Prediction for "Last One Standing"

WOW and I mean WOW!!! Could this be the next big hit on cable television or what. We all love the idea of pushing ourselves to the limit, but these guys have been given the ultimate challenge. Whoever thought of this idea is sure to go down in television history as a great innovator. The only drawback to this show is that I am sure some anthropologist somewhere will object to western influence on the last wild tribes on earth. For us viewers though it is the get away from society that we all crave. Thousands upon thousands of years of aggression is currently suppressed by our modern "polite" society. It is no longer acceptable to work out our differences with fisticuffs. (that word should be struck from the dictionary) We all secretly desire the ability to lash out and this is one "sport show" that allows us to live vicariously through our new favorite channel. If you missed the premier of this new treasure, be sure to catch up as soon as you can. Also, if you were unfortunate to miss it because your wife made you watch CSI or some other tired network drivel, then unless you want to know who won the first challenge, I suggest you quit reading now.

To help you understand our newest favorite show, let's meet the "contestants". One is Mark, which in real life is a kick-boxer. Two is Richard, the sportsman or professional athlete (all are professional athletes in one form or another). Three is Brad, the new father and strongman (he is also the only member of the "western tribe" who is married. Four is Rajko (don't ask me to pronounce his name, you will have to watch the show to figure that out) the fitness guru and self described Christian (the only one to profess his faith). Fifth is Corey, the outdoors man (who if I didn't know better I would have swore he was Australian). Sixth is Jason the BMX rider ( if I was betting on this, I would think he would have the longest odds). The surprising thing about this show is that you would automatically assume that Brad (the largest and strongest of the bunch) would win every challenge hands down.

The first show started us out in Brazil with the Kalapalo tribe and their unconventional wrestling. The Kalapalo substitute wrestling for war with the surrounding tribes. Their form of wrestling starts with two opponents facing one another, to win you have to do one of three things. You can grab you opponent by the leg, you can flip them on their back or you can knock them down. (don't hold me to that as I am not sure that I am remembering the last one correctly) If you happen to break loose from your opponent then a draw is declared. The Kalapalo call their annual wrestling match "The Festival of Death" which is quite accurate considering that dislocated arms, broken ribs and broken necks are the most common injuries substained in this wonderful competition. The first match by the "Western Tribe" was had by Brad "the big boy" who was met by a sand throwing opponent who as the chief said, "he fought without honor". In any case Brad lost the match. None of his fellow tribesmen faired much better. In the end, Brad was honored as the most formidable opponent among the "Western Tribe". The final outcome was no surprise to the shaman of the tribe who predicted that he would be the winner of this challenge.

I was a bit confused by the outcome of the show. None of the westerners fought one another and none of them really distinguished themselves with the exception of Brad being fawned over by the other tribesmen. They wiped the sweat off of Brad and then wiped it on their best warriors in a bid to capture part of his strength. The whole thing was a bit ambiguous in my opinion. I will say that I doubt that I or anyone I know would have faired any better. What a brutal world the Kalapalo live in. However, I am sure that it is not as brutal as it was when they actually warred against one another. I can only look forward to next week when the "Western Tribe" goes to South Africa to participate in Zulu stick fighting. So, before they even get there I am going to make a prediction. I believe that Jason or Mark will come out on top next week. The reason I believe this is that in stick fighting the outcome is more likely to be decided by speed and reaction time than by brute strength.

What we have to look forward to in the weeks to come is as anticipating as "Heroes" is on network television. Our "real heroes" will be headed to Mexico for endurance racing, to Senegal for another type of wrestling, to the Trobriand Island for tribal cricket, to Nagaland for kick boxing and finally to Mongolia for nadaam wrestling. I am not sure in what order these events will be held in, but I am willing to make a prediction right now. Brad, because of his size and strength will become a target for all the tribes and will either be hurt to where he cannot compete or he will be abused to the point that he will loose focus. Mark the kick boxer will be overconfident and be hurt or defeated when he least expects it (like in Nagaland). Richard and Jason might win one challenge each, but due to their size and lack of mental agility, they have the least chance of all of coming out on top. Corey will be a surprise as he will be underestimated and will take challenge after challenge away from those who think they are locked in. Finally that leaves Rajko (Cujo, Dojo, Rack-no) who will take the final victory of the last one standing.

Now if you are a gambler, please do NOT make any wagers based on what I think. Odds are I will be wrong on one or more counts. However, I would like to believe that I am right. This competition is more about mental strength than physical strength and from first impression, Rajko has that market cornered on this show. I am sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next episode. For the basis of this article I visited the channels web site to get their names and professions correct. I found the lack of information to be more telling than what was actually there. Sometimes you have to look at what isn't said instead of what is said. So, my friends, lets beat the the living crap out of someone (at least vicariously through our newest heroes) and return to this article next week when I update my predictions and hopefully I get to tell you "I told you so" instead of "what do I know!!!" See you next week.........