The Amazing Race Season 32, Preseason Power Rankings
The Amazing Race Season 32 Power Rankings
The world has been waiting for this…
On October 14, 11 teams will begin the journey of a lifetime. Best friends, sisters, siblings, married parents, pro athletes, and more will race around the world for the coveted million dollar prize and title of Amazing Race Season 32 Champion!
That means it is time to gear up and get ready because watching “The Amazing Race” is an experience in itself. No other show can bring the viewer into the passenger seat view as we follow our compelling teams (and storylines) across every continent and into the most remote corners of the world. Add to that getting the viewer’s competitive juices flowing because they are literally watching a race for a 1 million dollar prize, and also to tap into our rooting spirit cheering for or against teams. It’s all part of the experience. When you add up all these pieces and more (challenges, ups and downs, Phil, etc.) you get a truly “amazing” experience.
So, if the experience is already amazing, how could it get better? Glad you asked.
Below is my attempt to make this even more fun. But, before I get into explaining my rankings from 11-1, let me first make the case for what it takes to win.
Trait #1 - Competitiveness
People come on The Amazing Race for a lot of reasons. They do it to test their relationship, to see if they are compatible with the person they are dating, to share an experience, or to make their children proud. These are only a few but you get the point. And, these are all legitimate reasons to race and part of why we root for or against certain teams. However, there is a difference between the teams who race for those reasons and the teams who are competing to win. Competitiveness is crucial. All you have to do is watch the introductions of the teams or read the short bios and BOOM! you instantly can see who’s in it to compete and win and who’s not. Ultimately, I believe the people who are in it to compete and win the million above everything else, have an advantage.
Trait #2 - Athletic Ability
The race challenges competitors to complete activities of all kinds. Some require strength, some require intelligence, some require an iron stomach and some require just flat out how fast and how long can you run. The advantage goes to the athletes. Always.
The hectic conclusion to Season 2 of The Amazing Race. Enjoy the video now ladies and gentlemen.
Trait #3 - Endurance
The race pushes teams to experience a lifetime worth of traveling in a short period of time. Though that is amazing, it has the ability to wear teams out, especially older teams. The “Gutsy Grannies” type teams though likeable, never really have the endurance to make it to the finish line other than to clap for the teams who could make it there.
Trait #4 - Know How
I could go on and on analyzing traits that will help you win The Amazing Race but it’s only an hour show. The last trait is the brain power/intelligence/social skills/savviness category. You got to know how to do read a map, drive stick, work with your partner, ask for help, navigate foreign places, follow another team, make an alliance, convince a local to come with you and be your tour guide, pay a taxi to drive to a destination so you can follow them, have a little bit of fun, or perhaps most importantly do whatever is necessary to avoid being the last to the mat and hearing Phil end your journey. I know this is a broad category but maybe it has to be. Ultimately, the teams that “know how” the best, usually find their way to the top 3 and position themselves for a chance at the money.
Trait #5 - Luck
Oops, I added another one. Really quick. Let’s face it, luck is a factor in this race. Getting on or missing the flight, having the taxi driver who knows their way around just a liiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit better, or catching the subway in the nick of time can make the difference between winning the million and winning nothing. Like the expression says, “it’s better to be lucky than good”, well, that expression may have some merit on The Amazing Race, but if you want to hug Phil at the finish line, or in my case, predict who will hug Phil, best to pick the teams who you think are good instead of the ones who will need the most luck.
And now for the Season 32 rankings. (Note: My rankings are going solely off what I learned from the bios for each team on cbs.com, from videos from @theamazingrace on Instagram, and
Group A - THE NO CHANCERS - If the race was run 1,000 times, they would win 0 times.
11. Michelle and Victoria (Sisters)
CBS
The team I have at the bottom of the rankings are Michelle and Victoria, the cajun sisters from Louisiana. From reading the bios I learned that Michelle describes herself as “extra” and she works in luxury auto sales. Not a great combination. I feel like the race rejects those that would consider themselves “extra” because this race is too hard and too grueling. In the end Michelle also saying “I’m very dramatic” in the meet the teams video on Instagram is also a major red flag. I don’t see how that can help them overcome adversity during the race. As noted above, I value competitiveness, athletic ability, and know how, but knowing how to be extra and dramatic is not at all what I meant. My guess is Victoria will deal with Michelle as best she can, but in the end I don’t see them getting far at all.
