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‘Survivor’ Castaway Dana: Jeff Kent ‘Fights Directly Against What I Fight For’

October 18, 2012

'Survivor: Philippines' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

The “Survivor” producers tempted fate and it bit them.

When you host a season where you invite back players who had been medically evacuated it’s bound to result in someone being carted off. Dana Lambert was that someone.

(Poor Dana never got to visit Tribal Council, but at least she got to wear Jeff Probst’s jacket.)

I spoke with Dana the morning after her elimination episode and had a chance to discuss her medical concerns, her relationship with Jeff Kent, and which member of Kalabaw is a “chauvinist”…

Gordon Holmes: Good morning, Dana. How are you?
Dana Lambert: I’m doing good! Way better.
Holmes: Excellent. You did not look so good last time we saw you.
Lambert: Yeah. (Laughs).
Holmes: People were concerned because they don’t do a follow-up on the show. So please, walk us through everything that happened.
Lambert: Well, I pretty much started the game sick in my stomach. I was definitely hanging around the bathroom there in the beginning. And, it just started going downhill. Everything I ate would come back up. And then living off of coconut didn’t help. I felt that sickness the whole twelve days I was there. And, I’d get to challenges and I’d say, “C’mon Dana, suck it up and kick ass in this challenge.” I’d try to hide the sickness as best I could. But there in the end it just all came to a head. There was no way to hide it anymore.
Holmes: Did they find out if it was an infection?
Lambert: After I left the game I went to a clinic in the Caramoans. I spent a day there getting fluids. It was basically dehydration. And then I spent some more days in Manila in the hospital getting more fluids. It was pretty bad news.

Holmes: There was some concern before the season started about how you, a lesbian, would get along with Jeff Kent, someone who donated money to Prop 8 in California. What was your relationship like?
Lambert: You know, I wish I would have known that. I don’t know if I would have treated the situation any differently if I’d know that he makes so much money. Because he fights directly against what I fight for. But, I also believe that you don’t change people’s minds by being a jerk to them. I feel like we got along pretty good on the island. He’s kind of a southern boy and I respect him a lot. I felt like just him knowing who I was and what kind of person I was, maybe it opened his mind. I don’t believe in homophobia. I don’t believe that people are scared of gay people. I believe that they’re basically just (expletive deleted). They just don’t want to accept it because maybe they’ve never been around it. So, I think it was good for him, he got to be around me. He knew that I was a pretty normal girl. Maybe he took something from that. Maybe all gay people aren’t so bad after all.
Holmes: It seemed like you two were getting along pretty well.
Lambert: Actually, when I first got to the island, Penner asked if I wanted to be in his alliance. But then Jeff and I started talking and we clicked automatically. That was until he turned against me and decided he was going to write my name down if there was a chance. That’s when I asked, “Why follow the guys when I can lead the girls?”
Holmes: So there was talk of booting you if Kalabaw went to Tribal?
Lambert: I don’t know. For Jeff, he was saying let’s use your name as a decoy but really try to get Dawson out first. As soon as he said that I realized that it was no longer me, Dawson, Katie, Jeff, and Carter against Penner. I could begin to see that he had a different route. I knew that physically they still needed me in challenges. So they were going to keep me around as long as they needed me.

Holmes: Dawson knew that Jeff Kent was a former Major League Baseball player. Had anyone else picked up on that?
Lambert: I had no idea. And she did not tell me and I wish she would have. I would have approached that situation differently last night. I would not have approached him with it, I would have approached everyone else. He already has millions of dollars. Why do we need to give him another million? But, it wasn’t my choice.

Holmes: Alright, let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Carter.
Lambert: Chauvinist
Holmes: Penner?
Lambert: Awesome. Super awesome man.
Holmes: Jeff Kent?
Lambert: Hard worker.
Holmes: Denise?
Lambert: Strong woman.
Holmes: Dawson?
Lambert: Upbeat to a fault.
Holmes: Katie?
Lambert: Genuinely sweet…but weak around camp.

Holmes: Just to jump back into that…Carter’s a chauvinist?
Lambert: Carter was definitely playing the male game. Whether or not he was in our alliance, when it came to challenges Carter’s thought every single time is that he wanted to sit all of the girls. And I know it probably has a lot to do with his age, but he definitely has that thing where women are weak, men are not. He just didn’t have any faith or trust in women that they could compete as hard as he could. I like Carter, but he did piss me off quite a few times.
Holmes: That’s a shame, because if I need to remember a non-illness Dana moment on “Survivor,” I’m going to be the way you killed it in that diving challenge.
Lambert: Yeah, I guess after reading plenty Twitters and comments, I guess I can swim after all. (Laughs) I think honestly, if I had to go against RC racing she would have kicked my butt. But, underwater I’m pretty comfortable.
Holmes: I think RC would kick most people’s butts.
Lambert: Yeah, she was a badass in that challenge.

Holmes: Russell Swan was eliminated in “Survivor: Samoa” due to a medical issue and it really seemed to haunt him. You’re in a very similar situation. Have you been able to find peace with the way you left the game?
Lambert: If I had to make the same decision again, I would. But, it was upsetting because I felt like me being sick the whole twelve days…I felt like my bubbly personality that I wanted to get across to people…I felt like I didn’t get a chance to get it across. I think maybe I could have even done better in challenges. It’s just not fair, but it’s how it happens sometimes. And you just can’t beat yourself up about it. It is what it is.

Any Questions: Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Recap: Matsing’s Swan Song?

October 17, 2012

'Survivor: Philippines' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

Last Week: RC was set up, Malcolm let Matsing down, the Kalabros invited Carter in, and Russell was voted out.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Kalabaw Tribe (wearing red)
Carter – Track Coach, 24
Dana – Cosmetologist, 32
Dawson – Insurance Sales, 28
Katie – Student, 22
Jeff Kent – Former MLB Player, 44
Penner – Writer, 50

The Matsing Tribe (wearing blue)
Denise – Sex Therapist, 41
Malcolm – Bartender, 25

The Tandang Tribe (wearing yellow)
Abi-Maria – Business Student, 32
Artis – Computer Engineer, 53
Michael – Professional Speaker, Author, and Coach, 50
Lisa – Former ‘Facts of Life’ Star, 49
Pete – Engineering Graduate, 24
RC – Investment Banker, 27

This episode starts, as most episodes do, at the super sad Matsing camp. I’m pretty sure when Denise and Malcolm made a final-two alliance, this isn’t what they had in mind.

Malcolm swipes my joke by saying he didn’t expect to be around this small a tribe until Day 39. Of course, he made that joke about six months ago. Let’s call it a wash.

Denise thinks they’re going to be split up and sent to the other tribes. I think she’s probably right. I was debating the merits of pretending like they hate each other. Then people wouldn’t be worried about them coming back together at the merge. Just a thought.

The next morning, mail comes in the form of an invitation to a reward challenge. Malcolm is worried that they won’t be coming back to camp, so he and Denise go on a mad hunt for the idol.

They aren’t having any luck. Denise even says “I’m clueless” in a non-ironic away. Finally, Malcolm figures out that the emblem on top of the rice is the idol. He’s beyond excited and they share their “Spaceballs” handshake.

Reward Challenge Time: Players will square off in one-on-one battles. Each player will be holding an idol on a post. First person to knock off their opponent’s idol wins a point. If both idols are knocked off, the first idol to hit the ground loses. First tribe to five wins a selection of coffee, cookies and other goodies.

Before the challenge starts up, Probst does indeed split up the rest of Matsing. They pull buffs, with Malcolm ending up a Tandanger and Denise joining the Kalabaw Nation.

