Talk:American Gladiators (2008 TV series)

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This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the American Gladiators (2008 TV series) article.
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[edit] Article name

I've re-named the articles to American Gladiators (current format) and American Gladiators (original format) following the precedent set in the re-naming of the Top Gear articles. See Talk:Top Gear (current format)#Renaming for that discussion. --Madchester (talk) 05:03, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

  • Perhaps they should be renamed according to their respective years as this format may not always be the "Current Format" and it is standard practice to differentiate series according to their years. Save-Me-Oprah (talk) 05:45, 8 January 2008 (UTC)
  • I agree with using years. The words "current" and "original" and completely relative. What happens when this show is cancelled? Will this still be the current format? Years are absolute and there's no way of misinterpreting them. Jtrost (T | C | #) 16:33, 8 January 2008 (UTC)
  • If American Gladiators' revival is split into 1989 and 2008 versions, then we are actually doing something few television shows do in revival. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.157.157.75 (talk) 22:27, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Airing Dates

The article mentions that the show first aired January 6th, yet as of today (Jan 8th) there are already 3 male, and female contestants who have passed the quarterfinals. That would indicate that 2 other shows have debuted before the January 6th show. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.238.49.65 (talk) 16:06, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

The first episode was two hours and consisted of two male competitions and two female competitions. So, as of this writing, there have been three sets of competitions, but only two episodes. --SMP0328. (talk) 18:13, 8 January 2008 (UTC)
Not to even mention that the first episode was aired on Sunday (the 6th), and the second episode was aired on Monday (the 7th), Monday Primetime being the usual timeslot for the show. This week was "special". VxJasonxV (talk) 04:51, 9 January 2008 (UTC)
Are you telling me I missed the first two hour show? That sucks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.238.49.65 (talk) 18:08, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Tournament Brackets

Hi everyone, I'm new on this website and don't have the html experience to format the brackets. Would someone please add the additional two contests to the preliminary bracket? There are several mentions of 6 preliminary contests, but only four are shown on the bracket. I'd do it myself, but it would look like garbage. Bigfoot2003 (talk) 07:44, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I don't know exactly how to do that, but just as a note for all, the current bracket format is for the competitor in red to be on top and the blue on bottom, with only the Eliminator winner's time entered.--Crossman33 (talk) 01:03, 11 January 2008 (UTC)
I just wanted to add an explanation to the note I attached to Anthony's time in the bracket, specifically, why the women weren't given the same note. Since Siene and Shanay are currently tied, and the tiebreaking procedures are unknown, neither of them can clinch spots in the final 8 at this point. Anthony clinched because he is in first place with three competitors left. Meaning that he cannot do worse than fourth.Bigfoot2003 (talk) 20:42, 12 January 2008 (UTC)

Someone needs to add a reference in the brackets to the fact that an alternate was used in tonight's episode. --SMP0328. (talk) 03:40, 15 January 2008 (UTC)

Please do not fill in brackets until a show airs or a pairing is announced on television. Someone recently put names into the Final 8 brackets that may or may not actually get there. We should wait until the preliminary matches are over before putting names into the Final 8.--Bigfoot2003 (talk) 22:03, 19 January 2008 (UTC)


As three Contenders per bracket (male and female) have clinched a final 8 spot, and one winning contender has been eliminated in each bracket, there is only one contender left without a note. It is obvious that these contenders risk elimination if their times are beaten. No note is necessary.--Bigfoot2003 (talk) 19:54, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

I have restored the Season 2 brackets and added the results from the first two preliminary rounds. As the NBC Play-by-Play page shows (this page is referenced in the article) there are 10 preliminary rounds, so I added enough brackets to cover all 10 rounds. Also, this page lists the Eliminator times of the losing contenders, so I have added their results too. As I understand it, the only reason Season 1 results were not included for losing contenders is because there was no source for the information, televised or otherwise.--Bigfoot2003 (talk) 18:57, 13 May 2008 (UTC)


Now that more of the Season 2 tournament format has been revealed (6 men and 6 women moving into the Semi-finals) can somebody please expand the tournament brackets to reflect that? I've tried several times, but never gotten close. Thanks. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 05:04, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Should we include a criticism section?