10. Jerry and Frank (Father and Son)
CBS
I like the athletic background of this father and son team. Dad (Jerry) is a college athletic director and basketball coach and the son (Frank) seems to be fit and athletic too. However. Dad is 60. He is the oldest person in the race and logic tells me that it will eventually catch up with this team. Dad’s age isn’t the only reason I have them in the no chance group. When you watch their videos I just don’t get the sense that either of them have the competitiveness edge that I believe gets you far in this race. I hope that the race brings them closer together but I don’t think they’ll have a long time to do it.
9. Nathan and Cody (Best Friends)
CBS
I have no doubt that these southern boys are going to be a team that people will be rooting for. Myself included. They are definitely interesting and it’s easy to see why they were cast for the show, but when it comes to winning, I don’t see it. Cody described himself in his bio with these 3 words “optimistic, joking, and loving”. Meatloaf told us 2 out of 3 ain't bad and he’s right in terms of this team. People will love their optimism and positivity but “joking” doesn’t get you far in this race. My guess is that they will do as Cody hoped “to spread joy, fun, and love everywhere” but the problem is this is a race and though I will likely root for these two, I don’t see them having a chance at winning.
Group B - THE GOOD EXPERIENCE GROUP - These teams will be in for a few episodes at best and when eliminated they will look at each other and Phil and comment on the experience they had.
8. Hung and Chee (Married Parents)
CBS
The glaring weakness of this team is the lack of that Alpha spirit. I don’t see that competitive edge at all. Look, this team hasn’t gotten away in 10 years and is happy to have this experience for themselves. Hung says “My husband and I never went on a honeymoon. This is the ultimate honeymoon!” She is right. There is no doubt about it. This team of parents is going to win the award for Most Grateful team to be on the race. They are a great story and seem like great people, but this is a race for $1M and they have some stiff competition. Will they accomplish Chee’s goal “I want to laugh a lot with my wife”? Hopefully. Will they win? Not likely. I give them a slightly better ranking than the 9-11 teams but not by much. I think I am already rooting for them and thus bumped them ahead of Nathan and Cody.
7. Alana and Leo (Dating Nerds)
First the good.
I like that they are young. I really like that they are both engineers and Alana works with MIT in some capacity. That is a big check mark in the intelligence and “know how” piece of the race. I also like that they are from Massachusetts. People from the northeast have some grit built into them. I like the whiff of competitiveness vibe from Alana.
But…
Ranking them in the 7th spot has all to do with the vibe I was getting from Leo. It seems like he lacks confidence (it may be camera shyness) but again I don’t see the competitiveness in him that I needed to see in order to put them higher on the rankings. Is he a great guy? Definitely. Super smart? Probably. But, when you read that what he hopes to get out of the race is “I want to convince Alana I’m a keeper!” I can’t help but feel they are an “enjoyed the experience” team with an early exit.
Group C - SLEEPERS - “So you’re telling me there’s a chance…”
6. Kellie and LaVonne (Olympic Hurdlers)
CBS
Now, we move to the teams that I believe have a chance of winning. The first sleeper is Kellie and LaVonne. The Olympic hurdlers are ready to compete, reliable in pressure situations (have to look at how they placed in the the Olympics), and we have what seems to be a top level competitiveness in Kellie. Besides winning the race, Kellie said she has “traveled to so many countries and continents before having children and I definitely have a wanderlust itch that needs to be scratched and I really miss the element of competition”. Well said. I think the combination of competitiveness, athletic ability, and endurance is there with this team. I like that they have traveled a bunch through their running careers and thus boosts their know how.
It may come down to luck for these two, but as Olympic hurdlers they know all too well how important it will be to start strong, maintain pace, clear each hurdle in the race, and finish strong. I think they have a chance.
5. Aparna and Eswar (Siblings)
CBS
What if I told you that one team was
The youngest team
A team of engineers
A team who founded a company that “help troubleshoot, monitor, and explain artificial intelligence” and are creating a product “to make you more organized and intentful as you use the Internet”
A team who trained for the race by working out, taking swimming classes, and doing weekly activities like rock climbing and kayaking together.
