LAST EDITED ON 04-12-12 AT 06:32 AM (EST)
Michel,
Thank you so much for putting me in my place. Shall I leave immediately? Or may I wait here for the Season to end?
But for now, let's just say that I asked the question of Pepe because I think highly of his skills. However, the question itself is a recurring one for me. To explain:
I worked for several years with a gentleman who maintained that Cassius Clay/Mohammad Ali was the greatest heavyweight of all time. I, on the other hand, having watched every bit of footage that I was able to see live (or on film) of Ali - and of Rocky Marciano - maintained that Marciano would have shrugged off the best that the kid from Louisville had to offer, taken the ring away from him and dropped Ali by the seventh round.
But, because I was merely a boxing fan and he was a student of the sport, my friend always won the argument. And he usually - finally - shut me up with his encyclopedic knowledge and detailed analyses of the career histories of Marciano's and Ali's opponents. And those analyses were a major factor in his conclusion that Ali came to his championship over a much more difficult path.
'Even if you could know which of the two would win a match between them', he said, 'the result of one fight wouldn't be the answer to the far more complicated question.'
So, because I am just a fan of Survivor, I asked a student of the game a question that I thought appropriate to his comment. It wasn't intended to be Kim-specific and I apologize if it appeared to be. I wanted to, and should have, asked:
'If you ranked Sole Survivors only by the quality of the opposition to their win - to include, but not be limited to, the native intelligence, mental and physical stamina, athletic skills, social acumen and determination/dedication of the Season's other players - would your list look the same as it does now?'.
In other words, I was interested to know how much, or little, weight, Pepe gives the matter in reaching his conclusions.
For instance:
I've watched Palau to One World. And although he certainly isn't my favorite winner, I think that, within those Seasons, Aras faced the stiffest opposition to his victory.
Marciano (asked if he could have defeated Ali): "I'd be conceited if I said I could, but I'd be lying if I said I couldn't."