I've heard mixed reviews about the show, but I think if we search thoroughly, we'll find enough information to merit a criticism section. What do you guys think? --CanesOL79 (talk) 04:57, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't think so. Criticisms would be opinion, not fact. As an encyclopedic website, the article should only deal with verifiable facts. Several websites that I have visited have raging debates on these criticisms, and there are people on both sides of the issue. Adding a section for criticisms would be opening a can of worms, since everybody and their dog would want to edit the article with their opinion.Bigfoot2003 (talk) 06:30, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] NOT a Reality Show

I completely removed that claim of the first "reality show" in HD. It is NOT...I repeat, NOT a reality show (on a personal note, I'm glad it isn't, or I would have dropped this show instantly), and frankly, I am both surprised, and insulted by the fact that anyone would refer to it as such. Now, if anybody adds this again, I WILL request protection for this article. As I much as I suspect this competition of being staged/fixed/rigged/what have you, it is still not a reality show.

Also, spare me the good faith jazz. The bottom line is that this show is not a reality show. That's all there is to it, and if anybody adds this again, I am going to request protection, as I said. You all have been warned. Brittany Ka (talk) 10:56, 15 January 2008 (UTC)

Not to be facetious, but why not? It would appear to meet the definition on the "Reality television" program. . . . Samer (talk) 14:13, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
So does every broadcast of any sporting event, including the Super Bowl, Monday Night Football, Friday Night Fights, The X Games, and the World Series. But Gladiators fits the "TV sports" model better than reality television (side note: Survivor is actually closer to a game show than some of the so-called "reality series.") 147.70.242.40 (talk) 01:47, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
As much as I'm pretty sure Brittany only wants to say that AG isn't reality programming because she doesn't want something she likes being called such, I tend to agree. It's more sports entertainment, like the WWE. 24.218.218.197 (talk) 03:26, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Removed from article

I have removed the following from the description of Powerball (it was added the same day as I removed it):

So far, this game has been a hornets' nest for injuries. Most recently, Adam the "Hebrew Hammer" was forced to drop out of the competition after suffering tears of his ligaments after a nasty tackle from Mayhem. Titan reassured him, however, calling him a "warrior."

This above quoted text has nothing to do with the rules of Powerball or to the description of the Powerball court. It would be relevant to a section on American Gladiator injuries, but not where it was originally in the article. --SMP0328. (talk) 18:11, 16 January 2008 (UTC)

I have removed the following from the Format section:

When contestant Monica Carlson was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight on January 10, she said that she would be thrilled to become a gladiator in season two if she were to win, and that she'd probably decide between the gladiator aliases 'Slice' and 'Rooster Cogburn.

The above quoted text is not relevant to the Format section. People who want such information to be in the article should create a separate section in the article.--SMP0328. (talk) 20:35, 16 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Money Won

Is any money won for winning a Preliminary round match? On the night of this post, the winner of the women's match did not advance to the next round (her time was too long). So if she won no money for winning this match, then really didn't win. Whether money is won for winning a Preliminary round match should be mentioned in the article. --SMP0328. (talk) 02:35, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Anthony's Time in the Eliminator

When I again watched a tape of the first episode today, I saw that Anthony crossed the finish line after 2:32, with the clock suddenly jumping back to 2:10. At the time sheet, he is listed with a time of 2:10. Should this be added to the "show errors" section? Diivoo (talk) 00:13, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I think that this was just bad editing on the part of the editors. They showed different clips of the two competitors, and I guess they showed overlapping clips, enough to make the clock run over. They've began removing the clocks through most of the Eliminator so they don't run into this problem anymore. Since the time was announced on-air as 2:10, and has been shown as 2:10 throughout the show, I don't think that this needs to be mentioned. The show error already mentioned was an on-air graphic that contradicted information that had been announced and displayed on other episodes (and even in the same episode, in Molivann's case), and therefore should be included here.--Bigfoot2003 (talk) 22:00, 28 January 2008 (UTC)
In my opinion, it is a show error. The clock runs to 2:32 and the moment he busts the wall, it jumps back to 2:10. Maybe we can add something like "Anthony originally finished the eliminator in a time of 2:32, his time was later corrected to 2:10, because of an editors error". It just seems strange to me, because with a time of 2:32 he would now be in the "hot seat". Diivoo (talk) 01:10, 27 January 2008 (UTC)
It appears that Anthony finished the Eliminator in 2:10. The error was the graphic. The most that should be mentioned in the article, regarding this issue, is that the on-screen clock was in error. --SMP0328. (talk) 19:30, 28 January 2008 (UTC)
The more I think about this issue, the more I think we should add a mention of this, I think SMP is right. Anthony's time was 2:10, but the graphic shown on screen was incorrect.--Bigfoot2003 (talk) 22:00, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Cheating