A team that read books to impart wisdom
A team who brushed up on the languages that they know so they can talk to most people around the world.
A team who is trying to focus on themselves and take the race one task at a time.
A team who describes their team with the laughing hysterical emoji 😂. Say it with me, team unity.
Where would you rank them? I have them 5th and could have easily had them crack the top 3. If there were odds in the desert on this team at say 8 to 1, they would be the best value bet on the board. They have many tools that will take them far.
Group D - THE CONTENDERS - We are in it to win it!
4. Kaylynn and Haley (Sisters)
CBS
There is a lot to like about this team. First thing I noticed about them is that they ooze confidence. They both describe themselves as “outgoing” and it leaps off the screen. Plus, they are beautiful. Confident, outgoing, beautiful all adds up to a real chance at winning this race.
I like that they are both in real estate. There is a innate competitiveness and know how that I associate with real estate agents. They work on incentives and like to get things done. Sounds like a skillset and mindset that will translate well to the race.
Lastly, what makes them a sleeper/borderline contender is what Hayley had to say that really hammered home their confidence and competitive spirit.
“Other than the million, the main thing I’d like to accomplish by running the race with Kaylynn is to find out what we’re made of.” - Hayley
— https://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/cast/216351/
They have all the tools to cross the finish line first. They are confident in their ability to win and “see what they are made of”. They look athletic enough to be able to handle any challenge that is thrown at them. They are fit to withstand the endurance needed to cross the finish line. They have the know how skillset when it will come to getting the information they need to complete a task. Plus, they are attractive and will be likely be able to use that to their advantage where needed. They seem like they are not afraid to do what it takes to win. For all these reasons, they belong in the top 4 as a legitimate contender.
3. Will and James (Dating)
CBS
Now we are in the top 3. Tough to make the last couple of decisions. I like the top 6 I landed on and probably could have been persuaded to make the 6-3 slots interchangeable. Nonetheless, I landed on Will and James at number 3. Many other teams claim to be fans of the show but this is the only team that "binge watched” previous seasons in preparation. I love this strategy. It’s what I would do if, I mean when, I am on the show. Learn from the show and be prepared for everything that they have done in the past as best you can. Great strategy.
Another strategy shared by James shared on Instagram was to “be kind but be underestimated”. They know they won’t intimidate teams like my number 2 and 1 teams, but they are smart enough to know to use it to their advantage. They will be competitive, they will be confident, they will make friends if need be, and they will scratch, claw, and bite their way to avoid elimination.
I also like that they seem to really have a great relationship. Too many times on this show you see couples who seem to be trying to work things out or help their relationship get back on track. The feeling I get from Will and James is that they are making a dream come true and doing it for one another.
Group E - THE FAVORITES - See the video below.
Welcome to the top 2 or as I like to call them, the favorites. What the favorites represent to me are the teams equipped with the highest level of the aforementioned tools and the teams who, if you ran the race 1,000 times, these teams would cross the finish line first and win the money the most times. Does that mean they will this time? No. But, these are the teams I’m laying my money on to bring it home.
2. Riley and Maddison (Pro Volleyball Players)
CBS
Brothers. Pro athletes. 29 and 31 years old. Beard guys. Compete together professionally. Battle together professionally. In the trenches together. Fans of the show since they were children. Honolulu guys.
They compete for a living. They are athletes. They are in great physical shape. They strategize together for a living. I think these two will be there at the end.
When in doubt, go with the current pro athletes. Speaking of pro athletes…
1. Gary and DeAngelo (former NFL stars)
CBS
We have arrived at my number 1 team. Now, am I biased with this selection because I am a football coach? Probably. Am I biased because I am a die hard Carolina Panthers fan and this team is 2 former Panthers? 100%. Here are my first reasons why I think if the race were run 1,000 times they would win the race the most.
Hope you enjoyed the highlights. I think you get it.
That aside, all that you need to know about why this team is the number 1 is the three words they used to describe themselves.
Gary - Adventurous, competitive honest
DeAngelo - A natural winner.
Mic drop.
Enjoy the premier everyone!
The blog has spoken!
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