Is it too early to start this thread?

Boo for stunt casting. Between the two of them they've four chances to win a million, and she did win.

Let's hope they last about as long as Alison and Donny.

Yes, I agree about the stunt casting. I do not want them on TAR just because they have celebrity status and that they said they've been big fans of TAR. This show is for teams who are normal, every day people. Rob and Amber have had their fame and I personally do NOT believe they warrant any reason to be on this show. It's just not right, IMHO. I HATE that they will be on TAR7 and I HOPE they are the first team eliminated.

Good Lord, after the season we just had? Also, having appeared on a reality show before doesn't necessarily mean they're abnormal, etc. Yeah, it's stunt casting. Yeah, TPTB have done it before, and they'll do it again. Sometimes it's a spectacular failure, other times...not so much. Yeah, I'm a little tired of seeing them everywhere. But, I think they may just kick ass on TAR. They seem to plan, strategize and work together well. They may also bring much-needed comic relief, if we get to hear Rob's snarks about the other teams. So, I have no objections to them being on the show, OR doing well.

I personally, am excited for them to be on TAR. I know that it was stunt casting, but I think they'll work better than Donny and Alison did. They're both physically and mentally strong. I don't know if I want them to win the million, but I want them to last for awhile.

I HATE the fact that they are on the next season. The only thing that would have made it tolerable for me is if Ethan and Jenna had also been recruited to compete against them. Talk about a favorite team, that would have been awesome. I can't stand Rob's smirk and I hope that they don't taint much of the season. I don't want to NOT look forward to a show that I've been excited about since it hit the air. grrr. Rob summed it up in the preview "they don't want us to win again. too bad." He is such an a$%

the only thing I hope their presence does is get the ratings even higher. the more folks that watch the show the better....

I have nothing against Rob & Amber, I kind of like them. And I understand why the producers probably figure their appearance will bring more viewers. But that said, I simply don't like it when previous reality show contestants are allowed to jump to competing on other shows. There are thousands of unknown people who are more than ready, willing and able to be contestants on shows like The Amazing Race. I'd rather they were given a chance than having contestants be recycled. It simply doesn't seem fair to me, I guess.

I actually think these two will make pretty decent racers. Well, Rob will and Ahmbah will dutifully follow. :) I think they (read: he) has the drive, guile, and smarts to understand the difference between a campout and a race. I could be wrong, of course...

Hey, at least it's not Rupert!

I have to say that as much as I loathed Rob and Amber on Survivor All-Stars, I did walk away from that show with a lot of respect for the way they played the game. And, I think that their strength as a couple will make them good contestants on TAR. Both of them are physically strong and Rob is a good game player. I think he may prove to be as good a racer as Colin--although hopefully a lot more quiet and less verbally abusive.

But more than that, I think that they will add a dynamic to the race that we haven't really seen before. As Rob said on the trailers for TAR7, no one wants them to win because they've already won a million dollars. It could be cool to see a team start the race with the entire pack out for their blood.

On an entirely unrelated note, was anyone surprised to see how plain and average looking Amber was in the previews?! I almost didn't recognize her without her TV makeup or tell-tale Survivor buff.

I kind of did too. During the previews, I spent my time looking for her, and didn't recognize her until Phil announced Rob and Amber.

I think it will be interesting to see how they handle the stresses of the race as a couple. I think TAR is a lot different, stress wise than Survivor. I know both of them are pretty stressful, but with TAR, sometimes you have to deal with things that are completely out of your control, such as taxis, planes, etc.

I think they'll be interesting to watch.

Probably. But let's hope it stays open. Snark on!



Sometimes there isn't enough word in the universe.

Bleh. ASS was so boring, I didn't even finish watching it. Hopefully, they will be better TV on TAR.

I've missed that Boston accent. I think they're going to be great .. I suspect one of their main strengths is going to be that Rob is not afraid to lead and Amber is not afraid to trust his judgment. Now, whether or not his abilities extend to finding flights, having a good sense of direction and most importantly, choosing a good cab driver remains to be seen.

H.A.T.E both of them, but him especially... smarmy, self congratulating prick!! damn, BVM, why did you have to stoop to CBS' wishes to cross-cast, and why this tool and his appendage ?!

Shocked to see Boston Rob in the previews. After this sucky race I'm thrilled to see Rob in the race. Oh and yeah...Amber too, yawn. Hope they last a good long time.

Is it too early to start a "GET THE HELL OFF MY TV!" rant?

I thought it was a little ironic that "survivors" Rob and Amber are going to be up against a POW. You see Rob's arrogant smirk contrasted against the guy's video that was no doubt plastered all over Al Jazeera. I bet the famewhores didn't think they'd be competing against a real-life survivor.