Round One: Jeff Kent bests Malcolm. Poor Malcolm never wins.

Round Two: Artis beats Dana.

Round Three: Katie tops Lisa.

Round Four: Skupin wins over Penner without mangling himself.

Round Five: Denise dives in and nails RC’s idol.

Round Six: Pete defeats Carter.

I’m running out of words for “beats.”

Round Seven: Dawson grabs Abi’s hair, but still loses. Abi thinks Dawson should play like a man and not a…uh…witch that starts with a B. Ooo…snap.

Tandang leads 4 to 3.

Round Eight: Malcolm throws his own idol high in the air so he has time to knock down Kent’s! That’s actually pretty brilliant. Tandang wins reward.

Back at camp, Malcolm is super psyched to have an immunity idol, a new family, and some breakfast cookies. Aww…poor Angie missed out.

RC, however, isn’t as pleased because she thinks Peter and Malcolm will become BFFs. Her next move is to try to use her feminine ways to get on his good side. Speaking of Angie…

Later, Pete spills the tribe dynamics to Malcolm. Even going so far as to tell him that they have the idol. It’s nice to see that poor Malcolm won’t just become fodder.

Denise looks like she’s in good shape too. Katie wants to bring Denise on-board as part of her Kalababe alliance. I guess that’s the good part of joining a tribe with even numbers.

In other news, Dana is in pretty bad shape. It seems like the cold is getting the best of her and she’s feeling sharp pains in her stomach. Medical and Jeff are eventually called in. And that’s not a quick trip from base camp to the Kalabaw beach. It’s like an hour by boat. So, she must’ve been in agony for a while.

Fun Fact: The doctor refers to Dana’s mid section as her “tummy.” I’m almost positive that isn’t a medical term.

It’s decided that her stomach is irritated, but they don’t know if it’s an infection. He thinks she can stay in the game, but they’d check on her in another 12 hours.

Jeff asks her if she’d like to stay in the game, but Dana’s had enough. The rest of Kalabaw comes out to wish her well on her way out.

A medical evacuation on the medical evacuation season? How cliché. And she didn’t even wait until the sixth episode…

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will race through a series of obstacles. Then they’ll untie ropes to release a drawbridge. From there, they’ll chop through a piece of rope to release lettered bamboo puzzle pieces. First tribe to complete their phrase wins immunity.

Abi will sit out for Tandang. She lets us know that she’s only competed in two challenges. Look out, Courtney Yates. Someone’s coming for your record.

Tandang jumps out to big lead. Kalabaw is behind due to Katie’s problems with some obstacles.

Kalabaw makes up some ground at the drawbridge, but Tandang is still in the lead.

Malcolm cuts through the ropes and Pete and Lisa pull puzzle duty.

Kent has trouble chopping through the ropes, so Penner tags in. They release their pieces and Penner and Dawson go to work on their puzzle.

Lisa figures out the phrase and Tandang wins it by a single second. Wow. That was ridiculously close.

Back at Kalabaw beach, Katie feels bad for letting her tribe down. It probably didn’t help that Probst drew attention to it forty times.

Dawson doesn’t think she should worry though, because Denise is the obvious boot.

Kent shows everyone how wrong Dawson is by bringing Denise into the Kalabro alliance. I guess I’m going to have to rename that quartet.

Politicking around camp comes down to Katie or Dawson. Both have targets on their backs because of how badly they did in the challenge.

Later, Dawson starts messing with Jeff Kent by bringing up sports. She says that football is better than baseball. That’s pretty funny, although she’s very wrong.

Kent thinks she might know something about his previous career, and that’s a reason to get rid of her.

That night at Tribal Council, five people are visiting the Tribal set for the first time. That’s amazing.

Penner thinks it’s bad luck that they’re going to lose two people in two days. And, he thinks they would have won if Dana was around.

Katie owns up to how badly she did in the challenge. She hopes everyone remembers how well she did in previous challenges.

Dawson thinks Denise should stay because she’s a competitor.

Jeff Kent is going to vote for the tribe’s weak link.

Voting Time: Oooo…no votes are shown. I’d bet that means it’s five votes to one.

J-Pro leaves for a bit, reads a few votes, then returns. We’ve got one vote for Denise, three votes for Dawson, and the sixth person to leave “Survivor: Philippines” is…Dawson.

As Dawson takes her torch to Probst, she somehow resists the urge to turn around and yell, “He’s Jeff Kent! He played second base in the World Series! He’s super rich!” Instead she gives Probst a hug. Can’t say I blame her…

Verdict: Alright, now we’re talking. Nice to see Kalabaw finally make their way to Tribal. Also nice to see Denise and Malcolm not become their tribes’ obvious boots. Good times.

Who’s Going to Win: Call me crazy, but I really like Lisa. She isn’t rubbing anyone the wrong way. She knew the right thing to say about Matsing. Instead of saying they were decimated, she said that Malcolm and Denise must be survivors. If mergeville is right around the corner, she’s the least aggressive member of the dominant alliance.

Power Rankings Results: Kat killed it this week. She had Dana in spot fourteen and Dawson in spot thirteen for a total of twenty seven points. I was right behind her with Dana in fourteenth and Dawson in twelfth for a total of twenty six. The current score is Team Kat: 68, Team Awesome Thunder 73.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings: Round Four

October 17, 2012

'Survivor: Philippines' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

The Rules: Each week Kat and Gordon will create separate Power Rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Artis is voted out this week, Kat will receive 10 points and Gordon will receive 5 points. The person with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned the ‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings champion!

Last Week: We both pegged Russell Swan as last week’s boot, so we both received 15 points. The current score is Team Kat: 41, Team Awesome Thunder 47.

Set Your DVR to Record ‘Survivor: Philippines

Kat’s Current Score: 41

Any advice for Kat? Drop her a line on Twitter: @KatEdorsson

Gordon’s Current Score: 47

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Michael: You know, I love Skupin. Normally returning players have a huge target on their backs, but I think Skupin is playing a really smart game. Plus, his tribe is strong so he is in a great position right now.
  1. Pete: Pete’s little trick with the immunity idol clue was twelve shades of hilarious. Abi clearly wants to hate R.C. even though everyone’s favorite hoop roller hasn’t done much to deserve it. So, pushing her in the direction she already wants to go probably isn’t going to do anything but help cement their alliance.
 2. Lisa: Lisa has come so far. Plus, her hair looks amazing in all that rain! I believe the “Lamb” scenario will play a big role for Miss “Facts of Life.” She is definitely under the radar.  2. Penner: One minute he’s clearly the first Kalaballer to go. The next, he has an idol and he’s in an alliance with Jeff Kent and Carter. If it does come down to a battle of the ladies vs. the gents, I’m betting on the team with the idol.
 3. Pete: Peter is becoming quite the gamer. At first I didn’t think he had it in him, but how he framed RC with the clue for the idol was genius. He’s really creating drama and it’s fun to watch.  3. Abi-Maria: With your immunity idol in one hand and your fiery temper in the other, you might be the perfect person to take to the end of the game.

  4. RC: The drama between RC and Abi is FANTASTIC!! I think these two are going to be each other’s own worst enemies, but RC is really strong in competitions. She has that going for her. I hope she can pull through!!
  4. Lisa: Let this be a lesson to Russell Swan; luck plays a huge role in “Survivor.” If casting had told Lisa to wear a blue shirt she’d be long gone by now. Instead, her yellow attire landed her on a tribe that had enough time to turn on each other before their first Tribal.

