BY DC CUEVA
Often in the soon to be 500 posts we've done here and most on some of television's most exciting reality series, DCBLOG has spotlighted some of the people who drive the conversation of the shows that matter more than any other constituency: the fans. We have featured people of the Trifecta fandom like yourselves in the past, where we've featured firsthand looks at the various reunions, an extraordinary fan becoming a lifelong friend of The Challenge's most loved & hated man, and others who have gotten to meet those who entertain us each week and interact with us in between episodes.
This story might be the most unique and dynamic story involving those like you who watch these shows with me and everybody who discuss this ecosystem and interact regularly with its hundreds who've been on our screens since it began 25 years ago this summer. And if you thought that just being a fan who only watches and discusses The Challenge is one thing, then wait until you hear this.
This story might be the most unique and dynamic story involving those like you who watch these shows with me and everybody who discuss this ecosystem and interact regularly with its hundreds who've been on our screens since it began 25 years ago this summer. And if you thought that just being a fan who only watches and discusses The Challenge is one thing, then wait until you hear this.
Imagine being a fan of the show you love watching the most out of any other, and thinking of an idea so radical it begins to take the web and social media by storm. That's exactly what's been happening with our subject, where a fan who lives just outside New York City was inspired by what we've seen on the fifth major pro sport and got together some of his friends from high school to compete in their own version of The Challenge.
On this dedicated edition of ExtraTime, we take a look at the wildest and most exciting backyard competition: The Caucus Challenge.
All Photos Used Courtesy Instagram @Dre.Media and Twitter @Obey_Andrezz
Also on Challenge Eve, the cast had the opportunity to turn from just being competitors and MTV stars to become teachers and assistants to a workout session that gave fans a chance to spend time with the cast in not only being able to meet them, but also getting a chance to get down and get fit with those who compete on the fifth major pro sport. For a moment at least, these players got to become the bosses to fellow employees who are also some of their biggest fans.
For one fan who I have gotten to know well with since I began following the Trifecta five years ago in the Twitter world in Big D - David Olmann, it was the opportunity to shut the door on the debate of who the biggest fan of this show is when it comes to meeting those who he has gotten to meet in his New York City backyard. And after hanging out with the entire cast as well as so many others too many to mention over the past several years both in person and on podcasts, there is clearly no question that Dave is one of the MTV community's most devoted super-fans.
Another fan who had the opportunity to meet the Dirty 30 cast, both at that workout and at the taping of the reunion, was Andres Rodriguez, who had just graduated from Secaucus High School and is now a freshman at a local community college in the Orlando area. No doubt, he has had the time of his life having experienced the biggest day of his life: walking the platform to receive his diploma, and now spending his first fall away from home down in the Sunshine State. But perhaps to those outside this town located across the Hudson River, Andres' biggest achievement of his senior year is not of what he did in high school, but doing something that grabbed the attention of those outside the school's walls.
For one fan who I have gotten to know well with since I began following the Trifecta five years ago in the Twitter world in Big D - David Olmann, it was the opportunity to shut the door on the debate of who the biggest fan of this show is when it comes to meeting those who he has gotten to meet in his New York City backyard. And after hanging out with the entire cast as well as so many others too many to mention over the past several years both in person and on podcasts, there is clearly no question that Dave is one of the MTV community's most devoted super-fans.
In a town large enough to fit its entire population of 19,000 inside Madison Square Garden for a rock concert, Secaucus is a key city to those in the media portion of American sports: it's here where the fate of close NBA games lie inside the Association's Replay Center in the headquarters of NBA Entertainment and NBA TV. Across town are similar facilities for MLB Network, MLB Productions and its digital arm BAT Tech - whose MLB Advanced Media arm is a crucial lifeline to the digital operations of many websites and webcast video. And not far away from both leagues are the Meadowlands and MetLife Stadium, where the Giants and Jets spend their autumn Sundays.
Secaucus is also the venue for something as grand as a major sport: during both his junior and senior years, the backyard of Andres' house was also the home to what became a local attraction to those in his inner circle.
Secaucus is also the venue for something as grand as a major sport: during both his junior and senior years, the backyard of Andres' house was also the home to what became a local attraction to those in his inner circle.
