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Interview With 'Amazing Race 16' Runners-Up
by Audrey Fine, posted May 11th 2010 5:30PM
They may not have snagged the $1 million purse but, as brothers Jet and Cord McCoy, a.k.a. "the cowboys," said at the end of Sunday night's 'Amazing Race 16' finale, "there's more to life than money."
And, just because they didn't finish first (that honor went to the other brothers, Jordan and Dan Pious), that doesn't mean the McCoys aren't winners. The professional cowboy and bull rider ran the race with spirit, integrity and joy, and racked up some pretty awesome prizes -- and a fervent fan base -- while they were at it.
Did seeing the world change the self-professed "Okies"? Is it true that Cord had never seen an episode of the race before he embarked on it? And, what on earth will they do with the sailboats they won?
TV Squad: Was keeping your character and integrity in tact more important to you guys than winning the money?
Cord: I think so. I definitely think so. People are going to remember your character forever. You're representing your name, your family, your friends, your state, your country. I'm pretty sure I could spend $1 million tomorrow but your character has to last forever.
TV Squad: You didn't win the $1 million but you guys did snag three awesome trips along the way: one to Chile; one to Alaska; and one to Hawaii. Any chance one of those will morph into Cord's honeymoon?
Jet: I'm pretty sure that I'll give him half of the Maui trip and Ashley and I will take the Alaska trip. She's a big hunter and likes to fish and that's supposed to be a wildlife viewing trip. It'll be a second honeymoon. We went to South Padre Island down in Texas for the first one.
TV Squad: Cord, you've said that you don't have a TV. Does that mean that you didn't know what you were in for when you embarked on the race?
Cord: Agreed. I still don't have one. Jet told me about the race and I got excited about it and knew about it. But, I'd only seen it on DVDs. I guess I didn't know how huge it was. I figured it out real quick though. When we took off running in California there were these crazy people following us with cameras and I suddenly knew.
TV Squad: Jet, you're an avid reader who cites reading as his hobby of choice. What's your all-time favorite book?
Jet: It would have to be 'The Log of a Cowboy.' It is about a boy in the 1800s that came back from the war and was looking for a job decides to go to Texas and learn to be a cowboy and ends up doing a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. And it's really neat, because it was a true story adapted from the real guy's journal, and with all of the stories of the cattle drive, it's almost like you're there driving cattle with those guys. I just love to read, although most of the stuff that I read its going to be how-to or reference type books. I don't spend hardly any time on novels, though. I'm all about the knowledge.
TV Squad: What are you guys going to do with the sailboats you won in Chile?
Jet: [Laughs] I'm thinking we're probably going to sell the sailboats. I thought about setting them in the back yard and we could have parties on them. But, nah, I don't think the sailboats won't make a big splash in Oklahoma.
TV Squad: At home, does a day ever go by where you don't wear your hat? You seemed positively uncomfortable without them during certain parts of the race.
Jet: No. Unless I don't get up. The hat hangs by the door. It's the last thing I put on before I leave the house.
TV Squad: At one point during the race, Cord, you mentioned something about a head injury. Can you tell us what happened?
Cord: Back in 2004, I came off the back of a horse and I crushed my skull into my brain and they pretty much had to cut my head open and they had to pull my skull off my brain. They didn't know if I would be able to walk and talk again or if I'd be mentally challenged. So finishing the race for me was more special than it would be for the "average bear."
TV Squad: Wow. Clearly. If you had to pick a favorite moment from the race what would it be?
Jet: I appreciate you asking that question! Every other interviewer has asked, "What was your favorite place?". Which is an entirely different question. My favorite moment was when Cord came running off the soccer field over there in Shanghai right after he had finished that puzzle. He doesn't care about puzzles and playing chess. He's way more quantitative. It's just his personality, so we'd decided going into the race that I'd do any puzzles. But then, we didn't have a choice and he went out there and attacked that thing with so much determination. It was just the coolest thing! I don't think anyone will ever realize how impressed I was with Cord at that moment.
