Premiers, Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 8:00 PM (EST)
And without further ado, here is your starting lineup for this game of Survivor:
First, lets start with the “Fans”. Or as the spoiler sites call them the “MActors” (Models/Actors).
Name: Alexis Jones
Age: 24
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Motivational Speaker
What Jeff Probst Says: ''When she came in she was so excited. And I launched into this speech about how you need to drop the excitement and get your head in the game because these other people out here, they're already playing, they're already playing you, and they're already seeing you're this little simple girl from Texas that they're going to run right over. And she looks at me and says, 'I've read every person here.' And she had a pretty good read on everybody. I thought, This is all I need to know. This girl knows how to play. As a fan, I picked this girl to win.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: My guess is that Alexis makes it to the final three. On shear guts and determination if nothing else.
Name: Chet Welch
Age: 48
Hometown: Ford City, PA
Occupation: Pharmacy Customer Service/Pageant Coach
What Jeff Probst Says: ''Chet works in the pageant world. He produces winners and he will do whatever it takes to get his pageant girl to win. If he plays this game the way he plays in the pageant world, then he is definitely a force to be reckoned with. If he doesn't, he could be going home soon. He has sort of been playing a version of Survivor for the past 20 years in the pageant world, and he gets this game.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Chet is this seasons token gay player which means he would normally make it at least to the Jury. After all, statistics show that EVERY openly gay player has at least made it to the Jury, if not gone on to win the game. However the spoiler websites offer up the following tidbit of info. Start highlighting here to read what happens: -> Rumors say that Chet cuts his foot badly on some coral. His foot gets infected, and the producers remove Chet from the game for “medical reasons.”
Name: Erik Reichenbach
Age: 22
Hometown: Pinckney, MI
Occupation: Art Student
What Jeff Probst Says: ''Erik loves the show more than anyone I have ever met. He remembers things that I did that I don't remember. He's a young kid, and that young exciting energy is what's going to keep him in this game and could easily be what gets him knocked out, because he doesn't have the maturity of life to know when he's being played. That's what he's going to have to watch out for. Because you could see people looking at him on Day One and going, 'Who is the kid in the green shoes, for crying out loud?''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Normally you would expect someone like Erik to do well in this game. Young, athletic and has the stamina to last through the grueling challenges. But, his “unstoppable energy” is what is going to grate on his tribemates nerves. My gut reaction is that Erik doesn’t make the Jury.
Name: Jason Siska
Age: 22
Hometown: Fox River Grove, IL
Occupation: Gymnastics Coach/Student
What Jeff Probst Says: ''Jason loves to compare himself to Ozzy [the returning Favorite from Cook Islands]. He thinks Ozzy is the greatest player to ever participate in Survivor — I think he's kind of got a man-crush on him. He's coming on strong in the beginning saying, 'I'm going to go toe-to-toe with Ozzy. I can climb coconut trees just like he can, I can swim just like he can, and I'm just as athletic as he is.' My response to that is, it's one thing to say it and another thing to do it. So he can talk the talk, but the big question is, can he walk the walk?''
Cuz’s Thoughts: If Jason tries to make himself indispensable around camp, at the expense of helping his tribe win the challenges, he may very well find himself booted early. But if he can maintain a balance between camp life and challenge wins, he should do well. Overall, I think Jason makes the Jury, but not much farther.
Name: Joel Anderson
Age: 32
Hometown: Avondale, AZ
Occupation: Firefighter
What Jeff Probst Says: ''Joel is the one guy who might be able to give James [Clement, the returning Favorite from Survivor: China] a run for his money, because he is every bit as big as James. He's a fireman, he's a father and a husband, and when I met with him the thing that really struck me is how he does everything for his wife and his family. And I like that about him. He's a big, big guy, and these challenges start off physical right from the get-go. Sometimes being a physical threat works against you early; I think in Joel's case it's going to be advantageous.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Joel is one of my picks for going all the way to the final three. I just hope his tribe agrees.
