(S16E06) I realize, for the most part, sometimes the folks on the West Coast are envious of us in the East. After all, we get to watch our favorite shows three hours earlier than they do! Sure, we can give breaking news on spoilers like "Phil was at the welcome mat with a mime." But there's a huge drawback to viewing our favorite shows here in the New York City area.

It's called sports. It doesn't matter what sport either. Sooner or later, golf, basketball, football, baseball or another fan-driven game with its overpaid pseudo-celebrities delay our favorite reality shows with their own pseudo-celebs. Tonight, 'The Amazing Race' was delayed nearly an hour due to March Madness. That's aptly named as I get mad every March at basketball.

Still in France?
Now, perhaps I'm misremembering or senility has set in. But, didn't they travel a lot more in previous seasons? The last few seasons have had multi-legs set in a single country. This season, we already spent two legs in Chile. Last week, the teams did battle in France; this week, they get to see a bit more of the countryside in France. Yet they don't get to experience Paris in the spring, as they don't even get a hundred miles away from where they started in the leg. It's still one of my favorite shows, but it's been lacking that whirlwind adrenalin rush as of late.

Joan of Arc ... is that the one who loaded all the animals?
Oh my. Since I watch 'Big Brother,' I wasn't really surprised that Jordan mixed up Noah's Ark and Joan of Arc. I guess I shouldn't be shocked that Caite, the former Miss South Carolina Teen USA who thought people don't know geography because they don't have maps, also had the Noah's Ark mix-up in mind. Brent wasn't much better. What are they teaching these days? Nintendo? Texting? The brothers, Dan and Jordan, were just about as dense when one mentioned that "They don't speak English too good here" while in France. Well, duh!

At least we had both a roadblock and a detour
I griped last week because they only had a detour. Thankfully, we're back to both challenges this week. I like the tasks for different reasons. While each challenge gives us a peek into the culture or people in the country at hand, the choices made and the team member who does roadblocks tend to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The roadblock came first this week. While Jeff is sort of claustrophobic and leery of heights, he took on rappelling down a shaft into a champagne cellar just because Jordan didn't want to do it. How gallant! The other Jordan was upset that he was doing the task and whined. Jeff was actually funny with his own sort of Chicago "why me" fussing. Jordan, not so much. Carol and Brandy, and Caite and Brent, tend to whine and bicker too much for my liking. The cowboys, Jet and Cord, seem equally adapted to do pretty much anything thrown their way.The cops, as well as Steve and Allie, seem to take all in stride -- even to the point of fixing Steve's car crunch with duct tape.

The detour was trickier. Even getting to it was tricky, as it appears two places in separate towns have the same name. One is a winery and one is a castle. Locals gave most of the teams the wrong location. Louie and Michael managed to find a local to lead them to the right place. But, once there ... I don't know why teams constantly walk by clues, but they always do. Searching for a marked bunch of grapes in a huge field or stacking a 15-tier champagne tower (then pouring champagne in it)? I'd have to go for the grape bunches myself, wouldn't you? I only hope I wouldn't foolishly walk by a dozen clue bunches while searching thoroughly for the same!

The first shall be first and the last shall be last
For the third time, the cops finished first. It was a combination of starting out first and generally following the clues well. They only stumbled in the detour. Although they did well, I'm still not getting million dollar vibes from the team. I enjoy watching them and all, but think that the cowboys work just as well together, as do Steve and Allie. The teams I would like to see go home -- mostly Carol and Brandy, but more Caite and Brent, didn't. Carol and Brandy, bickering and whining, did well in the leg. Although I liked Brent and Caite in the beginning, their relationship is starting to get on my nerves.

The Pit Stop order
1. Louie and Michael -- each won a trip for two to Mexico
2. Carol and Brandy
3. Steve and Allie
4. Jet and Cord
5. Dan and Jordan
6. Brent and Caite
7. Jeff and Jordan -- Philiminated

I'm sorry to see them go because I enjoy watching them. Jordan tends to make me giggle, and Jeff is always nice eye candy. But they weren't the strongest team. I don't think the strongest team has come in first the last three weeks either.