Monica & Sheree
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TV ClubHouse: ARCHIVES: The Amazing Race IV (ARCHIVE): The Racers: Monica & Sheree
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Archive through June 12, 2003 25   06/12 09:48pm
Archive through July 03, 2003 25   07/03 09:32pm

Lycanthrope

Friday, July 04, 2003 - 09:12 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Sorry to see them go, they will be missed...and I chose them for the final 3...darn-it

Monkeyboy

Friday, July 04, 2003 - 11:33 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
:(:(:(

Crazydog

Monday, July 07, 2003 - 08:32 am EditMoveDeleteIP
They were my favorite team. So sad to see them leave.

Essence

Monday, July 07, 2003 - 12:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I was so sad to see them come in last place. Of all the teams to go, why did it have to be them?

Seamonkey

Monday, July 07, 2003 - 01:23 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
It was my fault.. I had just picked them to win the whole race in Putters bonus questions :(

That doomed them, I fear.

I'm totally bummed.. I was just loving this team.

Csnog

Monday, July 07, 2003 - 04:02 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
From Fans of Reality

This afternoon, I finally got the chance to speak to Monica & Sheree, the latest victims of Philimination on the Amazing Race (darn holiday weekends, anyway!). Here's what they had to say:

Why did you want to do the Amazing Race?

Monica: Sheree and I had both been big fans of the show. I was on a website, and saw the casting call for the show, and called Sheree. We'd both talked about doing something for ourselves, not related to football, just something of our own. We thought we could do well, because we know each other well, and thought we could get along. And the physical part of it, we knew we could handle that, too. That was a big thing for me. We were really inspired with AR3, seeing the people who made it to the finals, and the things they went through. It seemed to be a memorable experience.

How close were you to not being eliminated?

Sheree: I think we may have been a good 30 to 40 minutes behind. We never got a chance to find out, but by the time we got to the wash place, there was no one there. And we spent a good 30 or 40 minutes there trying to find the clue, and there was no one in sight, so we had to be that far behind.

After a discussion with Chip & Reichen, you decided to stick with the direct flight, even though it arrived later. Why?

Monica: Sheree and I had both talked about going out on our own, and using gut instinct. The flight was only 40 minutes or so earlier. Sheree and I both thought it was riskier to have to connect versus having a direct flight, with 3 or 4 other teams. And with the teams that were taking a direct flight, we felt we had a better chance to staying in the race. And in the end, it worked out, because we all ended up together spending the night anyway.

You seemed to have trouble finding your way to the train station. What happened?

Monica: There were a lot of people who sent us the wrong way. When we started on that leg, we were with everyone but Chip & Reichen. The rest of the teams, the guys took the girls' backpacks, and they were able to get some separation from us. After that, we kept going in the direction everyone was running, and the clowns were right by us. But we ended up passing the clowns, because people were telling us "go this way." We constantly stopped to ask people where to go. But what really got us was when we got on the bus, and the bus driver told us he'd take us to Dobi Gat and tell us when to get off - and he didn't. I really don't think the guy spoke English. We found out from someone who spoke English that we'd missed our stop, so we had to backtrack to the train station.

Sheree: I think it was a luck thing. Some teams were able to get good directions from people who spoke English. The people who were giving us directions, it was frustrating, because they didn't understand us, but they just kept saying "go that way." Especially when a police officer and the bus driver told us where to go, we thought we were headed the right direction.

Did you experience the same "groping" problems some of the other teams did on the train?

Monica: We got lucky, because when Sheree and I finally got on the train, after our third try, we got in the very last car, and there were 4 or 5 seats up against a wall. An older gentleman had gotten up just before we got on, so we were able to get those seats. You really had to shove your way in. We spent a lot of time in line to buy tickets, and we ended up not needing them, because they never came around to check for them. It was just a mad push.

It looks like everyone was getting in on the nicknaming craze. What did you think of "The Supremes"?

Sheree: I think that was given to us early on, by the BFG's, the air traffic controllers. They started calling us that because we were dressed nice before we were even able to talk to each other, and our hair was always done. It was one of their favorite groups, so they just started calling us The Supremes. Then everyone started calling us that, so we'd sing a little "Baby Love" to them.

You seemed very comfortable asking locals for help. Was that a conscious strategy?