  5. Abi-Maria: Good for her for finding the idol. I don’t have much else to say other than I think she needs to prove her worth to her tribe otherwise she could be in trouble just because they find her annoying.   5. Artis:  My big concerns for Artis headed into the game were; how he’d react to the elements and how his tribe would react to him. Going on what we’ve seen of him (which admittedly, hasn’t been much) he seems to be doing well on both counts.
 6. Malcolm: Malcolm is great. I don’t know what will happen to him and Denise now that Matsing is down to two people, but he is physically strong and really smart so I hope he can go far.
  6. Jeff Kent: Alright Jeff, I know you’re smart enough to know that an alliance of three is at least one short, right? The question is; who is the fourth?
 7. Denise: She is one of my favorite players this season. Another triple threat – physical, strategic, and social. I just hope that the quick demise of Matsing isn’t her downfall.
  7. Carter: Welcome to the show, Carter! Now that you’re a member of the Kalabros, it’s time to start thinking about a post-merge strategy. As the challenge stud, you’re going to be in trouble if you guys are down in the numbers. Time to start looking into some side deals.
 8. Penner: You can tell Penner is on his third time playing this game. He is just a cut above the rest of his tribe. He seems to have pretty good alliances, but he better watch out because on “Survivor” you never know what can happen.
  8. Katie: OK, this is where I pick Katie as the Kalababe to join the Kalabros. Why? Because I think Dana’s a goner due to her illness and I think Katie has a better relationship with Kent and Penner (Kenner?) than Dawson does.
 9. Jeff Kent: Jeff was amazing in the last challenge. If he can keep that up his tribe can’t afford to get rid of him.  9. Michael: If anything, Michael deserves credit for breaking his four-episode streak of injuring himself.
 10. Artis: Artis kind of rubs me the wrong way. Sometimes on “Survivor” you have to vote off the people that you don’t want to hang out with. Unfortunately, I think the first time Tandang loses Artis will be going home because Artis just rubs his tribe the wrong way.  10. RC: It’s been quite a fall from frontrunner to possible next boot for RC. Right now, her best bet is trying to get to Lisa and Artis and convince them that partnering with such a loose cannon might not be the smartest move.
  11. Carter: I think the guys alliance on his tribe is the strongest so that makes him safe for now, but I don’t know how long that will last. We’ll see.
  11. Malcolm: So…what’s next for Matsing? Do they do a total tribe scramble? That could work in Malcolm’s favor. He’d have room to maneuver. But, if they decide to split him and Denise up and send them to already existing tribes, they’ll probably be in some serious trouble…
 12. Katie: Katie needs to make some moves. It looks as if Matsing won’t be around for much longer so that makes her a prime target if Kalabaw doesn’t win at challenges. She needs to step up her game.  12. Dawson: Right now the biggest thing Dawson has going for her is the fact that she knows about Jeff Kent’s previous career as a baseball player. However, if I were Penner, that fact would want me to keep him around even more. Who wouldn’t want to face a multi-millionaire in the finals?
  13. Dawson: Same as Katie. She could be in trouble if Kalabaw doesn’t keep winning in challenges.  13. Denise: There’s also the possibility that we could see Denise and Malcolm as a tribe of two. They did it in Palau. If that happens and they lose again it might come down to a fire-making challenge. And, they’ve shown time and time again that Malcolm is a fire-makin’ fool.
 14. Dana: I saw the previews for this week. It looks like Dana is really sick and has a huge decision to make. I’m really hoping she stays because I really like her and think she is an awesome competitor. But, she didn’t look good.  14. Dana: Dana is as sick as a dog in a promo they’ve been playing. Normally it wouldn’t be smart to assume she’s out of the game, but the promo makes a point of having the medic say she can stay in the game if she feels up to it. I doubt they would have shown that tidbit if she was going to stick around.

Watch ‘Survivor: Philippines’ every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Will There Ever Be a Cold-Weather ‘Survivor’ Season? Jeff Probst Answers…

October 15, 2012

'Survivor: Redemption Island' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

This Week’s Question: Which twist are you pitched the most?

Gordon Holmes: This is another easy question. Whenever someone learns that I cover “Survivor” their follow-up response is inevitably, “Why don’t they ever shoot in a snowy climate?”
Jeff Probst: Yep, I get snowy climate a lot.
Holmes: Sorry folks, I don’t want to live in a world where “Survivor” doesn’t feature bikinis in some form.
Probst: It seems quite unlikely that will ever happen.
Holmes: What other pitches do you get?
Probst: I also get, “Why not an international version with players from all over the world?”  The reason that won’t happen is we only have the rights to do an American version.  I also get, “How ‘bout a season of only those who were voted out first?”  Huh?

Which Twist Would You Like to See? Send your answers to me on Twitter: @gordonholmes

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Castaway Russell: ‘I’m Just Mad…Humiliated’

October 11, 2012

Russell Swan (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

Usually “Survivor” exit interviews involve the castaway and I discussing what went wrong with their game, who stabbed them in the back, and how tough the conditions were. We share some laughs, they do some word association. Lather, rinse, repeat.

This won’t be one of those interviews.

I spoke with Russell Swan the morning after he was eliminated from “Survivor: Philippines.” We didn’t discuss his relationship with Malcolm and Denise, his Tribal Council debate with Angie, or his brief alliance with Roxanne. In fact, no other players’ names came up. We really didn’t talk about anything other than the psychological effect a game that’s played under the worst conditions in front of millions of people can have on someone…

Gordon Holmes: I feel like if you play this game with the same people in the same place 100 different times you’ll get 100 different outcomes. Was what happened to Matsing? Just a run of bad luck?
Russell Swan: Gordon, this is going to sound weird. I’ve had some anxiety about these interviews and what I feel comfortable sharing. I will be the first confess that I’m having  a tough time. This has had a tremendous effect on me. It’s hard to focus on those type of typical questions. The only thing I can say is; this experience was very different from the first one. The impact the first time was physical. This time it’s psychological. And, it seems clear to me that the best thing for me to do is be introspective and think about if there are things I can learn about myself. Hopefully in time I’ll be able to talk about the game.
Holmes: I understand.
Swan: But right now, Russell needs to take care of Russell.

Holmes: OK, let’s go wider with this. Going into the game I spoke with you, I spoke with the other returnees. All three of you came into the game under similar circumstances with the medical evacuations. And you were unique in that your elimination in Samoa really seemed to stick with you. You said a couple of times that you kept asking yourself, ‘What if?” Now that you’ve played again and were voted out, does that make things better? Does it make it worse?
Swan: That’s a very good and interesting question. And that’s the crux of this whole thing. I have to say my short answer is that I’m not sure. And that’s all because what happened this time is so much more complex. Because, let’s face it, I’m an object of scorn and ridicule to some extent. Which is fine. If you don’t go into this thing with your eyes open that that’s within the realm of possibility, then you’re a fool. I get that. Just because you can intellectualize about that doesn’t make it easy. I’m not in an intellectual place right now. It’s having an impact, which is difficult.
Holmes: What’s the reaction been like from your family?
Swan: Last night before the show came on I told my daughter, “Look, I’m going to get voted out.” She asked me why, and the way she asked me was like, “Why would they vote you out, Daddy? You’re OK. I love you. Why don’t others want you around?” And I basically said that my tribe loses the challenge and votes me out. But she could discern that there were still other people in the tribe. And she said, “If there’s still going to be other people, why are they voting you out?” And then she started to cry. It just hit me that this is a pretty profound thing. We had a conversation that was very good, it bonded us in a very special way that I don’t want to share because it’s very personal, but it’s tough to have to see my daughter upset over this thing. So, it was one more thing that piles onto the scorn and the ridicule.
Holmes: Does it give you some solace that your real alliance, the people you’re spending your life with, care so much about you? Does that help put things in perspective?
Swan: Oh, absolutely. And Gordon, that’s the one thing I’ll say that there is always a silver lining. And one of those things was the special moment I had with my daughter. The other one is I really do appreciate my life. Not to say that before “Survivor” that I didn’t appreciate her, but when you feel like you have nothing else and no soft place to land, and you can go to this person and you know that they have your back and they want you to be better, that’s just such an amazing thing. My real tribe loves me and they have proven it. I will never have to question that.

