My Review on Survivor South Pacific and My Predictions

Spoiler alert for anyone who has yet to watch the Survivor: South Pacific season finale. I will discuss how everyone did and compare them to my predictions, as well as look ahead to next season.

Scroll down only if you have watched it...









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As I correctly predicted, Sophie ended up winning Survivor, making me 2-2 in predicting the Survivor winners around Final 7. I had a feeling if she got to the end that she'd get more votes than Coach or Albert or Brandon or Rick, and I guessed right that Ozzy would not make the finals. I did not get right that Albert was in the finals--instead I had Rick. However, again I predicted the winner correctly, but let's see how everyone else did.

John "Cochran" Cochran
Predicted: 8th
Finished: 8th
Cochran failed in Redemption, although he was pretty close. I give him kudos for almost beating the Challenge King. He made a good jury member and ended up being one of the three that threw a vote Coach's way, as I correctly predicted.

Edma Ma
Predicted: 5th
Finished: 7th
I honestly thought Coach would fight for her, but he didn't. At the time, I didn't realize how strong that core 5 was. If I had known that, I would have put her at 7th where she finished.

Brandon Hantz
Predicted: 6th
Finished: 6th
I thought Brandon's dramatics would get him booted somewhat early, but it was more his dumb move of giving up his immunity necklace. Unless you have an idol or an alliance you would trust with your life, you just simply cannot do that.

Rick Nelson
Predicted: 3rd
Finished: 5th
Rick was the odd man out once Ozzy won immunity. It would have been interesting to see if he would have made the Final 3 had Ozzy not won Final 5 immunity. Nonetheless, Rick did not come too close to winning, like I predicted.

Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth
Predicted: 7th
Finished: 4th
Even I underestimated Ozzy. I knew there would be a challenge that would be his downfall, I just didn't know it wouldn't be until Final 4. The sad thing is, had he won that challenge, he would be the Sole Survivor, beating Coach and Albert in the finals.

Albert Destrade
Predicted: 4th
Finished: 3rd
Albert lucked out when Brandon gave him his Immunity Necklace, otherwise, Albert would have left at 6th. Albert got on Rick's bad side, got on Sophie bad's side, and I knew he had VERY little shot of winning, and I came close to predicting where he'd finish.

Coach Wade
Predicted: 2nd
Finished: 2nd
Like Russell Hantz has done so many times, Coach played a runner up game to a T. He gained followers and made promises and alliances he couldn't keep. It got him to the end, but just like Russell, he made too many promises and had to break some. Playing that way is an easy way to get to the finals, but it then becomes extremely hard to get the jury to forgive you and vote for you. Coach finished 2nd, just like I knew he would.

Sophie Clarke
Predicted: 1st
Finished: 1st
Sophie did what she had to. She stayed quiet when she needed to and won a huge challenge at Final 4 when she was probably gonna be out if Ozzy won. I had faith in her and I knew that a lot of the Savaii would see her as the lesser of three evils. Only Jim out of the former Savaii members voted for her. Congrats on winning Survivor, Sophie.

Next season: Survivor - One World
This looks interesting. It will be set in Samoa yet again. I miss having exotic locales like Gabon and China and Fiji. However, the two tribes will be in one camp, so I think a cross-tribe alliance will emerge, sort of like in Tocantins when two people got sent to Exile (one from each tribe) and formed an alliance. There will be no more Redemption Island and no returning players, which is good, because that was getting old. Finally, I hope there will be only ONE Immunity Idol that either tribe can find. Should be fun!

Predicting the Rest of Survivor South Pacific - Final 8

Well folks, I did this for Survivor Nicaragua (I didn’t for Survivor Redemption Island), but I feel like doing it again for Survivor South Pacific. I’m talking about making predictions for the rest of the game around the Final 7 part. When I did this for Survivor Nicaragua, I correctly predicted that Fabio would win the game, but unfortunately I didn’t get a ton else right. Also, the addition of Redemption Island makes this a bit tougher, but I’ll do my best. So like last time, I will discuss each castaway and their chances of winning this game.