Should someone include a short paragraph about the several times that gladiators (crush and justice) have cheated? Supergrimm (talk) 18:45, 5 February 2008 (UTC)Supergrimm

Do you mean the post-match DQs? That was covered on the show (poorly in my opinion, they should have been DQ'd on the spot). Since we do not have paragraphs recapping each individual show, these incidents do not need to be mentioned.--Bigfoot2003 (talk) 18:48, 5 February 2008 (UTC)
Where did this cheating occur? Are you referring to simple rule violations? Just because a contender or a gladiator is disqualified, doesn't mean that person cheated. --SMP0328. (talk) 20:00, 5 February 2008 (UTC)
I think he means the time Crush kicked a contender off the Earthquake platform and Justice pinned a contender in Gauntlet after he passed him. I think there is no need to mention that, because it wasn't really cheating. 80.108.74.217 (talk) 22:48, 7 February 2008 (UTC)
DQ's for the Joust occurred with regularity in both versions of AG (certainly we don't want to document all of them!). From time to time gladiators were kicked out of Powerball for fouls, too. Unless it's flagrant enough to make the Associated Press stand up and take notice, it would be best not to give it even a second thought. 147.70.242.40 (talk) 00:11, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Woman's Bracket in the future?

I just noticed that the womans bracket is showing that Monica Carlson beat Venus Ramos in the Semifinal and then goes on to win the final. Just wondering, does anyone have a source on that? Because if not, I;m removing it, especially since those episodes haven't been screened yet. Ixistant (talk) 01:02, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

I agree, I think that the information should be removed. There is no way to know it without seeing the episode. I am removing it now. Didn't see that it had been removed already. - zachinthebox (User • Talk) 11:59, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Water

Don't get me wrong I love the show but what's with all the water? I don't like that part, it's stupid if ya ask me. Can someone explain why they have so much water on the show now? --Crash Underride 10:37, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

I assume just because it's a good, and dramatic way to break somebody's fall. So in all the events where they fall from a height (joust, the wall, hang tough, etc) they could either fall onto a giant pile of cushions, or a big pool of water. The water looks better on TV. --Maelwys (talk) 14:27, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
It's also actually safer than using crash pads; I've been watching the original series on ESPN Classic lately, and have seen a number of cases where a contender or gladiator injures himself or herself by landing wrong on the crash pads they used back then. From the heights they're operating at, you can't, say, fold an ankle the wrong way by falling into the water with your legs at the wrong angle; with the crash mats, if you have your toe pointed just wrong, you can easily bend your foot back and break the ankle completely. (Also, having an underwater swim at the start of the Eliminator probably has a lot to do with why this version of the Eliminator seems to be so much more difficult than any of the original ones; you're gonna expend a LOT of energy swimming, and use your entire body doing it.) Rdfox 76 (talk) 15:06, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
Never really thought of it like that before lol. Still, for me looks wise it's too aquatic lol. Maybe that's just me though, I do still love it. --Crash Underride 15:12, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:American Gladiators Logo.png

Image:American Gladiators Logo.png is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 04:22, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Can anyone explain the fair use rationale, or must it be done by the person who posted the image? --SMP0328. (talk) 20:48, 14 February 2008 (UTC)
Anyone can, but it's fixed now. -mattbuck (Talk) 21:14, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Eliminator Time Penalties

