Oscar 'Ozzy' Lusth

ciriefan

Insided odcinek 2

Best and Worst At Challenge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxHRePiFL5s

Ozzy analyzes his tribe's performance at the immunity/reward challenge

"I thought everyone did really well in the challenge. I was more surprised in Elyse than anyone."

(cut)

"Elyse was able to sort of step into a key position, literally. She was the one who operated the lock and key. She did it with poise and did it with grace. She did impress me. She impressed me that she actually stepped in and she wasn't worried about her ability.I thought that was pretty cool."

(cut)

"For me the challenge was great because I saw my tribe, the strong part of my tribe, come together really well. It also gave me an opportunity to see how people were working together, and who really is strong. Two things to say about that - Cochran is still our weakest link."

(cut)

"Cochran was able to pull through, but all he had to do was sort of run around a pole with his loop. You have to criss-cross over and under, over and under.It's not that difficult. I know he's nervous and he loves the game, but his own worst enemy is himself."

(cut)

"The bottom line is that in challenges so far, he hasn't been able to perform. It's the way it goes sometimes."

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 4:

Bathing Suits & Duel

Ozzy reveals the advantages of swimsuits and the disadvantages of going to the duel.

"New bathing suits are a huge deal. Having the opportunity to change out of my stinky-ass underwear that's getting all ratted up and dirty, and getting a new bathing suit, man, feels so good."

(cut)

"The other part of Treemail was we had to choose 2 more people to go to Redemption and watch the duel. I don't think anyone was that excited to go."

(cut)

"Luckily Jimmy and Cochran sort of stepped up, and they decided to go watch the duel, and see Papa Bear take his exit from the game."

(cut)

"The whole thing with going to the duel, it's really two-fold. The first part is..."

(cut)

"It's more of a hassle to be away from camp just for the pure strategy of it. With Jimmy and Cochran gone from camp, everyone took a breath was able to relax. The vibe around camp was really nice. Jimmy's sort of a workhorse, he's always doing something, he's loud, he's boisterous, he's always sort of in people's faces, even if he doesn't mean to be. Having Jimmy and Cochran gone really changed the dynamic of the camp. That's the whole thing about leaving. The group gets a sense of what it's like when you're gone, and if they like that, you'd better watch out."

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 5 - 2 filmiki:

I'm in Control

Ozzy admits to feeling in control of his tribe

"As far as my alliance goes, and what's happening around camp, yeah, I feel like I'm in control. I feel like I can call any shot I want to, whenever I want, at this point. Keith and Whitney will listen - and Elyse - will listen to whatever I have to say, and do what I have to say, for the most part. It's not as simple as let's do this, and they'll do it. I have to sort of plant the ideas in their head, and they'll think about it for a while. They'll basically do what I say in a more removed sort of way. At this point, yeah, I'm totally and completely comfortable where I am."

(cut)

"I know Elyse is going to be an important part of this if we can keep our tribe strong enough to keep her to the end. Elyse will be a good solid vote for me. She'll be eyes on everything for me. Jim can be that way. I'm still not sure how much I need to trust Jim, but he's a pretty solid guy, and I know he wants to make it to the end. I think if it comes down to it and I need to blindside him, at least he will respect that."

(cut)

"Moral of the story is I just need to win immunity and not worry about it. That's the perfect situation, the perfect world. But I feel really good about it. I feel like my tribe is really starting to come into its own."

(cut)

"I feel like they're gelling. They're really becoming a tribe. I feel like they're becoming my tribe."

Two Ounces of Pig

Ozzy is not happy about losing the immunity/reward challenge

"Well, we lost the challenge today, by two damn ounces of pig. It's so annoying. They've got the biggest, fattest mouths. They're like damn ogres. Their mouths are huge compared to ours. And to lose by two friggin' ounces, it's unbelievable. We were so close. I had the pig in my mouth at the very end. I had the whole pig in my mouth. It's just what happens in this game. You lose, you lose, even if it's like a little bit. I chipped a tooth, I slightly dislocated my jaw, my lips are all jacked up. When I go into a challenge, I give it 100% or I don't play. I play as hard as I possibly can, and sometimes I feel like there are certain people on the tribe who don't. But that's the way it goes. Tonight there's gonna be one less mouth to feed, gonna be 6, a strong number, easy to catch a lot of fish for 6 people, easy to stay strong with 6 people, but it also puts a giant fire under your ass. You can't lose, really, after that. You don't wanna lose. You can lose, but it makes it really difficult to stay strong after the merge. We got our work cut out for us as a tribe. We're gonna lose one last really weak player, I think we're going to be really strong after this. I don't see them beating us in any other challenge, but I say that every time we lose, so..."

