Mike's FTC Speech
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 7:27:08 pmHello jury.
I'll open this by saying this game was nothing like I expected. The rivalries, the constant doubt and self-doubt, and seeing people I knew or liked getting eliminated - it was exhilarating and unnerving in anticipation of what would happen next. And to be in the F3! I'm thrilled to be sitting here now. And it's a result of everyone here - I loved and am thankful to have played with all of you. However, that doesn't mean I will apologize - I believe with all my being that I deserve to be sitting here, and as a result, I'm not going to "say sorry" - I played to win.
Entering this game, I originally wanted to play both sides of the fence. My plans were cut short early by being ranked last in the trust rankings. I never felt safe after that, not only being outed as the seemingly easy target but forced to tread carefully in paranoia of early game alliances. (Right after this happened, an alliance was supposedly made consisting of everybody who wasn't in the bottom 3.) Determined to make things work, I talked with everyone active on the tribe, conversations evolving into strategy and eventually creating the solid alliance of Grant, Stephanie, David and myself. Grant and I talked strategy constantly and we had much of the game mapped out, such as a plan in case a swap happened.
Come the merge, I was voted against at the very first tribal, and many times I was either voted or told I would be targeted, such as the tribal Kristina got voted out which was supposed to be me. (I won immunity that day.) I/Grant suspected Ralph had voted against me the first merge tribal (I was later told this was incorrect, but there's no going back) and I told some of the Nama alliance I was on the bottom (mentioning the first majority alliance of Ovambo), flipping with them and voting Ralph to relieve the target on me and to flush his idol which we suspected he had for a long time. Following that, I stood with my Ovambo tribemates, knowing Grant would likely get targeted before me from his unlucky swap and early immunity wins, though following the tribal where Grant was voted out, I was constantly targeted and told I'd be voted all the way to the end due to my refusal to flip.
I firmly believe my best course of action was to stick with the people I knew, since following Grant's vote, the battle became a numbers game. I've gone to rocks twice. Did I play flashy? No. However I'm sitting at the end with two people in the alliance I originally created.
Overall I believe I deserve your vote and the title as "Sole Survivor" because I feel I overcame the obstacles in my way, even though I was set up for failure. From being ranked the lowest on the trust rankings, to being targeted day 1 of the merge, to being targeted or told I would be gone next if I didn't flip, and yet still remaining true to my original alliance.
I'll open this by saying this game was nothing like I expected. The rivalries, the constant doubt and self-doubt, and seeing people I knew or liked getting eliminated - it was exhilarating and unnerving in anticipation of what would happen next. And to be in the F3! I'm thrilled to be sitting here now. And it's a result of everyone here - I loved and am thankful to have played with all of you. However, that doesn't mean I will apologize - I believe with all my being that I deserve to be sitting here, and as a result, I'm not going to "say sorry" - I played to win.
Entering this game, I originally wanted to play both sides of the fence. My plans were cut short early by being ranked last in the trust rankings. I never felt safe after that, not only being outed as the seemingly easy target but forced to tread carefully in paranoia of early game alliances. (Right after this happened, an alliance was supposedly made consisting of everybody who wasn't in the bottom 3.) Determined to make things work, I talked with everyone active on the tribe, conversations evolving into strategy and eventually creating the solid alliance of Grant, Stephanie, David and myself. Grant and I talked strategy constantly and we had much of the game mapped out, such as a plan in case a swap happened.
Come the merge, I was voted against at the very first tribal, and many times I was either voted or told I would be targeted, such as the tribal Kristina got voted out which was supposed to be me. (I won immunity that day.) I/Grant suspected Ralph had voted against me the first merge tribal (I was later told this was incorrect, but there's no going back) and I told some of the Nama alliance I was on the bottom (mentioning the first majority alliance of Ovambo), flipping with them and voting Ralph to relieve the target on me and to flush his idol which we suspected he had for a long time. Following that, I stood with my Ovambo tribemates, knowing Grant would likely get targeted before me from his unlucky swap and early immunity wins, though following the tribal where Grant was voted out, I was constantly targeted and told I'd be voted all the way to the end due to my refusal to flip.
I firmly believe my best course of action was to stick with the people I knew, since following Grant's vote, the battle became a numbers game. I've gone to rocks twice. Did I play flashy? No. However I'm sitting at the end with two people in the alliance I originally created.
Overall I believe I deserve your vote and the title as "Sole Survivor" because I feel I overcame the obstacles in my way, even though I was set up for failure. From being ranked the lowest on the trust rankings, to being targeted day 1 of the merge, to being targeted or told I would be gone next if I didn't flip, and yet still remaining true to my original alliance.