Post by thiago on Aug 4, 2013 10:11:44 GMT -5
Well, it’s time for one final pitch. It's my last post of the series, and it comes with a heavy heart but also a sigh of relief. I hope you all take the time to give me one last chance to sway your opinion, whether you think I'm a fake, heartless person or not. I was the last to post my opening, so I think it’s only fair that I post first.
I’m truly exhausted after 4 months of playing this series. Thank you Justin very much for all of your time and dedication into making something fun for all of us to participate in. I hate to echo Russell Hantz, but I feel like “I’ve been playing one game, but for a looooong time”
I was scolded earlier by one of my competitors here for not being polite and publically wishing both of them good luck, although it had been done privately in IM, so I would like to correct this mistake and publically wish both AJ and Knox the best of the luck. I think you are both great people and if this were a popularity contest, I’d vote for either of you well before I’d vote for myself.
I think that there’s no need to rehash the moves I’ve made in this game and bore you with any more details. I think that my game was very straightforward and consistent: avoid elimination, align myself with people I would trust and control, and allow my instincts to guide my course and predict how others would play. Although I didn’t know many of you when this game started, I did my research during those 2 weeks we had between GVSE5 and GVSE6. I read all of your confessionals and assessed all of you much like I did at the beginning of last season, for those of you who were PWs last season may remember. Information is power, and I used it to manoeuvre my way through the intricate spider webs of past relationships present in this game. I don’t have any of your phone numbers, there was no texting from me, no phone calls from me, and no “snap chatting” from me. I played with the cards that I was dealt and I’m proud of the strategy I implemented this season, although the things I did in this game did not always jive with the person I am outside of this game and I can say that with the utmost humility. I’m not able to spend hours on the phone with someone, grow close to them, and then vote them off. I can admit that I am a coward in that respect, and hiding behind a computer screen makes it easier to do, but I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses, and if I grew to love any of you, I wouldn’t be able to play the way that I did. I played this game to win, and I wasn’t going to do anything that would limit my ability to do that.
In real life, I’m not a villain, but in this game, I was. I’ve come to accept that it isn’t possible for me to succeed in a game of this nature without being a villain.
The criticisms I have heard tonight about my game are warranted, and I accept what you have all had to say. I’m not a victim by any stretch, as I knowingly preyed on players that viewed themselves to be innocent, but as you’ve seen tonight, AJ and Knox can doll up their answers with glitter and rainbows but they cannot scrub off the blood that has stained their hands, often at the cost of having trusted me.
AJ and Knox may argue that they played a smart strategic game, but to me it’s the road less travelled: their retelling of the path they chose at this judgment does not match the actuality of the course they took. They played a fearful game, running around every time a bigger, badder player set their sights on them, scurrying away like rodents on train tracks. Like a child with a gun, they shot every time they heard a bear growling in the woods, but didn’t know how to aim. Often the last person in their ear influenced their decision the most, which is why I would always make it a rule to be online within the last hour of voting deadlines to essentially babysit. Their biggest mistake was trusting me, and allowing me to carry them to the end and use their votes to eliminate my biggest competition: their closest friends.
I’m going to approach this closing in a bit of an unorthodox way, and use comments that you and others have said about me over these past 4 months to close off my argument.
Tonight, I’ve been criticized for being playing a poor social game.
Ben on the jury last season: “like I feel like being social WAS Thiago's strategy, and he used that. But he didn't actually have strategic plans, it just kinda turned out that way because he was social? Meh”
Chad on the jury last season: “Thiago, I think this is your game to lose. And I think most of the jury will agree. Your social gameplay was absolutely amazing, everyone loved you, and knew that was completely dangerous, and yet none of us moved forward to take you out because we just loved you so much.”
It’s not coincidence that my social game was very different this time around, and that’s because it had to be adjusted. If I played the same social game last time, you all would have gotten rid of me the minute you had the chance, much like everyone wanted to take out Ellen anytime she was not immune.
Using words some of you yourselves have said about me, if I played the same social game as last season, would you have let me slide by?
