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Just saw this on my local news site:

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Bates Battaglia on 'Amazing Race?'

By Kathy Hanrahan

RALEIGH, N.C. — Former Carolina Hurricane Bates Battaglia can make a drink (he was a celebrity bartender last night at Zinda's charity event and he co-owns Lucky B's) but can he win "The Amazing Race?"

Rumors abound this week that Battaglia and his brother, Anthony, are among the contestants on the next season of CBS reality show, which premieres Feb. 17.

CBS will not comment and the Battaglias aren't saying anything either. Reality show contestants are typically precluded from commenting about the shows they appear on until after they air.

But fan sites have been pouring over photos of contestants taken at airports around the world. These websites are for serious race fans! Pages and pages of speculation about each photo - from the shirt a contestant is wearing to the team colors they are sporting. Fans who snapped the photos (mostly using their cell phones) even comment about what they overheard, including names, occupations and hometowns.

If the Chicago brothers are on the show, they could prove to be a tough team to beat.

Jonathan "Bates" Battaglia also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and his brother is a member of the Central Hockey League.

But physical strength doesn't always mean victory on the race. Last season's winners, goat farmers Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, struggled through injuries and were nearly eliminated in an earlier leg.The key seems to be not focusing on finishing each leg first. Kilmer-Purcell and Ridge said in a CBS interview that the teams who finished at the front of the pack each time seemed to be getting exhausted. Their strategy was to stay in the race and win the final leg.

 The Battaglias would also have travel experience on their side. Each has traveled a lot for hockey and have had teammates from all over the globe. (Maybe a few friends they can contact if they need help on the race?) And Bates played for a Swedish team last year, so he has knowledge of that country already. Anthony played in Manchester with the English Premier League.

So, would you like to see the Battaglias on the race? What other athletes would you like to see on the race or even on "Survivor?"

Check WRAL's Out and About for updates and we will have the full list of  "The Amazing Race" cast when it is finally revealed (hopefully soon!).

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