Starting in his junior year last year, Andres thought of a way to translate a love he had for watching The Challenge and CBS' Big Brother. In launching his own YouTube channel which also include covers of some of music's biggest hits, he invited some of his high school friends and came up with an idea to make a web video franchise where he would invite them to compete in challenges inspired by what he had seen on MTV.The result of that became The CAUCUS Challenge, with the last two syllables giving ode to his town's name. Much like Champs vs. Pros, it was just all about competition, no house drama but with plenty of fascinating people including Andres himself, who put himself in TJ Lavin's shoes as host in all but one the six seasons of the show and competing in that one.
And when they do compete, there are missions we are all familiar with: pairs, puzzles, eating gross food and physically demanding challenges. For eliminations, they too also take their inspiration from The Challenge in Balls In, Pole Wrestle, and other games that have matched the best of the best one-on-one every season. And though it doesn't have the kind of big-time endurance or someone flying out of a plane, there are finals which determine who is victorious.
BATTLE OF THE ROOKIES
The first season of the Caucus Challenge is Battle of the Rookies, and as the name suggests this season is composed entirely of players and Andres' fellow friends competing on their first challenge season. If you're like me who watched Battle of the Seasons II five years ago - the first Challenge I've watched in this current wave, you'll notice that San Diego, New Orleans and St. Thomas, as well as Nicole's fiery cousin Nany, all got their first shot competing on that season.
BATTLE OF THE BEST FRIENDS
SPRING FLING BATTLE
NEW GENERATION
Like the Rookies Challenge, the New Generation season takes its cue from the last non-Bananas season and this blogger's first Challenge season - BOTS 2, where all the players are paired off into four-player teams.
BAD BLOOD BATTLE
For Season 5, Caucus took the theme of the most popular format of the current era of The Challenge for an all-girls season. Female duos are brought together as if by random and with no idea of why they were paired up... until the are told that they are Rivals, and they must co-exist in the game just as those we have seen in the three iterations of that theme.
SPRING BREAK BATTLE: CUTTHROAT INVASION
For the series finale of The Caucus Challenge, the sixth and final season towards the end of Andres' senior year takes a cue from Invasion of the Champions: sixteen players who had not won a title being given another chance at glory... and in this case, it's a trip to Spring Break that's up for grabs. And just as it was with the Oasis in Thailand, there isn't room for everyone as only 12 tickets are available for that annual rite of the changing of seasons. Like Invasion, the missions vary, and the game resets when all the spots are claimed, all before one final champion is crowned.
It was just after he graduated high school that Andres got to meet Team Jailah and the rest of the entire Dirty 30 cast at both that workout day the day before the premiere, where he and his fellow friends all donned their own Challenge jerseys and had a blast being able to hang out with the cast and get in a few push-ups with them too. Of course, the entire cast signed his jersey -- a permanent souvenir of that surreal experience and something to tell everyone in the Tri-State, in Central Florida and to fellow fans everywhere.
He tweeted after that experience in July, "This was the BEST experience of my life. Glad I got to meet some of the dirtiest players from The Challenge XXX!" Below is his video of that awesome day, all made possible by a love he has for his favorite show, and translating that passion into doing his own Challenge for everyone to see and to have fun.
This was the BEST experience of my life. Glad I got to meet some of the "dirtiest" players from the @ChallengeMTV #TheChallengeXXX ‼️😍😭😈💯❤️ pic.twitter.com/YIEE67nRGt— DRE (@obey_andrezz) July 18, 2017
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This weekend, DCBLOG will be busy covering the two competitive shows of the Trifecta as we'll be covering last night's episode of The Challenge XXX, a special bonus Fear Factor, and tonight's opening salvo of Are You The One? from the Bayou... A suggestion for those who didn't watch last night before you press play on that DVR: make sure to have a trash can handy. And after we give those of you the time to catch up now until then, make sure to rejoin us for a Double Shot of our 'Pulse social diaries, plus recaps of the Trifecta week that was, and our signature ExtraTime bits.
Tonight over on my Twitter @DC408Dxtr, and after Terrence J's first Matchup Ceremony as AYTO's newest host, we'll reveal not only what's coming up in those bits after our episode coverage, but also reveal the names of not one but TWO new shows I'll be adding to my fall live tweet slate. For a teaser of those two: the first had its baptism of fire last night, while the other makes its debut next week post-Dirty 30. Also, take part in our latest polls that's up there on my hub and share your thoughts with yours truly at #DCChallenge. And please remember to share these DCBLOG links on social media so more of your fellow MTV fans can sample our distinctively outstanding coverage.
For now, enjoy tonight's premiere from the Crescent City, and see you back here this weekend.
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