Colleen: “I'm all for Thiago winning. I think it will be a crime if he doesn't!” “Thiago is so impressive lol”
Luca: “Thiago is a the biggest snake in this game and she blindly trusts him.” “Thiago basically has this game in the bag now.”
Dominic: “Thiago amazes me and I'm glad we found a new pic of him for his obvious placement in all stars”
Cassie: “She thinks she is like a puppet master when Thiago has been the actual puppeteer this whole time.”
Ellen: “If Thiago makes it to the end and doesn't win I'll honestly feel let down at this point. I think he's played the most masterfully and the hardest.”
I had to overcome these opinions that were present less than 14 days before this game began. Two months later, and I’m still sitting here.
In the words of Cassie, “This is a selfish game. We're playing Survivor here. The jury is not here to vote for the most honest person or the person who hurt people's feelings the least. This is All-Stars.
I’m here to crown the best of the best. The winner of this game will be a figurehead for the entire Good vs Evil Series, and we the jury are not taking that responsibility lightly.”
If this is true, members of the jury, do you believe that these comments that have come from you during this Final Judgment process are worthy of this crown?
“I give credit though where credit is due, regardless of how slimy you were, you played the hell out of this game.”
“I do think out of the three you have played the best game and it's amazing for a previous winner to make it to the end again. Kudos to you.”
“I believe you have the best raw capability as a strategist”
“I am amazed that you are sitting here again.”
“I know how much we relied on you to make decisions about idols and the votes during the critical rounds of the merge. I know that it was you calling those shots, and I tried to warn people of that. But you did too well at getting people to forget about you. Well done.”
“Let it be said here and now that Thiago and I were bounds ahead of anyone trying to "convince" us to work together”
“It’s no secret that you’re a strategist and all this other stuff”
“I think you used your relationships superbly in maneuvering yourself to where you are. Hurt feelings or not, it's all part and parcel.”
“However, I continually find myself impressed by you in terms of gameplay.”
“That’s using me as a tool for your own game.”
“I don't mean in terms of manipulation, that you excel at”
“I think this is just another feather in Thiago's cap really.”
“It was brilliant. Fucking brilliant.”
I implore you to think about how we finish this series off, and when we look back on it: who do you want to see be the final winner of this series?
The End has arrived.
I’m truly exhausted after 4 months of playing this series. Thank you Justin very much for all of your time and dedication into making something fun for all of us to participate in. I hate to echo Russell Hantz, but I feel like “I’ve been playing one game, but for a looooong time”
I was scolded earlier by one of my competitors here for not being polite and publically wishing both of them good luck, although it had been done privately in IM, so I would like to correct this mistake and publically wish both AJ and Knox the best of the luck. I think you are both great people and if this were a popularity contest, I’d vote for either of you well before I’d vote for myself.
I think that there’s no need to rehash the moves I’ve made in this game and bore you with any more details. I think that my game was very straightforward and consistent: avoid elimination, align myself with people I would trust and control, and allow my instincts to guide my course and predict how others would play. Although I didn’t know many of you when this game started, I did my research during those 2 weeks we had between GVSE5 and GVSE6. I read all of your confessionals and assessed all of you much like I did at the beginning of last season, for those of you who were PWs last season may remember. Information is power, and I used it to manoeuvre my way through the intricate spider webs of past relationships present in this game. I don’t have any of your phone numbers, there was no texting from me, no phone calls from me, and no “snap chatting” from me. I played with the cards that I was dealt and I’m proud of the strategy I implemented this season, although the things I did in this game did not always jive with the person I am outside of this game and I can say that with the utmost humility. I’m not able to spend hours on the phone with someone, grow close to them, and then vote them off. I can admit that I am a coward in that respect, and hiding behind a computer screen makes it easier to do, but I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses, and if I grew to love any of you, I wouldn’t be able to play the way that I did. I played this game to win, and I wasn’t going to do anything that would limit my ability to do that.
In real life, I’m not a villain, but in this game, I was. I’ve come to accept that it isn’t possible for me to succeed in a game of this nature without being a villain.
