Mark Holtz
05-22-03, 02:07 AM
Welcome to DBSTalk's Amazing Race contest. I'm looking forward to running this contest (and learning from my mistakes), although I have the funny feeling that Notepad and Excel will be my best friends. :) Expect some minor tweaking to the rules as we go along.
This contest will be different from the Amazon contest. Each time you vote in a poll, you will get a "entry" in the drawing at the end. Participate in all of the polls, and you will be eligible for the grand prize.
So, what could I come up with in terms of prizes. After all, it is a sequel, and we're dealing with teams of two people. Well, how about this:
Grand Prize: The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers Theatrical Release widescreen DVD and Extended Edition DVDs. (both when released)
Prize: The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers Theatrical Release widescreen DVD. (when released)
(Additional prizes may be provided)
Since I tend to put my money where my mouth is, I am providing the prizes.
I've posted the first polls one week prior to the airing, and at midnight PT no less. Each of the following week's polls will be posted after the episode airs on the Sacramento, CA CBS station.
Good luck!
Now, if you haven't seen the previous series of The Amazing Race, here is some background:
The Amazing Race is a CBS reality show in which 12 Teams of 2 people, each with a pre-existing relationship, will set out on THE AMAZING RACE around the world to compete for one million dollars. Using a series of clues and route markers, temas must accomplish a series of tasks (some of which are very unusual) and travel to various locations, with each leg ending at a Pit Stop. At the beginning of each leg of the race, teams are given a limited amount of cash to cover all expenses EXCEPT airline travel. Teams can book airline tickets, but are restricted to Economy Class tickets. Some of the terns used:
A LEG of the race is the journey from one pit stop to the next pit stop (except, of course, the first episode, which is the stating point to the first pit stop, and the final episode, which is from the final pit stop to the finish line).
A DETOUR is a choice between two different tasks which both team members choose a task. One detour had Teams to choose between "wings" or "wheels." Wings involved a jump from an airplane at 10,000 feet, skydiving in tandem with an instructor. This would land the Teams at the next Route Marker. Wheels was safer, but slower: Teams choosing this option rode a donkey cart on a seven-mile course with a driver who could speak no English.
A ROADBLOCK is a task that only one team member can complete while the other team member can only watch. Each team member is given a vague description such as "The person must have long arms and fast feet". For that Road Block, that person had to enter a soccer goal and block one penalty kick from a teenage soccer player, not an easy task in a country where kids begin playing soccer almost as soon as they can walk.
A FAST FORWARD, once obtained, allows the team to skip all tasks during a leg of the race and go directly to the pit stop. However, only one fast forward is available during each leg, and once a team uses a fast forward, they can NOT use again during the race. Teams who use a fast forward usually finish first during a leg of the race, but not always. One fast forward was that teams had to find a carpet shop in Marrakech. Once there, the first Team to find the Fast Forward emblem woven into one of the carpets.
A PIT STOP is the end point of the race. Teams are required to stay 12 hours at a pit stop PLUS any penalty time and MINUS any time due to production delays. The team who arrives last at a pit stop is usually eliminated from the race.
A PENALTY is assessed when a team improperly performs a task which cause a unfair advantage, such as taking a taxi instead of walking to a pit stop as instructed (walk being definated as travel by foot as opposed to travel by vehicle), or not following a perscribed route. Teams are assessed a 30 minute penalty plus any time gained. While this may affect placement of the teams in a race, in episode 4 of The Amazing Race 3 (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race3/show/episode04/ar3story01.shtml), all teams arrived within a 31 minute time span. Because of the penalty, the first team to arrive became the last team, and was eliminated from the race.
A FLAGRANT PENALTY is when a team blantanly violated the rules. This usually results in a 24 HOUR time penalty and possible elimination from the race. This had occurred in episode 9 of the first Amazing Race (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/show/week09/story01.shtml), because one team made a conscious decision not to do the required Detour task, they would receive a twenty-four hour penalty, required by the rules for any decision to skip a task.