(cut)

"It hurts so bad. It's like losing to a bunch of rejects, as far as I'm concerned. I don't think they work very well as a team. I know there's some division within that group. Obviously they have strength on their side, but we beat them in one challenge already. I think this challenge today just shows that you've gotta just give it everything you have in challenges. It's a fight to the death, and to lose another person, it makes it even more difficult to get to the end. I just hope my tribe realizes if we give it all we've got - and I think there was that 2 ounces my tribe lacked, obviously there was, but we could have won this challenge today. We could have. I don't know. It's the way this game goes. Last year, Rob took 6. If you can keep 6 together, it's a great number. I really believe the Savaii 6 could be...sounds good, rolls off the tongue, Savaii 6. If we can hit the merge with that or knock 'em down a couple more, we've got a great shot."

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 6:

I'm a Dare Devil

Ozzy describes the best reward yet in the game.

"I'm a daredevil at heart. Anything that's slightly dangerous, I love. So diving off the rocks into a pool that's only 8 feet deep is a great break. There's nothing to dive off of here, and it's one of my favorite things to do in the world, to dive off high things into the water. It just gives me a rush. It makes me feel like myself again. Scrambling up rocks. It just brings me back to who I am, and gives me confidence I do have what it takes to win this game, I just have to take it day by day."

(cut)

"You know if you ever came to the South Pacific and you tried to go to the Sliding Rocks, it'd probably be full of people and there'd be kids all around. We had it to ourselves. We could just enjoy this picturesque, scenic, amazing place all to ourselves. Sliding down these rocks. Fresh water."

(cut)

"Fresh water after 16 days of salt, it's like heaven. You can actually run your fingers through your hair, wash off all that crud. Your skin actually feels soft, it doesn't feel all gritty and nasty. It was just beautiful. Best reward yet. I can't tell, I can't say enough how amazing this game is sort of unraveling up to this point."

(cut)

"This game got off to a great start and we got off to a great rhythm. We still had to go to Tribal Council, but we went to Tribal Council with the right challenge, for the right reward. We won the first challenge, then we had to go to Tribal Council the next time. We lost Semhar, time after that, we won. We won a great reward. We've been winning and losing and winning and losing, but we've been winning and losing at the best, most strategic, most opportune moments. We've won the best rewards, and we've lost the people we didn't need up to this point. This game for me has been unfolding in a very perfect and picturesque way. I hope we can continue this role."

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 7:

Hardest Loss

Ozzy explains why this was one of the hardest challenge losses yet in the game.

"The challenge seemed like something right up our alley. We did really well, until the last leg, when calamity struck, and Cochran blew it, basically. Something as simple and elemental as unclipping a couple, pushing them aside, and clipping in Whitney and I, he couldn't handle it. I don't know what the hell happened; obviously I was blindfolded, so I couldn't see what happened, but somehow, he couldn't complete the simplest task, which is unclipping, and reclipping."

(cut)

"They won the challenge. All because one person couldn't unclip and reclip a stupid clip."

(cut)

"Because Cochran is like a little child out here when it comes to the challenges. He freezes up. He can't perform. Something happens. It's a mental block. He's doing it in his mind but his body just freezes. He's like <does> like a fricken' CD skipping. It cost us the challenge, and it's a shame, cause we could have won that challenge very easily. I already had a strategy for how to do the maps. I know how the Survivor game works. Obviously two masks are gonna be in the same pouch. The two masks will go separate. It was almost done. If I had had literally 20 more seconds I would have been able to complete that puzzle. But we didn't have 20 seconds, because somebody blew it for us. It took me an astronomical amount of time to complete that last leg, because I was fighting the rope the whole way there. It was dragging. For me, this is one of the hardest losses we've had, just because we should have been able to do it, and because one person dropped the ball, the whole tribe has to suffer."