In the current article text it states "there is no penalty for falling from the hand bike obstacle". I don't believe this is correct. In the finale you can clearly see that when Monica falls off the hand bike she is held at the truss for several seconds before she can climb up to the top. The voiceover guy also often says that the competitor on the handbike can "make up time" after the other competitor falls off. Can anyone confirm this? Neil (talk) 06:54, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

There was also a shot of a guy with a stopwatch in another show. Maybe we should not mention time penalties at all, since we have no way to confirm whether or not they actually exist. If they do, the penalty should have been mentioned on the show. To be honest, I was at the tapings for the final, and it really didn't look like Monica waited for any real length of time. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 21:33, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] "Show errors" section

I removed the "show errors" section as it was redundant trivia. None of the "errors" affected the results of the televised competition; nor were the production errors significant enough to affect the results of the "tournament." In addition, the section was unsourced. 147.70.242.40 (talk) 19:13, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

I have restored that section to the article. Much of the article is unsourced. If being unsourced was sufficient for a portion of an article to be removed, then much of this article would have to be removed. If you want, you can post a unsourced section tag on that section. Usually removing whole section(s) from an article is not recommended. --SMP0328. (talk) 19:28, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
Actually, one of the errors mentioned did have an impact on the tournament. The clock displayed during Anthony's run of the Eliminator showed his time was in excess of 2:30 seconds. If this had been the correct time, Molivann, not Anthony would have moved on to the semi-finals. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 00:45, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
All three "errors" stated in the article were made in post-production, not in the gameplay itself. Thus it was not significant and therefore trivia. If someone can show the significance of an after-the-fact typographical error in post production and source it appropriately I'll gladly withdraw my strong objection. 147.70.242.40 (talk) 15:52, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
The Show errors section has been converted into footnotes in the Tournament section. --SMP0328. (talk) 00:15, 20 February 2008 (UTC)
I was the one who converted the section and I did so because I felt and agreed that the section in itself was a trivial section, however when it was combined with the actual tournament section, I felt that it was a good compromise on the disagreement bewteen all of the ediors. - zachinthebox (User • Talk) 12:00, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Separate results page?

We know from having heard reports from multiple sources that NBC has picked up the show for at least a second season. Might it be prudent at this point to separate out the "Tournament" section into a separate results page so as not to overcrowd the main article (while still permitting the brackets to be tracked)? It wouldn't necessary need to be done until Season 2 premieres, but it's something to think about. (Tpeluso (talk) 19:41, 18 February 2008 (UTC))

I think that we should split the article into a detailed results section (with the brackets) and then just keep a list of champions in the main article. However, I don't think it will be necessary to do this until it is closer to the actual premiere of Season 2, or at the very earliest, when NBC announces a premiere date. - zachinthebox (User • Talk) 19:46, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
I agree with the idea of moving the completed brackets to a new page, while keeping the champions on the main page, and then putting the new brackets for Season 2 up when it comes close to being aired, and doing the same for subsequent seasons. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 20:38, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
I'm not sure which section this should go in, since it kind of includes two. Should we also move the "Show Errors" section into a seperate page with the tournament results when season 2 premieres? --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 06:02, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
"Show errors" is essentially a trivia section that is unreferenced. None of the three shown in the article is significant on its own as at least two of them are post-production errors with the chyron. If it cannot be sourced and integrated into either a show-by-show account or an overview of the season, it would be much better deleted. 147.70.242.40 (talk) 15:47, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
I have created the new Results page, which is linked from the main article at the beginning of the Tournament Section. I also cleared the brackets for the new season and added the Grand Champions section just before the Tournament section.--Bigfoot2003 (talk) 06:27, 5 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Joust "Two Knees Rule"

The two knees rule was selectively enforced even on the Gladiators. In the first preliminary round, Crush was knocked to two knees by Koya, but wasn't DQ'd, but in the Sixth prelim, Siren was DQ'd for the same offense. Should we change the wording of the rule in the section, or mention that somewhere else? --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 06:04, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

IIRC, Siren (or whoever it was) was actually knocked off her feet onto her rear (not her knees) and that's why the DQ happened. I'll check my tapes tonight to confirm. Tpeluso (talk) 17:20, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Taping location