Cord: Aw. Well, for me, one of the funniest things was that there was a "roping challenge" And we were like, "Are you kidding? That's the challenge?" Jet has been roping since he was 3. Then he missed the first one. That was a huge laugh in our family.
And, just because they didn't finish first (that honor went to the other brothers, Jordan and Dan Pious), that doesn't mean the McCoys aren't winners. The professional cowboy and bull rider ran the race with spirit, integrity and joy, and racked up some pretty awesome prizes -- and a fervent fan base -- while they were at it.
Did seeing the world change the self-professed "Okies"? Is it true that Cord had never seen an episode of the race before he embarked on it? And, what on earth will they do with the sailboats they won?
TV Squad: Was keeping your character and integrity in tact more important to you guys than winning the money?
Cord: I think so. I definitely think so. People are going to remember your character forever. You're representing your name, your family, your friends, your state, your country. I'm pretty sure I could spend $1 million tomorrow but your character has to last forever.
TV Squad: You didn't win the $1 million but you guys did snag three awesome trips along the way: one to Chile; one to Alaska; and one to Hawaii. Any chance one of those will morph into Cord's honeymoon?
Jet: I'm pretty sure that I'll give him half of the Maui trip and Ashley and I will take the Alaska trip. She's a big hunter and likes to fish and that's supposed to be a wildlife viewing trip. It'll be a second honeymoon. We went to South Padre Island down in Texas for the first one.
TV Squad: Cord, you've said that you don't have a TV. Does that mean that you didn't know what you were in for when you embarked on the race?
Cord: Agreed. I still don't have one. Jet told me about the race and I got excited about it and knew about it. But, I'd only seen it on DVDs. I guess I didn't know how huge it was. I figured it out real quick though. When we took off running in California there were these crazy people following us with cameras and I suddenly knew.
TV Squad: Jet, you're an avid reader who cites reading as his hobby of choice. What's your all-time favorite book?
Jet: It would have to be 'The Log of a Cowboy.' It is about a boy in the 1800s that came back from the war and was looking for a job decides to go to Texas and learn to be a cowboy and ends up doing a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. And it's really neat, because it was a true story adapted from the real guy's journal, and with all of the stories of the cattle drive, it's almost like you're there driving cattle with those guys. I just love to read, although most of the stuff that I read its going to be how-to or reference type books. I don't spend hardly any time on novels, though. I'm all about the knowledge.
TV Squad: What are you guys going to do with the sailboats you won in Chile?
Jet: [Laughs] I'm thinking we're probably going to sell the sailboats. I thought about setting them in the back yard and we could have parties on them. But, nah, I don't think the sailboats won't make a big splash in Oklahoma.
TV Squad: At home, does a day ever go by where you don't wear your hat? You seemed positively uncomfortable without them during certain parts of the race.
Jet: No. Unless I don't get up. The hat hangs by the door. It's the last thing I put on before I leave the house.
TV Squad: At one point during the race, Cord, you mentioned something about a head injury. Can you tell us what happened?
Cord: Back in 2004, I came off the back of a horse and I crushed my skull into my brain and they pretty much had to cut my head open and they had to pull my skull off my brain. They didn't know if I would be able to walk and talk again or if I'd be mentally challenged. So finishing the race for me was more special than it would be for the "average bear."
TV Squad: Wow. Clearly. If you had to pick a favorite moment from the race what would it be?
Jet: I appreciate you asking that question! Every other interviewer has asked, "What was your favorite place?". Which is an entirely different question. My favorite moment was when Cord came running off the soccer field over there in Shanghai right after he had finished that puzzle. He doesn't care about puzzles and playing chess. He's way more quantitative. It's just his personality, so we'd decided going into the race that I'd do any puzzles. But then, we didn't have a choice and he went out there and attacked that thing with so much determination. It was just the coolest thing! I don't think anyone will ever realize how impressed I was with Cord at that moment.
Cord: Aw. Well, for me, one of the funniest things was that there was a "roping challenge" And we were like, "Are you kidding? That's the challenge?" Jet has been roping since he was 3. Then he missed the first one. That was a huge laugh in our family.
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