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 8

Feeling Good

Ozzy is proud of winning the first individual immunity challenge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdpbdYg5PlM&list=SL&feature=sh_e_se

"First individual immunity, and I'm feeling very, very good. Honestly, I could have done that challenge for another half-hour at least. I was just starting to get into my groove, just starting to get my arm - I started to sweat a little bit, but my arms got past that achy sensation. I could have held out for a while longer. I'm so excited to be at this stage of the game, into the individual immunities, because regardless of what happens with the tribe, I trust myself and have enough confidence in myself to know I can win individual against most of these people in most challenges. I'm feeling very confident, and I'm ready to go on an individual immunity run. It's something I've been waiting years for, and there's nothing that's gonna stop me now."

(cut)

"Today couldn't have been a better showing of, I don't know if you wanna call it luck, or what. The fact is we needed to have individual immunity for not just me, but for a woman as well. We were hoping and praying it would be an option today, and sure enough, man and woman individual immunity. I took it and so did Dawn. It puts us in a great position in terms of odds, especially since I have the hidden immunity idol sitting in my pocket. The odds are in our favor to stay as a tribe after tonight."

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 9 - 2 filmiki:

Redemption is a Blessing

Ozzy talks about the positive side of Redemption Island.

"When I lost that challenge, I pretty much knew I was headed back to Redemption.Tribal Council, no surprises, I got voted out, and here I am, back at Redemption."

(cut)

"Can't really do much about it, just try and enjoy my time here. There's a lot of really good fishing, a lot of good fruit. The beach has a solitude about it that's better than being with a bunch of people who are trying to figure out ways to scramble behind each other's backs and stab each other in the back, even if they say they're doing it in an honorable way. We'll see if it's actually honorable as people start filtering through to Redemption."

(cut)

"The old Savaii tribe is no more. We've been dissolved. Keith and I are here at Redemption. Jim and Dawn and Whitney are still in the game, and Cochran...Cochran doesn't belong to anybody, but..."

(cut)

"The fact is that one of us from the old Savaii tribe can make it to the end, make it through Redemption, and sit next to 2 Upolu members, they'll win the game. They will win the game. So, Redemption Island can be looked at as a blessing and as a curse. Yeah, we've got just about 2 weeks out here. If I can make it through all the duels, I've got about 2 weeks out here. It's not that long. Matt, from last season, I can't even imagine being by yourself for 30 days, well, with a few people coming in and out. Matt did it, and I have mad respect for him now, now looking at it and seeing what he actually went through."

(cut)

"Redemption Island for me, I'm looking at it as a blessing. I'm looking at it as a way to get to the end of the game without having to do too much backstabbing, which is gonna happen to Opolu, I guarantee it. Someone's gonna have hurt feelings when they end up being voted out when they didn't expect to. That's what I'm counting on. I'm counting on winning duels- it's duel or die, really - and making it to the end. If I can do that, or if anyone from the old Savaii tribe can do that, they've got a damn good shot at the money. That's where I stand right now. Just trying to keep sane and keep happy here at Redemption."

Ozzy's Big Fish: Extended Scene

This is an extended scene of Ozzy bringing in the biggest fish that he has ever caught.

(day 23)

(various scenes of Ozzy exploring underwater)

Ozzy (solo): I just got to Redemption last night, and this is my first chance to go explore the reef. The reef out here is magnificent. Where the reef drops off, it drops off probably a solid 20 to 30 feet, and then from there it just goes straight down. The tide rips out really hard in big waves, but that's where you get BIG fish hangin' out.

(Keith sitting in the shelter)

Ozzy: Keith! (shows the fish) Biggest fish I ever caught. We're gonna be eatin' well tonight! We're gonna be eatin' well right now and tonight.

Keith (solo): That's the biggest fish I've ever seen speared off the Hawaiian sling. It's so difficult to hold onto a fish; they're so strong, so powerful. (Keith tells Ozzy it must weigh 15 pounds) I'm so happy he made it back, and I couldn't believe he made it back with the size of the fish that he did.