I was at the 2008 Los Angeles FIRST Robotics Competition Regional at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, and the venue had most of the American Gladiators set still intact, rock wall, tank and all. It is an entire set that doesn't look temporary. This would contradict with the article, which says it is taped at Sony Pictures Studios. However, I will not edit the article because I do not have picture evidence. ~sunbun (talk) 06:12, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

The taping location was at Sony Studios for Season 1, and has been moved to the Sports Arena for Season 2. They are still building the set, and are supposed to begin taping in April. I have updated the article to reflect the change of venue.--Bigfoot2003 (talk) 20:04, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Season 2 event information

Now that Season 2 tapings are underway, people are posting information on new events. Should we begin posting this information, or should we post the information later when the show begins airing or the events are formally released?

The information is not wrong, but as was said when season 1 is filming, attending television tapings is not reliable information. I can confirm this information, as well as the new Gladiator information that was posted and removed earlier.


The new events and their descriptions. Some event descriptions are based on rumors and speculation. As more information becomes available, the descriptions will be updated. Information in Bold Italics has been added to the article.

* Tilt: (Season 2) The rules of Tilt are similar to Tug-O-War from the original run of American Gladiators. The Contender and Gladiator begin each match on a platform situated above the pool. The Gladiator's platform is higher than the contender's and is tilted forward. The Contender's platform is tilted backwards to start the match. 5 points are awarded if the Contender can remain on the platform for the entire 30 seconds. The Contender can earn 10 points if they can pull the Gladiator off the platform and into the water. The rope is attached to both Contender and Gladiator, which removes the possibility of losing by letting go of the rope.

* Vertigo: (Season 2) Contender and Gladiator race a cross a course of seven flexible poles. The game begins with both participants racing up a laddered pole. Upon reaching the summit, they must then sway their pole in the direction of the next, crossing onto it. The winner is the first to complete the course, grabbing the large hoop at the end which returns them to the ground.

* Rocketball: Two Gladiators and Two Contenders begin the match at the corners of the arena. When each competitor presses a button, they are launched via their harnesses into the air toward two goals at the center of the arena. The contenders try to score by throwing balls into the hoops, while the Gladiators play defense.

* Skytrack: The 2008 revival uses the UK rules of Skytrack. The two contenders race around one lap of a figure-8 track while being chased by a Gladiator. Trailing each contender is a detonator that, if pressed by the Gladiator, releases a shower of sparks from the contender's harness and eliminates them from the race. The first contender across without being detonated gets 10 points, while the second gets 5.

* Atlasphere:

New Gladiators

Female

Phoenix - Jennifer Widerstrom

Steel - Erin Toughill

Jet - Monica Carlson

Panther

Male

Hurricane

Zen

Rocket - Evan Dollard

A side note on Tilt - Tilt was a UK game originally, and was imported by the original American Gladiators as Tug-O-War. Now they've brought in the original UK version of Tilt for the revival. Should we include this as "Changes to Original Events" or as a "From UK Gladiators" event? --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 07:32, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

Anything that can be sourced, and is germane to the article, should be in the article. It shouldn't be necessary for the episodes to be broadcasted. Once reliable sources can be found for the quoted material, it should be placed back into the article. --SMP0328. (talk) 18:52, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
In the interest of fairness and completeness for anyone who wants to add events they observe during Season 2 tapings, please feel free to modify the descriptions section of my original post in this section with any new events or updated descriptions. When NBC makes the information on the new events and Gladiators public, the information will be added to the article. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 05:10, 15 April 2008 (UTC)
I found pictures of Rocket, Jet, and Phoenix (specifically action figures of above with their names attached in the description) on the NBCUMV website. I have therefore added those names to the Gladiator List. Bigfoot2003 (talk) 19:11, 30 April 2008 (UTC)
What's your source for the gladiators that you have marked as Season 1 only? The site that you linked to still shows all of them with active bios, indicating that they'll be returning. --Maelwys (talk) 19:24, 30 April 2008 (UTC)
Mainly the absence of any mention of them other than those bios, which are the same ones from season 1. Pages 2 and 3 of the picture pages have the remainder of the action figures as well as several group photos with the returning Gladiators and Hosts. Mayhem, Stealth, and Fury are absent in all of those. However, I have removed all season references with the exception of the new Gladiators. Bigfoot2003 (talk) 19:49, 30 April 2008 (UTC)
Rocketball and Vertigo have been added to the NBCUMV photography section (article reference 10,Vertigo is pictured on page 3, Rocketball on page 4), so those events have been added to the article. Also, Skytrack was featured in a commercial for the new season (This commercial is now available on the NBC Official Website), so I am adding that too. Bigfoot2003 (talk) 20:24, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
There also seems to be a missing male gladiator. They mentioned in the most recent commercial about a beast (the guy inside the cage). Could this be where Matt Morgan makes his entrance into this Wiki page? COOLRUNNER87 (talk) 02:27, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
The problem with including Morgan is that there are several conflicting reports on his involvement, with several articles saying that he isn't participating, and a few that say he is. While there is sufficient evidence that Beast exists, and since several other Gladiators have been put up with the same amount of evidence, I have added Beast to the article with an Unknown identity. However, since there are conflicting reports, I think that we cannot add the identity of Beast until an official announcement is made, his name appears in the credits, or he is shown on television in a recognizable form. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 02:42, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Gladiator Beast

