The Apologia for Cochran is amusing.

I'm tired of the whole "your beloved Ozzy" meme being thrown around as an insult -- and it seems to always come from the pro-Cochran/anti-Ozzy people (and I'm pretty sure the anti-Ozzy feelings is what lead to the pro-Cochran viewpoint). Every single person on this board who "likes" Ozzy from a player standpoint admits that they do -- yet, the pro-Cochran/anti-Ozzy fans pretend they are completely unbiased.

The fact is, my recognition of Ozzy being able to walk the walk instead of merely talk the talk when it comes to challenges & providing food for his tribe (unlike, say like a Coach or Cochran who are nothing but talk ) doesn't mean I'm so head-over-heels for Ozzy that I can't see straight. Both FP & myself have stated, time & again, that Ozzy had a negative edit pre-merge until the 2nd half of episode 6.

The main problem for the pro-Cochran/anti-Ozzy people is that we were also able to see that the alleged "winners edit" that it was claimed Cochran was getting wasn't one -- at best it was a journey edit; at worse it was a villain edit. Yet we get raked over the coals for that even now when we've basically been proven right that we were just "too pro-Ozzy to see that Cochran had the winner's edit."

Furthermore, the fact that I'm not going to unrealistically tax Ozzy with being a psychic with Cochran isn't due to any "liking" I have of him. Cochran was 100% on board with the plan of Ozzy going to RI to "keep Savaii strong" and Ozzy asked him point blank after merge when they were discussing the votes if "everyone was sure about this."

And, people can play with semantics all they want and claim Cochran was never "saved" but the fact that someone is a secondary beneficiary instead of a primary beneficiary of a move (i.e., Jim lobbying for the Semhar & Elyse boots instead of Cochran for his own game and Ozzy volunteering to got to RI in Cochran's place for the "tribe" not specifically Cochran) does NOT equate to Cochran not benefiting. He wasn't exactly voted out, was he? It is pure pretzel logic & ingratitude on Cochran's part to claim otherwise. But he's proven himself ungrateful, so it isn't a surprise.

Furthermore, where is this "Ozzy mistreated Cochran" b.s. coming from other than vague accusations from Cochran -- who has proven himself to be a liar? We certainly didn't see it -- wanting to cut the weakest physical player pre-merge isn't "mistreatment" no matter how much Cochran whines about it. I saw Ozzy saying, very kindly, in his vote against Cochran at the Elsye boot TC "I hope you get that second chance, dude." Not such tough words from a guy who is mistreating you, IMO. (Recap on same episode where Cochran called Ozzy a "little b!tch" btw). I also say Ozzy step up & relieve Cochran from going to RI because he was too scared to face a middle-aged woman there. Gosh, what a monster! HOW could he have done that to Cochran!?!?! As for Jim calling Cochran a coward -- well, considering he was the only other Savaii member at risk if PROD had come into play, I think he had standing to make the accusation. Besides, the truth isn't "bullying."

Now, OTOH, we did see Coach treat Sierra like a dog in Tocantins and literally push Edna to her knees at the last tribe IC and we did see Brandon mercilessly & unfairly bully Mikalya for no other reason than he found her attractive, but now the pro-Cochran/anti-Ozzy people want us to see Coach & Brandon as the "great guys" who are "standing up for the poor little victim Cochran?" No thanks, I'll believe my lying eyes.

And how can anyone like Ozzy, someone asks? How can anyone NOT? Because, as I said, he has proven that he can stay calm & perform under pressure at challenges (and win) and has proven himself LOYAL to his tribe since Cook Islands, to FvF to this season (that's "walking the walk"). No one ever claimed his game was "perfect" because he does rely too much on "trust" and not enough on strategy (although he won the car & lost by only 1 vote in Cook Islands for the sole reason that some jurors thought he was "too young & irresponsible" for the million, which was b.s., as without him, there would have been no Aitu4 at merge).

I honestly believe that these kinds of questions, however, belong on Fanatics or Bashers, not here in spoilers, because really, what right does anyone have to question it here?