Tom's Statement & Questions

[Tom Westman]

Congrats to Amber, Jenna, and Ozzy for making it to the final three. Obviously it was a hard-fought battle to get here and it seems to me that there has been a powerful alliance all this time that helped propel you guys all the way here. I don't know who the alliance entirely consisted of nor do I care too much, point is you guys worked your asses off to make your way to this point and I'm mostly happy with the outcome.

In terms of how I'll approach this important vote... I'm looking for three things. Strategic Game, Social Game, and Approach to Challenges. Who balanced the three the best or was so superior in one of the trio that he or she feels it should overshadow everything else? That's how I am voting; not by friendships made, not by bitterness towards people who voted me off; just a clean, fair, logically sound vote.

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Amber:

I can't really say that I know you all that well. You made no real attempt to socialize with me and I'm guessing that any bit of your social game was restricted to your alliance thus why we never really spoke. It's disappointing because out of the three finalists, I feel your social game was the weakest at least from my angle. In terms of challenges... you never won a single individual challenge nor did you receive immunity from the people who did win it. I counted, only four people out of everyone in the merge ever had that honor and absolute feeling of safety.

This is where my questions come into play for you. First: What do you feel was the biggest strategic move for you in the game? Essentially I want to know what makes you just as good as Ozzy and Jenna because the way I see it; I'm looking at a Russell, Parvati, Sandra final and you're the Sandra! You didn't really do much /upfront/ that made me feel 'Wow, she's a real bad-ass. I hope she wins!' No offense meant.

Last question I would like you to answer is: Give me at least one good reason for both Ozzy and Jenna as to why they should NOT win this game.

Don't think you will not get my vote because depending on how you answer my questions along with everyone else's, if it makes enough sense and I like what I see, I might consider voting for you. Who knows.

Thanks!

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Ozzy:

My man! You had doubts about getting here last time I talked with ya but lookie here... you made it. Honestly though I 'wish' I could be more impressed with your performance... not saying that I'm not, but there's some noticeable flaws about your game that makes me a bit unsure. I know that you know what I am talking about and hopefully you're at some level of understanding with me here.

You were immune for every, single, damn, tribal. At least the ones during the merge aka Final 14. It was either you winning those challenges or someone else blessing you with immunity but either way you never felt the stress and anxiety the rest of us did whenever we were not immune. It's a given you played a superior challenge game and I will openly admit that your social game wasn't half bad either. You at least talked to me whenever possible and probably a bunch of other people too. It's your strategy that makes me unsure... in terms of my Heroes vs Villains comparison up above you're the Parvati... sorry you have to be the woman for this explanation.

Strong? Yes. Ringleader? Sadly no, otherwise this would be a no-contest vote for me. Essentially like what the jury of HvV felt, I feel you clung onto the big alliance way too much and relied on them much too often. That and your immunity wins. You played an extremely safe game and I don't feel like you showcased any strategies of your own, only followed the plan being mapped out in front of ya. Now I can't read your alliance's minds so I may be wrong about my assumption (and if I am, sorry) but again, this is coming from my perspective. So here are my questions for you:

What was YOUR biggest strategic move?

and...

Do you feel you could have made it here without all those immunity wins or earnings?

I also want it to be clear to you that you're also at the fore-front of receiving my vote along with Jenna at the moment. Please do whatever it takes to convince me and don't feel like I hate you because on the contrary you're very enjoyable to talk to.

Thanks! <3 you no matter what.

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Jenna:

I have to say... with all the attempts I made in trying to get you out, with every attempted charge that ended in failure, you're the biggest surprise to me this game. Let's be honest here Jen... it's obvious you made enemies in this game as well as friends. You're very vocal about the way you feel about your own game and the game of others. Some even say you're a bitch... out of respect for them I won't say names...