I think it is a little too early to start this thread. Since Miss Alli's usual practice is to start the threads for a new season's racers all at once (and to move the former season's racers to the past seasons area at the same time), I'm going to close this for now. I'm sure it won't be long before she re-opens or restarts the thread.

The Rob & Amber love dingy* floats again!

*TM Sureshot26

nck - I cannot wait to set sail !

Love, Love, Love them (well, Rob - Amber is just part of the package and what a fine package it is)

Yes, nothing says fun and high-larity than a man who can spit out the word "queer" to describe a fellow contestant.

Major, major love for these two and I don't care who knows it! Seriously, they're going to have to do something Spazzpants level to make me root against them.

While I typically am against cross casting, I think this was brilliant casting by BVM, etc. Survivor, despite how crappy it has become, still has enormous ratings, and pulling in these two are well known (and bring immediate strong emotions, love and hate, to the table) was brilliant. Ratings are going to go way up.

Look at how intense the focus has been on these two already -- people will be tuning in to see them succeed or tuning in to see them fail. And if that gets my favorite show back on the air (after the flop I expect season 8 to be), then rock on.

Personally, of all the potential cross casts, I think this is a great choice. They are actually fans of the show, and smart, and physically fit. And the stuff they pulled to win on Survivor will not help them in this race, so I can't wait to see what they do.

I'm not exactly on the love train, and I'm not on the hate train. I'm on the definitely think this will prove to be interesting train.

Let's see how they do.

I will personally be surprised if these two have a huge impact on the ratings, and quite honestly, don't want the ratings to go up solely because of them (just to prevent other cross casting in the future, and the last thing their egos need is to think people were only watching because of them). Phil said in that TV Guide interview that Rob/Amber were the ones asking to be on, not the other way around, so at least if these 2 hadn't campaigned so hard, they wouldn't have been put on. If I have to give Rob a compliment (and I still think Amber is a really crappy Survivor player) he is entertaining, in an obnoxious sort of way. And there are a couple of teams that I hope go before these 2.

I'm very interested to see these two compete outside of the "Survivor" realm. I can't imagine Ambuh is whiny, but it will be fun to see them when the travel stress hits them both. Reading maps, asking for directions--these are things I just don't see Rob doing.

The article in the new TV Guide has pretty much everyone in the race hating the two of them. Not a big surprise!

Rob and Amber are both athletic and competitive. Amber is intelligent; Rob excels at challenges. In my opinion, they have an excellent chance to win.

I've read other sources that relate the same information. If there is a general obnoxiousness towards Rob and Amber, it will make me root for them big time.

Unless, of course, they turn out to be a couple of jerks.

I think their experience on TAR will be very different, becuase there is a lot more circumstantial luck involved (if this season is like the last, what with all the bunching). I can see Rob getting really worked up when him and Amber hit a challenge hours ahead of everyone, only to find that it doesn't open till the next day...and by then everyone else will be there. He can't sweet talk and handshake his way through that.

And although cross-casting is a scam for more ratings/money, such is the world of big-name network television, no?

A small part of me roots for them for one reason and one reason only: to spite Lex.

That's a good reason, Miss Alli.

Spiting Lex is always a good reason for anything.

Rob? Yuck. Silly obnoxious even if he has goods. I'm not about to put a halo on his dickness. That's what a cockring is, and even if it's purposeful and effective it still looks ridiculous.

As I mentioned before, a big part of what makes me love this casting so much is how Lex must be dying a little inside every time he thinks of it. After the show starts tonight, he'll probably be pounding the walls just before going to sleep.

Ditto. I'm with those who (a) think they are going to do well and (b) am looking forward to watching them on the show. One of the main keys to doing well in TAR is working well together and these two have already shown just how well they work together. I was already looking foward to the next installment, having only started watching it two TARs ago (Chip/Kim win), and finding out that Rob and Amber were doing the show just upped my anticipation level. Honestly, had I not been watching it already, knowing that Rob and Amber were on it probably would have made me tune in for the first time. I think it was a brilliant casting and I can't wait to see it play-out. Just please, no overkill with the bunching!

I too, don't generally really dig the cross casting, but I've been excited ever since I heard these two were going to be on. I'm a huge sucker for a love story, and on the shallow end of things, they're pretty (And Amber's ass is smokin', right, Rob?). Also, Rob is funny. I'm excited to watch them and I hope they do well.

I have this image of TAR being Wacky Races, and Lex and Tom as Dick Dastardly and Muttley. Weird.

I don't see why Ramber has to be here. They say it's for the adventure, but dammit, they got their million bucks and change. That said, I say they'll finish in sixth overall. They'll be good, but not that good.

