If the jury got it right, then why did Russell, in his interview, say ... "Erik Cardona told me he made a mistake on the vote. Brett Clouser told me he made a mistake on the vote. Kelly Sharbaugh said she made a mistake. And I got two votes -- that's five right there. "

Interview is found here

Regarding the social game,

Reality TV World: Unlike Natalie, you had said that you were worried that Mick might actually be able to beat you in the jury vote. Why was that?

Russell: How come he didn't get any votes? He had a social game and he did way more work at camp and he was better at physical play. But he didn't get any votes. That's because the girls got together at Ponderosa and they wanted to vote Natalie. They didn't want a guy. Natalie was the one they wanted out of that group.

Found in the same interview.

Also, Russell says, "People say I didn’t play a social game. I had a huge social game – I had Natalie on my coattails. I had Mick, Jaison, and Shambo following me."

The above was found in this interview

He also comments in that interview, "...It broke my heart when I found out I didn’t win. I played so hard. I was so focused. I wanted that title. I didn’t get it. The girl that did absolutely nothing. She says her best move was to go talk about Erik. That was my decision – I told her to do that and she did what I told her to do. Her best strategic move was to jump on my back."

And he said, "I played that game with all my heart and soul. I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to win – I can read read people, that’s what I do. Even still ,when they said Natalie won, it broke my heart. I knew she won but I took it so serious."

(Bold is my addition).

I understand that Russell is bitter, and I believe he's not bitter over not winning the money, his bitterness is not getting the title "Sole Survivor".

There are so many people on that jury he disrespects (because they voted with their hearts and not their heads), but he's not the only one who was critical of the jury ...

RNO: Former contestant Eliza Orlins tweeted that this was the worst jury ever.

Also in an interview he said, "I knew the only people that would vote for me was John Fincher, because he's a strong man, and Shambo, because she's a strong woman."

I get the impression a lot of people don't like Russell because he tells them a harsh truth rather than sugar coating it. He makes people feel uncomfortable, and weaker people want to be comfortable, even if they are living a lie. I understand his position that it takes a strong person to take strong medicine ... and it is a game after all. He's not the only one that took it seriously, he was just serious in a different way. Many on that jury were serious about having their fragile egos hurt, and they reacted with their votes.

As far as the interviews go, I tend to believe Russell ... because he was there ... I wasn't, and neither was anyone else on this thread. Therefore I'll choose to believe Russell over any of the speculating spectators here ... and I am a speculating spectator.

Nope, I'm not going to jump onto Michels coattails on this, even though I have great respect for his passion for and his knowledge of "Survivor".