... but the fact is I am extremely pleased to see you here. Want to know why? Because you put yourself out there and fought like a warrior princess. I mean you may not have won as many challenges as Ozzy. You may have put yourself in a more dangerous situation as opposed to Amber. Everything about your game I honestly do like despite the fact you're probably the one to blame for my being voted off along with several others. This is exactly why I said earlier though that any bitterness or stuff like that won't affect my vote. I have hopes for you and the way you answer my questions will be important in getting my vote because you're at the fore-front in terms of receiving mine along with Ozzy I'll be honest with you.

First question: If I had not blindsided Boston Rob (which you have to admit was brilliantly orchestrated on my part haha) how do you feel the dynamics of the game would have changed? Where was I on the totem pole basically before I booted Rob because I want to know if that was the game KILLER for me or I was destined to be voted off no matter what.

Next: Just like what I asked the other two... what's the biggest strategic move that you made in this game that you feel was super important in getting you here?

Lastly: Wanna make out? *smacked by Probst* Joking! Joking! The real last question is this; How did Ozzy and Amber help... or hinder... your game? What were they to you truly in this game?

Thanks a lot hon, and good luck to everyone!

PS: Yes Jenna, in terms of my HvV Reference I am relating you to Russell and his game... you're fifty times more hotter than him obviously.

[Amber Brkich]

I can't really say that I know you all that well. You made no real attempt to socialize with me and I'm guessing that any bit of your social game was restricted to your alliance thus why we never really spoke. It's disappointing because out of the three finalists, I feel your social game was the weakest at least from my angle. In terms of challenges... you never won a single individual challenge nor did you receive immunity from the people who did win it. I counted, only four people out of everyone in the merge ever had that honor and absolute feeling of safety.

This is where my questions come into play for you. First: What do you feel was the biggest strategic move for you in the game? Essentially I want to know what makes you just as good as Ozzy and Jenna because the way I see it; I'm looking at a Russell, Parvati, Sandra final and you're the Sandra! You didn't really do much /upfront/ that made me feel 'Wow, she's a real bad-ass. I hope she wins!' No offense meant.

Last question I would like you to answer is: Give me at least one good reason for both Ozzy and Jenna as to why they should NOT win this game.

Don't think you will not get my vote because depending on how you answer my questions along with everyone else's, if it makes enough sense and I like what I see, I might consider voting for you. Who knows.

Thanks!

______________


Hello Tom I don't necessarily think I had a weak social game at all. I wanted to speak to you, but by the time I had gotten around to it my real world life had gotten hectic and I couldn't make much time to do everything I possibly needed to do.

As for my biggest stragic move in this game, I would have to say aligning with Jenna and Ozzy. It was the smartest move I made all game. However, my biggest most independenct stradegic move was getting out the first three people from my original tribe, Purago.

At the beginning of the game, I felt like I was the cheif of my tribe, I personally told Courtney, Erinn, Jenna and Eliza we needed to vote out Danielle, Amanda and Parvati. But then aligning with Ozzy and Jenna at the merge, I turned into the Indian.

Also, no offense taken to the Sandra comment, but as soon as this finale was made, that was the EXACT comparision I was thinking of too.

One good reason Ozzy and Jenna shouldn't win this game is that they (especially Ozzy) had Immunity. They didn't have to fight as hard socially to stay in this game. I was the one that always worked hard to stay and usually guarnteed votes for others that were not for me. I played my hardest when it came down to the final six. I know I was never given Immunity but that was because I always knew I could survive on my own.

Ultimately, that's why I think I should be the sole survivor: No immunity wins, but I fought more so in the social aspect in the game.

Also, I am sincerely sorry we never got to speak again, you weren't on my tribe for too long, so please don't feel like I neglected you.

[Oscar 'Ozzy' Lusth]

Jun 2, 2010 20:51:36 GMT -4 Tom Westman said:

What was YOUR biggest strategic move?

My biggest strategic move was deciding whether to let yours or Jenna's alliance take control of the game. As I said in my opening statement, there were a lot of factors that went into this, so I'd like to take this opportunity to explain more in detail about my decision.