Holmes: You mentioned “scorn and ridicule” earlier. What have you been experiencing outside of the game?
Swan: You know; Twitter, Facebook. Some of it has even been in my face walking down the street. It’s probably not unlike some of the other folks in the past have received. But I’ll be on my way to the office and the guy across the way on the train platform will say, “You suck!” Some of it’s been quite aggressive to the point where if I’d been able to get to the people it might not have ended well. It’s not easy. I’m a person, I’m a human being. Jeff’s right, I’m not Superman.
Holmes: I always say it’s easy to be on your couch and be well fed and say, “Yeah, Russell should have done this.”
Swan: That’s right. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve run a challenge or two.
Holmes: Yeah. A few times.
Swan: You know that those things are ballbusters.
Holmes: That they are.
Swan: And that’s just the physical. The physical is easy. I wanted to do well. I wanted my tribe to do well. I wanted to last longer than I did before. I wanted to make the merge. And I do wear my heart on my sleeve. What happened in Tribal a couple of times is the antithesis of what I believe. I don’t believe in tearing people down. But, that’s the nature of the game.

Holmes: You went in with a blueprint for what you wanted to do. You didn’t want to be a leader, you were going to hang back, you were going to stay hydrated. A lot of the things you said you weren’t going to do, you ended up doing. Is that part of being in the game? Is that something within yourself that you have to deal with?
Swan: I don’t know. Again, I don’t know. Right now, I’m in “Survivor” mode. I’m just mad, pissed, humiliated. That’s where I’m existing right now.

Holmes: I love “Survivor.” I’ve been watching from day one. But at the end of the day it’s just a game. We’ve spoken a few times, I don’t know you personally, but you’ve always been a nice, approachable guy.
Swan: Thank you.
Holmes: This interview has been kind of heartbreaking. I hope you’re able to find some solace in all of this. It’s not worth beating yourself up over. It seems like you have a fantastic life and a great family.
Swan: Absolutely. And I appreciate that.
Holmes: A lot of people leave the show and it’s changed their life for the better. I hope you’re able to eventually find a good place for this.
Swan: I’ll get there, Gordon. If nothing else, I don’t want people to think I’m going to jump off of a bridge.
Holmes: Do not jump off a bridge. I can’t emphasize that enough.
Swan: (Laughs)
Holmes: We’re both Philly guys, if you’re going to jump off a bridge you call me.
Swan: (Laughs) I certainly will, dude.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

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TNA Wrestling Star Christopher Daniels: ‘”Bound for Glory” Is Our Super Bowl’

October 11, 2012

Christopher Daniels (TNA IMPACT WRESTLING/Lee South)

With their biggest show of the year, “Bound for Glory” a few short days away, it might be time to give TNA wrestling a second chance.

For years, the “other” wrestling organization has had trouble building stars, delivering satisfying payoffs, and defining its own identity.  But now, they seem to have found the right mix of rising talent, established stars, and recognizable legends.

Standing in the middle of TNA’s resurgence with a smirk on his face and an appletini in his hand is one half of the “World Tag Team Champions of the World,” Christopher Daniels.

I had a chance to speak with the “Fallen Angel” in the days leading up to the big show to get his thoughts on his triple-threat title defense, TNA’s new recipe for success, and the Harlem Globetrotters…

Watch Full Episodes of “Impact Wrestling”

Gordon Holmes: It certainly seems like you and your partner Frankie Kazarian have your work cut out for you at “Bound for Glory” this Sunday. Now, I’m fuzzy on the rules of a triple-threat tag, could you give us a quick refresher?
Christopher Daniels: It’s two people in the ring at one time. It can be any two guys of the teams. And basically the first person to score a pinfall wins the match for his team. The problem for a champion in that position is you don’t have to be pinned to lose your title. So, we’re at a very strong disadvantage.
Holmes: That seems ridiculously unfair. Isn’t there someone in TNA management you can complain to?
Daniels: That’s the problem; we’ve been so dominant in the past couple of months that they’ve decided to stack the deck against us. We’ve made enemies in high places. Dixie Carter (the owner of TNA wrestling) has been upset with some of the things we’ve done on “Impact” national television. But, what she can’t deny is they we’re the better team. She can’t send two guys against us, she has to send four.

Holmes: OK, I’m not going to beat around the bush here; why are you so mean to AJ Styles?
Daniels: I’m as good or better than AJ Styles, but I’ve never been given my just due because AJ Styles has been Dixie Carter’s favorite. He’s been the face of TNA ever since the very first day. All I’ve ever said to anyone is, if you give us the same opportunity I’ll do better than AJ Styles. The problem is, he’s been handed things from the very beginning. He’s been give title shots, he’s been given endorsement deals. He’s the favorite son and I’m the stepchild. And that’s why I’m upset, and Frankie Kazarian feels the same way. We’re trying to show the world that AJ Styles is a dirtbag, he’s mean and evil, he’s a bully, and people don’t like to hear that.
Holmes: But c’mon, having Claire Lynch pretend to be pregnant with his child? That’s awful.
Daniels: Well, that whole thing was a ploy from Claire Lynch and her lawyer. Our names were brought into it inadvertently. Frankie and I really had nothing to do with that.
Holmes: Uh huh…
Daniels: History will prove that Frankie and I were nothing but bastions of the truth all along.
Holmes: A likely story, Mr. Daniels.

Holmes: My problem with TNA in the past has been that you’ve got this incredible roster of talented guys from Samoa Joe to AJ to Kurt Angle, Austin Aries, Bobby Roode, Sting, of course the World Tag Team Champions of the World and so on. TNA’s got all the pieces to put on an amazing show, and yet they always seem to come up short. I always felt like there were weird payoffs to the stories or things were dragged out too long. It just never clicked for me. But now, it seems like things are coming together. You’re making new stars, established guys like Bully Ray and Jeff Hardy are stepping up, the Austin Aries X Division storyline had an amazing payoff. Has TNA finally turned the corner?
Daniels: Absolutely. I think in the last year, especially since we’ve gone live, we’ve had a lot of things fall into place for us. We’ve got a great creative unit going on. And in the last nine months with the creative team, they’ve been very open to collaboration. In the past we’ve had guys who’ve never wrestled who tried to steer the ship and they didn’t seem to have a very good grasp on how to do wrestling. Now, this creative team has guys who’ve wrestled in the past and guys who have been writing wrestling for a very long time. And, they come to us and ask for collaboration. Now, every idea we give them isn’t used, but at least they’ve heard our voices. I personally feel like Frankie Kazarian and I have turned the corner as far as performers, as far as a tag team. I feel like we’re the best team going now, I feel like we have the most entertaining matches. When we’re on the microphone, when we’re on camera, I think we’re more entertaining than anyone else when it comes to tag teams.
Holmes: It seems like you two are having more fun. Which maybe seems weird in a form of entertainment that involves kicking people in the face, but I think that kind of chemistry helps the viewer have fun too. As far as collaboration, how much of the appletinis and whatnot came from you guys?
Daniels: That’s 1000% us, man. Everything you see, the little nuisances, the “World Tag Team Champions of the World,” the appletinis, the way we wear the belts, all that is stuff we decided to do because it made us laugh. One guy said something and it made the other guy laugh, then we said, “Well, let’s do that on television.” The creative team is basically letting us do what we think is entertaining.