- John “Cochran” Cochran
He betrayed his tribe then got betrayed by the tribe he switched to. Stings, doesn’t it? Poor old Cochran got what he had coming to him. He said he didn’t want to put his fate into a “game of chance”, but Survivor, like many games, is about taking risks. He just took the wrong one. As for his current situation, Cochran just downright fails when the pressure is on him, regardless of the challenge, while his opponent, Ozzy, excels. Cochran will be ousted from Redemption Island next.
Predicted finish: 8^th

- Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth
Ozzy has played a risky game so far, voluntarily sending himself to Redemption Island. Then he gets sent again, and has to beat at least 5 or 6 people just to get back in the game. But I don’t think he will. I think his luck will run out. He’ll beat Cochran, but I think he’ll lose to his next competition.
Predicted finish: 7^th

- Brandon Hantz
Brandon has been such a drama queen, to put it plain. First, he swears he won’t tell anyone he’s Russell Hantz’s nephew, but then an episode or two later, he reveals it to his whole tribe. I think the tribe will get sick of his antics and his dramatics and boot him next, maybe even before Edna.
Predicted finish: 6^th

- Edna Ma
She has played a typical coattail rider game, riding along Coach’s coattail the entire time. Coach may fight for her, but nobody else will and Coach will get outnumbered. Sure, she’d be a good person to take to the Final 3 possibly, but you never know with Edna. She’s a little mischievous and could garner some votes if she went to the Finals.
Predicted finish: 5^th

- Albert Destrade
Albert will be next because he’s a threat, not only to get votes, but to win immunity. He has also been a little conniving by almost going through with plans to backstab his allies. I don’t think Coach, Rick, or even Sophie will take him to the finals.
Predicted finish: 4^th

- Rick Nelson
Man has this guy played a quiet game so far. I think he’ll be in the finals with Coach and Sophie by mainly being a non-factor and probably not getting any votes at the Final Tribal Council. He really should have made more of a name for himself. I was rooting for him because he was the “fan’s” pick to be on the show after he submitted a video for the contest, like I did.
Predicted finish: 3^rd

- Coach Wade
I really don’t see any Upolu members trying to take out Coach before the finals—none are gutsy enough. I think Coach will get to the Finals and he will get votes, but I think he will finish as the runner-up. I think too many of the former Savaii tribe members will be pissed that his tribe beat them, and they will vote “against” him because he was their “leader”. It will be close, but I think he’ll just miss the title of Sole Survivor. Perhaps he’ll piss someone off (Brandon, Albert, or Edna).
Predicted finish: 2^nd

- Sophie Clarke
My predicted winner of Survivor South Pacific is Sophie! She has played a really smart game so far, sticking with her alliance but also making sure her voice was heard. She has proved to be a threat in challenges and I think the former Savaii members will see her as the lesser of three evils. One, she’s a girl, and two, she played enough of a game but not too much. Sophie Clarke will be the winner of Survivor South Pacific.
Predicted finish: 1^st

So my predicted finish:
8^th: Cochran
7^th: Ozzy
6^th: Brandon
5^th: Edna
4^th: Albert
3^rd: Rick
2^nd: Coach
1^st: Sophie

Just for good measure, how I predict the jury members to vote:
Jim: Sophie
Keith: Sophie
Dawn: Sophie
Whitney: Sophie
Cochran: Coach
Ozzy: Coach
Brandon: Coach
Edna: Coach
Albert: Sophie

And of course, Rick with no votes. I will review these predictions once the season is over. Go Sophie!

Top 11 Songs of 2011

In honor of 2011, and it currently being the 11^th month of 2011, I would like to put out my top 11 songs of 2011. These are all songs that were released this year, 2011. There were a few that I had to leave off because they were released late last year, but gained popularity this year, such as “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele and “If I Die Young” by the Band Perry. Without further ado, in order, here are the Top 11 songs of 2011:

11. Friday – Rebecca Black
I had to. I just had to. Not because it is so good, but because people could not stop talking about it for weeks, which turned into months. You have to admit the song is kind of catchy, and if done right, it could have been a decent song. I rank this in my top 11 due to how it made people know about Rebecca Black.

10. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
No rap, hip-hop, auto-tuning, or electronic composition here. Just good lyrics, good rhythm, and a feel-good vibe. It kind of sounds like they are singing in a parking garage or something, but that part of it gives the song a unique sound.

