Biggest Loser Power Rankings

EW has a story about Biggest Loser here; nothing too noteworthy, but some interesting behind the scenes stuff.  Not sure how I feel about Biggest Loser soda.  Wait, actually, I am sure: dumb. But whatever.

Last week was interestingish--Aubrey emerged as a "personality" and Sione emerged as a huge threat.  Shannon did much better than I gave her credit for while she was at home, and Mike and Ron continued to be less than impressive.  

The weigh-in for those who were returning from home was really interesting--the show and the trainers acknowledged very matter-of-factly that there is really no way you'll lose as much at home as you would on the ranch.  That's not a surprise to anyone, but the show had built up expectations by setting it up as a "Watch them prove you can do it at home!" deal.  I was glad they were honest about it.  And it made me feel pretty good about my first month.  

Aside from that, the challenge was pretty dull, and the interpersonal stuff was tired.  Hoping for some interesting stuff tonight--one nugget from the EW article is that there are half-marathons, and perhaps even full marathons, in store.  That is something I can get excited about.

I tried to do power rankings again, but I realized it's really difficult to factor in the threat factor.  I think Mike and Ron will continue to do poorly in the weigh-ins (apparently Ron's knees are to blame) but the fact that his knees keep him from working out makes them the perfect team to go up against for as long as possible.  Likewise, I think Blaine/Dane and Felipe/Sione are going to get tossed the second they hit the yellow line, so the question is simply how they'll do week to week.  Thus, the rankings below are purely speculation about who will ultimately lose the most weight, regardless of duration on the show.

7.  The Brown Team: Mike and Ron

If you can't work out, it's going to be pretty darn tough.

6.  Mandi/Aubrey

Not sure what was behind Aubrey claiming that she spent five hours a day in the gym when she only lost two pounds.  Mandi seems to be getting stronger, and they are definitely competitors, but I don't see the drive I see in other teams.

5.  Kristin/Cathy

Kristin could go far, and Cathy will probably ultimately do pretty well, but some of these other teams are such powerhouses that they just won't be able to keep up.

4.  Helen/Shannon

I respect what Shannon did at home, and Helen is getting downright dainty.  Of course, with less to lose, you have smaller percentages, but I gotta move these ladies up a little.

3.  Tara/Laura

I'd like to put them higher because I don't like having two male powerhouse teams at the top, but I'm not sure about Laura.  On her own, I think Tara could win this.

2.  Blaine/Dane

They're boring, and I can't tell if they're losing weight because they have guts or because they have the benefit of being more fit than the other teams.

1.  Felipe/Sione

They look like the team to beat.