Holmes: You’re having the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names this sport has ever produced. I turn on Spike TV and I see Christopher Daniels giving grief to Hulk Hogan. What’s it like to get to mix it up with someone you grew up watching?
Daniels: It’s awesome, man. That’s another thing, in the last couple of months they’ve given us an opportunity to be entertaining, not just in the ring but on the microphone. Dealing with guys like Sting, dealing with guys like Hulk Hogan and then behind the scenes dealing with guys like Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey who are very hands-on with the way they do their stuff. It’s been a big collaboration.

Holmes: You’ve been in this business for almost twenty years now. What kind of advice do you give the new guys?
Daniels: The more that they can wrestle outside of their comfort zone, outside of their backyard…and I don’t mean literally their backyard. If they can get away from where they were trained and wrestle different wrestlers for different promoters. If they become so comfortable with themselves that they can go into a locker room and meet a wrestler for the first time and then two hours later wrestle an entertaining match with that person, that’s when they become a commodity to promoters around the world.
Holmes: If you could go back and give a young Christopher Daniels some advice, what would it be?
Daniels: That’s a good question, man. Just think more on the choices that you’re making. I feel like I did a lot right as far as working with all of the people that I did. I’m very proud that I never burnt a bridge. I never badmouthed a promoter even if I didn’t like what I did for them. I feel like I’ve conducted myself with an air of respectability that is important if you want to remain a commodity. I don’t know…don’t get hurt, maybe?
Holmes: Oh, you’ve jinxed him.
Daniels: Watch out for that flip. Don’t fall down so much.

Holmes: You worked as a character named Curry Man in Japan?
Daniels: Yes.
Holmes: For our readers who don’t know the legend of Curry Man, could you give us a quick synopsis?
Daniels: Curry Man is a character based on a Japanese comic book character named Curry Cook. And basically, the mask of Curry Man has a plate of curry and rice that sits atop his head. Now, Curry Man the character enjoys wrestling and he enjoys life. He loves to dance, he loves the women, he loves to make a spectacle of himself. He wears flashy colors. He calls himself the “King of Spice.” And he likes to say he’s hot, he’s spicy, and he tastes great. I myself don’t know how he tastes.
Holmes: Of course.
Daniels: But I’m sure if he was here he’d say that he tastes phenomenal.
Holmes: Now, that’s quite a departure from the Fallen Angel character you were doing in the States. What did playing such an outlandish character teach you?
Daniels: The time I spent as Curry Man taught me to not take myself so seriously and to have fun. Coming up when I did, I took wrestling very seriously. I knew it was a business and I knew the more I put into it the more I’d get out of it. Sometimes I think I took it too seriously. And once I started doing the Curry Man character and relaxing and having fun with it in terms of doing the dancing and doing the comedy of it, I learned that I could be entertaining and be a draw without taking it so seriously. It took a big burden off of my shoulders.
Holmes: You’re telling me that a masked man dancing with a plate of curry on his head can’t be serious?
Daniels: You’re not curing cancer. And if you’re having fun, the fans are having fun. It’s sort of infectious.
Holmes: That raises an interesting question in that one of the criticisms of the X Division style is that it’s more centered around amazing maneuvers than fun and storytelling. Did your time as Curry Man help you appreciate the more character-based side of the business?
Daniels: Yeah, but I think the X Division has its audience as well. The audience that appreciates athleticism and high-energy wrestling, that’s going to be their thing. For me, growing up watching guys in the NWA, guys like Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes and the Road Warriors, I felt like those guys put wrestling first. They were still characters, but in the end when it came time to wrestle, they could go. Ric Flair was wrestling 90-minute matches against guys like Barry Windham. In the last couple of years I’ve paid more attention to how I was being outside the ring as far as the character, as far as entertainment-wise.
Holmes: Your Fallen Angel character has definitely enjoyed a few added dimensions recently. Was that a conscious decision to let a little more of yourself out?
Daniels: It was. When I first started doing the Fallen Angel character I thought it was going to touch a lot of people because most everybody has a strong sense of their place in religion. But in hindsight, it was more of a character I was playing versus a character that I actually was.  I thought that was the downfall of the Fallen Angel character, so to speak. Me being me now, being somewhat of a smart ass, that’s more of who I am. It’s me amplified.

Holmes: Who do you think will be the next big thing in TNA? And you can’t pick yourself or AJ or Aries or Kazarian. Who on the lower rung should we keep an eye out for?
Daniels: I think Kenny King is going to be somebody to see once the focus is back on the X Division. I feel like Kenny deserves the spotlight. I think Sonjay Dutt is finally going to get an opportunity to shine once he gets back from his shoulder injury. And he’s someone who has a lot of character, he just hasn’t been able to show it. And then Xema (Ion), of course. He’s a great character, he’s a great athlete. He’s very young, but he has a lot of experience. It’s a matter of giving him an opportunity to show that side of him.

Holmes: Wrestling has been out of the closet as far as being entertainment for almost 30 years now. However, non-fans still feel the need to ask, “Is it fake?” I know wrestlers hate the term “fake” because pro wrestling really hurts. My question here is; why do you think people still feel the need to ask that question?
Daniels: I think it’s the same mentality as magic. I think people understand that magic and illusions are exactly that, they’re illusions. But until they know the trick, they’re not completely satisfied. And I think that’s the power of pro wrestling. Like you’ve said, people have known it’s entertainment for many years, but our power is if we can get people to question just for a moment. That’s where you lose yourself. It’s hard for people in this day and age to come into any form of entertainment and have that…what’s the word?
Holmes: Suspension of disbelief?
Daniels: Yes! Especially in this day and age with the internet, people want to be backstage and know the secrets. If we can just get people to forget and enjoy the show as it is, rather than try to pick it apart and analyze it, that’s the power. The best wrestlers in the world are the ones who get people to forget their preconceived notion of what wrestling is.
Holmes: It’s weird, because people never get on the Harlem Globetrotters for that.
Daniels: (Laughs) Yeah, they’re not trying to look up the Generals’ win/loss record.
Holmes: Nobody questions the refereeing when they get hit with a bucket of water.
Daniels: Why aren’t those guys being drafted?

Holmes: You’re a father…um…as you well know. What do your kids think of Dad going out and doing horrible things to AJ Styles?
Daniels: They worry sometimes. They understand what Daddy does and they understand with Uncle AJ and Uncle Frankie what our relationship is. I get yelled at for not winning all my matches, but I tell them that I’m doing my best. They get upset when Uncle AJ or Uncle Samoa Joe hit me too hard. These things happen. I try to make them understand that in the end it’s entertainment and in the end Daddy’s going to come home and be 100% as best he can. They haven’t really seen behind the curtains 100% yet. They have met a lot of the wrestlers; my daughter has met a lot of the Knockouts (TNA’s women’s division). She wants to be a Knockout when she grows up. I told her that’s not going to happen.
Holmes: (Laughs) Good dad.

