Legends: Rebirth-The Well-Worn Gloves of Joe Louis

[The Bandit King]

Episode 6: The Well-Worn Gloves of Joe Louis

The camera winds and twists its way through a thick jungle of strange and exotic plants. After a few wrong turns, it finally stops in front of an ancient Mayan temple. At the base of the temple, a giant stone head sits. Suddenly, the head’s eyes light up and it begins to speak:

“Legends of the Hidden Temple: Rebirth!” These words appear on the screen. “With your guide, Kirk Fogg! And here he is now!”

A middle-aged man wearing a denim shirt and blue jeans swings in on a rope. He drops down and runs up the Steps of Knowledge, microphone in hand.

“Thank you! Thank you, everybody! Nice to see everyone again! It’s good to see you again, Olmec! Welcome to Legends of the Hidden Temple: Rebirth. The rooms are filled with lost treasures protected by mysterious Mayan Temple Guards. Only Olmec knows the legends behind each of these newly discovered treasures in his Temple…which one are we gonna hear about today, Olmec?”

“The legend of the Well-Worn Gloves of Joe Louis,” Olmec replies.

“Oh, the Well-Worn Gloves of Joe Louis,” Kirk repeats. “Well, the legend is set, and one of these six teams will have a chance to retrieve the Well-Worn Gloves—will it be:

“The Red Jaguars?” The camera zooms in on each team as they are introduced.
“The Blue Barracudas?
“The Green Monkeys?
“The Orange Iguanas?
“The Purple Parrots?
“Or the Silver Snakes?

“They’ll have to pass some tough physical and mental tests, but in the end, only one team will earn the right to enter the Temple. But first, they have to get across the Moat, and Olmec will tell us how they’ll have to do it today…”

Olmec begins to explain the Moat Crossing:
“Before you, a long rope hangs into the Moat. When Kirk gives the signal, one player from each team will swim out to the rope, grab it, swim back with it, and swing across. Once you’re safely across, throw the rope to your partner, who will then swing across in the same way. If your feet touch the water while you’re swinging, you must go back and start again. Once both players reach the other side, run over and hit the gong.” Kirk hits the Silver Snakes’ gong to demonstrate. “The first four teams to hit their gongs will go on to the next round!”

“All right, let’s get started,” Kirk says. “Hey, teams, are you ready?”
All six teams scream and cheer in response.
“Olmec, are you ready?” Kirk asks.
“Ready, willing and able,” Olmec replies.
“Okay,” says Kirk. “On your mark, get set, GO!!”

All six teams jump into the Moat and grab the rope. Everyone makes it out of the water at about the same time except the Purple Parrots’ girl, who struggles to climb out of the Moat because of her short stature. “She might need some help getting out,” Kirk narrates as she finally climbs out. The other teams successfully swing across except the Green Monkeys’ boy, who slips off the rope and falls in the drink. The Purple Parrots’ girl successfully swings across as the other four teams who have crossed throw the ropes to their partner, and everyone catches their respective rope. All the teams successfully swing across except the Red Jaguars’ girl, whose feet touch the water. The Green Monkeys’ boy has successfully made it across on his second try, and he throws the rope to his partner. Meanwhile, the Blue Barracudas, Orange Iguanas and Silver Snakes hit their gongs in that order. “Now we only need one more team; who will it be?” Kirk narrates. The Green Monkeys’ girl and Purple Parrots’ boy both swing across, and both race over to hit their gongs, with the Green Monkeys just beating out the Purple Parrots.

“That’s it! We have four teams!” Kirk shouts as he goes over to stand beside the Silver Snakes. “Silver Snakes were over in a flash, they didn’t falter one bit—going on to the Steps of Knowledge are the Silver Snakes…and the tenacious Orange Iguanas,” Kirk briefly pauses between each team’s names to allow for applause. “And the unshakable Green Monkeys, and the resilient Blue Barracudas! The Red Jaguars and the Purple Parrots just missed it by this much; they’re not going home empty-handed. We’ve got a great gift for ‘em, and here’s what it is.” They receive a $50 gift certificate from Pacsun.