One other rule note from Amazing Race 3: If a car breaks down through no fault of the team or becomes completely inoperable, a replacement car may be given at the team's request. However, no time credit will be given for this unlucky situation.
This contest will be different from the Amazon contest. Each time you vote in a poll, you will get a "entry" in the drawing at the end. Participate in all of the polls, and you will be eligible for the grand prize.
So, what could I come up with in terms of prizes. After all, it is a sequel, and we're dealing with teams of two people. Well, how about this:
Grand Prize: The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers Theatrical Release widescreen DVD and Extended Edition DVDs. (both when released)
Prize: The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers Theatrical Release widescreen DVD. (when released)
(Additional prizes may be provided)
Since I tend to put my money where my mouth is, I am providing the prizes.
I've posted the first polls one week prior to the airing, and at midnight PT no less. Each of the following week's polls will be posted after the episode airs on the Sacramento, CA CBS station.
Good luck!
Now, if you haven't seen the previous series of The Amazing Race, here is some background:
The Amazing Race is a CBS reality show in which 12 Teams of 2 people, each with a pre-existing relationship, will set out on THE AMAZING RACE around the world to compete for one million dollars. Using a series of clues and route markers, temas must accomplish a series of tasks (some of which are very unusual) and travel to various locations, with each leg ending at a Pit Stop. At the beginning of each leg of the race, teams are given a limited amount of cash to cover all expenses EXCEPT airline travel. Teams can book airline tickets, but are restricted to Economy Class tickets. Some of the terns used:
A LEG of the race is the journey from one pit stop to the next pit stop (except, of course, the first episode, which is the stating point to the first pit stop, and the final episode, which is from the final pit stop to the finish line).
A DETOUR is a choice between two different tasks which both team members choose a task. One detour had Teams to choose between "wings" or "wheels." Wings involved a jump from an airplane at 10,000 feet, skydiving in tandem with an instructor. This would land the Teams at the next Route Marker. Wheels was safer, but slower: Teams choosing this option rode a donkey cart on a seven-mile course with a driver who could speak no English.
A ROADBLOCK is a task that only one team member can complete while the other team member can only watch. Each team member is given a vague description such as "The person must have long arms and fast feet". For that Road Block, that person had to enter a soccer goal and block one penalty kick from a teenage soccer player, not an easy task in a country where kids begin playing soccer almost as soon as they can walk.
A FAST FORWARD, once obtained, allows the team to skip all tasks during a leg of the race and go directly to the pit stop. However, only one fast forward is available during each leg, and once a team uses a fast forward, they can NOT use again during the race. Teams who use a fast forward usually finish first during a leg of the race, but not always. One fast forward was that teams had to find a carpet shop in Marrakech. Once there, the first Team to find the Fast Forward emblem woven into one of the carpets.
A PIT STOP is the end point of the race. Teams are required to stay 12 hours at a pit stop PLUS any penalty time and MINUS any time due to production delays. The team who arrives last at a pit stop is usually eliminated from the race.
A PENALTY is assessed when a team improperly performs a task which cause a unfair advantage, such as taking a taxi instead of walking to a pit stop as instructed (walk being definated as travel by foot as opposed to travel by vehicle), or not following a perscribed route. Teams are assessed a 30 minute penalty plus any time gained. While this may affect placement of the teams in a race, in episode 4 of The Amazing Race 3 (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race3/show/episode04/ar3story01.shtml), all teams arrived within a 31 minute time span. Because of the penalty, the first team to arrive became the last team, and was eliminated from the race.
A FLAGRANT PENALTY is when a team blantanly violated the rules. This usually results in a 24 HOUR time penalty and possible elimination from the race. This had occurred in episode 9 of the first Amazing Race (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/show/week09/story01.shtml), because one team made a conscious decision not to do the required Detour task, they would receive a twenty-four hour penalty, required by the rules for any decision to skip a task.
One other rule note from Amazing Race 3: If a car breaks down through no fault of the team or becomes completely inoperable, a replacement car may be given at the team's request. However, no time credit will be given for this unlucky situation.