DC SocialPulse: Floribama Shore - Brownies, Backyard Hops, a Breakup and Buggy Rides

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Tonight, reality TV fans will have be in for an early Christmas: in a few hours from now, we will crown a twenty-third Big Brother winner who will also double as the U.S. show's very first African-American champion after a dream summer for the alliance known as The Cookout. That comes a week after things returned to normal at midweek with the much-celebrated return of Survivor... and there's also The Challenge and The Masked Singer too. But as we prepare for a busy Wednesday night ahead, we have some much-needed fun to this middle part of the week coming from Floribama Shore.

After the unexpected ending to their trip to Western America earlier this year, the Bam have made their return... this time, Aimee, Candace, Codi, Gus, Kirk, Jeremiah and Nilsa returned to somewhat familiar settings: the present situation prevents them from returning to Florida, but being in Athens, Georgia near where most of them call home makes up for being away from the beach. And it was as if things picked up right where they left off from Arizona: plenty of fun ensuing with most of the group... it's only with the Perry playboy's arrival on a motorcycle that rattled some nerves considering what went down in Montana... not to mention the impending arrival of our first Floribama baby.

But then again, when you have many pets rolling around the house -- a pig, goats and a dog to be exact, then this will be quite the animal house. And as we return to Athens, the roommates will get used to something the other places t(hey've lived lacked: a big backyard and plenty in their surroundings with a lake, a pool and plenty of fun. We'll also get deep into what has happened to one of them in regards to a perfect relationship on the outside, but one that is more complicated on the inside. And what is enjoying a day in the South without going for a ride in a high-speed race in a cart --- and where else can you have the luxury of having some homemade brownies?

After the break, DCBLOG's MTV SocialPulse brings you Week 2 of our autumn in Floribama Shore... but if you are also anxious for some Love MTV Style, make sure to stay with us afterwards where we will let you in on who you will be getting to see when Ex On The Beach returns. Thanks for joining us...

DC ExtraTime: It's a Vegas Fight Night on Raiders Opening Night

*** CAUTION: Videos Embedded Below Contain Content Not Suitable for a Younger Audience. Parental Guidance is Suggested. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

In a few short years, a city that had long been sitting on the sidelines has emerged into the big time as the new hub of American sports, although it had already forged a reputation for the world's fight capital. Las Vegas, Nevada's place of being in the desert and as the epicenter of American gambling has long placed it on the outs for major sports outside of boxing, UFC, college sports and events ranging from rodeos to auto racing. But changing attitudes regarding one of its biggest draws -- sports betting, along with Southern Nevada being among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in America and it being a top tourist destination, saw the flood-gates open to Sin City to finally join the big time.

Four years ago next month, the Golden Knights became the first major pro sports franchise to call Vegas home when they took to the ice as the National Hockey League's thirty-first franchise, but it couldn't come at a more poignant time. An emotional home opener on October 10, 2017 came ten days after the deadly massacre at the Route 91 music festival just less than a mile from T-Mobile Arena, and that highly-charged night marked the beginning of a historic inaugural season that saw the Knights make the Stanley Cup Final in their first try. And the Golden Knights have become consistent contenders for hockey's holy grail ever since, making the playoffs in each of their first four seasons in the NHL.

While the pride of Canadian sport has been continuing its growth in the U.S. thanks to both the NHL's expansion in the last three decades and as a cornerstone of the Winter Olympics, ice hockey is trumped by the popularity of the National Football League. There's no denying the tremendous power of the most-popular sport in the world's most-coveted sporting & entertainment market... but until recently the NFL had somewhat different feelings about legal betting on its games -- after all, you wouldn't go to a casino on autumn Sundays seeing fans huddled around TV sets to watch every game like we do in our living rooms. But two things changed everything for the better.

DC SocialPulse - The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies - Getting Shook in the Cage

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

We welcome you back on this first Saturday of fall 2021, and as we are getting used to the sights of autumn taking over our neighborhoods, things are just starting to get a tidy bit serious in the world of the MTV Challenge as Spies, Lies & Allies has just run into its first bit of turbulence.