[The Bandit King]

Kirk and the remaining four teams are now standing atop the Steps of Knowledge. “As the quest continues, it’s time for Olmec to tell us about the Well-Worn Gloves of Joe Louis. But pay attention, teams, because your knowledge of the legend can bring you a step closer to Olmec’s Temple…”

Olmec begins to tell the story:
“One of the most famous and decorated boxers of all time was a black man named Joe Louis. Born in Alabama, Joe became a national hero in the years leading up to World War II. But as great as Joe was, he suffered his first loss at the hands of the German boxer Max Schmeling, a self-proclaimed Nazi sympathizer, in 1936. Later that year, Joe won the world heavyweight championship. Legend has it that Max was furious.
“‘Vhy should dat inferior fighter get granted de title shot, ven I beat him de last time ve fought? I demand a shot at his championship!’
“Two years later, Max, with the Nazi German government on his side, got his opportunity for Joe’s championship. Joe trained constantly for the upcoming fight, and even received a blessing from President Franklin Roosevelt. Finally, the night of the big fight arrived. Joe donned his signature red gloves, kissed his wife in the audience, and stepped into the ring.
“‘I’m gonna knock you out for America, you Nazi,’ Joe said.
“The bell rang, and just two minutes later, Max was on the mat, only having thrown two punches in the whole fight. Joe had punched Max so hard that his new red gloves were now faded at the ends. Joe was hailed as an American hero for defeating his Nazi challenger, and went on to hold the championship for eleven years. However, his worn gloves eventually ended up in the Temple. Your quest is to retrieve the Well-Worn Boxing Gloves of Joe Louis and bring them back here.”

“Thanks a lot, Olmec,” Kirk says, “but tell us, where are the well-worn gloves?”

“The Well-Worn Gloves of Joe Louis can be found in the Room of the Secret Password,” Olmec replies. The camera zooms in on the gloves hanging from the guardrail of the room, and then cuts back to Kirk.

“Teams, you’re now standing on The Steps of Knowledge,” Kirk explains. “In a moment, Olmec’s gonna ask you a question. If you think you know the answer, I want you to stomp down on the ancient marking in front of you. If you’re right, you’ll move down to the next level, but if you’re wrong or run out of time, I’m gonna give the other teams a chance to answer.” Kirk begins descending the Steps. “The first two teams to make it to this bottom level will be one step closer to Olmec’s Temple. Olmec…we’re now ready for your first question.”

Olmec begins:
“Was Joe Louis: a boxer, a wrestler, or—”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “A boxer.”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Silver Snakes advance to the next level.
“Silver Snakes, step down,” Kirk narrates. “Next question, Olmec.”

“Was Joe Louis: black, white, or Native American?”
The Orange Iguanas ring in. “Black!”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Orange Iguanas step down.
“Nice job, Orange Iguanas,” Kirk narrates. “Next question.”

“Who was the first man to defeat Joe Louis: Muhammad Ali, Max Schmeling, or Rocky Marciano?”
After a few seconds, the Blue Barracudas ring in and guess. “Muhammad Ali?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec replies. A few seconds later, a whistle-like sound effect is heard.
“Time is up,” Olmec says. “The correct answer was: Max Schmeling.”
“Okay, let’s keep going,” Kirk narrates. “Next question, please.”

“Was Max Schmeling from: France, Germany, or Sweden?”
The Orange Iguanas ring in. “Germany?”
“That is correct,” Olmec booms. The Orange Iguanas advance to the next-to-last step.
“Orange Iguanas are now one step away from the Temple Games,” Kirk narrates. “Next question, Olmec.”

