# TAR Finale! 02/08/05 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004 "2005-02-08T15:41:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/41 "2005-02-09T05:26:00Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > I just want to add that I have lived in Chicago for 23 years and I have never heard of “Ping Tom” park. Also, how did Kris and Jon end up in the middle of nowhere looking for a cab right after getting their clue at the base of the Water Tower? That is right on Michigan Avenue. You can’t go three feet without finding a cab. And finally, what was up with Kendra gaggiing on the Gino’s East pizza? That is some fine 'za if you ask me. The owners of Gino’s cannot be too happy at the reactions of the contestants as they ate the pizza. I lived there for 7 years and I second your comment regarding Ping Tom park. I also wondered about how Kris and Jon as well as Adam and Rebecca ended up in the middle of nowhere looking for a cab with the Sears tower far away in the background. Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/42 "2005-02-09T06:58:50Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Y’know…I kinda feel bad for Hayden–when she’s not freaking, she’s actually pretty cool (she was, early on, my fav). I wonder if she has some kinda anxiety disorder? Kudos to Aaron and Hayden for a very class (even without the proposal) exit. This is the way it should be done, folks. (And it’s _only_ a 4 hour penalty? That’s nuthin. Yeah, I kind of got the impression that she has some anxiety disorder when she made the comment about having 9 panic attacks that day. I was impressed with their exit though, and actually everybody else’s behaviour as well, with the exception of all the “it’s an emergency” bs. As for the result, I would’ve preferred to see Kris and Jon win, but I can live with this. Oh, and I got a good laugh this morning, when the tv columnist for the Globe and Mail proved that he hadn’t actually watched any of this season of the Amazing Race before writing about it. He was discussing the remaining teams, and said: > [@](#): > > The smart money is on Adam and Rebecca, a former couple. They got their fighting out of the way before the competition began. That gave me the little bit of humour I needed to get myself out the door and off to work today. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/43 "2005-02-09T07:11:30Z")
I admire my fellow Dopers for their ability to take the long view: It really is a race, not a popularity contest, and the team that crossed first won, plain and simple, even if I would rather have Kris and whatever money I had in the bank than KKKendra and a million dollars. A truly gripping finale. During the eternal ad break twenty minutes before the hour, I was unable to remain in my seat. Oh, and before I forget: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! And one more thing: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/44 "2005-02-09T08:20:01Z")
Note to CBS: Next time you show an eating challenge, do NOT cut to a commercial with a baby throwing up. YECKKK!!! I’m not as big a Kris & Jon fan as most people but I’m pissed they screwed it up and lost. They ran so smart the whole race, why’d they have to put their brain on hold in the home stretch? Especially since their final cab driver (who seemed to speak less English than most cabs in foreign countries, not that it’s that big of a surprise lol) hit them with a nice dose of Karma from the Breeding Gods. And yeah, I heard that train whistle in the background too…K/J were a good 5-10 minutes behind. It would have been cooler if the train blocked Freddy & Kendra too. Or if they tried to beat the train and got puree’d into KKKendra Pizza. Heh…sorry, had a “Banned From Television” flashback… Best line of the episode: _“He’s got three testicles!!”_ A/H actually made a smart decision at the Roadblock – with 7 p.m. fast approaching, I too would have rolled the dice and taken the penalty, hoping that A/R don’t find the right lock in time. Otherwise it’s a footrace if you’re BOTH snookered. Not that it made any difference, of course. I do gotta say Adam was the Ultimate MegaBitch, yelling and screaming at his partner like that. I actually felt sorry for Rebecca, and that’s saying A LOT! (And it’s too bad no one was around to hear me say, “Y’know, if she keeps twisting the key in the lock like that she’s gonna br–ohhh, shit.”) ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/45 "2005-02-09T13:34:47Z")
Ya know, this was not TAR’s best season. Still, it shows how good this show is that even with this group of lame contestants, I was getting excited at the end. Favorite bit (paraphrased): Kris: I think Jon was afraid that the race would turn me into a raving bitch. Adam: That’s Rebecca on a good day. Rebecca: _glare_ Ha! Maybe he did have three testicles after all. I think he grew a pair right there. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/46 "2005-02-09T13:39:09Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > And finally, what was up with Kendra gaggiing on the Gino’s East pizza? That is some fine 'za if you ask me. The owners of Gino’s cannot be too happy at the reactions of the contestants as they ate the pizza. To be fair, though, I like the Chicago deep dish pizza, too, but once I’ve had enough, I’ve had enough. If I had to eat a lot of it when I wasn’t very hungry, I’d have done the same thing and I like that stuff. Also, I’ll throw out another marriage proposal to Kris if she’s reading this. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/47 "2005-02-09T13:52:48Z")
