# The Amazing Race 10/16/2011: This Is Gonna Be A Fine Mess **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 17, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866 "2011-10-17T01:16:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [October 17, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/41 "2011-10-17T18:11:32Z")
> [@YoSaffBridge](#): > > I’m not getting the toe-the-mat thing. Yes, they always used to sort of jump onto the mat, but in this episode, they were just off the mat. When did that start? The mat was on a giant floating platform. I’m going to guess they all thought (or were told) jumping was a bad idea. ---
**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:** [October 17, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/42 "2011-10-17T18:13:27Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > The mat was on a giant floating platform. I’m going to guess they all thought (or were told) jumping was a bad idea. They did it last week, too, though maybe it was of a piece with the “no running” thing. If I DVRed the eps, I’d go back and see if they did it in the 1st and 2nd eps, also. ETA: And that giant floating platform has soccer games played on it, so I’m guessing it’s stabilized enough to handle two people hopping onto the mat. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/43 "2011-10-17T18:20:28Z")
I sort of wonder if the mat thing is to make it easier to get the reaction shots. If they’re on the mat and get too close to the greeters, their camera operator would not as easily catch them. Adding a little space might give them a better shot. Or maybe Phil just doesn’t want to be touched anymore. (I imagine an AD prison guard saying “No Touching!”) ---
**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:** [October 17, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/44 "2011-10-17T18:33:07Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > ETA: And that giant floating platform has soccer games played on it, so I’m guessing it’s stabilized enough to handle two people hopping onto the mat. I realized that about five minutes after I posted what I posted. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/45 "2011-10-17T19:37:09Z")
That floating stadium made me wonder just how many soccer balls are at the bottom of the ocean in that area. Do soccer balls float? ---
**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:** [October 17, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/46 "2011-10-17T19:39:38Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > That floating stadium made me wonder just how many soccer balls are at the bottom of the ocean in that area. Do soccer balls float? As someone noted upthread, they ARE full of air. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/47 "2011-10-17T19:49:12Z")
[This video](http://www.youtube.com/user/TMBbrand) gives a little bit of history about the unusual football pitch. Yes, Soccer balls float very well ~80+% above the water. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/48 "2011-10-17T21:17:04Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Do soccer balls float? “Wilson!!” ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/49 "2011-10-17T22:18:31Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > I sort of wonder if the mat thing is to make it easier to get the reaction shots. If they’re on the mat and get too close to the greeters, their camera operator would not as easily catch them. Adding a little space might give them a better shot. I don’t know. It seems like if that were the case they might just place the mat farther away from Phil. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/50 "2011-10-17T22:43:17Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > I don’t know. It seems like if that were the case they might just place the mat farther away from Phil. I think it would be easier to move Phil. He looks like he doesn’t weigh more than about 180, tops. I have an image of one of those custom packing cases, with the foam cut out into a Phil silhouette. And the producers just pack everything up to move from city to city during the race. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/51 "2011-10-17T23:35:37Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > They did it last week, too, though maybe it was of a piece with the “no running” thing. If I DVRed the eps, I’d go back and see if they did it in the 1st and 2nd eps, also. Didn’t someone do a really bad face-plant on the mat in the last few seasons? Maybe when it’s wet/damp/etc, they tell the contestants to step on the mat? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/52 "2011-10-18T00:16:13Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > If that were their agenda, they would have done it last week. The Vegas dancers are much better looking. Great point, looks like I was just being cynical. (Though the blonde twins are a million times hotter than those fugly showgirls, your point stands.) > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Popular, hot, interesting, it’s all the same. And my point stands, for every example that people point to and say “The producers pulled out a NEL to save this popular/hot/interesting team” someone else can pull out a counterexample where a popular/hot/interesting team was eliminated early. No, popular, hot, interesting, it’s NOT all the same. Hot girls would specifically attract the NFL viewing audience who otherwise wouldn’t give the first shit about popular or interesting TAR contestants. I don’t know why you are so married to your strawman, but please get over it. ---
**Author:** ![FortMarcy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de053/32.png) [@FortMarcy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FortMarcy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866/53 "2011-10-24T01:42:09Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Incidentally, we got another “toe the mat” situation this episode. They must be telling them not to jump or hop or stomp or tread right on the mat like the teams used to do. I wonder why? Perhaps because the feet are considered profane in Thailand? It will be interesting to see what happens once they leave there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-16-2011-this-is-gonna-be-a-fine-mess/599866.md?page=2)