“Who was President during Joe and Max’s boxing match: Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, or Harry Truman?”
The Orange Iguanas ring in after the third answer is given. “Franklin Roosevelt?”
“That is correct!” Olmec exclaims. The Orange Iguanas jump down to the bottom.
“We’ve got our first team! It’s the Orange Iguanas!” Kirk narrates. “But we still need one more team. Who will it be—the Blue Barracudas, the Silver Snakes or the Green Monkeys? We’ll find out soon enough. Next question, Olmec.”

“According to our legend, what color were Joe Louis’s gloves: red, blue, or—”
The Green Monkeys ring in. “Red?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Green Monkeys advance down one step.
“Now the Green Monkeys are on the board,” Kirk narrates. “It’s still anyone’s game—next question.”

“According to our legend, how long did the Joe Louis-Max Schmeling boxing match last: two seconds, two minutes, or two hours?”
The Green Monkeys ring in. “Two minutes?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Green Monkeys step down to the next-to-last step.
“Now the Green Monkeys are only one step away,” Kirk narrates. “Still plenty of time for the other teams, though. Next question, Olmec.”

“How long did Joe Louis hold the heavyweight championship: eleven days, eleven months, or eleven years?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “Eleven months?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec replies.
The Green Monkeys ring in. “Eleven years?”
“That…is…CORRECT!” Olmec exclaims. The Green Monkeys leap down to the bottom step.

“We’ve got our two teams!” Kirk exclaims as he walks over and stands between them. “It’s the Orange Iguanas and the Green Monkeys! Nice job, guys! Blue Barracudas, Silver Snakes, you guys did great, too. Come on down here. We’ve got a great gift for you guys, too, and here’s what it is.” They receive Endless Ocean for the Nintendo Wii.

“These two teams will be playing for the right to enter Olmec’s Temple, and they’re gonna do that right after this!” Kirk explains.

The camera pans along the Moat and zooms in on a flurry of bubbles in it before the title appears onscreen, and we fade to a commercial.

[The Bandit King]

We return from the break and see Kirk standing in front of the Temple with the two teams on either side of him.

“Welcome back to Legends: Rebirth,” he says. “Now, the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest, but before we begin, I think it’s courtesy to meet our two teams…

“On the Orange Iguanas, we have Katie, she says she plays softball and she also likes to sing, and her partner here is David; he told me he wants to be a forest ranger, and can you believe it? He and his family drove down here all the way from Winnipeg, Canada…let’s hear it for the Orange Iguanas!” The audience applauds for the tall, brown-eyed, black-haired girl and the shorter, but still tall, brown-haired boy.

“And on the Green Monkeys, we have Larissa; she’s on the track team at her school and she wants to be a pediatrician, and her partner, Gary, says he plays soccer and he also enjoys blogging…let’s hear it for the Green Monkeys!” The audience claps for the short, brown-eyed, red-haired girl and the tall, blue-eyed, black-haired boy.

“All right now, are you guys ready to play?” Kirk asks the two teams.
"Yeah!" they reply.
“Okay, you girls go over there; you guys go over there, and I’ll tell us what’s happening here. In these Temple Games, the teams are competing to win…” Kirk retrieves a Pendant of Life from his pouch and holds it up to the camera. “…Pendants of Life. They’ll need those Pendants to protect themselves from the dreaded Temple Guards as they make their way through the Temple. There are three Temple Games, and the first one’s worth a half Pendant—Olmec, would you tell us about Temple Game #1?”

“You got it, dude,” Olmec replies. The black lights under Olmec come on and he begins to explain the game:

“When Joe Louis first won the world heavyweight championship, it was the result of years of training. Here, you are about to help Joe Louis with his training. When Kirk gives the signal, begin turning the giant wheel you are standing on. For every rotation the wheel makes, it symbolizes one day of training for Joe. The player with the most complete rotations at the end of thirty seconds…wins.”

“Ah, so it’s like a treadmill, huh?” Kirk asks someone off-camera. “No? Anyway…let’s set the clock for thirty seconds!” The clock appears in the corner of the screen, all set to go. “On your marks, get set, GO!”

Larissa and Katie both get the hang of turning the giant Pendant-shaped wheel fairly quickly, and each one makes quite a few successful rotations by the time the game ends.

