Real World/Road Rules Battle of the Sexes 2: A Preview of the Men's Team

In the last Battle of the Sexes, the men went 10-5 in missions, managed to vote out members with minimal drama, and put the best three players in the final mission: Mark Long, the inoffensive old-timer; Colin Mortensen, the self-styled "Ladies Man" who went through most of the missions with a bum ankle; and Jamie Murray, the bearded goofball who kicked ass and named sea urchins that were laid on his body during a mission. Those three were a good mix. Can the guys pull it off once again?

Abram Boise (RR: South Pacific)

Your name is Jillian. You are the latest addition to the cast of Road Rules: X-Treme. You fall into a sexual relationship with Patrick, but during a face-off against the kids from South Pacific, you find him dancing with Mary Beth. In a jealous fit, you feel the need to tango with somebody. But with who? It can't be Chris, since he's engaged. Dave? Nope, he's still with Cara, and she's five feet away from you. So you gravitate towards Abram, dancing sexily with him, leading him to gab about how much he loves eighteen-year-old girls such as yourself.

And that's why I hate Abram. Yeah, he got eliminated from The Gauntlet by Mike, but he got into a threesome with Rachel and Veronica. He took part in a scheme to get of Katie during The Inferno, throwing a mission and humiliating her in the process. Karma never touches him, because Lady Luck has her arms wrapped around him. I hear that he's involved with Coral, the Challenge's bad girl. Seriously, I can't say anything else, other than my hoping for an early elimination. On the bright side, he lost the Mohawk. That's something good about him, isn't it?

Ace Amerson (RW: Paris)

When I did the preview for The Inferno earlier this year, I had called Ace a phony for staying in Paris solely for the post-RW benefits. He lasted two missions, got dumped into the Inferno when Syrus managed to save himself, and ended up losing to Jeremy in Bug Helmet. I have to say that there's nothing phony about sticking his head in a box full of bugs for ten seconds before bailing out.

I'm a little more sympathetic this time. Back then, darn near everybody questioned his guts after his loss… including Coral, who had almost died from a spider bite in The Gauntlet. Ace just sulked, rather than asking his teammates to deal with the bugs themselves. This is his second chance. If he works hard, he will be rewarded. If he fails? There's always tending to all those bars he owns back home.

Adam King (RW: Paris)

Admit it, you can't believe he's here, either. You can see guys like Ace and CT going into a Challenge, since they're strong and rugged. In contrast, Adam appears to be a cross between two members of RW: New Orleans: David (since he can't rap) and Matt (since he can't dance).

I do feel Adam can be a tough guy. Remember, he stood up against a drunken CT, after the belligerent Bostonian had punched a guy. A sane person would've run, but Adam didn't. While he may not be the most imposing guy out there, I think Adam could be a sleeper on this show. At the very least, his awkward flirting might keep the girls entertained.

Brad Fiorenza (RW: San Diego)

My first impression of Brad? Seeing him ride his motorcycle in the first episode, I thought of him as "Rad Brad," a total meathead. He got into trouble with authority, going to the pokey at least twice. One time, he left jail… without his shoes… forced to hitchhike back to the house… so he could get ten minutes of sleep… before he picked his girlfriend up at the airport… while hung over. You can hear the high-fives of the casting department for bringing this guy into the fold.

I'll say this much: out of all the new kids, I think Brad will make the biggest impact. Outside of having a good time, he looks to be a stud on the battlefield. Heck, he could crack the final three and not surprise me. On the other hand, he could end up in a Santa Fe drunk tank, yelling for Jacquese to bail him out. I also wouldn't be surprised if "Free Brad!" T-shirts were made for the Challengers.

Chris Graebe (RR: South Pacific)

I didn't get too much of an impression of Chris the first time around. Out of the guys from South Pacific, you had the redneck (Abram), the snarky guy (Dave), the fat guy (Donell) and the eager-to-please newbie (Jeremy). Chris was the guy who had given his life to God years ago. Think Matt, only without the dorky dance moves and the inflammatory T-shirts. Chris was one of the people behind the lowest point of that season: the move to dump Cara instead of Donell. Not only did Donell stay on for three more episodes, Tina was brought in to stir things up even further, and the season went deeper into the abyss.

I can see Chris as a mentor on the guys' side. He won't drink and flirt like the others, since he's pious and engaged. Proof of this was his brief counseling session with Derrick in the last Road Rules face-off. Hopefully, Chris won't get a beating like the one he got from Derrick during the boxing match they had in Argentina.