# TAR 3/15, plus Shirtless Gus sighting **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 15, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681 "2005-03-15T19:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/41 "2005-03-16T17:11:21Z")
Three posts in a row? Yeah, it’s crazy, but that’s because I’ve just been alerted to a MAJOR SPOILER. The bookies at [sportsbook.com](http://sportsbook.com) have stopping taking bets for this season of TAR because one team started getting major, major bets. According to [sportsbook.com](http://sportsbook.com), the winner of this season of the Amazing Race will be Uchenna and Joyce ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/42 "2005-03-16T17:16:42Z")
I for one don’t think Rob was unethical or in any way cheating. My complaint is with the game’s producers who set it up so that Rob could game te system like he did. I think Rob was pretty smart in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/43 "2005-03-16T17:22:59Z")
I have questions about two players: (1) Gretchen looks like somebody, but I can’t think of who - does anyone else see a resemblance to someone famous, and if so, to whom? and (2) How freaking smokin’ hot is Uchenna? Seriously, burping and all, the man is _en fuego_! And he is totally not my usual type. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/44 "2005-03-16T17:24:21Z")
I wanted to like Patrick and his mom. I can’t. I try. I can’t. Go goofy brothers! You make me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/45 "2005-03-16T17:49:24Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > Anyone know why the penalty was set at 4 hours, and not at “however long it takes the slowest team to complete the task”? It seems like that would make more sense: let the quitters go on to the Pit Stop, but don’t “officially” check them in until the last team has completed the task. Then, add the slowest time-to-complete on to the check-in time, and see where you end up then. It might not have changed anything in this case, but then again it might have, if it actually took Patrick 6+ hours to complete the Roadblock (which it looks like it did). > > Point is, it doesn’t seem right that a team that _ **actually completed all the tasks** _ would be eliminated, when there were other teams that didn’t who got to stay in. Especially because, really, Deana/Ray and Gretchen/Meredith didn’t even appear to try. Rob at least _tried_ to eat the yuck, for which I will give him some credit (much as I hate to do so). Sure, it looks silly **now** that they were able to take advantage of it. The producers might have to change the rules to avoid a repeat in the future. > [@zut](#): > > Now, let’s think about this eating challenge for a minute. Rob did it “the Rob way,” yes, but just how effective was that? Remember, it took Patrick over four hours to eat his four pounds. How long do you think it would have taken Deana? Five hours? Six? But Rob persuaded her to quit instead. So it’s completely possible that his scheme helped the other teams. Oh, it probably did help other teams, but you don’t keep score as you go along. You just need to NOT BE LAST. That’s why the move was kind of interesting. His move benefitted another team while at the same time benefitting himself. The most destructive thing that could have happened was for everyone to keep eating, and have everyone finish before his time was up. In retrospect we know that didn’t happen, but it COULD HAVE. What he did essentially guaranteed that he wouldn’t be last. If he HADN’T convinced another team to stop, then it’s possible (however unlikely) that what he did would have backfired if every other team had somehow figured out a way to eat within the 4 hours. Quitting was a well-calculated move. Getting another team to quit was an inspired-move. ---
**Author:** ![RitzyRae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/46 "2005-03-16T17:53:18Z")
During each episode, I flip flop back and forth on the Rob issue. He \*is \* a smart racer, so I like him. Then he nabs another team’s cab and I’m like “Slime.” Then he decides to quit and take the penalty - “Okay. Whiner.” But then he coerces other to follow - “Slime.” (Not that it was all that hard. Idiots.) I just don’t know what to think. I want people to race, but I want the race to be virtually free of pettiness. Yes, you have to plan ways to get ahead of the others, but do things that don’t \*feel \* so underhanded. I agree that the penalty is strange. I don’t like quitters, and I think that quitting should put you in grave peril of losing the race. I also agree that the eating of large amounts of crap needs to go. I’m so worried someone will encounter an allergy they didn’t know they had and die. If I want to watch people eat nasty crap, I will watch Fear Factor. It’s just stupid, and they could have them do so many other cooler things. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/47 "2005-03-16T18:13:43Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > I have questions about two players: (1) Gretchen looks like somebody, but I can’t think of who - does anyone else see a resemblance to someone famous, and if so, to whom? I think she resembles [Judi Dench](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001132/), but that could just be me. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/48 "2005-03-16T18:36:27Z")
If your four-hour penalty starts when the next team arrives at the challenge - what if you are the last team and can’t complete it? Thinking about it, maybe I can answer my own question - we saw what happened to the Pizza brothers in Egypt and the Haystack girls last season. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/49 "2005-03-16T18:37:05Z")