Holmes: Alright, “Bound for Glory” is this Sunday. I will be planted on my couch in front of a TV watching it. Why should everyone else tune in?
Daniels: We have the hungriest locker room in the world. We’re still growing. We want people to know about us. We want people to know that we have the most talented locker room. And, this is our big event, “Bound for Glory” is our Super Bowl. We’ll lay it all on the line.
Holmes: Your main event is Austin Aries against Jeff Hardy…
Daniels: We’ve got a guy who has become a skyrocket in the last year as far as Austin Aries. He’s become the World champion out of nowhere, and he’s out to prove that he’s better than someone like Jeff Hardy who’s been to the dance, who’s done just about everything in professional wrestling.
Holmes: And the World Tag Team Title defense?
Daniels: You’ve got the best tag team in the world today, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian defending their titles against two of the best teams in the business. Kurt Angle and AJ Styles are two former World champions, a dream team and then Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez are two great wrestlers in their own right.
Holmes: Alright, I’m psyched. But I’ve got a favor to ask you.
Daniels: OK.
Holmes: You’ve got to go easy on my boy AJ.
Daniels: Well, there are three other guys I can beat up in that match, so I’m fine with that. I’ll spread it out evenly.

Watch TNA’s “Bound for Glory” this Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Pay Per View.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Recap: The Little Tribe That Could

October 10, 2012

'Survivor: Philippines' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

Last Week: Penner pitched an alliance to Jeff Kent, Abi-Maria threw RC under the bus, and Matsing tossed their cookies.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Kalabaw Tribe (wearing red)
Carter – Track Coach, 24
Dana – Cosmetologist, 32
Dawson – Insurance Sales, 28
Katie – Student, 22
Jeff Kent – Former MLB Player, 44
Penner – Writer, 50

The Matsing Tribe (wearing blue)
Denise – Sex Therapist, 41
Malcolm – Bartender, 25
Russell – Environmental Attorney, 45

The Tandang Tribe (wearing yellow)
Abi-Maria – Business Student, 32
Artis – Computer Engineer, 53
Michael – Professional Speaker, Author, and Coach, 50
Lisa – Former ‘Facts of Life’ Star, 49
Pete – Engineering Graduate, 24
RC – Investment Banker, 27

We start off with sad times on Matsing beach. The rain is pouring down and nobody is talking. Things have gotten so bad that Malcolm can’t even start up the tribe’s fire. He’s not totally down though, he thinks all it’ll take is one win to turn things around. You don’t even need a win, just don’t be last.

Russell’s plan is to mount a comeback. That’s a hell of a plan. My plan is to be good at everything and to never die. We’ll see how those turn out.

Over at Tandang, the rain can’t damper Pete’s good mood. Apparently he’s going for a Hantzian, let’s-make-some-chaos type of game. For his first trick, he plants the immunity idol clue in RC’s bag. This stratagem serves two purposes as it infuriates Abi while amusing Pete. Well played.

Meanwhile at Kalabaw, Penner, Kent, and a skinny, blonde dude decide to do some fishing. Penner and Kent eventually bring the guy into their alliance. Then the guy actually gets to speak! The lower-third graphic identifies him as “Carter.”

At camp, Katie, Dana, and Purple Dawson realize that the boys are plotting against them. Their plan is to make it to the merge, then start up some “One World” girl power with the other females.

Back at Matsing, Russell sums up the tribe’s problems as being stuck with “A smoker, a lunatic, and a beauty queen.” Sounds like a sitcom pitch to me!

Russell’s also concerned because nobody has approached him to discuss voting strategy. Realizing that his number is probably up, he starts hunting for the idol. Just now…like five days after he found the clue.

Denise catches him searching, but he denies what he’s up to. Later, her and Malcolm dig through his stuff in an attempt to find it. They have no luck.

Over at Matsing, RC tries to have a chat with Abi, but she’s not having it. It’s like a weird Springer episode. RC tries to get some info out of Pete, but he denies everything. This is pretty awesome. I kinda want Tandang to lose so we can see them at Tribal.

Immunity Challenge Time: One player from each team will put a pot of rice on each end of a yoke. They’ll then put the yoke over their shoulders and carry it over a weird obstacle. From there they’ll put the pots into holders and head back. Then, the next person will go. Once they have six pots in place, one player will swing a small demolition ball in an attempt to destroy the pots. First tribe to smash all six pots win immunity and a steak dinner. The second tribe wins immunity, veggies, a pot, and spices. The losing tribe gets a relaxing evening by the fire with talk show host Jeff Probst.

Katie, Dana, and Dawson will sit for Kalabaw, while Lisa, RC, and Abi-Maria will sit for Tandang. Soooo sexist.

The challenge starts off and Carter immediately drops a pot. No, I’m not going to make a Carter/pot joke. But, feel free to make your own.

Matsing has a bit of a lead thanks to Malcolm. Do you believe in miracles?!

Tandang eventually catches up and is the first to start swinging the demolition ball. Matsing is right behind them. Artis is swinging for Tandang while Malcolm swings for Matsing.

Kalabaw catches up and Kent, of course, is in charge of hurling the ball.

Artis does a fantastic job and the Tandangers win it.

Matsing and Kalabaw are neck and neck in the battle for second place. Both sides had several near misses, but eventually Jeff Kent managed to pull off the victory.

Quick Aside: The editing on Kent’s final hit was amazing. There was slow-motion footage of the ball knocking the pot over but it didn’t break. Then, when the ball swung back it smashed the pot. No lie, we loudly cheered in my living room. “Survivor” is the best show ever.

And true to form, Russell has another fit after the loss. The frustrated returnee walked over and smashed the remaining pot. He then started talking to God. He even slipped up and called Jeff, “Lord.” Oh c’mon, if Jeff was the Lord, “Survivor: Nicaragua” would’ve never happened.

And, as we’ve discussed before, God doesn’t care who wins “Survivor.” But if he does, he clearly isn’t a Matsing fan.

Also, Tandang and Kalabaw were greatly amused by the blow-up. This isn’t Russell’s day.

Back at camp, Malcolm seems a little torn between keeping Russell’s strength or Denise’s loyalty. I don’t believe him. No way he votes against Denise.

Denise is worried that Russell has the idol, so she and Malcolm decide to make Russell feel like he’s safe. Oddly enough, he seems to buy it.

That night at Tribal Council, Jeff Probst punches Matsing’s loyalty card. Two more visits and they get a free ice cream.

Russell thinks it’s OK to expect excellence from himself. He doesn’t say if it’s OK to freak out when you don’t get it.

Malcolm owns up to failing on the demolition ball portion of the challenge.

Denise thinks she should stay because she’s a physical player and has a strong social game.

Malcolm thinks he should stay because they can’t wait for a twist, they need to win a challenge.

Russell thinks he should stay because he’s no slouch in challenges and that he has a strong social game. Surely, the others saw Kalabaw and Tandang laughing at him, right?

Russell and Malcolm both think that Denise can’t be beat at the final Tribal. They might be right.

Voting Time: Russell votes for Malcolm, Malcolm votes for Russell, and the rest…well, there’s only like one other vote, and we don’t get to see it.

Jeff tallies three whole votes and returns. We’ve got one vote for Russell, one vote for Malcolm, and the fourth person to be voted out of “Survivor: Philippines” is…Russell.

Verdict: That challenge was awesome. I was literally on the edge of my couch. And frankly, it was fun to see a good, old-fashioned Ulonging.

That being said, a tribe of two is probably too small. Whether Denise and Malcolm are split up or there’s a full tribe reshuffle, it’ll be interesting to see how everything shakes out.

Who’s Going to Win: Could Lisa Whelchel win “Survivor”? As a non-dominant member of the dominant alliance in the show’s strongest tribe, she has to have a serious shot, right? That would totally blow my mind.