(they cook the fish)

Ozzy: Sushimi on Survivor.

Keith: Look at that. (pointing at fish being chooked)

Ozzy (solo): Fish. (waves the piece he's eating>)
Ozzy: We got some eatin' to do!

Ozzy (solo): Definitely the biggest fish anyone's speared in this game. Maybe the biggest fish anyone's ever caught in this game. Absolutely chock full of meat. We got two solid filets off of it.

(shots of them eating)

Keith: Freshest fish I've ever had.

Ozzy: Me too.

Ozzy (solo): I think this fish is more nutritious and better than our merge feast.

Keith: This is cooked like, perfect.

Ozzy (solo): I'm happy to be here, I really am. I wish I were in the game, but I'm just as excited to be here.

Keith: Well, we got cast out, and I miss the tribe (?), but we're doing well, man.

Ozzy: I wonder what they're eating today. 10 people waiting for a chicken?

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 10:

Suffer Without Me

Ozzy is happy that Te Tuna is probably suffering without him bringing them food.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfGRZuAfI3I

(in meditative pose at the beach)

"I'm gonna eat my heart out while I'm out here. This is like a pit stop for me. It's like a vacation away from the game where I can refuel, rejuvenate. I don't know why I was so bummed to come out here in the first place."

(cut)

(eating)

"I wasn't, really. I just like those individual games. <chewing> But this way I don't have to feel bad about fishing and sharing with people, or fishing and not sharing with people. This way, I don't even, like, separate. I'm out here to fish for myself, do my own thing, get strong, go back to the game, and kick some butt. Let them suffer without me. No coconuts, no food. <puts> Ooh, man."

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 11:

My Allies Are Gone

Ozzy is the last of Savaii tribe still in the game

"We've reached the stage of the game where all of my allies are gone. Literally, all of my allies are gone. I don't really feel that bad about it though. You make allies in Survivor so that they'll vote for you in the end...usually. I made great friends, I made a great alliance, I had a great tribe, and yeah, I had to pick them off one-by-one in the duels, but now I've got 4 people sitting on the jury who will vote for me if I make it to the end. So..."

(cut)

"On the one hand, it's sad to lose your allies at this stage of the game. It's nice to play with them to the end."

(cut)

"But if you keep your allies to the end of the game, sometimes it can cause a lot of problems. Getting rid of my allies at this point in the game, not really to my own doing - it was because of somebody else totally that they are gone. We all went into the duels trying to win, but I went into the duels knowing if I beat each and every one of them, I almost secured a full jury I need to get the million dollars."

(cut)

"For me, getting rid of my allies in the duels serves much more of a purpose than just getting further in this game. It serves the end of this game. That means I will win a million dollars if I can get one more jury vote, or if a vote splits here or there. If I make it to the end, I've got 4 solid jury votes. So I just need to make it to the end. Day 30, 9 days left. I know I can do this. I can do this. I just wake up and tell myself every single day, it's not that much stronger, I just have to keep doing what I'm doing, getting stronger, swimming, exercising, making sure my mental state is calm, cool, collected. I'm really humbled by everything. I enjoy being out here, and I'm trying to soak it all in because if I make it through Redemption I only have a few more days out here. I love it out here. This has been one of the best experiences of my life, by far. To have it coming to an end is a bittersweet feeling. Yes, I want it done, I want to be through with the game, I want to say I've done the best job I possibly could and come away with a feeling of completion. At the same time, letting go of such an amazing experience and seeing it slowly come to that end, it's hard. I really love it out here. It's amazing. It really is amazing. I never thought I would really enjoy Redemption as much as I do. It's given me so much, and I haven't even finished playing yet."

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 12 - 2 filmiki:

12 Days on Redemption

Ozzy marks his twelfth day on Redemption Island

(day 32)

(Ozzy carves into a tree)

Ozzy: I'm just marking my personal calendar at Redemption. This has been the eleventh night, of my twelfth day at Redemption here. Let me make sure. (counts marks on tree) Eleven nights. Day twelve here at Redemption. One week left in the game, yes! I always thought I'd make it this far, but it's been such a struggle just to get to this point that I'm really grateful to be here. It's day 32. It's my twelfth day at Redemption, I'm just about to pass Christine. I even carved my initials into the machete because I feel like this machete is now mine. I feel like taking it with me when I leave Redemption and go back into the game. Good machete.