Last night on a Backtracked installment of our Challenge episode coverage, we brought you the agents embarking on a spin-o-rama as they rode atop rally cars for the true thrill of being movie stunt people. After Emmanuel & Kaycee took the win, things got wild: Emy dropped her single "Alien" to the patrons of Club Challenge, Kay and Nany had a dinner date, and Josh & Esther got it on. But then, things turned a bit out of control: a promising alliance that had already got down the toilet turned a bit more sour: something a bit unusual but familiar to Challenge Nation spurred some ill will.

There, the second installment of Pizza-Gate went down when, while the agents had those boxes of Italian pie, sauce & toppings, Cory & Tori decided to stir the pot and fuel the flames of disconnect that had broken apart the bond of Amber, Fessy & Josh... and leading to a fight with the ladder two. And as we return to Croatia, things have gotten out of hand and it may lead to huge consequences that could shake up the game as it is right now. Her fellow defending champ is also finding himself at a crossroads in regards to his partner, just as last week's star figure is plotting plans of her own before a twist on a classic elimination greets them at the Lair.

After the jump, DCBLOG brings you the second half of this DCBLOG Challenge SocialPulse doubleheader -- and you didn't have to wait seven days for that. Thanks for joining us again...

DC SocialPulse - The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies - "Alien"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom. ***

 BACKTRACKED EDITION  

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

We have reached the last weekend of September, which means that we're about three-quarters' of a way through this year... but we're also into the first weekend of fall/autumn -- just don't say to us out west as our summer vibes just keep on going here. But it does mean that a change of seasons is taking place in reality land... and MTV's The Challenge just keeps on going with Spies, Lies & Allies.

If you have been following the season, then you know that this has been dominated by the vet alliance as they've been controlling things in Croatia in picking off as many of the rookies as they can. And last time we were in this house, the challengers maneuvered their way through a minefield of obstacles that turned out to be their toughest daily so far... and its grueling nature saw Aneesa get medevac'd by a separated shoulder as CT & Berna took Agency status. And Logan was the top rookie of week 5 by way of taking down Gabo in the Lair and winning over Big T. in the house beforehand.

And as we reach just about the one-third pole of our stay in Croatia, maybe it's just about time that the agents be taken for a ride... and as Week 6 takes shape they will find themselves going for a spin to solve a puzzle and will leave them feeling dizzy once they get off a spinning automobile. But the real action takes place in the house itself, where both a secret hookup and a candlelight date become the talk of the town. That is, until something a bit unusual but familiar to the fandom goes down after hours: a stolen pizza and simmering tension among a broken alliance turns into something much more.

After the break, DCBLOG brings you the first half of a weekend Challenge SocialPulse doubleheader as we bring you the action, reaction & interaction of Episode 6 of Spies, Lies & Allies and a few other things. And after all that, we'll have a first look at a holiday stocking-stuffer: building blocks featuring one of Challenge Nation's biggest alumni. And welcome to the weekend...

DC SocialPulse: Floribama Shore - The Season 4 Fall Premiere

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Wherever you are this last official weekend of summer, fall is in the air as we near the autumn equinox that comes this week. But for those of you who are just not ready to let go of those summer vibes, you are in for a treat as MTV has been providing us some comfort food for those who love the endless summer: for those who love the drama it's Siesta Key, and for those who love the fun it's Floribama Shore... and with us still to cover the last act of the former of this first summer of normal in 24 months, the ladder now takes the baton again to headline our Thirsty Thursdays.

