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Greetings! Kim and David are stepping in for Daron this week as he spends some family time at Disney. Have fun, Daron!

As far as power rankings go, we've got some opinions, though they may be somewhat less informed than Daron's. Even so, we feel like we have a pretty good handle on where this season's teams shake out.

• Team Dude, snowboarders Andy & Tommy – So far, they have absolutely dominated the race, coming in first place in five out of seven legs. We’ve seen other teams rule Amazing Race before, but this particular run seems more impressive somehow. Perhaps it’s because the other competitors are so far off their level it resembles Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers versus all the other quarterbacks in the NFL right now, but we’re having a tough time envisioning a way where they’re not in the final three. Of course, what that means is that Amazing Race producers are going to step in and try to use the U-turn to screw them over though we sure can’t blame any of the other teams for using that little element of strategy to their advantage when it comes to these guys.



• Engaged couple Ernie & Cindy - Honestly, we really hate putting them in this spot, but they’re pretty much only here by default. They behaved very poorly on the last leg, from denigrating the good people of Malawi and their way of life to begging Team Dude to let them win. Seriously, people? On the plus side, they did use their Express Pass and still came in second. That gives us a little joy in our hearts.






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• Grandparents Bill & Cathi - We’re as surprised to be ranking them here as you are to be seeing them. Yes, the older couple has been in danger of being eliminated a couple of times throughout the race. However, they’ve shown remarkable resiliency as the legs have moved forward, communicating with each other and playing to their specific strengths. We’re not sure they can hold on here, but for now, at least, they’ve earned their position in the top three.



• Team NFL Amani & Marcus - We know they’re not necessarily the fourth best team left, but we like them the best by far. Marcus Pollard is an athlete that has been around for awhile, including on the Bradley University basketball team, which Kim watched some due to the fact that they were the arch rival of her alma mater Illinois State University Redbirds (and just 35 minutes down the road from her hometown). Marcus would become an NFL pro, playing alongside the marvelous Peyton Manning, who Kim ran into a couple of years ago, possibly injuring his neck for all eternity. Let’s just say that we’ve liked Marcus for a long time and we’ve been rooting for him since day one. His behavior last week was exemplary – we wish all contestants were so upbeat.



• Jeremy & Sandy, test-driving their relationship on the race - They haven’t been particularly special at any point during the race, and we always wonder about people who come on the show to decide if they should be together on a more permanent basis. These teams are always fraught with volatility, and these two have certainly been touch and go. Unless something happens to change our mind, we see no reason other than luck to get these two to the final.



• Father/son duo Laurence & Zac - We put them here mostly because Laurence rubs us the wrong way. Sorry, Zac. The sins of the father reflect upon the son, apparently. Laurence has been misogynistic, stubborn and generally unpleasant to watch. He also tends to make some bad mistakes, and that sort of thing can’t last once you get down to the final few teams.

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