“All right, that’s it!” Kirk says as he runs back onscreen. “Come down here, girls, let’s see how you did…it looks like the Green Monkeys got nine successful rotations, and…the Orange Iguanas also got nine rotations! Both teams get a half Pendant of Life!” Kirk allows the audience to applaud for a few seconds. “Don’t worry, though, because the next game is also worth a half Pendant of Life—Olmec, tell us about the second Temple Game…”

Olmec begins:
“During Joe’s boxing career, he knocked out many of the world’s greatest fighters. Fortunately for you, your target can’t hit back. When Kirk gives the signal, run around, jump up, and knock over the target. The target will then be set back up, so run around and knock it over again. Each time you knock over the target, you will receive a point. The player with the most points at the end of sixty seconds…wins.”

“Target practice,” Kirk remarks. “Let’s put thirty—or sixty seconds on the clock.” The clock appears, set for the correct time. “All right…on your mark, get set, GO!”

David eventually develops a considerable rhythm on the rotating lever, knocking down the target many times, while Gary has noticeable trouble jumping up high enough to knock it down. David’s scorecard has nine and Gary’s has five when the clock reaches zero.

“All right, that’s it!” Kirk shouts, running back onscreen. “Stop the spinning! Whoa…I know, it’s not easy, is it?” he says to Gary. “Okay, let’s see how we did…it looks like the Green Monkeys knocked over the target five times, and…Orange Iguanas knocked it over nine times. That means the Orange Iguanas get the half Pendant!” Kirk pauses to allow for some brief applause. “So now, the Orange Iguanas are ahead, one Pendant to a half, so now we go to the final Temple Game. It’s worth a full Pendant of Life, and it’ll decide the winner. Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #3…”

Olmec begins to explain the final Temple Game:
“When Joe fought Max Schmeling, he never let up punching his adversary, and that won him the fight. You are about to compete in a match with much larger gloves than Joe ever wore. When Kirk gives the signal, roll your giant boxing gloves toward your opponents’ targets and attempt to knock them down. You may block your opponents’ boxing gloves, but if you cross into your opponents’ territory, one of your opponents’ targets will be set back up. The first team to knock down all four targets or…the team that knocks over the most targets at the end of sixty seconds…wins.”

“This is for the Temple,” Kirk remarks. “Let’s put sixty seconds on the clock!” The clock appears onscreen. “Let’s get the boulders in place here…all right. On your mark, get set, GO!”

Both teams are decent at blocking each others’ advances with the giant red boulder-shaped sandbags, but the Green Monkeys have terrible luck about crossing into the Orange Iguanas’ territory, and that costs them almost every Temple guard-shaped target they knock down. The Orange Iguanas only advance into the Green Monkeys’ territory once, and this makes all the difference when the game finally ends.

“All right, time’s up!” Kirk says, running back onscreen. “Stop the boulders and let’s get over here and find out how we did. It looks like…it looks like the Orange Iguanas kept three knocked down, and the Orange…the Green Monkeys kept one knocked down…that means the Orange Iguanas win the full Pendant!” Kirk allows the audience to applaud for a few seconds. “So that means that the Orange Iguanas have 2 Pendants; the Green Monkeys have half a Pendant—the Orange Iguanas are going to the Temple!” Katie jumps up and down in excitement, and she and David high-five one another. “Green Monkeys did great, too…they put up a great fight. They’re not goin’ home empty-handed; here’s what we’ve got for ‘em!” They receive a backpack from Outdoor Products.

As the prize disappears off-screen, Kirk is seen standing beside the winning team. “Now, it’s come down to this! We’ll see if the Orange Iguanas can make it through Olmec’s Temple and retrieve the Well-Worn Gloves of Joe Louis, right after this!”

The camera pans in on the Temple and zooms in on the Gloves before the title appears onscreen, and we go to a commercial.

[The Bandit King]

We return from the break to find Kirk standing in front of the Temple with the winning team.