Name: Kathleen Sleckman
Age: 45
Hometown: Glen Ellyn, IL
Occupation: Golf Course Concessions
What Jeff Probst Says: ''We almost put Kathy on Vanuatu and we didn't. It's one thing to have a positive attitude, it's another to survive 39 days eating some rice, clams, and an occasional fish. I think Kathy's going to be tested enormously, and the longer she lasts, the tougher it's going to be unless she can embrace it. It's not an easy season out there. It rained almost every night we were there, and if you get sent to Exile, it can be brutal.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Kathleen is another one of those contestants, that makes you wonder, what does the producers see in her? 45 years old and her job consists of driving a beer cart around, selling beer to thirsty golfers? Kathleen, I’m afraid does not last long in this game. Start highlighting here to find out why: -> The spoiler websites have let slip that Kathleen has a mental breakdown while on the island and intentionally tries to cut off her fingers with a machete, resulting in the producers removing her from the game for “medical reasons.”
Name: Mary Sartain
Age: 29
Hometown: Emeryville, CA
Occupation: Real Estate/Financial Company Owner
What Jeff Probst Says: ''I think Mary coming into the game is going to be on the bubble. She's either going to learn where to fit in this group quickly or she's going to be on the outs for the whole time. Mary's best play is to hide in the middle, not become a nuisance, just hang out and see if you can hang out long enough that your vote becomes valuable.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Although I would love for Mary to make it to the finals of this game, if for nothing other than eye candy I think Jeff pegged her pretty well. That is “on the outside looking in”. As a result, she simply doesn’t understand how to play this game and is an early boot. Possibly the first boot for the Fans tribe.
Name: Michael “Mikey B” Bortone
Age: 34
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Aspiring Writer/Actor
What Jeff Probst Says: ''I like Mikey B. a lot. He's Boston, and Boston is so damn good to Survivor. He's got a colorful way of saying the most mundane thing, and that makes him somebody I will love to go to at Tribal Council.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Sorry Jeff. You may like Mikey B. (a lot!) but his tribemates will disagree. And enough with the wanna-be actors already! Mikey B is another pre-Jury boot.
Name: Natalie Bolton
Age: 32
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Bartender/Personal Trainer
What Jeff Probst Says: ''I'm on the fence with Natalie because I can't figure out if she has any business being in this game or not. On paper she sounds great — she's a personal trainer and she's young and she's attractive — but when I watched the first few moments on the show, I'm not sure her attitude is going to be able to survive. You have to have a sense of humor or you're going to be a miserable person if you can't laugh about being hungry at some point. I'm not sure Natalie's had to go through anything as difficult as what she's about to go through.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: I think Natalie will realize right away that she needs to fly under the radar if she hopes to last in this game. Natalie should make the Jury.
Name: Tracy Hughes-Wolf
Age: 43
Hometown: Fredericksburg, VA
Occupation: Commercial and Residential Builder
What Jeff Probst Says: ''Tracy should be very valuable because of her background, because she's a woman who works in construction. I don't know how much she wants to share about what she does, because there's a part of her that thinks if she comes on too strong [she] could be seen as a threat. But on paper, this is something you rarely get: somebody who knows how to build. Boston Rob knew how to build things and that made him hugely valuable. I think Tracy could be the same way.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: I disagree with Jeff. I think Tracy will be an early boot. She does not make the Jury.
And now for the “Favorites” team. (Note: These are Mark Burnett’s Favorites, not necessarily the viewer’s favorites.)
Name:Amanda (Survivor: China, finished in 3rd place)
Age: 23
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Fashion Designer
What Jeff Probst Says: ''Amanda knows how to play Survivor. She knows how to build an alliance, how long to keep it, when to get rid of it. She's very good at looking at odds, she's very good at assessing if [she's] better off against this person, or with this person. And you need that. Survivor only thrives when you have people who will continue to turn and switch and make moves. Amanda's in great shape, she does well in the challenges, she's beautiful, and she knows how to play.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: We’ll see if she learned anything about alliances from China. Amanda should make the Jury, but I doubt if she will make the final three again.
