LAST EDITED ON 09-20-16 AT 06:42 PM (EST)

Let’s not get too full of yourself...don’t expect the Nobel Committee to show up on your doorstep to award you the Peace Prize. HaHa!

You hit on a valid point that players need to advance to the stage of the game where they’re able to ride the horse they came in on, whether it be going on a challenge run or being a puppet master, i.e. Derrick to bring home the victory. Most of the time it is the result of being on a solid tribe/team early on. Mike along with his Blue Collars was able to accomplish that. A perfect example would be last Survivor winner Michele who managed to find herself on strong tribes where she never even saw TC until AFTER the merge!

Yes Mike had a HII to play, yet I regard successfully playing a HII a “second opportunity,” especially when it is blatantly clear and obvious to the castaway they would have been a goner at that TC without it. Or at the very least it should be a “wakeup call” to that leopard that perhaps it should change its spots...but very, very few do.

Former winners other than Mike successfully played a HII when they would have been booted, not change their approach, and eventually go on to win in the end. Tony’s use of idol(s) extended his game...he stayed the same old Tony...yet collected his million dollar check on Finale Night.

In BB both Boogie and Rachel were given second opportunities for a more favorable outcome. Boogie was the same old obnoxious Boogie and Rachel was the same old “nails on the chalkboard” Rachel. And despite not changing their spots they finished up quite well their second times around.

As I've always contended, I never regarded it as a conscious decision to purposely stay the same person or play the same way...more a case of you are, who you are, who you are.