9. Give Me Everything – Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo, AfroJack, & Nayer
The ultimate dance club song. Whenever I hear this song I think of being at a club and dancing with a bunch of people in their 20’s having a good time. This song has probably been played at a lot of clubs, too.

8. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) – Katy Perry
All I’m gonna say about this song is that it’s a great party song and the song is backed by its creative music video. So far, this is my favorite Katy Perry song of the year.

7. Honey Bee – Blake Shelton
I had to include a country song, and this is my favorite country song released in 2011. This song just describes how every couple feels when they’ve found “the one”. I love listening to this song every once in a while.

6. Tonight Tonight – Hot Chelle Rae
Never heard of this band before, never really had an interest in them until I heard this song. It just is a quality song and is extremely catchy. Good song for high schoolers trying to live out the best years of their lives.

5. Born This Way – Lady Gaga
My favorite Lady Gaga song of 2011 (sorry Edge of Glory). I just love how she kind of made this a statement song about herself. Also, check out the music video, it’s definitely worth a watch.

4. The Lazy Song – Bruno Mars
This seems like the anthem for all the lazy guys that do nothing after high school. It’s got a nice, almost Jamaican beat to it, and the music video is hilarious with the monkeys dancing behind Bruno. This is also the first of my two songs on this list to feature whistling.

3. Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO
I’m not a huge HUGE fan of this song, but it is a great song to work out to and there really is nothing out there quite like it. I can’t help but dance or move when I hear this song. It was released in January of this year and is still near the top of the charts. It’s success on the charts puts it up this high on my list.

2. Stereo Hearts – Gym Class Hereos ft. Adam Levine
This should almost be called Stereo Hearts – Adam Levine ft. Gym Class Heroes, because the true star of this song is Adam Levine, the lead singer of Maroon 5, with his amazing vocals. He and Gym Class Heroes worked really well together and made a great song. But that wasn’t the only great song Adam did this year…

1. Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera
I love this song. Not only is it done by my favorite band, but it’s a good workout song. You just can’t help but whistle when the whistling parts come up. I loved this song from the first time I heard it, so that makes it my #1 song of 2011.

Seahawks Grades and Awards at Halfway Point of 2011

Well, we are halfway through the 2011 season and the Seahawks currently stand at 2-6 after 8 games. When you think about it, that is the worst the Seahawks could have started. One, the fans that always support the team want the team to always do well, and were hoping for at least a 4-4 start. Two, the bandwagon fans that want us to get the #1 draft pick so we can draft Andrew Luck wanted us to start 0-8 or 1-7. But the Seahawks are in between, and we’ve unfortunately been more disappointed than satisfied with this team so far, and my halfway grades will reflect that. I will grade each position group (QB’s, backs, receivers, O-Line, D-Line, linebackers, defensive backs, special teams, coaches) and add a comment or two about certain individuals at those positions, then finally give a final grade and overall summary. Then, I will dish out some half-way point team awards.

Quarterbacks
Grade: D
We have seen a variety of levels of play from our quarterbacks. Charlie has struggled, Tarvaris has struggled and had some success, but there have been 4 games with less than 200 yards passing. This position has been extremely inconsistent and will most definitely be the biggest priority next offseason.

Backs
Grade: C-
I don’t give them too harsh of a grade despite having one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL. The backs have not been given too big of holes and have done the best with what they’ve been given. However, when you are last in the league in rushing, hard to give a grade to the backs higher than C-.

Receivers
Grade: B-
They have done pretty well this season, with Sidney Rice producing when he’s healthy. There have been a few drops, and I mark them down a bit because I feel they could do a bit better to get open when the QB is scrambling trying to find someone. Doug Baldwin has emerged as a nice threat out of the slot. However, Zach Miller has had nowhere near the production we expected him, but that is not his fault since he has been asked to block to help the young offensive line.

Offensive Line
Grade: D+
I understand they are young. I understand they will get better. But as an offensive line when you are the worst in the NFL in giving up sacks and have the worst rushing stats, that is ALL on the offensive line. You could make a case that the Seahawks offensive line has played worse than any other in the NFL. But they are young, inexperienced, and will get better. They’ve showed some signs of promise, such as the Cowboys game, but there is plenty of room to improve.