Name:Ami (Survivor: Vanuatu, finished in 6th place)
Age: 34
Hometown: Golden, CO
Occupation: Nanny
What Jeff Probst Says: ''Ami will betray you; she'll do whatever it takes to get deeper in the game. But she's sexy, and she's got this 'Everything's beautiful in the world until I stab you in the back' thing. And that's what we want on this show. And if Ami has her way, I guarantee you there will be a women's alliance, because that is what Ami wanted in Vanuatu and that's what's she's going to try to make happen here.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Ami will try form a women’s alliance, just like she did before. And just like before, her women’s alliance will cut her loose the first chance it gets. Ami makes the Jury, but not much further.
Name:Cirie (Survivor: Panama – Exile Island, finished in 4th place)
Age: 37
Hometown: Norwalk, CT
Occupation: O.R. Coordinating Nurse
What Jeff Probst Says:''Cirie represents the kind of people I love to see on the show. You look at Cirie and you think, 'How are you going to survive? You don't have the tools, you don't come from this background, you're not physically fit enough.' But there's more to this game than that. My hunch is Cirie played a very good game the first time, and I expect her to play an even better game the second time.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Cirie said ''If I go before Jonny Fairplay, something is really wrong. Nothing against Jonny, but damn!'' Well, girl you got nothing to worry about! While you probably will not make the Jury, you will definitely last longer than Jonny Jackass!
Name:Elize (Survivor: Vanuatu, finished in 4th place)
Age: 25
Hometown: New York, NY
Occupation: Law School Student
What Jeff Probst Says: ''Eliza is one of the most enjoyable people to have on the show because she gets it. Everybody knows Eliza will betray you at the drop of a hat, and Eliza knows you know that. Eliza is a Favorite because she can be so charmingly annoying. It's fun to watch Eliza get mad, and it's fun to watch people get mad at her, and she doesn't take it personally. That's the most beautiful part about her; she knows it's only a game: 'I have a life, I have a boyfriend, I'm going to be an attorney, I have a dog, that's my life — this is only a game. Of course, I'm going to try to cut your throat. I've got knives coming out of every part of my body.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Eliza will probably make the Jury. But if she has any ideas on going further, she is sorely mistaken.
Name:James (Survivor: China, finished in 7th place.)
Age: 30
Hometown: Lafayette, LA
Occupation: Grave Digger
What Jeff Probst Says: ''I feel like the reason James is likable is there is a sense of authenticity there that you don't see that often — he's just going to tell you what he thinks. I don't think James is that great of a Survivor player, as we saw in China. He made, without question, the single biggest blunder in the history of the show. I don't think he gets how to play, but he's so strong and he works so hard and he is so likable that it's really hard to vote him out. I think James could do really well this season.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: James will again make the Jury, but miss out on the final three.
Name:Jonathan (Survivor: Cook Island, finished in 7th place.)
Age: 45
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Writer/Producer
What Jeff Probst Says:''Penner only plays to win. He's not interested in third. He's not interested in second. And you saw that at Cook Islands. And Penner is gold. At Tribal Council I can just look at him and know that he's ready to light somebody up. And Penner is the biggest complainer that we've had on the show. He complains about every challenge, and I get a kick out of it. I'm so happy he's on the show. And Penner could win — absolutely. He's a smart dude, and I think he probably learned a couple things in watching his season's playback.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: I don’t care what anybody says, I like Jonathan. Will he make it to the final three? I doubt it. Probably the final four, but not the final three.
Name:Jonny Fairplay Jackass (Survivor: Pearl Island, finished in 3rd place)
Age: 33
Hometown: Danville, VA
Occupation: Professional Wrestler/Reality Star Jackass
What Jeff Probst Says: ''You can't do the season and not invite your most notorious person. And Fairplay delivered, I will say that. He delivered, and I think we got what we expected we would get, which is that character he created called Jonny Fairplay. What gets me is just how effective it can still be. He can call you stupid and somebody will get mad. And I'm looking at this going, 'Why are you getting mad at this guy? He's created a character, he's trying to get under your skin — and it's working!' This guy is no threat to win this game — zero.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: I think everybody here knows exactly how I feel about Jonny Jackass, so it should come as no surprise when I say that I’m extremely happy with what the Spoiler Websites are saying. If you want to know what they are saying, then start highlighting here-> Jonny Jackass throws an absolute HISSY FIT when (after his tribe looses the very first immunity challenge) he cannot get the rest of the “Favorites” to agree with who he wants to boot. In fact his HISSY FIT goes as far as him saying something to the effect, “Well, if you won’t see things my way, I might as well quite right now.” His tribe takes him up on this and Jonny Jackass is the very first player to leave the game! Some say he in fact quit, some say he was the first boot. Regardless, he is the first to go and that makes me very HAPPY!