I know that this is a double post, so to speak, but due to the many, many edits that are updating Beast's information and saying that Matt Morgan is Beast, I feel that it is prudent to reiterate the reasons that Beast's identity remains as "Unknown". While there is enough evidence that Beast exists, his identity cannot be confirmed.

There are many different articles both claiming that Morgan is participating:
Article saying Morgan is in

and others that say he isn't:
Article saying Morgan is out Article Deleted

Due to these (and other) conflicting reports, any unofficial sources cannot be considered as proof that Morgan is either in or out. Therefore, it is best that the article leave Beast's identity as unknown until one of the following three things happens:

  • 1: Beast's identity is listed in the credits of an episode
  • 2: Beast is shown on television, either in a commercial or in an episode, fully visible and recognizable (i.e. not in the shadowy context that he has appeared so far).
  • 3: An OFFICIAL (from NBC and NBC only) press release confirming Beast's identity.

Short of one of these three things, I don't see any reason to include Beast's identity in the article. Other Gladiators, such as Steel or Hurricane, who have been added fully, have not had conflicting reports of their participation in the show, only unofficial confirmations, and so I do not object to their inclusion. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 00:11, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

People continue to make this edit. If these unsourced/badly sourced edits continue, I will request semi-protection. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 06:30, 14 May 2008 (UTC)
I think it's reasonable to state that Morgan has been rumored to be the Beast, although it hasn't been confirmed (although NBC has claimed that they will have a 7' tall gladiator this season). Samer (talk) 13:07, 14 May 2008 (UTC)
Several clear glimpses (i.e. not shadowy) of Beast were shown in the introduction to the season premiere. As a wrestling fan who watches TNA Impact with regularity, I can definitely identify that the performer shown as Beast is in fact Matt Morgan. Take that for what it's worth. Tpeluso (talk) 20:51, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Re: *3: An OFFICIAL (from NBC and NBC only) press release confirming Beast's identity, would a press release from MGM, the show's production company, work? NeoSuperBlissey ((talk) 04:44, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Works for me. MGM is definitely more credible than these wrestling rumor sites that most people use as "sources". --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 05:30, 15 May 2008 (UTC)
http://www.americangladiatorsblog.com/2008/matt-morgan-confirmed-as-new-gladiator-the-beast.html This link shows a fairly clear image of beast, and wrestling fans can all identify him as Matt Morgan. This is not an official site, but the admin of the site made this post and I think its pretty conclusive. Frobocop33 (talk) 08:53, 18 May 2008 (UTC)

Having looked at the premiere and other commercials, I agree that enough evidence now exists. I will remove the dispute tag from the article tomorrow if there are no objections from other editors. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 18:51, 18 May 2008 (UTC)

I agree as well because the article claiming he hasn't has been deleted and replaced with the one that Frobocop33 added more recently - zachinthebox (Talk) 19:16, 18 May 2008 (UTC)
Though I think we should add a footnote saying something like "Though his identity has not yet been confirmed by NBC, various reports have linked Matt Morgan with the Gladiator Beast" or something along those lines. - zachinthebox (Talk) 19:19, 18 May 2008 (UTC)

it looked like morgan last night in a clip they showed.68.18.209.82 (talk) 15:27, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Losing times