Out of everyone going into the merge, I think that I probably had the best idea about what was really going on overall. To be honest, I was a little intimidated by how many people Jenna had pulled in, and originally wanted no part of it. That is why in our first Tribal Council at the merge, I pushed for an original Purago (Courtney) to be sent packing. Luckily, there wasn't really anyone who fought for her to stay, so it was a pretty simple task.

In the next round, however, things got quite a bit more complicated. In order for you to take control, you were relying on James, Aras, Erinn, and Brooke. This sent up a few red flags for me instantly, because I already knew that Jenna was certain she had Aras and Erinn on her side. So, not being able to count on their votes made getting a majority that much more complicated.

On top of all of this, you wanted to target Charlie of all people. The fact that you wanted to get rid of him instead of one of Jenna's allies is ultimately what made me back out of any long term plans with you. I knew that if we eliminated Charlie that early, we would in fact be sealing our own fate in the process. I could have expressed all of these concerns to you right then and there, but it was too risky for me to reveal so much, so early.

Then, on the flip-side, Jenna was going straight for your throat by targeting James. At that point, I figured she had Amber, Eliza, Erinn, Aras, and Christa on her side for sure...so all she'd have to do is pull in Charlie (which shouldn't have been hard since he was a target) and either Ryan or Brooke.

Knowing that, there was a chance that she would have had majority with or without Jaime and I, so I decided to offically hop on the Jenna bus. However, it was only with a little stroke of luck that the season played out as smoothly as it did for us, and that was the fact that Eliza and Aras quit.

Jenna has claimed time and time again that she was the mastermind behind most of the votes, but when you really break things down round by round, there was nothing really to think about. Yes, she did target James after Courtney was eliminated, but everyone already knew she was trying to weaken the opposing force. Right around this time is when we had the two quitters, and that obviously had nothing to do with anyone's strategy.

The round that Charlie was eliminated was actually a huge potential mess. When I had asked you if you would be willing to vote for Charlie, and you happily agreed, I went to Jenna with the same proposition...but the first thing she said is "I need to find out what happens if there is a tie". Her intention that round was to cause a tie between you and Charlie, which would have all been a huge waste of time since both of you were outsiders...I had to convince her to leave things be, and so we all voted Charlie out.

In the double elimination, you and Brooke were seen as the biggest threats (you strategically, and Brooke challenge wise), so it was clear to all of us that we'd be voting for you guys. It didn't quite work out as planned because of Christa's self vote, but then it was painfully obvious that you would be next.

That only left Ryan and Erinn, and to be honest, I tried getting Erinn eliminated first. Basically, she was an original Purago (I didn't like the idea of having three original Purago in the final five), and I trusted Ryan more. There was a huge communication breakdown, but it ended up that only Amber, Ryan, and I voted against Erinn...so we ended up with a tie and the rest is obvious.

I know I've rambled on and on about things that may not seem important, I just really want to make it clear that I never once needed Jenna to hold my hand and tell me what to do. We discussed every vote, and for the most part, it was common sense who to eliminate. Yes, Jenna was the "poster child" for our alliance, but that was a result of James and Brooke making public statements against her; and of course none of us in the alliance were going to speak out about it...if she's seen as the head of the beast, that's who would be targeted if things went South.

Jun 2, 2010 20:51:36 GMT -4 Tom Westman said:

Do you feel you could have made it here without all those immunity wins or earnings?

Absolutely. One of the main reasons I tried to keep in close contact with the "outsiders" (Ryan, Brooke, Charlie, and you) was for when a big move was to be made. If I had not been immune one round, I needed to have established relationships with the majority of the cast in case my alliance decided to try something devious.

Another indication that I didn't need immunity was how much other people helped me win! For instance, in the final six, we had the color guessing challenge. Every single person told me their color, which gave me the win. If I was seen as such a huge threat, people could have easily kept me from winning immunity.

