The cast for the upcoming 15th edition of “The Amazing Race” has been revealed. They include a couple of Harlem Globetrotters, a former Miss America and a pair of professional poker players. And more all-male teams than we’ve seen in a while. There are a couple of new twists this season – one team will get eliminated at the start of the race (which sounds kinda lame and pointless) and the Switchback – a challenge where you’ll have to go back and repeat a Roadblock – will be introduced. The new season kicks off Sunday, Sept. 27 on CBS, and the first episode will have the racers going from L.A. to Tokyo. Can’t wait until then.

Here’s a look at the racers, my first impressions and a few predictions:

Meghan & Cheyne

A dating couple from San Diego, they’ve known each other since grade school. She’s stubborn, a planner, a Type-A personality and he’s laid back and doesn’t take things seriously enough. I see a meltdown brewing. They hope the power of positive thinking makes the difference. (Groan.) His hair freaks me out and he seems like kinda a doofus. But I could see them having a good Kris & Jon type of vibe. They could flame out and be gone early, or make the top five.

Lance & Keri

Engaged couple from Massachusetts. He’s domineering, has an “uber-aggressive personality,” is confrontational, and likes karate and weightlifting. Oh, and he likes to wrap his biceps with a scarf. What a tool, I’m sick of this guy already. She’s kinder and gentler, and her hobby is shopping. Ugh. She says she shuts down when people yell at her. (That’s called “foreshadowing.”) Whatever, they’re not going to last. They’ll get about halfway through.

Maria & Tiffany

Best friends and world-class professional poker players from L.A. Tiffany’s a former actress and beauty queen. Maria speaks Mandarin and Tiffany is fluent in sign language, so they’re really one season late. Being the only all-female team, they’re all about Girl Power. And short shorts. I like how they learned how to drive stick-shifts for the race. They seem smart, competitive and likable. Uh oh, they say they’ll use their looks to their advantage. That’s an ominous sign. They’ll be easy to root for, but I don’t see them making it more than halfway through.

Eric & Lisa

Married yoga instructors from L.A. They’re former addicts who married, divorced and remarried each other, and now they also teach classes in family crisis and addiction, “helping people connect with their supreme self.” They both seem dippy. He promises a whole lot of praying and chanting and nudity and lovemaking. Good lord, could they be more of a Southern California cliche? They’ll be gone quickly, maybe even the first to go. I hope.

Herbert & Nathaniel

Harlem Globetrotters, both from New Orleans. Herb’s 6’3″ and Nate’s 6’9″ – that could present some difficulties trying to stuff themselves into a tuk-tuk in the middle of Thailand or something. But at least they’ll stand out in a crowd. They’ve both traveled extensively, and  they both seem to have a pretty good sense of humor, which helps in a stressful race situation. They’re obviously good working as a team. Herb is a master of maps, which is a nice skill. I like these guys. I think they’ll be around until the end.

Gary & Matt

Father and son from Montana. Gary’s conservative and clean-cut, Matt has fuchsia hair and a pierced lip. The two say they’re complete opposites in pretty much every way, and are looking for a common experience to bond. They have a common-sense approach to problem-solving, which could be a big advantage. They seem fairly down-to-earth and likable, but don’t appear to bring any solid racing skills. I’d like them to stick around, but I see them going home early.

Zev & Justin

Friends from L.A. who met as camp counselors years ago. Zev’s a huge “TAR” fan with Aspergers Syndrome and isn’t exactly a people-person. Justin says that for Zev’s condition, probably the most uncomfortable possible scenario would be to race around the world and be forced to interact with people. So. . . . .  this could get interesting. Justin works for National Lampoon and says he’s a good problem-solver, though Zev thinks he’s too aggressive. Zev speaks his mind, which could make for tense times with his competitors. Justin boasts he took Zev to Vegas to lose his virginity, which, ugh, TMI. They could be entertaining, or else be insufferable. I can’t tell which yet. They should last a while. Middle-of-the-pack, I’ll bet.

Garrett & Jessica

Dating on and off. He’s from Santa Cruz, she’s from Larkspur. They’re both  passionate, fiercely independent control freaks who are using the race to make or break their relationship. So basically they’re a ticking time bomb ready to explode. But they both seem pretty adventurous and athletic. They might last a while. This kind of annoying couple always seem to last longer than they should. So they’ll probably make the top five.

Marcy & Ronald

Dating couple from San Francisco. Both 60-ish, they’re the token “old” couple. They met online, but is that even considered a quirky thing anymore? They sound pretty impressive. She takes trapeze and kung fu classes (aw, if only that was one combined class!), Ron runs and kickboxes, and they both rock climb. I feel like a lazy slob just reading about them. Marcy’s spontaneous and impulsive while Ronald’s more analytical and practical, and they’be both traveled a lot. Marcy speaks about a zillion languages. I like them, and they could be a force to be reckoned with. I see them lasting a while. Top three.

Mika & Canaan

Dating country singers from Nashville. He’s demanding, she cries too much, and they’re so in love it’ll make you sick. His favorite activities are songwriting and making out with Mika. Dude, keep it in your pants. Neither one has traveled much. They’re both super nice. She’s afraid of bungee jumping and is a bad swimmer. Bad signs. I’m already tired of these two, and I’m picking them as among the first to go.

Dan & Sam

Christian gay brothers from Missouri. They claim to be polar opposites in pretty much everything. Sam’s passive, more positive attitude-ey and Dan’s the assertive, competitive one. Communicating effectively might be a problem. But being brothers, they’ll probably make it all work. Sibling teams tend to do well. They seem to have a strategy of being deceptive and playing mind games with other teams, which is kinda stupid. Other than that, they seem OK. Good candidates for the final three.

Ericka & Brian

Married couple from Nashville. She was Miss America 2004. Another team who says they’re total opposites. (I think everyone is mixing up “opposites” and “complements.”) She’s very structured, prim and proper, while he’s an athletic “nice guy.” This is the honeymoon they never had. Sounds like neither one of their familes approved of their marriage, and he’s racing to impress her mom. Yikes. Ericka’s already predicting they’ll make the final three. Whoa, slow down. They seem nice enough, but they don’t particularly grab me. I think they’ll be gone early.

All in all, not a particularly inspiring group. No one really stands out, and it seems like a more entertainment-focused group than recent years. Kinda a throwback to the years when the cast was all model/actors. Personally, I prefer the real, non-Hollywood people. So my picks for the final three: Herbert & Nathaniel, Marcy & Ronald, Dan & Sam. With Dan & Sam winning it. Just a gut feeling.