How Sports Leagues Can Borrow From MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Rivals

By: Timdogg

Over the years sports and reality TV have merged into one unstoppable juggernaut. As more original programming disappeared from broadcast stations’ lineups to be replaced by the next singing or dancing competition, sports also changed from simply watching the event to going behind-the-scenes into the athletes’ personal lives.

The reason I bring this up is because next week is the debut of MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Rivals. Concept is simple – competitors who have been rivals on previous challenges must team up and work together to win. Here is a glimpse of what the season will be like:

With 24/7 coverage of teams and their players, sports has morphed into its own reality show. That led me to wonder what if the fiercest football/basketball rivals were forced to team-up for challenges, where the last twosome standing are the winners? With the added bonus that it is all televised!

Just think of the match-ups: Derrick Rose/Rajon Rondo, Shaquille O’ Neal/Kobe Bryant, Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady/Peyton Manning, Lebron James/Dan Gilbert (kidding…somewhat).

You can’t tell me with the NBA season being over and NFL still in “Lockout Limbo” that fans wouldn’t watch Kobe and Shaq attempt to bungee jump into each other’s arms while hovering over a lake, or Favre and Rodgers run a maze while solving puzzles at every mile interval. Skip Bayless would be on ESPN First Take killing Lebron for his lackluster performance in the “Eat Your Weight In Roaches” challenge, while Stephen A. Smith revealed Lebron prefers grasshoppers, not roaches.

Would “Last Athletes Standing” fill your sports-void until the NFL season starts? My answer is YES.