"Sequence contains no elements" when using .Any() - asp.net-mvc

Question

This seems like a straightforward question. I am beginning to suspect a bug in razor.
if (Model.athleteImages .Any()){
//some code
}
I have replaced the above with the following:
if (Model.athleteImages.Count > 0)
{
var i = 0;
<li data-target="#carousel-example-generic" data-slide-to="0" class="active"></li>
while (i + 1 < Model.athleteImages.Count())
{
i++;
<li data-target="#carousel-example-generic" data-slide-to="#i"></li>
}
}
This always throws "Sequence contains no elements" for collections with no elements e.g. Count() = 0.
Any() is supposed to test if a Sequence contains elements. That is its entire purpose.
I have also tried
if (Model.athleteImages.FirstOrDefault().[fieldName] != null){
//some code
}
Same result.
here is some relevant code from the controller for those wondering what the Images collection is
var adImages = from i in db.athleteImages
where thisAd.albumId == i.albumId
where i.deleted == false
select i;
viewModel.athleteImages = athleteImages.ToList();
Here is the View Model Class
public class ListingViewModel
{
public site site { get; set; }
public userAd userAd { get; set; }
public List<athleteImage> athleteImages { get; set; }
public string categoryName { get; set; }
public int categoryId { get; set; }
public string subcategoryName { get; set; }
public int subcategoryId { get; set; }
}
Stack Trace
[InvalidOperationException: Sequence contains no elements]
System.Linq.Enumerable.First(IEnumerable`1 source) +269
ASP._Page_Views_userAds_Listing_cshtml.Execute() in c:\Users\Bill\Documents\Visual Studio 2013\Projects\CuriousMarketplaces\CuriousMarketplaces\Views\userAds\Listing.cshtml:32
System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.ExecutePageHierarchy() +198
System.Web.Mvc.WebViewPage.ExecutePageHierarchy() +105
System.Web.WebPages.StartPage.RunPage() +17
System.Web.WebPages.StartPage.ExecutePageHierarchy() +64
System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.ExecutePageHierarchy(WebPageContext pageContext, TextWriter writer, WebPageRenderingBase startPage) +78
System.Web.Mvc.RazorView.RenderView(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer, Object instance) +235
System.Web.Mvc.BuildManagerCompiledView.Render(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer) +107
System.Web.Mvc.ViewResultBase.ExecuteResult(ControllerContext context) +291
System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResult(ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult) +13
System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultFilterRecursive(IList`1 filters, Int32 filterIndex, ResultExecutingContext preContext, ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult) +56
System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultFilterRecursive(IList`1 filters, Int32 filterIndex, ResultExecutingContext preContext, ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult) +420
System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultWithFilters(ControllerContext controllerContext, IList`1 filters, ActionResult actionResult) +52
System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass2b.<BeginInvokeAction>b__1c() +173
System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass21.<BeginInvokeAction>b__1e(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +100
System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResult`1.CallEndDelegate(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +10
System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResultBase`1.End() +49
System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.EndInvokeAction(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +27
System.Web.Mvc.Controller.<BeginExecuteCore>b__1d(IAsyncResult asyncResult, ExecuteCoreState innerState) +13
System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncVoid`1.CallEndDelegate(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +36
System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResultBase`1.End() +54
System.Web.Mvc.Controller.EndExecuteCore(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +39
System.Web.Mvc.Controller.<BeginExecute>b__15(IAsyncResult asyncResult, Controller controller) +12
System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncVoid`1.CallEndDelegate(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +28
System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResultBase`1.End() +54
System.Web.Mvc.Controller.EndExecute(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +29
System.Web.Mvc.Controller.System.Web.Mvc.Async.IAsyncController.EndExecute(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +10
System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.<BeginProcessRequest>b__5(IAsyncResult asyncResult, ProcessRequestState innerState) +21
System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncVoid`1.CallEndDelegate(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +36
System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResultBase`1.End() +54
System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +31
System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.System.Web.IHttpAsyncHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult result) +9
System.Web.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute() +9651116
System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +155

Answer 1

If what you really care about is whether or not there are any images in the collection, something like this might make more sense:
if (Model.Images.Count > 0) {
}

Answer 2

Any() will throw an exception if the source is null, this is documented behavior and how it is supposed to work: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/bb534972%28v=vs.100%29.aspx
Dave's solution is pretty good but I would add a null check, Count will also throw an exception if the object is null.
if(Model.Images != null && Model.Images.Count > 0) {
}

Answer 3

Dan gave me the hint I needed.
Even though the debugger was indicating that the error was occurring at the closing block of my if block, that was not the case.
In a later block of code in the same view, I have this:
<div class="item active" id="0">
<div style="width:400px;height:300px;text-align:center;background-color:black;">
<img src="/Content/Images/Deals/1/#Model.athleteImages.First().fullImage" style="height:300px;" alt="...">
<div class="carousel-caption">
some caption
</div>
</div>
</div>
To fix the problem, I need to test again. so:
if (Model.athleteImages.Count > 0)
{
<div class="item active" id="0">
<div style="width:400px;height:300px;text-align:center;background-color:black;">
<img src="/Content/Images/Deals/1/#Model.athleteImages.First().fullImage" style="height:300px;" alt="...">
<div class="carousel-caption">
some caption
</div>
</div>
</div>
}
What fries my brain is that the error message indicated a problem at line 32. In reality it was on line 37.