Name:Ozzy (Survivor: Cook Island, finished in 2nd place)
Age: 26
Hometown: Venice, CA
Occupation: Freelance Photographer/Writer
What Jeff Probst Says:''Ozzy's big problem's going to be the fact that he's Ozzy. Ozzy played a brilliant physical game — the only thing Ozzy lacked was the social skill of how to play Survivor. And that's probably going to be the deciding difference. If he can figure out a way to survive socially due to the kind of targets he's going to have on his back due to his physical strength, then he can do really well. Otherwise it wouldn't surprise me if Ozzy went out really early because you just don't want him around.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: I don’t think that Ozzy will be out early, but the others will not let him get as close to winning as he did back on Cook Island. Ozzy makes the Jury, before the rest boot him off the island.
Name:Parvati (Survivor: Cook Island, finished in 6th place)
Age:25
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Non-Profit Organizer
What Jeff Probst Says:''To me Parvati is this season's Amber. Last time, Parvati used her flirting, and it got her a long way. But we didn't really see her do a whole lot more than that, and the question was, what if underneath that she's got a strategy? What if she's figured out how to play this game — could she last long enough to become a threat? Parvati's a question mark. She could be the same thing, come out and giggle a couple times, eat some chocolate cake, and go home. On the flip side, if Parvati's figured out how to play this game, and maybe she teams up with somebody...
Cuz’s Thoughts: I think Jeff has let the cat out of the bag with his “this season’s Amber” comment. Parvati will probably make it to the final three and I wouldn’t be surprised if she walked away with the million bucks.
Name:Yau-Man (Survivor: Fiji, finished in 4th place)
Age:55
Hometown: Martinez, CA
Occupation: Computer Engineer
What Jeff Probst Says: ''You can't do a favorites season without Yau-Man. He's sort of the Rudy of this season. He'll be the oldest guy and the most frail and probably be one of the most popular. Yau-Man's problem is going to be those things. He's so popular, everyone there knows that he's popular and well liked, and everybody knows what happened to him in Fiji. But I think Yau-Man's going to have to come out and play aggressive. I don't think he can play that same game of just chopping coconuts and being everyone's friend.''
Cuz’s Thoughts: Yau-Man will not be able to play up the “frail old man that doesn’t poise a threat to anybody” like he did in Fiji. The others are going to see him as a threat and boot him early. Yau-Man does not make the Jury.
Well, there you have my pre-season picks, some are based on spoilers, some are based on my gut, and some are just plucked out of thin air. Nonetheless, here is a quick snapshot of how I see this season of Survivor.
Pre-Jury Boots: (In no particular order) Mary, Tracy, Kathy, Chet, Mikey B., Jonny Jackass, Yau-Man, Cirie.
The Jury: (In no particular order) Erik, Jason, Natalie, Eliza, James, Ozzy, Ami, Amanda, Jonathan
The Final Three: Joel, Parvati, Alexis
Now, since there will be twice as many “Favorites” as “Fans” on the Jury, I doubt they will let another firefighter win the game (think Tom Westman from Palau) So… Sorry Joel.
Also, I don’t think that Alexis will have enough members on the Jury that are in her corner. I get the feeling that Alexis will be the “fall guy” for the Jury’s wrath. So…. Sorry Alexis.
That leaves, Parvati, the Jury’s “darling little flirt” to take home the win and the Million Bucks. The only question remaining is: How many will still mispronounce her name.
Well, that’s it. Now its time for ya’ll to discuss this amongst yerselves and figure out who you want to see win.
So… Have At It!
Take care,
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