I could also talk about the disk smashing and point giving challenges. There were so many opportunities for people to prevent me from winning, but nobody ever did, and I honestly believe it's because nobody had any intentions of turning against me, within my alliance or not.

But, as I said in my answer to Christa, I also had one final ace up my sleeve if absolutely everything went to shit. The Hidden Immunity Idol that no one knew I had would be able to flip the game in my favor if I ever lost any sort of control.

I even considered giving it to Ryan in the final six when I knew there was going to be a tie to ensure Erinn went home, but the fact that Amber had voted against Erinn made me confident that she would do so again in the next round, so it wasn't really worth using.

[Tom Westman]

To Amber: I don't feel like you neglected me, I do wish we talked more. So it's all good honey.

To Ozzy: Wow, actually not bad responses. Very thankful that you went into detail about your position in the game because I was skeptical.

Thanks to both of you! Once Jenna gives me her responses I'll make my decision then.

[Jenna Morasca]

If I had not blindsided Boston Rob (which you have to admit was brilliantly orchestrated on my part haha) how do you feel the dynamics of the game would have changed?


I lost all trust in you when that happened. I was closer to you than Ozzy before that, and I think that would have stayed the case. However, Christa was my #1 ally. Assuming everyone still quit and self-voted the way they did, AND assuming this means you are GENUINELY going with that 5 person alliance, it would make you, Boston Rob and myself a powerful alliance. Christa, Ozzy and Amber would have still been brought into the fold at the merge, giving us a powerful alliance (and we would have had Aras long enough for that to be a majority). I'm guessing that would have been the final 6, when Amber would have gone. (BTW I think Christa would have still self-voted that tribal, but I doubt she would have been targeted, so it wouldn't have mattered.) Basically, it would have been the Jenna/Tom alliance vs. Brooke, instead of the Jenna/Ozzy alliance vs. Tom. Christa was close to Ozzy, but I don't know how close I would have gotten to Ozzy and Boston Rob had this happened, so that makes that final 5 VERY interesting, ESPECIALLY given how anti-climactic this game was toward the end AND Ozzy's HII I just learned about.


what's the biggest strategic move that you made in this game that you feel was super important in getting you here?

My Alliance with Christa. Having that firm base I trusted 100% gave me something to build around, and also solidified my alliance and relationship with Ozzy, making us a very powerful duo.


How did Ozzy and Amber help... or hinder... your game? What were they to you truly in this game?

They were friends. I spent hours on AIM with Ozzy and had many PMs with Amber. And they were my only really good friends left at 7, and them plus Christa was all that was left at 10. My only reservations with Ozzy is that I figured he was a HUGE jury threat, but that I could beat an Amber, Jaime final 3, but that would mean getting Ozzy to lose immunity. Obviously I'm glad I didn't try and blindside Ozzy, because he had a HII, and it could have very easily undone me, PLUS I didn't miss out on a great friendship. He hurt my game in that while he was my closest ally, he was also my biggest threat. Had he been a hardened ORG vet. I might have considered it more, but with it being his first ORG and his issues with Brooke, I couldn't risk that. ozzy is a great friend and a huge threat, but I didn't get rid of him because of that friendship. And obviously he helped me in being a VERY powerful ally. Amber only helped me, in that she was a loyal sweetheart I thought wouldn't be a huge threat, before final TC or at final TC.


Hope that helps TOm, and one last thing. Ozzy and I discussed every vote, and he often changed my mind on things, such as Erinn and Charlie, but I feel that I still was the mastermind. He even once said something to the effect of "You'll be the brains, I'll be the brawn" And while we were both great at challenges and both great strategists, I feel like I took the brains role and him the brawn, and that is important in survivor.

[Tom Westman]

Kind of like how Cook Islands went down. People were split between someone who showed a lot of brains and another who showed tons of brawn. Guess that's another thing to keep in mind too.

Thanks Jenna! I'll be making my vote soon enough, I'll checking out my fellow jury members and the responses to their questions too. Good luck.