Hi jury! Ok I can honestly say I NEVER expected to make finals in this season. There were so many big names and power players and I figured I would be blindsided before the merge.

I started off being invited into an alliance with CK, Ethan, Shaniqua, and Darcy but this posed a problem for me. My fratmate and friend Jake was not included in this alliance so I knew I would eventually have to betray them and go with him. My opportunity came pretty early when Jake approached me about blindsiding CK. He had done some research and it looked like CK and Ethan would likely have a final 2 deal so we needed to break them up. We got Andy, Darcy, and Shaniqua with us and blindsided CK which pretty much officially marked the beginning of a turbulent and unpredictable season.

At first I thought I was totally SCREWED by the tribe swap. Number one because Minidude was OBVIOUSLY flipping which put me Darcy and Andy in the minority. And number two it was a few days before I was moving across the country so I knew I wouldn't be able to make the next few tribal immunity challenges.

Mini and the other Watamu threw the challenge and got rid of Darcy. We then lost the next challenge and it looked like Andy would go but he was able to get Corey and Casey on our side to vote off minidude. Meanwhile, on the other tribe Jake was blindsided which sucked for me because he was my intended final 2.

The beginning of the merge was extremely tough for me. That was during the time I was flying to LA and shopping for stuff for my new apt and moving in. I literally didn't have even a second to access a computer to play the first bunch of individual immunities. So I knew I would need to make some deals and be strategic in order to make it far.

I reconnected with Ethan (at that time he seemed to be the leader of the majority but that turned out not to be true). Unfortunately Andy was voted out and Shaniqua wasn't talking with me a lot anymore so it seemed like every man for himself with my old alliance.

A surprising blindside of Ethan took place in which I realized that Andrew had actually been running this game the whole time. He immediately became my number one target but ALWAYS had immunity lol. So I decided "if you can't beat him join him." I voted off Shaniqua with them and then Mike.

By now I was FINALLY settled into my new apartment and got my wireless internet turned on so I was able to show up to the last 3 immunity challenges. I performed as well as I could but was not able to secure immunity at final 5. However my deals with Andrew and later on Jeremy paid off and Casey was voted off instead of me.

By this point I had a fake final 3 deal with Andrew and Jeremey, as well as fake final 2 deals with each of them individually. I really intended to win the next two immunities and take them out and bring Corey with me to finals since he didn't seem to do much this game.

At final 4 Jeremy won immunity and luckily Andrew was such a big threat that he was voted out. At final 3 I KNEW I needed to win this immunity or I would get third. I WERKED that challenge (that final scramble was HARD) and secured my place in final 2 and took Corey with me!

So before everyone shits on me. I WILL acknowledge that my participation in challenges was lacking, but the ones I played in I was pretty good at (especially the final challenges which I won!). Please don't take this to mean I didnt care about this game. I was constantly checking my phone to make sure all my deals were in place. I believe strategically and socially I positioned myself EXTREMELY well this entire game. I was NEVER the number one target of a vote because I always made the right decisions in who to ally with and how to vote.

I hope you guys can forgive what I lacked physically and reward me with the win for my strategic and social game! Thanks guys. I am happy to answer any and all questions.

Hello Jury

First off, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for making this experience as great as it was.  If you 7 weren't in this game, I don't know if I would've had as good of a time as I did.

Going into this game, I was going to use a strategy that I had never tried before. When I play other group games, I am usually a power player who captains an alliance far into the game.  Unfortunately, this usually gets me voted out in the jury phase. This time, I wanted to sit back a bit and let everyone eat each other alive.  I wanted to know what was going on at all times but not let anyone else figure out I knew everything that was happening.  Basically, I wanted to be in power without ever appearing to be in power, and anyone who came close to figuring me out had to go home ASAP.  To help with this act, I had to appear as though I was not a threat to anyone, which I took as far as throwing multiple individual immunity challenges. I wanted people to think I could be taken out at any time and for the most part this worked perfectly.  For example, when we had the rate your tribe challenge, I was voted as the person who least deserved their spot in the game.  Well, that was exactly what I wanted you to think. I wanted people to perceive me as weak so that I could flip the game in my favor on a moments notice.  I also wanted to follow the motto of survivor; outwit, outlast, outplay, and I believe I did that perfectly.

Outwit: I outwitted by constantly being the swing vote at tribals. I always decided who would go home in tight votes and when I was the target, I placed the target on someone else with my strategic abilities.

