Brad's Answers to Heidi

Hey Heidi.  Good to speak with you again.  Let me get into my response.

As for the comment about loyalty, I just explained this in my response to Christy.  Neither were ultimately loyal to one another.  Both JP and Brandon voted for one another at the end of the game.  Their loyalty was ultimately to me.  I wanted the Final 3 to be this way because I wanted to prove I could play a strong strategic game AND be loyal to my original allies, and well, I feel like I accomplished that.

I also want to address your comment about how JP seems to stand out the most.  I understand WHY this is the case, but I think I need to explain why appearances are deceiving in this particular case.

JP has played like a million games at FGC.  Like legit lol.  He is a great person and a great player, I won't take that away from him.  He has played games with pretty much all, if not all, of Tambaqui before, whereas I had played games with very few of you.  JP's FGC reputation precedes him in that respect.  He is going to be regarded as a threat because you all know of him from other FGC games.   If you actually analyze this game specifically,  JP really hardly did anything to set himself out of the pack.  He was indeed a big part in the Final 10 move, but he played an equal role as I did, and that's something that he and I can both agree on.  I'll be interested to see his answers to Christy's questions, because while he played smart, he never set himself apart with any game moves to advance himself.  

As most older FGCers can attest, I too have played my fair share of games at FGC.  And hell, I think I did pretty well for myself.  I had a reputation of being a strong player and often a leader, but that reputation definitely died away because I rarely play games (especially at FGC) anymore.  That certainly doesn't make me any less deserving than someone like JP.  I have had just as strong of a gaming reputation as Jordan, but the fact that he still played at FGC much more recently will obviously make him stand out as a bigger threat.  There is a reason that some cast members on Heroes Vs. Villains were more threatened by people they remembered from the recent seasons as opposed to the people from the early seasons that they hardly remembered.  We all know JP CAN be a strong player, and to some extent he was here.  But when you really analyze how the game played out, was JP ACTUALLY the strongest player?  Was JP the player that strategically influenced the game the most?  In my opinion, he wasn't, but that is something ultimately for you and the rest of the jury to decide.

As for your question, it's simple.  For one, I was the one that chose the Final 3 rather than the Final 2 because I won the Final 4 Immunity Challenge.  But ultimately, I didn't choose a Final 2.  So, if I had I won immunity, who would I have chosen? (hypothetically if I HAD chosen a Final 2).  Well, the answer is quite simple.  I wouldn't have won immunity.  I would have done one of my signature Mike moves where I know I am completely 100% safe and ultimately thrown the endurance challenge.  Endurance is not my forte, and if I'm definitely going to the finals, why try?  Brandon said as much to me when I was debating.  He told me that I am definitely going to the end if I choose Final 2.  It would ultimately come down to whether Brandon or JP won the final challenge.

So why choose a Final 3 then, you ask?

Well, this move was a calculated risk.  Had I chosen a Final 2, I would have been indirectly breaking my word to either JP or Brandon (the person who lost the Final 3 Immunity Challenge).  That person would likely go to the jury bitter at me for allowing them to be voted off whenever I could have chosen a Final 3.  That would have been a jury vote that would have not been in my favor.  Also, had I broken my loyalty to either of them, that would somewhat defeat my entire argument about being loyal to my original allies.  I had a vision of the Final 3 I wanted from the beginning, and I worked to get that Final 3 to be a reality.  If I had chosen a Final 2, I would have indirectly broken my word and sent a previously trusted friend and ally to the jury with no intention of voting for me.  Sure, there is a less statistical chance at this moment that I will be the sole survivor, but I think that my stealthy (yet aggressive) game play paired with my loyalty to JP and Brandon exclusively is a much stronger argument and game move than choosing a Final 2.  So again, it's a risk, but a risk that I think is ultimately in my best interest.

Anyway, thanks Heidi!  Good luck in your decision.