Welp, I was a little bummer that Kris and Jon didn’t pull it off, but it was a good finale overall. At least they have about 6 vacations to enjoy after the race. I’m glad Freddie and Kendra won instead of Adam and Rebeccer (tm Phil). Yeah Kendra was a little princessy at times, but I think she got a bad rap. The worst of her comments (they keep…BREEDING) were made when she was very uncomfortable and even afraid with her surroundings. I’ll be very surprised if she doesn’t apologize for the comment in the interviews over the next few days. This was a funny episode too. Loved the cab drivers in China. Kris and Jon’s Chinese-inspired exchange was hilarious. Adam and Rebecca were on a roll too. Anyone notice that Adam mentioned he finished all his crust at the pizza place? His mom must be bursting with pride. 😃 I was a little disappointed that the last challenge was to eat a couple of pieces of pizza. Hard to shove it down that fast? Yeah probably, but still I would have liked to see something more interesting to watch. Kendra made some odd sounds there though didn’t she? :eek: Great to see the other teams at the finish line, especially poor Lena and Kristy. They were robbed I tells ya! :mad: Ok, apparently I still need more time to heal. Not great to see \* and Victoria. Fortunately, the Race and Survivor are the only shows I watch on CBS, so I won’t have to see any more commercials for their appearance on the Dr. Phil show (nor the show itself natch). I want them off my TV forever. Next time on the Amazing Race - Rahb and Ambuh? Not real sure how I feel about that yet. I guess we’ll wait and see. See ya in three weeks! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/48 "2005-02-09T14:31:58Z")
Overall, not great but tolerable. Freddie and Kendra raced well. And she did provide ne humorous moment this episode. When they were talking about the pizza in the cab, Freddie said if she couldn’t eat it, she could throw it up later. She gave a little smile that mean, to me, “I’m a model. This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done that!” And how awesome was it to see that one of the POWs from Iraqi Freedom is a racer? I think he was one of the two Chopper Pilots that got captured. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/49 "2005-02-09T14:40:29Z")
asking for a police escort in a race?? Baby, what are you thinking?? They must have had the mic right next to KKKendra’s mouth. Those growls were loud. That was a pretty big park, it’s surprising no one knew about it. I think I already hate Rob & Ambuh. I hope they get eliminated pronto. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/50 "2005-02-09T14:48:01Z")
> [@The Big Cheese](#): > > asking for a police escort in a race?? Baby, what are you thinking?? Strange that Kendra was the voice of reason at that point… > [@](#): > > I think I already hate Rob & Ambuh. I hope they get eliminated pronto. Awww. ☹ I LIKE Rob. He’s my _paisan_. HOLY CANNOLIS! ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/51 "2005-02-09T15:08:17Z")
> [@The Big Cheese](#): > > I think I already hate Rob & Ambuh. I hope they get eliminated pronto. I was almost willing to give them the benefit of a Brand New Show, and then in the preview clip Amber, who can’t be more than 110 pounds soaking wet, made a remark about looking forward to being able to lose some weight in the race. Hate hate hate! ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/52 "2005-02-09T15:08:59Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > Welp, I was a little bummer that Kris and Jon didn’t pull it off, but it was a good finale overall. At least they have about 6 vacations to enjoy after the race. > > I’m glad Freddie and Kendra won instead of Adam and Rebeccer (tm Phil). Yeah Kendra was a little princessy at times, but I think she got a bad rap. The worst of her comments (they keep…BREEDING) were made when she was very uncomfortable and even afraid with her surroundings. I’ll be very surprised if she doesn’t apologize for the comment in the interviews over the next few days. Yeah, I was rooting for Kris and Jon to pull it off, and I’m sad that they didn’t. That said, I’m not really disappointed that Freddy and Kendra won. Freddy seems like an OK kind of guy, occasional outbursts of stupid aside (and, hey! who doesn’t have occasional outbursts of stupid?). Kendra, I think, just needs to learn how to be more dipomatic. I hated her “breeding” comment, and the same kind of non-thinking led to last night’s (paraphrasing) “Freddy’s proven that he’s worthy of impregnating me” comment, which is just… yeek. I know what you meant to say, princess, but Goddam, that makes you sound unbearably snobbish. Anyway, fact of the matter is that Freddy and Kendra plain out-raced Kris and Jon on the final leg, which is when it counted. I liked Kris and Jon better, but TAR ain’t a beauty pageant; it’s a race. So good going and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Illinois\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Illinois\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illinois_Boy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/53 "2005-02-09T15:17:13Z")