Earlier this year, Season 4 brought the Bam to a place they've never gone before: a place outside of Florida, which forced Aimee, Candace, Codi, Gus, Kirk, Jeremiah and Nilsa to fly to Montana and then down to Arizona. But the drama bug also made the plane ride out west: the simmering tension of the former bromance cast a shadow over their trip, along with the Perry playboy's infamous escape in the cold. But not everything was dramatic: there was the joy that Nilsa had when she found out that she's about to welcome the very first Floribama baby... and you can't but help seeing them have so much fun. But while in Lake Havasu, reality set in at spring's end: some of the production crew returned positive tests, and the group entered quarantine before getting shots of a different kind became the rage.

But deep down inside, they knew this season didn't have to end that way... and it's with that in mind that we rejoin the Bam in a whole new locale, but a bit close to home: Athens, Georgia is where the party's at this fall. Given what we saw earlier this year, there is always the worry that drama may once dampen the normally cheery mood in the house, and it is when they hear the sound of the cover model's motorcycle that may spell disaster once again. It may even be quite an adventure just driving over to this college town on the outskirts on Atlanta, most especially when it's a long drive from Alabama. But then again, fun will await when they arrive... and that includes several new additions to the Bam -- and that doesn't include that aforementioned baby Nilsa is about to welcome into her world with her own Gus.

After the break, MTV Reality television's endless summer of Floridian fun continues as DCBLOG brings you the SocialPulse of the Season 4 fall premiere of Floribama Shore, as we once again bring you all the raw Twitter episode action, reaction and interaction as the episodes air to begin our weekend. And welcome back to paradise -- or this case, welcome to the Animal House in the heart of the Peach State.

DC ExtraTime: Surviving Hurricane Ida

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

It's safe to say that things about this fall season of The Challenge have been a bit unusual to say the least... but we will save that discussion on here for another day. But good thing that there's other seasons of this show that we can relieve if you are one of those who forges over a few dollars to watch them on Paramount+ or watches them for free on its Pluto TV channel.

It was seven years ago at this time in the autumn that Season 30 of The Real World was filming... and as it was the previous season in San Francisco and then later with its returns to Las Vegas and Seattle that it would be anything but the ordinary "seven strangers" format. One good thing that came out of the "Skeletons" season in Chicago was that got to introduce us to Tony Raines: the Louisianan falling in love with one of the roommates there would eventually bring him into something that's become old hat the past few years: becoming a dad much earlier than he expected and before most of those of the show he would join afterwards would join him later on in that occupation.

And it was a much documented career that Tony had on The Challenge post-Real World: it began with him getting into it with his brother Shane just after he cheated on his baby mama in the bathroom and before a bad spill that forced him from Battle of the Bloodlines. After early exits on Rivals III (a non-physical fight with his partner), Invasion of The Champions (first to lose in the elimination after the merge with the champs) and Dirty 30 (a surprise loss to Amo in elimination), and we could have looked at another also-ran... but the Redemption House proved to be a blessing in disguise: #TonyTime won his way back to make the semifinals there, executed a move on Bananas on Vendettas and made a deep run on Final Reckoning, along with winning Champs vs. Stars and a proposal with his girlfriend Alyssa.

But this past month saw something so life-changing happen to him, it once again reiterated that there are few things that are bigger than television, and also proves why that despite all the dysfunction that frequently takes place within that community that Challenge Nation is indeed a family. One thing that can bring them all together: a devastating disaster.

DC SocialPulse - The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies - "Good Vibes & Gladiator"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom. ***

 BACKTRACKED EDITION  

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

 On the meteorological front, this is the official last weekend of summer 2021... but fall is already in the air when it comes to things we're used to this time of year: football returning, the leaves starting to come down from the sky in some places of our country, and in TV land the big premieres waiting for us. And we are a month into Season 37 of MTV's The Challenge, as Spies, Lies & Allies enters month #2.

When we last left the nation of Croatia on here, one person was on the mind of everyone: the one who came in to replace Lauren in Week 2 as the season's other replacement, but yet finding herself at the bottom of the totem pole in her own alliance despite the fact that she came in as part of the winning duo on Double Agents. But after what happened in the week 4 lair, it's very much clear that Amber is the real deal, winning that with Hughie over Corey in a heated battle among the two male LGBT rookies of this class, all after a mission that saw things get testy with Kyle and Devin.

