About the Biggest Loser

I'm not a big fan of reality TV. I generally view such shows as cop-outs on the part of the networks. But when the writers strike caused nearly all the networks to resort to bad fill-in series, lame pilots, re-runs and reality shows, you either turn you TV off (not an unheard of proposition) or get sucked in. As such shows go, "Biggest Loser" is not so bad. The premise of the show is to help morbidly obese individuals regain control of their lives and become lean and healthy.

Up to the just completed season (number 6), only men have one the contest. During the course of this season, Jillian, one of the trainers expressed her desire to see a woman win. As the number of contestants started to whittle down, it seemed as though her wish might actually come true. Especially once there were only four contestants left and two of them were women.

After the last weigh-in, it looked like a woman was going to be a shoe-in winner. Not only did both of the remaining women lose enough weight to avoid elimination, they should have had a chance to vote the man who still had the most weight to lose out of the game. But this entire season of Biggest Loser seemed to be about how much the producers could screw the contestants and ensure that the guys always came out on top.

When one couple had a chance to eliminate any team that they wanted, the producers changed the rules so that one team (two brothers who pretty much played the heels from the start) could not be eliminated. Each challenge seemed to favor those with greater strength and endurance (men). So it came as no surprise that after the women won the last weigh-in before the finale and were anticipating voting off the big guy, the producers decided to take the decision out of there hands and allow viewers to vote for who the third finalist would be.

Jillian looked as though she was going to walk off the show right then and there. After waiting so long to see a legitimate female contender, her hopes seemed to be dashed since it seemed likely that biggest guy would probably receive the most votes and go on to win. Roger, the big guy, had things in his favor to win the vote because the other guy was an asshole throughout most of the show, while Roger was arrogant but not a dick. Roger also had the better chance to beat the women because he was still significantly heavier than his ideal weight while the other guy was only a few pounds away from his ideal weight. So voters could vote for the asshole with no chance to win, or vote for the Roger. Roger won by more than one hundred thousand votes.

But despite all their efforts, the producers did not get their way. Roger didn't lose enough weight at home. One of the women beat him by a pound to win the show. Girl power prevails at last.

Target Practice with the Niners

If you need anymore proof that the NFL has it out for the 49ers (besides the weak tampering thing), look at the just released 2008 schedule. The Niners play BOTH Super Bowl teams plus two other playoff teams (Dallas and Washington). Why is a team that has missed the playoffs for several years in a row and only won FIVE games last year playing so many top teams?

What happened to the parity scheme that ensured that good teams got tougher schedules? Why is the NFL trying so hard to push the Niners down? Could there be a conspiracy between the league and the Yorks to keep the team lousy so they can relocate easier? I smell a rat!

Baseball is Back ...

But the Giants still suck. If Barry Zito had any integrity what-so-ever, he'd refund his pay every time he pitches a stinker this season. Why should he take money he hasn't earned?

It doesn't look like there is anything to be done to make the team better at this point that doesn't include gutting a pitching staff that may be the only bright light in a dark field. Maybe I'll take up a new hobby this summer and give up on the whole thing.