Defensive Line
Grade: B
I expected this group to be a strength of this team and I was not wrong. They haven’t exactly gotten a ton of sacks, but they have managed to get some pressure on passers and they have stopped the run extremely well (leading the league in Yards Per Carry), thanks to big Red Bryant. Branch has been a very nice addition.

Linebackers
Grade: C+
I find it hard to give this group a higher grade than that. KJ Wright took the starting job from Aaron Curry and has played decently. Hawthorne has played well yet again, and Leroy Hill has been average. Curry struggled mightily when he was here so he was shipped to Oakland. I wish this group had more big plays, but they have played at worst decent football.

Secondary
Grade: B-
I have seen the good and I have seen the bad out of this secondary. Thomas and Chancellor have emerged as tandem of safeties to be reckoned with. Trufant and Thurmond suffered season-ending injuries, but both played well while they were in. Browner and Sherman have played good defense, but have tackled poorly, despite their size. They have kept us in games and I see this unit only getting better as time goes on (and being a strength of this team), especially if we get a #1 corner to someday replace Trufant.

Special Teams
Grade: D+
This might surprise you, but think about how the Seahawks have given up three return touchdowns and Washington has yet to get one. Also, I put this grade way down because of too many special teams penalties. I think we might lead the league in special teams penalties, which hurts us with field position. However, Ryan has punted extremely well and Hauschka has been a nice pick for kicker.

Coaches
Grade: D
I put this grade mainly on the specialty coaches and coordinators. Pete Carroll has done a good job at keeping this team motivated and he made a good decision selecting Tarvaris to start over Whitehurst. However, I am not liking Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell and I feel if Tarvaris isn’t the starter next year (which he shouldn’t be), Bevell should go. Tom Cable has made this Offensive Line work hard, but it’s hard to tell if his coaching will pay off. I just feel that the Seahawks coaching could be a lot better. Young teams have succeeded before, and I feel given the right coaching staff, this team could be 4-4.

Overall: C-
With a 2-6 record, a C- grade seems pretty generous. But our defense has played pretty consistently and they have been great at stopping the run. The offense has been extremely inconsistent, good one week, bad the next. If this team gets a quality quarterback, more experience along the line, and a playmaker or two on each side of the ball, this team could easily win the division next year. I like the way this team is headed, but it is frustrating to sit through this sort of season. We just have to be patient and watch our young future stars blossom.

Awards
Best offensive player: Doug Baldwin
Who’d have thunk that an undrafted rookie would be the team’s best offensive player at this point? Kudos to whoever signed him. Honorable mention to Russell Okung, who has quietly had a really good sophomore season.

Best defensive player: Kam Chancellor
Hard to choose, but I had to go to the best overall defensive player, which to me has been Chancellor. He leads the team in tackles and interceptions, and he has made some big tackles and good plays in pass defense. He is turning into a star. Honorable mentions to Hawthorne and Red Bryant.

Team MVP: Kam Chancellor
When your defense is this much better than your offense, your MVP should come from your defense. The Seahawks went without Chancellor for a game and their pass defense struggled. Hard to believe he has somehow become one the players we can least afford to lose to injury. Honorable mentions to Red Bryant and somehow, Tarvaris Jackson.

Best play: Brandon Browner’s pick six to seal the win over the Giants
I had to go with Browner’s pick six, because it stopped the Giants from scoring (who were in the red zone) and sealed the win and shocked the Giants. It snapped an east coast losing streak for the Hawks and gave this team some confidence, which went away during the bye week. Honorable mention to Kam Chancellor’s interception in the Arizona game which sealed the win as well.

Most improved: Russell Okung
I almost picked Chancellor for the third time, but I feel Okung has really improved from last season. Last year, Okung struggled with the speed of some of the ends and struggled with injuries. This year, staying relatively healthy and being one of the best offensive lineman. He has had very few penalty calls against him this year and hasn’t allowed too many sacks. Honorable mentions to Chancellor and Max Unger.