“Welcome back to Legends: Rebirth,” he says. “Katie and David have proven themselves worthy and have earned the right to enter Olmec’s Temple. But first, Olmec’s gonna give them some information that could help them retrieve the Well-Worn Boxing Gloves of Joe Louis…”

Olmec begins to explain the layout as the camera gives us a first-person tour of the Temple:
“You could start…by running up the stairs to the Crypt! Grab the book from the skeletons, and pass into the Rope Labyrinth! Maneuver through the ropes, and climb into the Great Seal Room. Place the correct seal in the central holder, and a door may open into the Chamber…of the Sacred Markers. Match the symbols on the right to those on the left, and pass into the Safari Room. Push in the correct animal head and open the door to the SHRIIIINE of the Silver Monkey! Assemble the statue and you may be headed toward the Room…of the Secret Password. Find the tablet with the correct inscription and shout it out to open the door to the Pharaoh’s Secret Passage. Slide down the tunnel to the Dungeon, where you could smash through the wall into the Dark Forest…but beware of the Temple Guards that may inhabit the trees! Find the key in the tree, and you’ll enter…the Bamboo Forest! Maneuver through the thicket, and you’ll gain entry to the Tomb of the Headless Kings. Pull the vine to release the bones, and attach the missing skull to its proper king, then…crawl through the Labyrinth, climb through the Ledges, race down the stairs and back through the Temple Gate. The choices are yours and yours alone!” Olmec pauses. “You won 2 Pendants in the Temple Games. Who’s going first?”

“I am,” says David, raising his hand.

“Very well, David,” Olmec replies. “When Kirk gives the signal, you’ll race through the Gate into the Temple and make your way toward the Well-Worn Gloves. Hidden inside the Temple are Temple Guards assigned to protect three specific rooms. You can trade your Pendant for an extra life and go on, but—if you’re caught without a Pendant, you’ll be taken out of the Temple, and it’ll be Katie’s turn to enter and try her luck. If you can reach the Gloves, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock, and the Temple Guards will vanish. Return through the Gate with the Well-Worn Gloves of Joe Louis in three minutes, and you’ll both be handsomely rewarded—and here’s how!”

• Just for making it this far, they’ll get a sports package from Outdoor Products.
• If they can reach the Gloves within three minutes, they’ll also receive a DVD player from Sony.
• And if they can bring the Gloves out of the Temple before three minutes expires, they’ll win a trip to Mexico.

“All right, let’s see if they can win all that,” Kirk remarks. “Katie, can you tell me what your strategy is?”

“I’m, uh, just gonna see how much he clears out, then I’m gonna take the shortest way to the, uh…gloves,” Katie says.

“Okay, let’s see if that’s worth a trip to Mexico,” says Kirk. “Both of you get in position here. Let’s set the clock for three minutes!” The clock appears in the bottom left corner of the screen.

“Olmec, please lower the gate.” Olmec moans gutturally as the gate is lowered, and the black lights under him go out.

“Frontrunner ready,” Kirk remarks. David nods as a response.

“On your mark, get set, GO!”

David dashes up the Temple steps, Pendant in hand. He enters the Crypt and pulls all three books before opening the door into the Rope Labyrinth (2:44). David progresses through the opened door and strenuously begins making his way through the tangled ropes. He reaches the opposite side of the room and hits the actuator for the door to the Great Seal Room, but it doesn’t open (2:30). David drops down a little and hits the actuator for the Chamber of the Sacred Markers, but that door won’t open either (2:23). “He’s got only one door left,” Kirk narrates. David drops down to the bottom of the room and hits the actuator for the Tomb of the Headless Kings, which opens (2:11). He crawls through the door and rushes for the rope hanging in the center of the room, but the first TEMPLE GUARD jumps out from hiding in the back of the room (2:07). “Temple Guard!” Kirk narrates. “That’ll cost him a Pendant!” David hands over his Pendant and pulls the rope, releasing the hailstorm of bones into the room (2:03). He looks around for a few seconds before finally locating the skull, which he places on the stage-right king. Nothing happens, so David tries the stage-left king, which begins glowing and opens the door upward into the Chamber of the Sacred Markers (1:48). David begins climbing the ladder and emerges in the room a few seconds later (1:42). He immediately locates two tiles on the back wall and the stage-left wall, rushing over to get them. He places them in their correct slots and begins looking around for the third and final tile. He eventually locates it on the stage-right wall and places it in the slot, opening the door upward into the Great Seal Room, but also revealing the second TEMPLE GUARD behind the door (1:20)!

