LAST EDITED ON 07-07-11 AT 10:38 PM (EST)It basically strikes me as an excuse twist. If pairs are nominated together and saved together, then a single remaining partner can't be put up on the block until things split back to every hamster for themselves -- which, at a really wild guess, will happen when there's ten left. So those survivors are going to be safe until that stage no matter what happens, as long as the gameplay format remains stable. And if they thought about it for a few seconds, they might realize that. In real cage time, some of them likely already have.
But depriving them of HoH and Veto chances -- well, as said before, HoH frequently breaks down to 'the power to go home next week', so there's an argument to be made that you're better off not fighting for it. Veto, though -- that's a stinger. That's removing the power to play vizier to this week's temporary royalty. And that's a problem.
ETA: Does the ban on key-holders playing in all competitions extend to food and luxury? We already know the Have-Not idiocy is back, and if you Have Not A Partner...
And one major mistake all the newbies are making: why do they think the boomerangs won't see each other as the greatest competition?