Now let me share my thoughts about the several gender discrimination comments. Is this the Amazing Race or the watered-down-so-female-teams-might-possibly-win race? I rest my case.
And we disagree on something again.
I understand what you meant apskip and i absolutely agree with your point of view that the race should not be designed in such a way that it is meant for the girls to win.
Last season, they tackled the problem really well by casting 3 fit, atheletic all-female teams... which proved that good casting and fit all-female teams do go far in the race.. and they can handle the physical tasks well too. Although they shouldn't always keep the all-female team casting in this category (then we won't have our Bowling Moms and Charla and Mirna love...), but it seems that this is the only way to keep the race fair?
Because in terms of physical strength related tasks... it always goes like this...
Alpha males >>> Alpha females / Non-alpha males >>> Non-alpha females
So the girls are always at a losing end no matter what when it always comes to strength/brawn related task... and thus TAR producers need to keep these tasks at a fair playing ground, and that was mainly what my gender-discrimination comment was about.. (and probably for others as well) When it comes to Detour wise, it has always not been a problem because there's always normally a strength related one and the other one which required nothing but just a waste of time. But in terms of Roadblock.. TAR producers need to be careful with the strength challenge they place on the race simply because.. only one team member can do it and once it has been decided, the decision cannot be change. But then, one can always opt for a 4 hours Roadblock penalty, which is not much of a big deal if it's a NEL.
All i can say is.. Maria and Tiff were just unlucky that both tasks sort of required strength this leg and that they had no choice but to give up on both task because they tried so hard and simply cannot complete either. And with bad weather conditions to add to their pain.. completing the Detour became even harder for them as well..