Outplay: Most people think outplay means winning challenges.  Sometimes, this is true.  However in my case, outplaying means that I could do whatever I wanted and people would overlook me.  I made it to the end without winning a single immunity challenge. Very few people can do that in survivor, but it is a testament to how I played this game.

Outlast: I outlasted by always overcoming the odds and taking advantage of the opportunities in front of me.  On my original tribe, I was in an alliance called No BS, which was lead by Wangifold.  After he went home due to the tribe switch, the alliance fell apart. Instead of being the next in line and dying with my alliance, I adapted to my surroundings and outlasted until the end.

I know you've been waiting a long time to ask Dave and me questions, and I assume that some of you are pretty pissed off, but let it be known I will answer all of your questions to the best of my abilities and I will not back down from my actions this season. I give Dave the best of luck, and may the best person win.

Shoutout to my buddy Nathan (Dryerfish) for helping me win the final challenge by posting on my blog!!! :)

Both speeches have been posted! I will now unleash... the jurors...

>:)

Ok, guess I'll go first.

First off, grats to you both, I guess you both deserved to get here *shrugs*

Corey, first off, I think your "strategy" worked a little too well. I don't remember one thing you even did in this game, honestly, except follow Ryan around at first, then when we merged, you followed me and Jeremy as we controlled the Watamu alliance. The only time you were a swing vote was probably when I got you and Casey to vote out Mike? Idk, maybe not, but it never actually crossed my mind that "OMG COREY NEEDS TO VOTE WITH US OMGGGGGG".

My question to you: Can you remind me of something you did on your own? Like, I want full details on this too. If you don't convince me, then no vote, nope.

Dave: Honestly, the only reason you're here right now is because I saved you from leaving at the Final 6 AND the Final 5. I guess you could say because you were trying to look non-threatening and hiding behind allies, but face it, you would've lost had I not saved you. That may be a bit harsh/egotistical of me, but I honestly believe it.

My Question for you: How could I honestly vote for someone that was only saved because of a miracle? Why does Corey's "UTR" game deserve to lose over your's?

Congrats again.

Can we ask questions now?

Yes.

Corey- Why did you choose this strategy? And, if you weren't here right now, who would you rather have standing in your spot?

Dave- Saved MANY times, brother. Give me some reasons why I should vote for you, and how voting out certain people improved your strategic gameplay.

@Andrew

My Question for you: How could I honestly vote for someone that was only saved because of a miracle? Why does Corey's "UTR" game deserve to lose over your's?

Well I wouldn't say I was saved by a "miracle." I was saved because of how you perceived me in the game. I never said I tried to play UTR. Not being able to show up to a lot of challenges just made me seem weak. And when it was down to me as the only Baragoi left I played it up. I am actually pretty good at challenges. But yes I do certainly acknowledge I wouldnt be here if you hadnt saved me. That's just facts. I just think I had some influence as to why you chose to save me for two votes.

I believe Corey deserves to lose over me because I was constantly making deals and working out my strategy whereas I think Corey went with the flow and barely planned ahead.

@Andrew, a move I made on my own was getting rid of Jacob pre-merge. In the tribal before, andy and dave came to me and begged me to save darcy and vote out Jacob. I refused because I knew Jacob had no allies and would be loyal to me if I saved him.  After Darcy was voted out, Jacob got very cocky about his position in the game.  At this point, I made a decision that Jacob would be more of a liability than an asset, so I got rid of him.  It was my vote that caused the tie vote and on the re-vote, I convinced all of my allies to vote him out and he was unanimously voted out.  This was a great move in the game because either way, I knew whoever went home, their departure would benefit my game.  If we lost another challenge, I still would've had the numbers on my tribe to control who went home.  I hope that answer satisfies you.

Dave- Saved MANY times, brother. Give me some reasons why I should vote for you, and how voting out certain people improved your strategic gameplay.

I don't think being saved many times is a bad thing. Every vote I was in the minority I was able to work out a deal that would save me. I didn't just sit by and let the game happen to me.

I think the blindsides I was apart of that most helped my game were CK in the very beginning and Andrew at the end. They were two HUGE threats to me making finals and me winning.

Sorry that was @Casey

Alright, thank you both for your answers, they were both good ^_^

@Dave, now that I think about it miracle seems like an over-exaggeration awks.

Thanks Andrew lol

1/7 jury votes received.