Where are these times coming from? They're not showing them on TV. Samer (talk) 13:07, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The website referenced at the bottom of the brackets. There is play-by-play section at the NBC website. After each contender's Eliminator summary, their time is shown. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 13:37, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] redlinks

What's wrong with redlinks?? redlinks are _not_ broken. I fail to see why editors here remove them when they link to things that either should have articles or are likely to get one. If someone sees a redlink and then they could CREATE an article on it. Specifically, the paralympian looks like someone that meets biographic notability. 70.51.9.203 (talk) 07:13, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

Red links lead to an error page telling someone to create the article, which is equivalent to having a broken link. If someone wants to create the article up to Wikipedia standards and then link this article to that one, then I have no objection. However, links in an article that lead nowhere lowers the quality of the article. That being said, I'm not sure that he does meet the criteria for notability. There have been thousands of participants in the paralympics over the years and just being a member does not mean that they warrant their own article on Wikipedia. Neither does being a participant on this show. Further, if we were to include wikilinks to John's non-existent article, we would have to link every contender and every Gladiator, which - again - would reduce the quality of the article. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 14:02, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Consistancy

While editing the article, I have noticed that there have been inconsistencies when referring to a certain season number. I think that using "Season 1" rather than "season 1", "season one" or "Season one", looks better in the article. I think I have changed most of them, but if there are any I have missed please change them. - zachinthebox (Talk) 23:22, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Zen

I have found several places confirming the identity of the new Gladiator, Zen. His name is apparently Xin Wuku. I am trying to find more sources confirming this before I edit it. If this is all a rumor, please correct me. Xin "ZEN "Wuku" IronMan54 (talk) 06:10, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

Great job on finding the source. An official NBC bio is the best source we can get for the new Gladiators, so I have added him to the article. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 06:48, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
I have found out some more information about the Gladiator Zen, whose real name is Xin Sarith Azuma Phan Wuku, a 'ninja for hire' based in south California. If anyone has seen the Urban ninjna video, that's him. Shall I add the information about him, its just height and weight - flashkick101 Flashkick101 (talk) 21:16, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Ratings

It seems that the ratings section has not been updated for quite some time and what has been inputted has not been properly sourced. I think that if this section cannot be updated/sourced, it should be removed from the article. I would do it myself however I am unsure as to where to find ratings and what the numbers mean. - zachinthebox (Talk) 20:28, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

In addition to what zachinthebox says above, I think the Ratings section is a form of trivia. It is not relevant to format or results of the show. Serious consideration should be given to removing that section from the article. --SMP0328. (talk) 02:01, 18 May 2008 (UTC)
I have to agree that the Ratings section does not add anything to the article and should probably be deleted. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 19:03, 18 May 2008 (UTC)
I'm going to disagree on this, as the whole TTN/Episodes and Characters/etc. drama has come up with one requirement that it seems everyone agrees on--that TV show articles require evidence of real-world notability; ratings are one of the ways to demonstrate that. While thus far, it's mainly been being used as a way to delete "fancrufty" fictional-series articles, I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see people start to try and use it to delete reality-show and game show articles in the future; better to keep it as a hedge against that. Rdfox 76 (talk) 17:00, 21 May 2008 (UTC)
I agree with what zackinthebox says; the purpose of the article is to explain the show and its workings, and the ratings are completely irrelevant to that. 24.87.109.221 (talk) 00:43, 22 May 2008 (UTC)
Well, I wouldn't call them completely irrelevant, but it's certainly not necessary to have a table of every single episode's ratings. I do think a sentence or two summarizing its performance would not be out of place, though. Samer (talk) 20:24, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Gladiator Salaries

I have noticed at a number of places around the internet the question of how much the Gladiators themselves are paid for their work. This seems like a germane piece of information to put in an encyclopedia entry about the show, so I thought I'd throw it out here as a relevant topic for research, if anyone is game.