Power Rankings Results: Ooo…a tie. Kat’s getting good at this. We both pegged Mr. Swan as this week’s boot, so we both receive 15 points. So, the current score is Team Kat: 41, Team Awesome Thunder 47.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings: Round Three

October 9, 2012

'Survivor: Philippines' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

The Rules: Each week Kat and Gordon will create separate Power Rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the two players will earn. For example, if Artis is voted out this week, Kat will receive 11 points and Gordon will receive 8 points. The person with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned the ‘Survivor: Philippines’ Power Rankings champion!

Last Week: Kat called it. She had Angie in spot sixteen while I had her in spot fifteen. So, the current score is Team Kat: 26, Team Awesome Thunder 32.

Set Your DVR to Record ‘Survivor: Philippines

Kat’s Current Score: 26

Any advice for Kat? Drop her a line on Twitter: @KatEdorsson

Gordon’s Current Score: 32

Any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Malcolm: During the challenge this week Malcolm showed great potential. His alliance with Denise as a pair is growing stronger by the minute, and I believe if they both stay together they will take it to the end. They were the only two who completed the challenge in a tribe of four which is very impressive.
  1. Penner: An idol and a tentative alliance with the guy who seems to be the most powerful person on your tribe…everything’s coming up Penner. Why am I OK with this less-than-rock-solid alliance? Because both guys are going into it knowing what’s up. Who knows, maybe the fact that they’ll have to reevaluate it occasionally will make it stronger.
 2. Denise: Really enjoying this determined duo. Seems to be the only true pair out of all three tribes as of right now. Hopefully Denise being such a beast at challenges will keep them strong if they can make it to the merge.  2. Abi-Maria: Last week I gave Abi grief for getting a little too crazy before going to her first Tribal Council, but I may have to take that back. Her move to bring Pete in by sharing RC’s secret was smart and using RC’s clue to find the idol for herself was inspired. And by aligning with the less threatening third of her tribe (Artis and Lisa), she may have set herself up perfectly for a big post-merge run.
 3. Michael: Bleeding from the face, Skupin?! I’m really enjoying watching him play. Unfortunately, he did not find the idol, and now it looks like Peter is going to use Abi with the remaining tribe mates to blindside Skupin and RC. I still have faith, because he is one of our veterans and I feel like Peter and Abi together might be a train wreck.  3. Jeff Kent: Jeff Kent seems to be getting along with his entire tribe, he’s making sound strategic moves, and he’s a challenge beast. If all celebrities would play the game the way Kent does, then I;s be all for it. (No offense, Jimmy Johnson.)

  4. Penner: Finding the idol and telling Jeff could have increased or decreased his chances of playing in this game. Ultimately this was the only card he had to play, because like I said in the beginning, you can’t play this game alone especially before the merge. Jeff and Penner can be a strong pair, however, Jeff has a secret that could put Penner in the hot seat as the game continues.
  4. Pete: Well, the big moves train has left the station. Still seems like an early departure to me. That being said, he has Abi in a good place. After betraying RC, she can’t possibly go back to her. And, Lisa doesn’t seem to have any other options than to play Edna Ma to his Coach.

  5. RC: Still one of my favorite girls in the game. She killed it in the swimming challenge. I feel like the more the game pushes against RC and Skupin the better they will align which would be my second favorite pair in the game. Their tribe seems to be doing well, and I’m happy to see her keep her cool during her disaster of an alliance with Abi.
  5. Carter:  Oh, Carter. You are definitely a person who is on this show. A person who wears a red buff and seems to perform well in challenges. You smile when other people say things and…that’s it. I’m out of Carter stuff.
 6. Pete: I don`t believe a Rottweiler and a Chihuahua should ever be on the same team, but hey, if it works for you it makes great TV for me! Abi completely sells out RC to Pete which ultimately gives Pete great leverage in the game. Being a good competitor with options is “Survivor” GOLD.
  6. Lisa: I heard an interesting “Survivor” strategy a while ago; you need one person that you need and one person that needs you. Well, right now Pete needs Abi-Maria and Lisa needs Pete. Color me fascinated to see where this new alliance is headed.
 7. Abi-Maria: Abi is up high this week because she deserves it. Finding the idol is impressive. I hate to admit it, but she is playing the game. Her weakness is not competing in challenges, and she happens to be a loose cannon so I could be biting my tongue sooner rather than later.  Confiding in Pete and having an inside secret alliance within her alliance with RC could be completely brilliant or absolutely stupid.
  7. Dana: Man, Dana really went for it in that challenge. She dove into the water like a champ. That kind of effort had to be noticed.
 8. Jeff Kent: I enjoy watching Jeff strive. He did well in the challenges, and he seems to be the top dog over in Kalabaw. Having options in this game is so powerful and given his new side alliance with Penner just increased his odds from 0 to 10. Not to mention Penner shared the secret of his idol to prove his loyalty. So, Jeff seems to be in a great position right now.  8. Artis: Really, Artis? You’re mad because Skupin broke the mask? That seems random. (Quick Aside: The best part about Skup shattering the mask wasn’t that it was Mike’s 4th consecutive “Survivor” episode with an injury, it’s that he handed the broken mask to RC and she put it on. Hilarious.)
 9. Carter: Carter SPOKE!!! Love those pants! Looks like Kalabaw is completely well aware that Penner has the idol, so they could team together. He did great in the challenge, pretty impressive. He should be safe going into next week.  9. Malcolm: From #1 to #9…that’s quite a drop. But, he’s not down here because he’s doing anything wrong. He’s down here because there’s a very real possibility that Russell could finally find that idol. Sadly, that would make my favorite alliance go poof.
 10. Lisa: Lisa could possibly be the new Christina Cha from “One World”, (aka “The Lamb”). Being a floater, I repeat “FLOATER” is very useful in the game. Also, they make it to the end before they realize how they got there. This “go with the flow” attitude can really make an impact on this game and in “Survivor” you need all the help you can get.  10. Denise: See Malcolm.
  11. Artis: He seems to be upset with Skupin because of miscommunication about diving into the water with the mask on. But come on, in the heat of the moment people do stupid things, like jumping in the water consistently when you’re not supposed to. Anywho, I think he’ll be safe.
  11. Dawson: Gah…I still have no clue what’s going on with the non-Penner, non-Kent members of Kalabaw. All I really have to go on is challenge prowess, and you’ve been sitting out quite a bit.
 12. Dana: Poor Dana, I don’t want you on the bottom, honest! But as of now, Penner has the idol and pairing up with Jeff leaves you, Dawson, Katie, and Carter on the bottom. Hopefully you guys will come together and flush the idol out. She is consistent in challenges though which is great.  12. Katie: See Dawson.
  13. Dawson: Dawson you have the secret, USE IT! If necessary she has a backup plan that can throw Penner and Jeff’s ideal duo in the dumps!  13. Michael: Last week I introduced the Michael Skupin Injury Tracker to keep an accurate record of all of his many injuries. Here’s hoping this week’s entry doesn’t include “Stabbed In the Back.”
 14. Katie: Katie, Katie, Katie, you’re such a beautiful girl and I’m really hoping for the best for you in this game! If Penner uses his idol I believe you could be the first to go.  14. RC: Wait, what does “RC” stand for? Robbed Clue? My favorite hoop roller has definitely backed the wrong horse. Let this be a lesson to all future first-day alliance makers.
 15. Russell: Russell, it’s been fun while it lasted but I think this will be the end of your “Survivor: Philippines” experience. You are a stronger competitor than Angie, that is for sure. But, if Matsing fails to pull out the win, I don’t believe your tribe will come together to save you once again. This really is a shame, but unless you find the remaining idol in your camp this might be the end!  15. Russell: C’mon, Russell! Ever since Samoa all you’ve been asking yourself is “What if?” What if I didn’t pass out? What if I could’ve stopped Russell Hantz’s reign of terror? You need to turn that camp upside-down and find that idol.