There's A Reason Why

Ozzy explains why he chose Coach, Albert and Brandon for the loved ones visit.

"There's a reason why I chose the people that I did, coming out today. Coach was definitely one of the people I wanted to choose."

(cut)

"If Coach is a man of his word, like he says he is, he wants to take me to the final three. I have to believe him, a little bit, but at the same time, I'm not going to believe it fully. I'm going to do everything I can to win every single challenge so it's not left up to chance. I didn't come 31 days, I didn't bust my ass on the reef, I didn't leave blood, sweat, and tears that have scraped up against my body, I haven't tried so hard this whole game to leave it up to somebody's word. I am going to put myself in the final 3 by myself. If someone wants to help me, that's fine by me."

(cut)

"People are looking at me and seeing the path of destruction I've laid in the duels, and they've realized I'm a fierce competitor and will not be beaten. Coach, in his way, he might be thinking if he gets to me now, and says he wants to take me to the final 3, then if I actually win immunity the next 3 times, or 2 times, then I will take him to the final three. And that's a possibility - I would love for me and Coach to duke it out in the final. But at this point, I'm just thinking day-by-day. I'm back on Redemption, thank God, I squeaked out of that one, barely made that duel happen, and now I'm here..."

(cut)

"I really wish it was one of my family that was here. It's really hard to see everybody else get to talk with each other and get to live it up. But at the same time, these are people that could be sitting on the jury, and these are the people that could possibly be looking at my good graces. They could possibly vote for me."

(cut)

"All I have to do now is make it 8 more days. 8 more days, baby. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It looks so sweet."

(cut)

"I just need to keep it together and keep it calm, and not have any close calls like I did in the last duel."

(cut)

"Cochran almost beat me, and that to me is a pretty scary wakeup call. I'm gonna let everybody do their family thing and I'm gonna look like the great guy."

(cut)

"I'm really doing everything I think is strategically right, and I'm also doing everything my heart tells me is right. There's a reason I didn't choose Edna, Rick, and Sophie. I don't see them lasting in this game."

(cut)

"Brandon and Albert on the other hand, I think they are people that might possibly change their vote. I'm just trying to secure as many votes as possible right now, even though I'm fairly confident in the 5 I have. I'm just playing hard, playing hard. Every single day, I'm playing hard."

ciriefan

Insider odcinek 13 - 2 filmiki:

100 Days on Survivor

Ozzy reaches his 100th day on Survivor while on Redemption Island

"It's an amazing feeling. I've gotten to 100 days playing Survivor. It's an amazing feeling."

(cut)

"It's not even that I've been able to survive on my own for 100 days, it's that I've been able to survive with people I don't necessarily like or enjoy for 100 days. The last 14 have been the best. I've spent 2 weeks now on Redemption Island. For that to be bringing me into the 100 days I've spent here on Survivor is a great feeling, it's magnificent. I know there's only a few people who have done it, and I'm really proud to put my name on that list."

(cut)

"When I first made it onto Survivor, on Cook Islands, I really didn't think I would last that long. The fact that I made it 39 days surprised me. The second time I was on Survivor, in Micronesia, I was taken out early, but I always thought I would be back. I never even dreamed I would make it to 100 days."

(cut)

"To make it this far really is special, and I've enjoyed every single last minute of it."

(cut)

"It's 100 days and counting, my journey on Survivor, but it's not over. I still have plenty of game left. My goal is to make it 105, day 39, and sit in front of that jury. If I can get there, if I can make it - and I know I can - I just have to keep telling myself and visualizing that feeling of sitting in front of a jury. I know I can make it. If I can, my journey would have come full circle. I could do everything possible I wanted to do in this game. Knowing that feeling, that's what fueling my fire at this point, that's what's motivating, that's what's giving me the energy to keep on going. Knowing I have some tasks that remain unfinished in this game, and I want to complete them. I want to, for once in my life, really have finished something. I've started lots of projects and it's something I have a hard time with, is finishing things. If this could be something I finished, it would mean so much to me, it really will."