These Seahawks could stand to learn something from the Bengals

As you probably heard, the Seahawks got blown out by the Bengals today at home, 34-12. The offense was slightly better than last week (which is saying VERY little), the defense was ok, and the special teams were bad. All in all, a pretty bad game for the entire team. But I think they should take a look across the field at the team they just played and they could learn a lot from them. In fact, they might follow very similar paths.

Last year, the Bengals started out 2-5 as well. They also had a week 6 bye. They too struggled on offense. Carson Palmer was their quarterback, who had 26 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Given a full 16 game season, those are the numbers Tarvaris Jackson would likely put up. The 2010 Bengals were extremely inconsistent, just like this Seahawks team. No one had any faith in them, and they lost 12 games. I see the 2011 Seahawks as almost an identical clone of the 2010 Cincinnati Bengals.

With that the case, I also see the 2012 Seahawks being the 2011 Bengals. In the past draft, the Bengals took a quarterback (Dalton) and a wide receiver (AJ Green) with their first two picks. I expect the Seahawks to take two offensive skill positions with their first two picks as well, most likely a quarterback and a runningback. This team is in desperate need of a young quarterback just like Andy Dalton to help turn this team around.

But one of the strengths of this Bengals team is their defense, which is a Top 5 defense. That is what the Seahawks will need if they want to have a complete turnaround. But the good news is, they have many of the key pieces in place. Earl Thomas, Red Bryant, David Hawthorne, Kam Chancellor, and KJ Wright all look to be part of this defense for years to come. All this defense needs is perhaps a young pass-rushing defensive end, a young and up and coming cornerback (perhaps that is Thurmond or Sherman, time will tell), more depth at linebacker, and this defense could be VERY good.

Unfortunately, 2011 will be just one of those seasons for the Hawks. The team will likely finish 4-12 (like the 2010 Bengals) or 5-11. We just need to be patient. We CANNOT fire Pete Carroll, no matter how badly this season turns out, or we will have to start this entire process over, because each coach has a different philosophy. Give Pete until next year, see if we can duplicate the Bengals’ success. The Bengals stuck with Marvin Lewis and look where it got them: 5-2 and right in the thick of things in the competitive AFC North. I see the exact same happening next year with the Hawks, possibly competing with the 49ers and Rams. We just need to stick to our current path, get that franchise quarterback, and improve our depth. We do that, and this dreadful 2011 campaign will be totally worth it next year.

Felix Hernandez: A Seattle Sports Icon

I think I ought to take the time and recognize the single most talented athlete in Seattle right now: Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez. He is one of the best pitchers in baseball and is still only 25. He is consistent, hard-throwing, and downright filthy at times with his pitches. No one in Seattle dominates like Felix Hernandez. However, there have been a few Mariners fans who think the Mariners should trade Felix, just because of our history of losing. These people have a pessimistic attitude and think Felix is going to demand a trade some point soon. I’m here to say that Felix should under no circumstances be traded.

Trading Felix Hernandez would be like if the Seahawks traded Steve Largent or if the Mariners traded Ken Griffey Jr. while they were in their primes. Granted, the latter of the two happened, but Griffey was pretty much past his peak level of play and didn’t want to play in Seattle anymore. However, Felix does. He’s made a home here. He has friends and family here. He has a good relationship with his teammates and clubhouse staff. He’s fun, lighthearted, and a good guy to have in your clubhouse. It’s rare nowadays to find someone with as much talent as Felix to go along with his loyalty to the city of Seattle and the Mariners organization.

Another argument people make for trading Felix is that the Mariners have a surplus in starting pitching. The Mariners have Felix, plus already at the major league level Michael Pineda, Blake Beavan, and Jason Vargas. They also have some very promising young arms in the minors in James Paxton, Taijuan Walker, and 2^nd overall pick Danny Hultzen. I am a firm believer in that the team with the best top 3 pitchers usually wins the World Series. Last year, the San Francisco Giants prevailed over the Texas Rangers because of their starting three of Lincecum, Cain, and Sanchez. That is exactly the kind of rotation General Manager Jack Zduriencik wants: a good, young core group of pitchers. Felix needs to be here to lead them and provide experience. Also, a lot pitching prospects don’t pan out, and it’s good to have a few more waiting in the wings. The Mariners could also trade a young pitcher for a bat, a pitcher they don’t necessarily believe will be a good fit anymore.