Watch ‘Survivor: Philippines’ every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst Picks the Show’s Grossest Challenge Ever

October 8, 2012

'Survivor: South Pacific' (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

This Week’s Question: What is the most disgusting challenge in ‘Survivor’ history?

Gordon Holmes: Alright, I’ve got this one. You know me; I love it when they eat gross stuff on the show. But, as far as the most disgusting challenge in “Survivor” history, it’s got to be the pig roast challenge from “Survivor: South Pacific.”
Jeff Probst: I’d love to disagree, because I thoroughly enjoy disagreeing with you, but alas…I agree.  
Holmes: For those of you who don’t remember, the two tribes could only use their mouths to rip meat off of this huge hunk of what used to be a pig. The tribe that got the most meat into their bin won. The disgusting combination of flesh tearing, spitting, barbecue sauce, and ripping bits from each other’s teeth did a wonderful job of making me want to never eat anything ever again. High fives for everyone involved.  
Probst: The back story is that when it was first presented at our test block it was an entire pig…the whole thing.  It was simply too much to put on the air at 8 pm. So, I asked the guys to remove some of the more recognizable body parts (I know that’s a rough visual in and of itself) so it wasn’t so apparent what it was they were attacking.
Holmes: Ugh…and for that I thank you.

What Is Your Pick? Send your answers to me on Twitter: @gordonholmes

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‘Survivor: Philippines’ Castaway Angie: ‘Roxy Was Just Obnoxious’

October 4, 2012

Angie Layton (CBS)

XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player.  Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”

The pantheon of “Survivor” villains boasts names like Russell Hantz, Jonny “Fairplay” Dalton, and Randy Bailey. After voting off the lovely Angie Layton, the men of America might want to add Malcolm Freberg to that list.

I spoke with the latest victim of the Matsing curse the morning after her elimination to get her thoughts on last night’s vote, Jeff Probst’s Tribal Council scolding, and her favorite dessert…

Gordon Holmes: Alright, is Matsing beach cursed?
Angie Layton: Yes. (Laughs)
Holmes: Did you guys build your shelter over an ancient burial ground?
Layton: I don’t know. I think we just had bad luck from the beginning. Maybe blue is just a bad color.

Holmes: Did you know before Tribal that you were going home?
Layton: No. But, I knew there was a 50/50 chance it could be me or Russell.
Holmes: What did Denise and Malcolm tell you before you headed to Tribal?
Layton: They told me Russell was terrible in the challenge and I said my spiel about how I wanted them to go in the challenge so we were as fast as we could be. And Malcolm told me that Russell was pathetic in the challenge and he’d let me know if they were going to vote for me. But, he never let me know before we went to Tribal Council.

Holmes: How accurate was the editing’s portrayal of the challenge last night, because it looked really bad. Every time they cut back you guys were having trouble.
Layton: The water challenge wasn’t that bad, it was just that I couldn’t figure out how to pull that thing up. And for me, it shook me up. I took so long. When you feel like you’re rushed it makes you feel nervous.

Holmes: When I spoke to the contestants before the game, it seemed like a lot of people had already formed opinions about you.
Layton: Yeah, I read them all. They were funny.
Holmes: What do you think the misconceptions about you are?
Layton: That I’m a bleach-blonde bimbo. Unintelligent, dumb, you know…the typical stuff. Pageant girl, whatever.
Holmes: Now watching the show, I didn’t hear you complain about the weather. You seemed to be doing as well out there as anyone. Do you think you proved people wrong?
Layton: Yeah, I think I proved everybody wrong in the first episode. I was playing the game. My head was in the game. I was mentally there. I tried to play the game physically even though I have some disadvantages. But, I gave it my all. And I was really there to win, and some people just go out there and lay low. I didn’t lay low. In that small of a tribe you have to play the game.

Holmes: I spoke with Roxanne last week, and she still seemed annoyed with how you performed in the sled challenge. I had trouble with this because you ran two legs and she ran one…
Layton: The fact was Russell said, “Do you want to go twice?” I was like, “Not really.” And she said, “I haven’t been drinking water, so I can’t.” And they didn’t show this, but I said, “Well, I’ll go.” I stepped up to the plate and went twice. She’s eight years older than me and in the military. I model and I do pageants. I stepped up to the plate and I gave it my all. That’s why I collapsed at the end because I gave it my all.
Holmes: Roxanne also still thinks that there is something between you and Malcolm. Was that the case or are you two just BFFs.
Layton: I think there was something going on with her. I think she’s a little jealous. When you’re on “Survivor” you cuddle because you’re cold. Now obviously, he’s cute, I’m cute…whatever. But there’s nothing wrong with that.
Holmes: Nobody here is debating that you and Malcolm are cute. But are you implying that Roxanne wanted to be cuddling with Malcolm?
Layton: (Laughs) Yeah. Maybe she wanted to get in the middle. But, she was not a happy camper.
Holmes: Literally.

Holmes: What reactions have you been receiving from fans?
Layton: I’ve gotten so many good reactions. I’ve been traveling a lot, and I travel with no makeup and my hair in a bun, and people stop me and say, “Are you Angie from ‘Survivor’? We’re big fans.” It’s been really positive. And I wasn’t sure because of the pre-game stuff I wasn’t getting a lot of positive feedback. But it’s been really awesome.

Holmes: Let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Malcolm.
Layton: Strong.
Holmes: Zane?
Layton: Hilarious.
Holmes: Denise?
Layton: Intelligent.
Holmes: Russell?
Layton: Big and tall.
Holmes: Cookies?
Layton: I love them!
Holmes: And let’s finish with Roxanne.
Layton: Jealous.

Holmes: You and I have at least two things in common. One, I travel with my hair in a bun and no makeup.
Layton: Awesome. (Laughs)
Holmes: And two, we both think cookies are the bomb. Since you made your Tribal comment, have you received any cookies from friends or fans?
Layton: I have had so many people tell me they want to ship me cookies. They’re very generous.
Holmes: And your favorite cookie is…?
Layton: Oatmeal chocolate chip.
Holmes: Oatmeal?
Layton: It’s so good.
Holmes: Everyone’s welcome to their opinion, but you’re wrong.
Layton: No, oatmeal!
Holmes: Agree to disagree. Now, during the cookie incident, Jeff seemed to get a bit frustrated with you when he gave his “Wake up” speech.
Layton: Oh, he loves it. I knew that I was safe. I literally didn’t want to be there. And the fact that everyone was so serious and Roxy was just obnoxious. Everyone was freaking out and the tension was just so much. I did it as a joke; I wanted to lighten the mood. And I don’t think “cookies” is a worse answer than “do less work around camp.” I think that’s worse. And who wouldn’t want cookies?
Holmes: I believe that cookies make every situation better.
Layton: They do.
Holmes: It’s rare you see Probst at a loss for words.
Layton: Oh, it threw him off completely. I think it made him a little upset and he wanted to get more out of me. He clapped at me. But I wasn’t going to lose my composure at all.

Holmes: I liked your final confessional last night because it seemed like you learned something during your time out there. Has being in the game changed you?
Layton: Yeah. The experience was great for me. I learned so much about myself. I’m so appreciative of my life, the little things and how blessed I am. It was the best thing for me.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

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