As the second month of this season begins, the agents will find themselves playing in the mud as they have to maneuver through a "Mindfield" of obstacles in having to utilize both their brains and brawn with agency seats up for grabs, but it may claim one of the players before the final horn blows. Two rookies may find themselves in a precarious spot of whether to make the season's first power move during a season that's seen those like them have to play with being the minority party in the house, while one other rookie may be looking for something much more.

We will have all the action, reaction and interaction to Episode 5 of Spies, Lies & Allies just ahead on here... but first after the jump, two big events to Team MTV and tragedy comes to another member of our Challenge family. Thanks for joining us...

MTV Reality WRAP: Siesta Key - "We Can All Use a Little Empathy"

 BACKTRACKED EDITION  

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

In a perfect world if you don't have to worry about a single thing in this imperfect world, then you would probably enjoying walking the beachy sands in Florida. It perhaps may not the case in these times, but through the magic of TV you are able to as, this week DCBLOG is turning our focus to covering summer coming to an end in Siesta Key as Season 4 reaches its sunset on their summer.

Due to several things -- Challenge blog coverage, precious family time and binge-watching the Tokyo Olympics, it's been some time since we were last in the Sarasota suburb on here. But when we last left the crew back in late July, Juliette had finally emerged from public hiding after the chaos of the last night of their Caribbean trip where she slapped Kelsey and left the West Indies with Sam the morning after. After getting the time to compose herself and meeting with a mental health worker, the queen finally got a chance to get in contact with her one-time roommate to apologize, just as the model was welcoming her boyfriend to town with a third roommate: a pet gecko along with a Range Rover.

Now, as we return to town, there's another party for the crew to celebrate: the one who has an engagement ring on her fingers (and as it turns out, a lot more to that) gets to blow out the birthday cake -- and there's a lot more for the rest of the crew to devour around the party bonfire. And after the break, it's the penultimate week of summer of Season 4 of Siesta Key on this DCBLOG MTV WRAP.

DC ExtraTime Flashback - 9/11 In The Real World: The Day That Changed It All

BY DC CUEVA                                

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

    ESTIMATED READING TIME: 27 Mins.

The story of MTV Reality represents the history of the non-scripted genre as it is recognized by fans and the industry, encompassing three decades of some of TV's most unique programming. As MTV marks its 40th anniversary this year, during 2021 DCBLOG's ExtraTime franchise is proud to offer this special Flashback series as we look back at some of the most memorable moments, greatest shows, incredible personalities and unique backstories that has shaped this entire genre.

   And due to this story's poignant nature, the reflective mood this country is in now on the anniversary of the events of what happened twenty years ago and the date that this is being posted -- as well as the time that was needed to put this detailed & in-depth story together, DCBLOG's normal weekly coverage will not be presented this weekend. As a result, our content covering this week's fifth episode of MTV's The Challenge will instead be offered on here during next week's series of posts.

Photo: Getty Images

Right now, we are living through some extraordinary moments in our lifetime here in the first two years of the 2020's. We've had to endure such a divisive and intense time in this country spurred on by last year's game-changing election, sandwiched in between a tumultuous prelude and stunning aftermath that came along with a change of occupancy at the White House. A year ago, a post-Memorial Day weekend shooting in Minneapolis set off a coast-to-coast firestorm of riots and racial tension that reignited the Black Lives Matter movement. And there have been many other events -- disasters, deaths and the like -- that has seen plenty of bad news dominate our headlines & our social feeds... and then, there's this.

On March 8, 2020, just four days after the cast & trailer was revealed for season 35 of MTV's The Challenge: Total Madness, a startling announcement by the World Health Organization jolted the planet as the spread of the coronavirus from the nation of China to all around the world would have a lasting effect on our way of life. COVID sent just about everything we take for granted and our plans for both last and this year into a state of panic and perhaps being either postponed or put aside altogether... and it still is affecting all of us as the Delta variant and vaccination has been on most people's minds of late, and where it has continued to be a hot-button topic on the road back to pre-pandemic normalcy.

