Let's re-evaluate bootcamp

[sentinel]

I know the general consensus of the board until ANW4 was basically "boo bootcamp," with a handful of exceptions - I happened to be one of those exceptions. Everyone else was thrilled with the new format for ANW4.

The reason I'm making this thread is that I'm wondering, now that we've all seen this new format in action, if people still feel the same way.

Because let's be honest. Who are our favorites? Who are the people we were pulling for most last night? Paul? Brent? David? Flip Rodriguez? Travis Rosen? Evan Dollard? Drew?

All former bootcamp participants. We know those guys better than just about any other competitor because of the time we spent with them at bootcamp, and thus root for them more. At least I know that I do.

I'd also contend that bootcamp really does prepare the Americans for success in the finals.

I know it's sort of a different game when ANW is stand-alone and no longer a precursor for Sasuke, but if "real" Sasuke was to return and ANW was back to determining who represented the Americans, I would absolutely stand behind a return to the bootcamp format.

Anyone with me?

[TCM]

If Sasuke Japan exists, they'd go back to boot camp in a heartbeat. Just don't feign drama. Try to make the obstacle as close to the replica as possible. You see when you do something stupid, like have a completely padded Balance Tank, or add your stupid weights for the Salmon Ladder. That's for boot camp or if there's another Vegas finals.

Better than a race through tires, that's for sure.

[arsenette]

Everything is pointing away from Boot right now. It didn't work in the ratings but this format worked. I doubt NBC will go backwards just based on the numbers alone.

[lhii789]

Jul 24, 2012 22:10:35 GMT -5 arsenette said:

Everything is pointing away from Boot right now. It didn't work in the ratings but this format worked. I doubt NBC will go backwards just based on the numbers alone.

I agree.
As much as I didn't like the layout and setting of Vegas Final, I would take this over Boot Camp any day.
IMO, ANW is improving each year, little by little (although there are a lot of flaws), so expect there's going to be another improvement in ANW 5 (I hope).

[RedHerring]

I actually liked the boot camp format. But ONLY because it was connected to Sasuke. It made me care about the competitors because there were only a few of them to focus on. And during the boot camp episodes I didn't have to deal with *BOOM* COMPETITOR PROFILE! every 10 seconds. The competitors all seemed to support each other which really captured one of the main things I love about Sasuke/ANW. That being said, there is no way they could do the boot camp format if there is no Sasuke. So rather than going back to it, I think they should try to improve their current format or pick a different one. It's very boring when I watched nearly 100 competitors run the course when I only cared about a handful of them. So what would fix this? I always enjoy seeing joke competitors on Sasuke. They show them try to run the course really quick, they fail, it's funny, everybody's happy, hurray. Also, some celebrities running the course would be great. People like Bull Bullard and Kamerion Wimbley were great. But I want to see celebrities with BIG followings. Reaching the end of my thoughts, I realize I could have saved myself (and everyone reading this) a lot of time by just saying "Make it more like Sasuke." So yeah... Make it more like Sasuke.

[jfeathe]

My favorite part about the previous 2 ANW were the boot camps. The competition was intense, entertaining, and the best competitors made it through to Japan.

The Americans saved Sasuke 26 from being a disaster and 9/10 Americans reached the second stage in 27. These results show that boot camp worked so I personally would like to see it back.

At the very least, it would break the monotony of the qualifiers which actually became quite boring for me after awhile.

[KinnikuBanzukeÜberAlles]

As much as the ANW4 trials episodes bored me, which I expected, the previous boot camp episodes were some of the worst TV that I've ever seen, and I enjoy my share of bad TV.

Boot camp just seemed lifeless, and too serene, to me mostly because they were in such a vast open space. If they had filmed it in a studio with a raucous live audience, then it might have worked slightly better, although I can't think of anything that I actually enjoyed about boot camp.

[thebobmaster]

My problem with boot camp was the whole "voting people up for elimination". To me, that could easily go wrong. I just look at ANW2, where Patrick Cusic should have gone up, but was saved by Evan Dollard taking his place so Patrick could go to Japan. That's not what it should be about.

If they made it so that it was the two slowest people on the team with the slowest time automatically up for elimination, it would be a lot better.

[TCM]

The problem with that idea about two slowest times is with the handicaps. Say everyone on the team completes the obstacle, but the slowest times happen to be those who had stricter handicaps (such as more to carry to the obstacles, which CAN be significant to time management). How is that much fairer than someone giving up a spot to someone else? Both involve someone willingly choosing their fate (Evan with choosing to risk himself, x person risking a longer time if he doesn't handle the heavier item well). Sure, they could just have the handicaps weigh the same, but that likely won't happen. Equal weight has happened just as much as differing size or weight. Like the tires, for example.

[greenday61892]

Sorry to necro this thread but I liked the new format much better than bootcamp. Plus, I had other non-bootcampers to root for like Andrew Karsen, Remi Bakkar, Stephen Volcko and Derek Nakamoto, just to name a few.