld). In fact its possible even with a huge lead if it wasn't for the Yield Eric & Danielle could have finished the leg in 2nd place.
Leg 10. It actually took both teams an equal amount of time to perform the days tasks. Thanks to Charla & Mirna jumping over Eric & Danielle who were on the standby list before them they ended the leg faster (they also did this in season 5).
Leg 11. Starting the leg (from the first tasks) 30 minutes after the first team, getting yielded (again 20-30 minutes) and 30 minute penalty from the previous leg) Eric & Dani actually performed the days tasks faster then any team (even though they ended 3rd).
Leg 12. Teams get equalized at the starting point for the days tasks Eric & Dani perform the days tasks 34 minutes faster then Charla & Mirna.
Leg 13. Thanks to their strength in flights Charla & Mirna get a lead of 50 minutes, that thanks to bunching is cut down to 10 minutes staggered departure. At the ship task they lose their ten minute lead, Eric & Danielle manage to make that up just on the job before getting to the ship. They far exceed Charla & Mirna on the rowing, I would assume they manage to gain another ten on the job back. They then have another task of driving and walking, diving, swimming and walking and driving back to the airport. I would assume that Eric & Danielle manage to increase their lead her as well as driving and walking/ running are not Charla & Mirna's strong suit. It is very, very possible their full lead (from the earlier flight is gone). The rest of the leg, they end up according to racers about 20 -30 minutes later then Eric & Danielle in getting to the Matt (they also never manage to finish that final task, which I still can't believe teams got to leave without completing). So no matter how you feel about the episode even with an earlier flight and the full amount of that lead, Eric & Dani would have raced the strongest leg on that leg as well.
There is just no real evidence when either just taking simply things like Pit Stop Placement, taking time to complete the days tasks, ect that Charla & Mirna are even close to Eric & Danielle. And Eric & Jeremy were a much, much stronger team then Eric & Danielle it's not even close according to the racers themselves.
Now I thank they had more to overcome and that many people like them, but the facts as presented on the show (again those can be in error, but its what we have to work with) don't present them as a strong team. Except of course in arranging flights (in which they do seem to have very strong skills both in research and persuasion.
mswood:
Oops, Sorry.
Hooky:
I agree with mswood. Eric & Danielle may very well have been that season's strongest team (or tied with Dustin & Kandice and Rob & Amber), not counting their truly awful luck. This is why placement is not always a good indicator of racing skill. But what other truly objective measurement do we have?
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