Felix is the face of the Mariners franchise. It used to be Ichiro, but since Ichiro has lost his mojo, he has sort of stepped out of the spotlight and Felix is now the best player on the Mariners. Imagine what he’ll be known as in five or ten years. If he stays here, he will become the best pitcher in Mariners history, surpassing Randy Johnson and Jamie Moyer. And by all accounts, he will stay here, because Zduriencik has stated he has no intentions of trading Felix (although he has gotten the offers), and Felix wants to be here. Very few guys with Felix’s talent would be willing to stick with the Mariners through all the losing, but Felix is, because he knows it’s going to get better, and it will.

It’s funny how it all comes down to the trade of Mark Langston for Randy Johnson as to how we got Felix Hernandez. We made the trade for the Big Unit, who was later traded for Freddy Garcia and a few other players. Felix signed with us because Freddy Garcia was his idol growing up and he wanted to play on the same team as Freddy. That’s why Felix wears #34, the same number Garcia wore while he was here. The Mark Langston-Randy Johnson trade will probably be forever known as the best trade in Mariners history, because it landed the Mariners two of the greatest pitchers, not only in their history, but to have ever played the game. Felix is a one-of-a-kind player. Keep him happy. Keep him here. We will win.

How Video Games are Pushing Me Away

I love to play video games. It is probably my #1 all time form of entertainment. Yes, it has caused me a bit of frustration as well, but that sense of accomplishment you feel when you complete a hard mission or task is something that’s hard to find anywhere else. However, I have been playing video games less and less as I’ve gotten older, and that’s not just because I’ve gotten a job and a girlfriend and focused more on them. It’s because video games have pushed me away in various methods. I have gone from an avid (almost pro) gamer to a casual gamer who plays occasionally.

One of the first reasons I play video games less and less is that there are more game modes. You might wonder why that would make me play them less, but when I see a game with 20+ ways of playing (I’m talking to you, COD and Gears of War!), it makes me feel slightly overwhelmed, like what the heck am I supposed to do first? Gone are the days of simple gaming where there was the campaign or “story mode” and multiplayer only. Now there’s Co-op, arcade modes, 10 different kinds of multiplayer, and more. I’m also the type of gamer that believes if you don’t have anyone to play with you on the same console, you shouldn’t play with anyone, period. I hate playing with people I don’t know. It’s not fun.

Another reason I play video games less is because of technical issues. It seems more today than ever games are crashing, freezing, exiting out, and just downright failing to even work. Video game companies are releasing games with serious flaws, and there’s a very logical reason behind it. They are in competition with another to release the “next big game” and that’s why there is a bajillion Calls of Duty’s and 3 Gears of War’s and 5 Halo games. It’s partly our fault, though, as we get easily bored with games and demand the sequel just a few months later. However, these game developers should take that extra time to fix glitches and bugs before releasing their games.

Thirdly, when I play a new video game, I don’t feel like I’m playing a game, I feel like I’m experiencing something. For most people, that’s exactly what they want. But not for me. When I sit down to play a video game, that’s all I want to do. I just want to kill time, have fun, and not get frustrated by anything. The simpler the game mode, the better. I want to know I’m playing a video game and be able to let my anger go when something goes wrong, because I can easily tell myself, “It’s just a game.” With newer games, you get so immersed and so involved and connected to a game you can seriously get into fits of rage when something goes wrong, and I’m not going to have any part of that. Nowadays you have ranks and levels and if something bad happens you could lose rank or skills. I don’t like that. I just want to play a game for fun, not so I have a better online rank.

So you see, video games are really becoming something I don’t like. Don’t get me wrong, I will hold onto my old consoles (N64, Original Xbox) and continue to play them, even years from now. To me, it feels like gaming hit its peak 5-7 years ago and has declined since then. One thing I can say is that this post is mainly directed at Microsoft and Sony, but I feel Nintendo has done a fabulous job of putting simple games out there and not making gaming too much of an experience. I might just perhaps have to switch back to Nintendo, because Xbox has become too much of a hassle for me.