It’s infuriating how the other teams are so willing to let themselves be manipulated and affected by Rob and Amber’s presence. And yes, Rob was working within the rules of the Race, set up beforehand, but in my ideal world if you say “I quit,” then you deserve to go home. Most of those teams just rolled over and quit–Ray and Deana, I’m looking at you–without even taking a stab at the eating challenge. And I’m no fan of eating challenges. I think they’re pointless and gross and should no longer be a part of the show. On a brighter note, there was some seriously cool camerawork happening in the Andes, when the brothers noticed the other team floating by in their raft. Excellent work. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/50 "2005-03-16T18:40:10Z")
[QUOTE=amarinth] But it was petty revenge for having been caught lying. He lied. They called him on it. And then he got revenge (for what? he was the one who had done something wrong!) Don’t like them. But I had no problem with what they did for the penalty. QUOTE] I think that was some after the fact rationalization for “stealing” their cab. They would have done it regardless of whether he had been called a liar by that team or any other team. It’s what Rob does. Nancy & Emily’s penalty in season 1 was for skipping a task entirely, and was a Detour, not a Roadblock. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/51 "2005-03-16T18:51:41Z")
> [@Judith Prietht](#): > > And yes, Rob was working within the rules of the Race, set up beforehand, but in my ideal world if you say “I quit,” then you deserve to go home. Of course, if that were the rule, Rob wouldn’t have quit and he still would have beaten the other teams. This is kinda like intentionally walking Barry Bonds in baseball. Is it 10% spotsmanlike? Debateable. Is it a manager doing everything he can to maximize his teams chances of winning? Yes. It is a race. It is about winning. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/52 "2005-03-16T18:53:03Z")
Oops. 100%. But not 110%. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/53 "2005-03-16T18:58:25Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > If your four-hour penalty starts when the next team arrives at the challenge - what if you are the last team and can’t complete it? > > Thinking about it, maybe I can answer my own question - we saw what happened to the Pizza brothers in Egypt and the Haystack girls last season. I don’t think the Haystack Girls were the last to arrive, though. If she’d given up before the last team arrived… Hm. Did it take any of the other teams four hours to find the clue? ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/54 "2005-03-16T19:02:45Z")
If there are no other teams behind you, I imagine your penalty starts right after you quit the task. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/55 "2005-03-16T19:30:46Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I think she resembles [Judi Dench](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001132/), but that could just be me. No, that’s it! Somewhere in the back of my fragile little mind, I kept picturing Gretchen and Pierce Brosan together 😕 , and I couldn’t figure out why. Now I know. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/56 "2005-03-16T19:37:48Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > Somewhere in the back of my fragile little mind, I kept picturing Gretchen and Pierce Brosan together… Y’know, I’ll bet there’s folks somewhere on teh Intarweb that want Gretchen/Remington Steele slash, at that… ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/57 "2005-03-16T19:47:02Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I don’t think the Haystack Girls were the last to arrive, though. If she’d given up before the last team arrived… Hm. Did it take any of the other teams four hours to find the clue? No, I don’t think it did. Don & MJ took a little while, but nowhere close to 4 hours, I don’t think. Everybody else went through 10 haystacks, tops, before the found the clue. I would imagine that was, what, maybe 60 minutes at worst? And **Skammer** - The Pizza Brothers quit outright. They didn’t even try. They got to the Roadblock, did the math, and then just threw in the towel. It could have been a non-elimination leg, but they didn’t even bother to find out. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/58 "2005-03-16T19:55:51Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > And **Skammer** - The Pizza Brothers quit outright. They didn’t even try. They got to the Roadblock, did the math, and then just threw in the towel. It could have been a non-elimination leg, but they didn’t even bother to find out. The Pizza Brothers didn’t quit outright. They gave it a try, but as soon as they knew the one’s knees couldn’t make it they took a seat and waited for the Philimination House Call. I don’t think an injury should be lumped in with quitting. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/59 "2005-03-16T20:17:32Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I don’t think the Haystack Girls were the last to arrive, though. If she’d given up before the last team arrived… Hm. Did it take any of the other teams four hours to find the clue? Lena and Kristy were the [3rd team to arrive](http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race6/show/ep03/index3.shtml) at the haystacks. They spent [over 8 hours](http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race6/show/ep03/index4.shtml) unrolling hay bales to no avail. A 4 hour penalty would’ve clearly been the better choice for them to have made, if that was the rule at the time, as it is this season. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681/60 "2005-03-16T20:41:18Z")
BTW, I had to laugh at Phil when Rob and Amber showed up. He seemed genuinely amused at Rob’s antics. That was a good moment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-3-15-plus-shirtless-gus-sighting/294681.md?page=4)