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Names: Connor and Jonathan
My Nickname: Team Glee

Here is a team that rivals the circus clowns or hippies from several seasons ago for the most unique descriptor – Ivy League a cappella singers. I didn’t know there was such a niche for the show-tune loving and Yanni-worshipping sect, but I guess I was wrong. Connor and Jonathan clearly got the "class clown" casting slot covered but reading about them, it feels like they are trying way too hard to be funny/geeky/goofy, mainly Jonathon. For example, he included some jokey answer to EVERY single question on the bio unless Jonathan really does hold Kenny G in the same high regard as his parents and Mother Theresa. Hopefully, it will not be so overt during the race itself because I can see it wearing on my nerves. Let’s give them seventh place, which is one slot up from Zev and Justin last fall.

Names: Gary and Mallory
My Nickname: TBD (because there isn’t anything in their bios that jumps out to me.)

Now for our second pageant contestant, I give you Miss Kentucky 2009, the fourth runner up to Miss America. Here is the team that seems very reminiscent of last season’s Coach Steve and daughter Allie. In other words, they will likely work well together and be complementary to each other’s racing styles. One impressive thing for Gary (aside from having a former Miss Kentucky as his daughter) is that despite being the second oldest person on the race, he is possibly the most fit as evidenced by him running “13 marathons and a half Ironman triathlon” after his 45th birthday. This guy might be able to smoke the other racers, who are half his age. I am placing them in the final three.

Names: Jill and Thomas
My Nickname: Happily Ever After

Here is another team that not only immediately reminds me of a previous strong team (winners and spell-check enemies Meghan and Cheyne) but also another one I think will make it into the final leg alongside Gary and Mallory. Like Chad and Stephanie, both say that communicating effectively will be a challenge, but I get the impression that these two have a healthier and more positive outlook on the race and their relationship. So by having to choose which I will give the benefit of the doubt to, I am going with Jill and Thomas (again I could be way wrong here). They both seem to be a light-hearted, fun-loving couple, which tends to serve people well on this race (i.e. Meghan and Cheyne and long-distance daters Kris and Jon).

Names: Katie and Rachel
My Nickname: Jersey Shore

The nickname is only derived from the geography of their hometowns (both hail from New Jersey…hence the "Jersey") and their occupations (they are professional beach volleyball players…so there’s the "Shore"). Historically, teams that have extensive sports/physical competition experience, especially in a team sport, do well on this race and I don’t think that Katie and Rachel will diverge from that pattern. These ladies obviously can work well together, appropriately in a two-person sport, and as long as a room full of German phones doesn’t do them in like our beloved Globetrotters, then I think that they will be in the finals and possibly be the first all-female team to win the Amazing Race.

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