“Oh, Temple Guard! Go, Katie, go!” Kirk shouts, and Katie dashes up the steps. She passes through the Crypt and progresses through the Rope Labyrinth, all the way to the Tomb (1:00). Katie climbs the ladder into the Chamber of the Sacred Markers and emerges in the room, then begins climbing yet another ladder leading into the Great Seal Room (0:47). She appears in the room and grabs two seals from the back, bringing them to the center of the room (0:42). She places one seal in the central holder, but nothing happens. She tries the other seal she retrieved, which happens to be the correct one, opening the door to the Safari Room (0:30). Katie dashes into the room, where she is immediately ambushed by the third and final TEMPLE GUARD (0:26). “Oh, there’s the third Temple Guard!” Kirk narrates. “He was waiting for her!” Katie hands over her Pendant and reaches behind her to push the lion’s head, but nothing happens. She pushes the heads of the Cape buffalo and the elephant before the door to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey finally opens (0:10). “She’s headed into the Shrine!” Kirk narrates. “She’s only one room away—can she do it in time?” Katie dashes into the room and grabs the base of the monkey statue, but time runs out before she can bring it to the front of the room.

“Oh, she ran out of time!” Kirk laments. “She was only one room away! This was a tough Temple—that’s okay, because they still get the sports package, and they still leave with some dignity. This was a tough team, they came so close! We’ve gotta get outta here, so we’ll see ya next time, and remember…it’s not just Legends, it’s Legends: Rebirth! Buh-bye, everybody!”

Kirk and David wave to the crowd before Katie emerges from the Temple. Kirk congratulates them both, and all three of them wave to the audience as the credits roll.

[The Bandit King]

The Well-Worn Gloves of Joe Louis
Season 1, Layout 1
Artifact Location: The Room of the Secret Password
Team: Orange Iguanas (Katie Alvarez and David Rutherford)
Pendants: 2
Result: Ran out of time

This isn’t a bad episode, but it’s definitely not a good one. This team had to cope with a simple, yet brutal, Temple Layout that required them to progress upward through all three rooms in the central column of the Temple.

David had a decent concept of what to do in each room he entered; however, he was extremely slow, taking way too long in almost every room. He was eventually removed in the Chamber of the Sacred Markers with 1:20 to go.

Katie wasn’t much better, unfortunately. She was slow progressing through the Temple, although she did make it through two more rooms before time ran out on her in the Shrine of the Silver Monkey. It would have taken a fast team to come out on top in this Temple Run, and sadly, this team just didn’t have what it took.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Notes and Trivia: This is the second time the Orange Iguanas make it to the Temple in Season 1 of Legends: Rebirth, and it’s also the second time they fail to reach the artifact.

According to the pre-Temple Game introductions, David was from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This means that he is not only the first known Canadian contestant on Legends, but also the first Canadian to enter the Temple.

Temple Diagram provided by JTH1

[The Ancient Warrior]

Pardon the bump, but I just noticed: Manitoba and Alberta are both Canadian provinces.  Neither is a city.

I liked this one, though.  The foreign player concept was good (something I like to insert from time to time myself), the choice of legend was interesting and it's good to see some losses mixed in, what with the recent three solo wins in a row. lol

[The Bandit King]

Whoops... ops:
TBH, I meant to type "Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada", but I didn't see the mistake and ended up posting it, mistake and all. What can you do, right?