The criticisms I have heard tonight about my game are warranted, and I accept what you have all had to say. I’m not a victim by any stretch, as I knowingly preyed on players that viewed themselves to be innocent, but as you’ve seen tonight, AJ and Knox can doll up their answers with glitter and rainbows but they cannot scrub off the blood that has stained their hands, often at the cost of having trusted me.
AJ and Knox may argue that they played a smart strategic game, but to me it’s the road less travelled: their retelling of the path they chose at this judgment does not match the actuality of the course they took. They played a fearful game, running around every time a bigger, badder player set their sights on them, scurrying away like rodents on train tracks. Like a child with a gun, they shot every time they heard a bear growling in the woods, but didn’t know how to aim. Often the last person in their ear influenced their decision the most, which is why I would always make it a rule to be online within the last hour of voting deadlines to essentially babysit. Their biggest mistake was trusting me, and allowing me to carry them to the end and use their votes to eliminate my biggest competition: their closest friends.
I’m going to approach this closing in a bit of an unorthodox way, and use comments that you and others have said about me over these past 4 months to close off my argument.
Tonight, I’ve been criticized for being playing a poor social game.
Ben on the jury last season: “like I feel like being social WAS Thiago's strategy, and he used that. But he didn't actually have strategic plans, it just kinda turned out that way because he was social? Meh”
Chad on the jury last season: “Thiago, I think this is your game to lose. And I think most of the jury will agree. Your social gameplay was absolutely amazing, everyone loved you, and knew that was completely dangerous, and yet none of us moved forward to take you out because we just loved you so much.”
It’s not coincidence that my social game was very different this time around, and that’s because it had to be adjusted. If I played the same social game last time, you all would have gotten rid of me the minute you had the chance, much like everyone wanted to take out Ellen anytime she was not immune.
Using words some of you yourselves have said about me, if I played the same social game as last season, would you have let me slide by?
Colleen: “I'm all for Thiago winning. I think it will be a crime if he doesn't!” “Thiago is so impressive lol”
Luca: “Thiago is a the biggest snake in this game and she blindly trusts him.” “Thiago basically has this game in the bag now.”
Dominic: “Thiago amazes me and I'm glad we found a new pic of him for his obvious placement in all stars”
Cassie: “She thinks she is like a puppet master when Thiago has been the actual puppeteer this whole time.”
Ellen: “If Thiago makes it to the end and doesn't win I'll honestly feel let down at this point. I think he's played the most masterfully and the hardest.”
I had to overcome these opinions that were present less than 14 days before this game began. Two months later, and I’m still sitting here.
In the words of Cassie, “This is a selfish game. We're playing Survivor here. The jury is not here to vote for the most honest person or the person who hurt people's feelings the least. This is All-Stars.
I’m here to crown the best of the best. The winner of this game will be a figurehead for the entire Good vs Evil Series, and we the jury are not taking that responsibility lightly.”
If this is true, members of the jury, do you believe that these comments that have come from you during this Final Judgment process are worthy of this crown?
“I give credit though where credit is due, regardless of how slimy you were, you played the hell out of this game.”
“I do think out of the three you have played the best game and it's amazing for a previous winner to make it to the end again. Kudos to you.”
“I believe you have the best raw capability as a strategist”
“I am amazed that you are sitting here again.”
“I know how much we relied on you to make decisions about idols and the votes during the critical rounds of the merge. I know that it was you calling those shots, and I tried to warn people of that. But you did too well at getting people to forget about you. Well done.”
“Let it be said here and now that Thiago and I were bounds ahead of anyone trying to "convince" us to work together”
“It’s no secret that you’re a strategist and all this other stuff”
“I think you used your relationships superbly in maneuvering yourself to where you are. Hurt feelings or not, it's all part and parcel.”
“However, I continually find myself impressed by you in terms of gameplay.”
“That’s using me as a tool for your own game.”
“I don't mean in terms of manipulation, that you excel at”
“I think this is just another feather in Thiago's cap really.”
“It was brilliant. Fucking brilliant.”
I implore you to think about how we finish this series off, and when we look back on it: who do you want to see be the final winner of this series?
The End has arrived.