I'm a first-time poster, long-time lurker, but I just had to chime in here. I have only just started watching Survivor, so I haven't been exposed to them that way. But, I have to say, I don't really like these guys. Rob because of that dang Red Sox cap. Am I going to have to look at that the whole season? As a Yankee fan, I have difficulty with that. Plus he's got a smugness thing going on that bugs me.

As for Amber, I found her annoying on the pre-race videos. She repeated a couple of times that they've been travelling around the country and it's like they have been training for TAR. Enough already. Just rub it in that you are on my favorite show and I'm not just because you were on another show. Plus she said "baby" in one of the promos. Ick.

Preach it, my friend. And don't forget -- according to Rob, John wasn't just your garden variety queer, he was a big time quee-ah.

While I suspect Rob's had time to become a bit more open-minded or educated or even made a gay friend since then, that entire business nearly three years ago still kind of rankles me. Bleah.

Amber's blandly nice enough, though.

I've liked Amber since the Outback, and even though I didn't like Rob in Marquesas I liked him in All Star. I'm really rooting for this team. I can't imagine how mad this is making Lex. I want to see these two go far, but I don't want them to win. I think they should give another team a chance to win.

I'm firmly on the love train with these two.

I've apparently been living under a rock, because I just found out a few days ago they'd be on. I'm looking forward to them, as much as I hate to admit it. I hated Amber during S2, but she grew on me at All-Stars, and I have a soft spot for the Bahstan boys. I think they really could do well.

It seems to be making a lot of the former Survivors jealous, which I find ludicrous. Jenna Lewis said she won't be watching them, and she and Rob ask every former Survivor that they have on their fishbowl show if they are going to watch, and most say no, and laugh. It comes off as very bitterly jealous.

Rob C. said he'd watch, though, to his credit.

ITA. In fact, since they have at least 1.1M from ASS between the two of them, I don't want them to even win 1st place on any leg. I just want them around to motivate the other racers. It might make good TV. When it gets to then last elimination before the finale, that is when I want to see them go, so there's no chance of winning the million.This is the 2nd reference about the stability of TAR that I have seen. This is the 1st one. Is TAR not doing well in the ratings?

Check out the Fear Factor thread. Assorama was on the special reality show version of the show last night, and there are comments that I don't normally watch it, but I tuned in because so-and-so was on it. If cross-casting will help TAR find more viewers, go for it TPTB.

There's been a lot of former Survivor's who've said they want to do this show, although I'm sure the extra 15 minutes it'll bring Rob/Amber also has something to do with it when it comes to people like Jenna.



TAR6 was the highest rated I believe, so it's not struggling in the ratings yet. I think the poster might have meant the show will probably go down in the ratings because of the family edition (I haven't seen too many good things said about it).

I really do not like them, partly because I can't stand Survivor- but mostly because I am in the camp of letting other people win money and telling Rahmber to go roll in the money they already won.

But just me ;)

Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em.

Didn't realize how much I'd missed Boston Rob til I saw him tonight.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid they won't do as well as you'd think simply because it's a completely different game. You aren't in a closed environment where your personality (alliances) and your skills (challenges) will be enough to get the job done. There's random bad luck and skills (language, navigation, etc.) that they probably don't have.

Hoping they go all the way but I sense I'll be expecting the worst each week.

I like them, mostly because they seem to have a very good relationship. Rob is sort of loud and rude, but he's always respectful to Amber, which is what's important. He definitely seems to love her and that's always nice to see.

Before the show, I thought it was kind of annoying that they were going to be on another CBS reality show.

Now? I'm rooting for them. Really. They seem to have a good attitude toward each other and a lot of the teams have already bugged.

Shucks and I tought they were going to have the third member of their team help them dig up the clue on the beach.

I too am rooting for Rob/Amber - at first I was annoyed that they were on the show, but I like them now...and HATE the two teams (mom/son and Bianca/Debbie) who purely hate them for having won Survivor...

They seem to really have a great attitude (despite getting out of the parking lot dead last or almost last at the start) and handle each other well.

And some of the other teams seriously bug, so I'm on the Rob/Amber team for now (among a few others).

I thought they were showing some bravado, but I can't really blame them. The other teams pretty much from the get-go had it out for them, so I think they kind of have to talk smack. It's part of Rob's schtick.

I didn't think that I was going to like these two, but I do... so far.

It has something to do with the "Twin-Hunt" mentality (yeah, *that* really worked out for a lot of TAR 3 contestants). Plus, they seem to be having a great time so far. You gotta love that.

Their smugness did bug me, yes. I didn't mind it when they were urging the shuttle driver to pass Gretchen and Meredith, but for some reason I did mind when Amber tried to pull out the Bambi eyes and tell Gretchen that they hadn't been doing exactly that.

They're my least favorite team so far, but honestly, they're so much more palatable than 3/4 of the Final Four last season that they could still win and I wouldn't be annoyed.