CrimsonLine (talk) 18:26, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

While it may be relevant, it would involve finding confidential documents, namely the Gladiator contracts, since I don't believe that their salaries have been announced anywhere, and therefore would be an invasion of privacy. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 18:32, 20 May 2008 (UTC)
If that's the case, then by all means, let it lie. The kind of research I meant was using the internet to pore over publicly-available documents. I'm not encouraging anything rude or immoral. CrimsonLine (talk) 10:19, 21 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] NBC site now has all the new events

Most surprising: the "Snapback" of 2008 is essentially unrelated to the earlier version.[1] Adding details to the article before NBC discovers its mistake(?). 147.70.242.40 (talk) 22:49, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

I would like to call the NBC website's accuracy into question on the subject of the whole "Altrasphere"/"Atlasphere" thing. The NBC website for American Gladiators has had NUMEROUS typos and incorrect information on many events. These have all been temporary, but some of the more memorable ones include:
  • Describing Hit and Run as a simultaneous event prior to the start of Season 1
  • Listing Vertigo with 8 poles in the press release when only 7 poles were present when the show aired
  • Zen's identity was briefly listed as "Beth Horn" on the website
All of these, along with the editing errors that have been made by the show, make me call into question whether or not "Altrasphere" is the correct name of the event. Further, another source used in the article refers to the event as "Atlasphere" along with photos from the taping. I doubt very seriously that the author of that article would have misidentified the event after attending the taping. Thirdly, the producers of the show have not to this point changed the name of an event from the original American Gladiators that was imported in it's AG form. Assault and Joust both retained their American names even though they were called "Danger Zone" and "Duel" respectively on International shows. I do not see them changing the name of an iconic event such as Atlasphere on a whim like that. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 23:57, 20 May 2008 (UTC)
Nonetheless, the NBC.com site must be considered a reliable source as it is the official site for the show. On the other hand, firsthand reports from attending tapings are considered original research, a major "no-no" as far as Wikipedia is concerned.B.Wind (talk) 20:50, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Treadmill speed

In S02E02, the men went well over 10 minutes. It was fairly apparent from watching the treadmill speed that it was decreased. Is that listed in the official rules somewhere? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tedder (talk • contribs) 20:16, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

It hasn't been listed as an official rule (that I have seen), but I think it is more of a common courtesy for the remaining contender,a once the other one finishes. A noteable instance of this is when John Siciliano, who had prosthetic leg, finished the Eliminator. - zachinthebox (Talk) 20:38, 24 May 2008 (UTC)
I'm not sure about decreasing the speed of the travelator, but it has been a common practice in both seasons to stop the travelator shortly after the first Contender finishes. This happened many times last season, including in the finals. However, I do think that it would make some sense that if a race takes as long as the men's Eliminator did last week, they would decrease the speed of the travelator in order to get a winner. With the format they are using, 10 minutes should be well out of range of the advancing group, and as long as they decrease the speed at uniform times, there isn't a problem from a competition standpoint. --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 22:39, 24 May 2008 (UTC)
The speed was definitely decreased before either competitor successfully went up it, which is why I found it so interesting. The official play by play states "Both contenders caught their breath at the bottom, but Melvin took notice when the track slowed & made it to the top before David." Tedder (talk) 00:19, 25 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Tournament brackets need fixing

The show has said that SIX men and SIX women will make the semifinals. 69.182.30.23 (talk) 00:18, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

I've added the extra semi-finals to the brackets, but somehow the widths were changed (I'm not sure how). Can someone please re-format the brackets so that the widths are back to the original? --Bigfoot2003 (talk) 07:21, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Eliminator

For the Season 2 section under the Eliminator heading, it reads: "The following changes were made in Season 2". That doesn't make sense because the following list does not list differences from the Season 1 listing, instead it lists all the events for Season 2. That statement sets up an expectation that everything listed in Season 1 occurs as well as what is listed for Season 2, which is not the case as some events were eliminated completely (floating platforms, wall climb, and balance beam, respectively). I suggest adding a line under the Eliminator heading that reads, "The Eliminator events are as follows:" and then removing the lines of introductory text from both seasons. -- RS (talk) 12:34, 29 May 2008 (UTC)