Ready to Get Back

Ozzy is ready to get back in the game even though he enjoys Redemption Island

"I've been on Redemption for more than 2 weeks, gone through 7 competitors, and I want some more. I want at least 1 more competitor, and I want to get back into this game. Maybe it'll be 2 competitors, maybe it'll be 3 - it doesn't matter. I'm here to put people out of this game. I'm here to get farther in this game. However many it takes, it doesn't matter to me. I could spend the next 5 days, 6 days here on Redemption Island, and that would be totally be fine with me. That would actually be ideal - I'd love to stay here. But my time on Redemption Island is going to come to an end, and as each day gets closer to that end, I seem to enjoy it more and more."

(cut)

"Redemption has really become home to me the last 2 weeks, and as much as I love this home - it's a beautiful home and I have nothing but a fond, very very special place in my heart, this place has taught me so much not only about myself but about my skills and my abilities and what I have to really offer this world. As much as I love this world, I am ready to move on, and to move past Redemption back into the game, and to the end goal, which is to be the sole Survivor."

(cut)

"Redemption is a funny place. It's not only given me a second chance, but this is the second time it's given me a second chance. I've had my torch snuffed already twice this time - that's enough for me. I'm ready to get back into the game and become the sole Survivor."

ciriefan

Wywiad z Ozzy'm:

Question: You won fan favorite. Do you think the reaction has been even more positive than ever before for you?

Ozzy: Definitely, it was palpable. I felt it like – it was a pretty incredible experience. I didn’t win the show or the monetary reward but I won something even better – pure love. I felt so much love from the audience and from people who supported me. The money would have been really nice, but it would have been another challenge.

Question: You voted for Sophie, right? Was part of your thinking that she was ultimately the one to take you out?

Ozzy: Oh yeah, definitely. I had to give respect to that. She beat me in that last challenge. She gave it all she had and she rightly won that challenge. She played a great strategic game as well.

My mind was not made up going into the jury vote. I really wanted to give it to Coach because I knew how hard it was for us to make it. Coach let me down in that final Tribal Council. I tried to lob him softballs. I beat Albert up and beat Sophie up. I wanted Coach to be honest with himself and all of us in that he didn’t play an honest game. Even though he tried, he should have owned up to the fact that he played a great game and didn’t play honestly.

Albert and Sophie were smart to use Coach as a shield. Sophie made a lot of strategic decisions and she kept things from falling apart. She was a physical force in the challenges. I had to give her the respect she deserved. She was the only one standing between me and the million dollars, I had to give her that.

Question: It seemed like you were doing well in that final immunity challenge. What happened?

Ozzy: It was because I knew it was a million-dollar challenge. The irony was that I was playing to win the game and when I started thinking about possibly having a million dollars, that’s what really ruined it. My mind just went completely blank. I was absolutely useless. If it had been another point in the game, I would have owned that puzzle. I was so far ahead, there was no reason I shouldn’t have walked away winning that challenge. I couldn’t shut down my mind.

I had a great run on Redemption Island and was eating well. But I was physically and mentally exhausted. It finally added up and I couldn’t make it happen. It was like a basketball game and I had to make a three-point shot at the buzzer and I just missed.

It’s such a weird irony. I had such a good time out there, I had so much fun. It was such an amazing gift. The first couple times I played, I was amazed at the talents I didn’t even know I really had. It really solidified that feeling to me, being out there and knowing I could depend on myself when the whatever hits the fan.

Question: You called Sophie a spoiled brat. Can you give some specifics on why you felt that way?

Ozzy: We didn’t have much chance to interact with each other so the impressions I got from her, the fact that she didn’t want to hear anything I had to say about any strategy or even my personal life, made me think that. She did sleep a lot and went through a rough time and I judged her on that and what other people told me as they came through Redemption Island. I made a judgment about her that was inaccurate.

Sophie and I are very similar in a lot of ways. We get along great and I think she’s a friend of mine now. When you’re out there in the game, you become a different person. People you would normally get along great with – if you don’t meet them outside the game, you don’t get along and you despise that person. As soon as the cameras stop rolling and you’re not fighting, you become a person again and you can see them for the people that they are. When you’re a competitor, it changes things.