Not thrilled about the ending. I must remember to never say “I’ll be OK if anybody but \ wins!” during a final episode, because somehow those words open up a rip in the space-time continuum, manipulating reality to ensure that the aforementioned \ wins every time. One quick thing to add about Jon and Kris. They have been dating long distance for some time, and don’t get a lot of time together. My friend’s sister works on TAR and let us know that every chance J&K got where they could find an off-camera spot, they slipped away for some canoodling. Helps explain their consistently positive attitude (and maybe a little fatigue)! Still, they did make two big mistakes this episode, but maybe someday in the future, they can swing back around to Hawaii to punch that ticket guy in the nose. ---
**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/54 "2005-02-09T15:30:46Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > “This man is truly worthy to have my children”?!?!?!?!?!?!?! > > I felt like Kendra felt after the pizza when I heard that one. SHE’S GONNA BREEEEEEEED!! > > Okay, truthfully, just as I felt at the end of the last Race about the possibility of Colin & Christie winning, I’m okay with this. I’d have LIKED Jon & Kris to win, but the thing about TAR is that it’s truly about who runs the best race, not about being nice or being nasty or stabbing people in the back or lying to their face. And the only thing that decides worthiness to win in a race is whether you came in first without cheating. And F & K did. End of story. > > I’m ready for the next one, Mr. Bruckheimer… Bwaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha! That WAS the best line of the ENTIRE race, I thought. How lucky can one girl be? A share of a million bucks and a slave to bear her children! Wow! I live in Milwaukee and I have never heard of Ping Tom Memorial Park. What an odd choice for the race ending. I would have loved for it to have ended in Millennium Park. Now THAT would have been a great choice! (But probably too many Chicagoans would have known who won the race and then wouldn’t actually watch the show! Fooey!) ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/55 "2005-02-09T15:34:03Z")
Do the runners-up win anything? Is there a tiered prize system for _The Amazing Race_ like for _Survivor?_ ---
**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/56 "2005-02-09T15:38:26Z")
> [@Fiver](#): > > Do the runners-up win anything? Is there a tiered prize system for _The Amazing Race_ like for _Survivor?_ If there isn’t, there should be. And I’m going to stick my neck out a bit here and say that I was pleased that Adam grew up during this race. He started out as a whiney baby mama’s boy and he actually grew some cojones during this ordeal. He and Rebecca may have come in third, but I think for him that’s a life-altering accomplishment! Well done! ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/57 "2005-02-09T15:39:27Z")
Well, now that it’s all over, I think it’s time to revisit [this concept](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5819001#post5819001). Oh, and if anyone wants to start a thread on it, the [TAR7 site](http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race7) is already up, complete with bios. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/58 "2005-02-09T15:46:01Z")
> [@scotandrsn](#): > > Oh, and if anyone wants to start a thread on it, the [TAR7 site](http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race7) is already up, complete with bios. [Already done.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=301483) ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/59 "2005-02-09T16:28:10Z")
I hated the last challenge! Eat a pizza? Come on, they could have figured out something a little more challenging than that! At least if they had had a challenge that required more time and skill, it wouldn’t have come down to who had the faster train or the better cab driver. Besides, then Kris and Jon would have won. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004/60 "2005-02-09T16:32:51Z")
Rebecca may be manipulative and evil, but jeez she’s a hoot. That “3 testicles” line was hilarious. As was Jon & Kris’s English-as-Chinese conversation. I love those guys. How could a cabdriver not know how to find the Terra Cotta Warrior place? Isn’t it like the biggest attraction in Xi’an? Wouldn’t that be like a cabdriver in Orlando not knowing the way to DisneyWorld? Despite all the airport drama, we wound up with two teams on the same train from the airport…then J&K lost the million between the train and the water tower. Bummer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-finale-02-08-05/289004.md?page=4)