Monica: I think that was just our personality. We didn't go in with a strategy, because it seemed like teams that did, it didn't work. The first few legs, we stayed up all night with the other teams planning out how to get out - trains, cabs, or whatever. But it never ended up going the way we expected. We're the type of people who will just ask, no matter what we think. Even if we had confirmation, we'd ask 3 other people just to see. That was a big disappointment in India, because we asked and asked, and we just got all the wrong directions. There's nothing you can do about that, unless you can keep up with the guys, which we couldn't because of our bags.

You talked about separation, and do you think it's better to separate from the pack, or stick with them and beat them at the end?

Sheree: I think for us, we thought we were going in the right direction, so we'd try for separation. There were so many times where we got grouped back up again, and we never knew when or if it was going to happen. So we fought it out to get separation. And Monica and I did pretty good, we came in 2nd or 3rd almost every leg. For us, we just wanted to get ahead, because if it came to a footrace or carrying something heavy, we wanted to keep the advantage.

Monica: In India, I wanted to stick with the group, but when they started pulling away from us, there wasn't much we could do.

What was your favorite destination?

Sheree: I liked Milan. It was really beautiful.

Monica: Paris, and Le Mans.

What would you have done different, given the chance?

Monica: In India, I would have followed my instincts, which were for Sheree and I to go back to Gate #1, which was where the busses were. But we didn't, because every team but Chip & Reichen went the other way, and we followed them instead.

What did you pack that you didn't need?

Monica: I can't think of anything right off hand, but I'm thinking of the things we should have brought that we didn't.

And what would that be?

Monica: Well, for example, before we left, Sheree and I took our rain ponchos out to make space. And that was the dumbest thing we ever did. Our jackets were water repellent, but it rained so much, we both got sick.

What one piece of advice would you give to the next group of racers?

Sheree: Make sure you're physically in shape before you take off. Even though a lot of it is mental, you have to be strong, and be able to endure and keep going. And make sure you and your partner get along well. The bickering will take a toll on you. That was one thing about Monica and I, we didn't bicker and we got along well with each other.

Monica: I would just say it's not as easy as it looks. When we were watching the show, we only see 45 minutes or so of a 2 or 3 day span. Just like when I'm sitting in the bleachers watching my husband, I can see what he's doing wrong out there on the field. Just know that it's not that easy. You're making decisions under fatigue and stress. You have to be a strong-willed person, and hopefully luck will be on your site.

You both seem like you're in excellent physical shape. How did you have to prepare for the race?

Monica: Sheree and I were in pretty good shape before the race, but she and I would go to Stone Mountain, and try to climb the mountain just to get some training we don't normally do. Sheree and I can go forever on the tennis courts, but the trails and rock climbing was different for us. But nothing was really hard for us.

Thank you both for taking the time to talk to us today, and good luck with everything.

Monica: Thank you. John, can I make one more comment? I do read a lot of the web sites out there, including your site, and I see a lot of comments about how Sheree and I have a lot of money, and shouldn't be in the race. I just want to say that the race is for anyone - it's not for a certain income. It's not "The Amazing Charity". Sheree's and my family both do a ton of charity work, and people are saying it's horrible that we're on there because we have money. I just want to remind people that just because our husbands salaries are in the paper for everyone to see, doesn't mean that other people in the race don't also make a lot of money. So keep that in mind.

Seamonkey

Monday, July 07, 2003 - 07:03 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
GOOD point!! Not that anyone on this board has mentioned money, but I bet they did get a lot of that.. and I agree with them!!

Bastable

Monday, July 07, 2003 - 07:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
These were my favorite players. They were always nice. I never saw them say or do anything unkind or selfish. When I first saw them, I feared they might be primadonnas, but they were anything but. I loved them! And I'm sorry they didn't make it to the end.

Calamity

Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 02:11 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
While I haven't found any favorites this season, M&S were definitely the most likable of the teams. I wish they could have gone further in the Race.

Essence

Thursday, July 10, 2003 - 08:36 am EditMoveDeleteIP
TV Guide interview...

Monica & Sheree TV Guide Interview

Amazing Race's Supreme Duo Speak!
by Ethan Alter

Karma is a wonderful thing. After being cheated out of crucial airline tickets by the sudden alliance of air traffic controllers Steve and Dave and father/son team Steve and Josh on the first leg of The Amazing Race 4, Monica and Sheree (a.k.a. The Supremes) wound up outlasting both of their rivals. Sadly, the NFL wives lost a lot of ground when the teams hit India in last week's episode and never recovered. Here, the two review their highs and lows and answer that all-important question: Why did they go for the fast-forward so early on in the race?


