Amazing Race: A good race ruined

I get annoyed with this show when skillful racing is not rewarded. Last night we saw the Bama girls show some serious smarts in battling against three teams that outclass them physically, dislike them, and fail to respect them as competitors. Lynn and Karlyn showed that pack of Tighty Whiteys a few things about navigating, thinking ahead, and staying focused (seriously--are the Bama girls the only team left capable of reading a map and/or finding their own way to a location?) Their reward? A well-earned chance to yield the Beauty Queens was snatched away by an "hours of operation" bunch-up, and they lost first place in a foot race to the physically gifted/mentally challenged Junkies. Lame. Even though Karlyn is clearly crazy and quite dislikeable, I'm starting to hope that some miracle combination of luck, skill and good timing will keep Bama in the race right to the end. Heck, I'd even cheer to see them win it, although that outcome seems highly improbable (remember the foot race).

Also, why oh why does the dreaded Yield always pop up on non-elimination legs? Is its sole purpose to sew seeds of bitterness between the teams? I think this twist needs some rethinking.

For maximum drama, I'd like to see a final three of the Beauty Queens, Bama and the McBickers. The Junkies are definitely the dullest of the remaining teams, and beyond that, as an all-male team going up against one co-ed and two all-female teams, the massive advantage they have in the physical challenges offends my sense of fair play. So, here's hoping that the gods of bad cab rides, missed connections and poor navigating conspire to send them to an early exit next episode.