All of these events have joined those days and moments where, every so often, you'll know exactly where you were when it took place, and you'll tell your kids about it once you get up there in age. If you have a grandparent in your family who's still alive, they'll probably tell you where they were when Pearl Harbor was bombed, when JFK was assassinated, when man stepped foot on the moon and when Nixon resigned. For your parents, it's likely they remember when Challenger exploded, when the Miracle on Ice happened, when the Berlin Wall fell and when O.J. Simpson was found not guilty.

And for us in this generation, there's the times when Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, Irma and Ida hit, when Michael Jackson, Prince, Muhammad Ali and Kobe Bryant died, when same-sex marriage became law of the land, when the Red Sox and Cubs won the World Series, and when the last three Presidents were elected, among so many other things that have happened in the first two decades of this third millennium. And there are personal events and tragedies near and dear to us that didn't make national or global headlines but became days we would never forget... that includes the deaths of Challenge alums Diem Brown and Ryan Knight, and Are You The One's Alexis Eddy last year.

Living through such ordeals like what we're in now above is something that we all have gone through in the course of the last twenty-one months. But there's one person in the MTV Reality family who has gone through the surreal experience of the one moment scarred in the memories of most of us in these last two decades that was captured by the cameras of The Real World twenty years ago on this very day stuck in our collective memories. It's the person who takes on the role of being the senior competitor of this fall's Challenge season who has had the enigma of having her birthday on September 11 being scarred by the memories of that unforgettable Tuesday that changed this world.

DC SocialPulse - The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies - "Messy"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

It's summer 2021's last weekend, and we're witnessing a change in season in the sports realm this first September's Sunday: college football is officially underway, NFL regular season rosters are being finalized, baseball's playoff races are coming into focus, soccer is hosting its first wave of international matches and rivalries here at home in MLS, golf determining its season-long PGA Tour Cup winner and the women playing for the Solheim Cup, and Tokyo is wrapping up its summer hosting the world and pulling off both a pandemic Olympics and Paralympics without a hitch. But as far as the fifth major pro sport is concerned, MTV's The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies is reaching the first month marker in Croatia.

If one thing has been clear these first three weeks, then it's been clear that the veterans are the ones in charge and the rookies have to play by their rules. Last week saw more than what the first-timers got to handle when a diving challenge saw Tommy suffer a concussion and get medically evacuated from Europe, while Ed carried momentum from his Week 2 elimination win with winning the week 3 daily with Tori. However, it's the actions of his partner that had fans scratching their heads and certainly had an entire nation & a rookie's fandom go for her head when Tacha succumbed to Berna in the Lair.

Whenever you watch this show there always seems to be moments, like what happened last week, when messy gameplay becomes all that more magnified. This week, the players will use decoding above the water and on the ground to determine who becomes the Agency, and it's what happens there that might test one of this game's closest bonds. For the one who came in as the other replacement to this game, she finds herself underestimated in her original show's own alliance despite her winning it all last spring... and it's only if she has a good week that our defending champ will prove her worth -- perhaps even turn things upside down. And the same could be true for two rookies who are playing for a lot more.

After the break on this last Sunday without an NFL game for the next six months (but with a juicy one with Florida State and Notre Dame tonight), DCBLOG brings you the SocialPulse of Week 4 of The Challenge 37... and afterwards, we'll meet the newest member of Challenge Nation to say "yes" to an engagement ring. Thanks for spending part of your Labor Day weekend with us...

