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Names: Michael and Kevin
My Nickname: Generation Gap (or possibly $#*! My Son Says)

Our next team hails from the burgeoning metropolis of Sugar Land, Texas, and is the final parent/child duo. We have 58-year-old dad Michael, who is of the techie variety, and 20-year-old son Kevin, who lists his occupation as Internet Entertainer. Kevin seems to be quite successful entertaining people via the series of tubes on the Inter-web, as his Youtube channel has over a million subscribers. Apparently, dear old dad stays involved with his son because he is also listed as an Internet Entertainer. I just don’t know how well they will race together as it will not be a scripted/controlled online show. I predict an eighth place finish. I give points to dad Michael for most creative pet peeve about his teammate: “He uses foul language in situations when it’s not really called for.” But Michael, kids do say the darnedest %$@! things.

Names: Nat and Kat
My Nickname: Drs. Rhyme Time

Our last all-female team is a pair of doctors/friends with cutesy rhyming names. Despite having very rewarding and important jobs that actually contribute to some societal good and both declaring that they would donate money to charity (Nat even specifically singles out Diabetes research), there isn’t much by way of their first impressions that screams Amazing Race competitors. I am not sure the intelligence and dedication needed for medical school translates over to a travel-based reality show competition. Therefore, I am saying they will face a tenth place elimination.

Names: Nick and Vicki
My Nickname: Las Vegas Ink

Great, another team with a rhyming names (almost). I kid…kinda. Nick and Vicki are happy to fill a void that has been vacant for the last three years. In the fall of 2007, we had Goth couple Kynt and Vixsyn busting up the inclination of people to judge them on their over-the-top appearance. They turned out to be an entertaining and rather cohesive team (I choose to excuse them of their “Oh my Goth” spouting, just as I forgave the cowboys for incessant proclamations of “Oh my gravy.”) Anyway back to Nick and Vicki. They are a heavily tattooed and pierced dating couple of two years. They repeatedly say they don’t want to be judged by their appearance, so it will be curious to see what happens when the others will assuredly judge them by their appearance. I think they will use that to fuel them and just rely on each other to be a strong team without alliances. A fourth place spot just short of the final three may be their fate.

Names: Ron and Tony
My Nickname: Dance School

Our final team is best friends Ron and Tony. As a team in their 40s, they appear to bring some level of life experience to the race and judging by their answers to their favorite places they have ever visited (Serra Caferna Namibia, Africa for Ron and China and Southern Africa for Tony), they seem to have some travel under their belts also. While only Tony says communication will be their biggest obstacle as a team, it is funny to me that both guys say their biggest pet peeve about their teammate is that he is always on the phone. Luckily no phones are on the race, so I suspect they will be fine and make it to fifth place. FYI…The nickname listed above is based upon their occupations – Ron is a choreographer and Tony is a doctoral student.

So, there you have your Amazing Race teams for season 17. Again, these predictions are based upon nothing more than my convoluted rationale (or lack thereof) and I really don’t know if these nicknames will stick, but we shall see.

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