Brandon was such a different person in the game. Try to be more yourself and be the guy we all have come to love outside the game. You were playing with an idea of who you should be and all you have to be is yourself.

Brandon jumps in: I don’t think they’re ready for the real Brandon!

Question: Your relationship with Cochran was a big factor. What can you say about that?

Ozzy: I think the relationship between Cochran and I was a determining factor in his decision to flip. More so it was his relationships with those in his alliance. I never had an alliance with him because I knew he was a liability.

I never treated him poorly. I wanted to vote him out because I felt he was a physically weak player. It was purely a strategic move, not about his character. You want to have the strongest tribe possible. In hindsight, I should have taken him under my wing and lied to him. But I felt like he was still a liability. He knows the game better than anybody.

Cochran is a very, very, very smart person. His mind gets in the way of what he does. He thinks way too much and can’t react. Elyse may have been physically weak but she didn’t hesitate and she could move in the right way she was good in challenges. It comes from playing sports. He thought a little too much – actually a lot too much. He was looking for an opportunity to make a big move or be a double agent or flip when he needed to. I knew that would probably happen.

Question: You’ve been backstabbed in the game. How do you go from taking it personally to just being able to view it as that’s what you have to do?

Ozzy: Just practice. You gotta get stabbed in the back and go home a few times for it to get easier (chuckling). I’ve been betrayed numerous times in this game.

At the same time, you have to leave it at the door. It’s not a personal thing. It’s just people playing the way they think is necessary. I think one of the values Brandon added to the game is that we tried to play a little more upfront. Actions speak louder than words. Coach couldn’t talk any more about using integrity, but his actions didn’t follow that. If he had been more aware of that, he would have won the game. I just wanted to hear him say, “Sorry, I had to manipulate you to get where I am. The honesty and integrity only went so far.” That’s all I wanted him to say.

At the same time, I think I played one of the most honest games anybody’s ever played. I didn’t screw anybody over. The only thing that could be said was I tried to get Cochran voted out, but he knew that. I wasn’t dishonest about that. I think you can play in an honest way – it’s really, really, really difficult to win that way. But you can do it. We’ve set the bar a little higher for other people to go in and play the game and really show there is another way to play this game. Survivor is still gonna be around the next couple years here and there are opportunities for people to make the game really cool.

Question: You came into this season with a reputation of being one of the best challenge competitors. Did you feel pressure to live up that?

Ozzy: Of course. That goes without saying. I don’t think that pressure is what contributed to the final failure at the very end. Really, the fact is the money on the line was too much pressure to me. I hope there is some grand design but I think subconsciously I didn’t want to win for whatever reason. I could have done that puzzle. I just went totally blank. It hasn’t haunted me as much as I thought it would. I had a spectacular time out there and I really feel proud of what I did. The million dollars would have been nice but it’s just money. Money comes and money goes. I’m going to make my million dollars the old fashioned way.

Question: Early in the game, when your tribe voted out Elyse, you referred to yourself as a free agent. Had Cochran stayed loyal, would you have had a free agent mentality or stayed with Savaii?

Ozzy: I would have stayed with Savaii until we had taken all of Upolu out. That’s the smart way to play Survivor. That’s something Cochran should’ve known when he flipped. The chances were that he would still be seventh out. Coach could’ve made a very strong case in the jury if he had taken Cochran and Edna – I think it would have been hard to vote for Cochran or Edna. Coach would’ve won the game. It’s a perfect example of what Coach did that undid him. He promised something to Cochran and didn’t live up to it. Honesty and integrity is how he wanted to play the game but it’s not the way he played the game. He needed to be honest with himself about it.

Question: Would you go back?

Ozzy: I’d have to have a really good reason. I’m not saying I wouldn’t, but there would have to be something to prove again. I know I didn’t win the game but I put a damn good effort forward and played a really great game. I’d feel bad if I came out of retirement as just kind of mediocre. I’d play if it was right, but there’d have to be a good reason.

frasiek

https://youtu.be/05YQVpmXrIo?t=2m19s