If you had the chance to watch last night’s episode of The Amazing Race, you saw what amounted to an ethical debate.  Should a team, given the opportunity, impede the progress of a competing team?  My answer: if you’re playing for a million dollars, you do what you can to win.

This is not the prerogative of Charla/Mirna or Eric/Danielle.  Last night featured incessant whining over the use of a “yield”.  A few times during the course of a season, teams will get the chance to “yield” other teams, making them wait for 45 minutes at a certain point in the leg until they are allowed to resume the race.  The yield can only be used once per leg, and teams can only use the yield once per season.  It is a tool of the game, is not in any way against the rules, is not frowned upon by the producers, and can sometimes significantly alter the outcome of a leg. 

So, why the big deal?

I don’t know.  Charla and Mirna took great offense to Dustin and Kandice’s initial use of the yield, even though it wasn’t used on them.  They view it as a personal affront, an abominable action.  Eric and Danielle, who have now been yielded twice, also view it as a slap in the face.  This is more just bitterness over the fact that they’ve been forced to endure the time delay twice, but they’ve still had unkind words for the Beauty Queens.

I don’t get it.  If you’re playing for a million dollars and have the chance to increase your chances of winning by slowing another team down in a completely legal manner, don’t you have to take that opportunity?  You play to win the game, don’t you? 

The Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice) seem to be the only remaining team who fully embrace the fact that their actions during the race do not reflect who they are as people outside of the race.  Their actions reflect the fact that they are competing for an exorbitant sum of money.  Hurting someone’s feelings should be the last thing that matters. 

Point being, I wish Charla and Mirna would stop complaining.

-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer

(Image Courtesy of CBS.com)

Oscar Dahl

Senior Writer, BuddyTV