TV Guide Online: First off, what happened in India? Coming out of Mumbai's Film City, you guys were right on the heels of the frontrunners, but then you suddenly dropped to the rear of the pack.
Monica: It was a matter of luck that day. At first we were right up in front, although we did fall a little behind the other teams. David and Jeff were very athletically inclined, while Chuck was able to grab Millie's bag and John was able to do the same thing for Kelly so they could go a little faster. Also, we just asked the wrong people for directions. We even asked a police officer and our bus driver, and they both told us a certain way that took us completely out of the way. We had to walk back and that's what really did us in.

TVGO: You weren't the only team that had trouble navigating through the city. It seemed like everyone was a little unnerved by India.
Sheree: The smell was the hardest thing to get used to. As soon as we walked out of the airport, all those smells just hit you at once. Then, our taxi driver was drunk. We asked if we could get another taxi and we couldn't! We had to drive in a taxi with a drunk driver!
Monica: It was depressing too because people would come up to your car and ask you for money. In any other circumstance Sheree and I would have given them some, but we were at that point in the game where we didn't know how much we were going to need. It was so hard to say, "I'm sorry."

TVGO: Chip and Reichen were clearly your biggest fans. Was the feeling mutual?
Monica: Definitely. Sheree and I were not approached by anyone in the beginning of the race; they were the first team to say, "Hey, do you guys want to work together for a little while?" It meant a lot that they reached out to us. These are two strong guys. They didn't really need any help and they came to us. It was a mutually beneficial relationship — we told them a lot of things and they told us things. Later on, after the other teams saw that Sheree and I were pretty capable, we got a lot of offers to be in alliances but we turned them all down.
Sheree: I think everybody underestimated us at first. After each leg, somebody would come up to us and say: "Wow, you girls are tough! We didn't think you would make it!"


TVGO: The first leg is always something of a shock. At what point did you really start feeling comfortable with the race?
Monica: I think by the third leg we kind of knew the routine and knew not to get excited if you had a big lead. So many times you'd have a huge lead and then get bunched up again. We also knew not to get discouraged if we were behind because the same thing could happen. I started feeling more relaxed in the sense of I knew which teams were doing what and who had alliances with whom. By then, we had gotten pretty close to Chip and Riechen and having one team to talk to helped a lot.
Sheree: Also, after awhile you stop worrying about what you look like. Coming off that mountain where we took the fast-forward in the first leg, we could barely breath and we knew that our nostrils were wide open trying to get air in them. After that, it was like, "Who cares if the camera is right there?"

TVGO: Taking the fast-forward that early on raised more than a few eyebrows among hardcore fans.
Monica: If you look at the other Amazing Races though, twice the teams that took the fast forward in the first round won the race or made it to the final three. So, we were thinking, "Well they did it and it worked." Also at the time, we didn't know how far the other teams were behind us. We were there waiting for taxis and there weren't any in sight. All we were thinking was if someone on the third bus takes the fast forward, we're going to be eliminated and the first thing we're going to say is "Why didn't we go for it?" Of course, we were very disappointed when we took the fast-forward and arrived at the pit stop in fourth place! But you can't cry over spilled milk.

TVGO: Knowing what you know now, what's the one change you would make if you were to run the race over again?
Sheree: We wouldn't take the fast-forward. (Laughs)
Monica: Besides that, I think we would try to follow our own instincts a little bit more. A lot of teams were like, "This is what's going to happen," and you start listening to them more than you probably should.

TVGO: What's a moment we didn't see in the finished series that you wish had been included?
Sheree: I would have liked for people to have seen that when we talked to the policeman in India, he told us a certain way that was definitely the wrong way to go. We asked a thousand times and were told a thousand times to go a certain way, and it was always the wrong way. They showed us getting on the bus and getting off the bus, but they didn't show the bus driver completely leaving us out in the cold and not telling us we were going the wrong way.

Seamonkey

Thursday, July 10, 2003 - 10:08 am EditMoveDeleteIP
LOL about the nostrils!!

Dang, I'm going to miss this team.. I bet Chip and Reichen missed them too.

Seamonkey

Thursday, July 10, 2003 - 11:10 am EditMoveDeleteIP
video clip of their Early Show interview with Renee Syler

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/videoplayer/newVid/framesource2.html?clip=/media/2003/07/09/video562360