DC ExtraTime: The Caucus Challenge - Novice Era

*** CAUTION: Videos Embedded Below Contain Adult Language and Content Intended for a Mature Audience. Viewer Discretion is Advised. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

All Photos Courtesy IG @Dre.Media

Back in the autumn of 2017, DCBLOG first came across the world that are reality competition shows that are made just for YouTube, better known as "live reality games" -- scaled-down versions of our favorite reality TV shows seen on the world's unofficial online video library. It was something that was ahead of its time when we first took a look at the show that takes place in the backyard of a house in a neighborhood outside of the nation's largest metropolis, and which it has grown into much more.

We first discovered the man at the heart of what is now a multi-show franchise when he and his friends got to meet competitors who took part in the first season of MTV's The Challenge to offer $1 million in prize money on Dirty 30, and things have not been the same ever since for Andres Rodriguez. This MTV fanatic is more than just one who's gotten the chance to meet up with those from The Challenge and other shows -- he's also the producer, editor, host, competitor, main protagonist and leader of Dre.Media, the outlet that's brought us both The Caucus Challenge and spinoff series The Life We Live... and we've been following every step of his journey to YouTube stardom on here.

The past year & a half as everything has been turned upside down in our world, Dre has brought us along for some much-needed escapist television with his weekend trips with friends and newbies on The Life We Live when it went to Upstate New York, Boston, Colorado Springs and most recently down to Dallas -- the ladder three taking place during this pandemic. And that also caused his first love in this world, The Caucus Challenge, to take 2020 off -- outside of a special spinoff that took place during his family camp trip during that lost summer. And the last time we saw Caucus take center stage, it was Rivals Roulette back in spring 2019 which also saw the debut of a recent member of TLWL.

Now, as we are heading towards the end of the summer this long Labor Day weekend and into an amazing autumn ahead in the world of reality TV, The Caucus Challenge is also back from its forced year of hibernation as, this year it gets to welcome back a bunch of veterans from throughout its ten seasons. At the same time, it also brings to this part of the Dre.Media world a few of those who lived with Dre on TLWL, and now get to show off their competitive side alongside him and five other rookies. Together, they are about to enter a new era and a new game entitled, Novice Era.

Who Are These Newbies? - The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies - The Ed Show

*** CAUTION: This Post Contains Spoilers for Those Who Haven't Caught Up with Watching This Season So Far, Please Read with Caution Below. Videos Embedded in This Post Contain Adult Language... Parental Guidance is Suggested. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Whenever we begin each season of our wall-to-wall Challenge coverage, DCBLOG has devoted time, effort and resources to answering the question on the minds of our readers and the Challenge Nation fandom: "Who Are These Newbies?". But this cycle began inauspiciously on here: this site's editor in chief (me) was so caught up in Olympic fever and marking his aunt's 80th birthday that he had to push back the weekly offerings of SocialPulse -- our raw, unedited timeline of the social media episode buzz, by one week to devote time to our seasonal introduction to each & every Challenge rookie competing before kicking off episode coverage -- seventeen of them in all to begin Spies, Lies & Allies.

Now that we're through three weeks in Croatia, we have some clarity on who has shone so far and who hasn't, and the premise that rings true in any season is becoming more clear - and you probably know what that is if you have been following it. But when we did our 3-part series on the Season 37 Newbies, as it turned out it was not the end of that, and it always brings into the equation something that is always on the minds of producers when it comes to doing these shows. Whenever someone gets injured earlier on and can't go forward in the competition (or as in recent cases, someone returning a positive COVID test), there are competitors available on standby to replace them... hence, the continuation with a part 4.

It's with this in mind that, for the first time in the eight years of our DCBLOG MTV coverage, a whole installment of Who Are These Newbies? will be devoted solely to one person... and that status of standing out among the rest fits the personality of the man who comes into Spies, Lies & Allies as its eighteenth rookie and its only one who made the flight here as a replacement. And considering how things have transpired this first month in Croatia, Ed Eason has put himself as early season front-runner for Rookie of the Year... and his road to becoming the most exuberant first-time competitor in this crop of newcomers is much more than just bringing the energy of a youngster to the fifth major pro sport.