The Robfather

it should be 4th and 1

"We want the ball and we're going to score!"

It's short!

Field Goal time

I got no problem with religion and remembering Favre's dad, but yeah, the announcers are laying it on a little too thick.

One last chance for Seahawks.

Not sure how much you can believe what Jonny has to say, but it is an interesting read... link Every Thursday night, a few million wrestling fans watch WWE wrestlers recite their signature catch phrases. For the past few months, nearly 20 million viewers every Thursday night have been watching Jon Dalton, a/k/a Johnny Fairplay, spout off the wrestling catch phrases of Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Razor Ramon, and others. Fairplay has been deemed by numerous media outlets the most villainous and devious heel ever to play Survivor. A lot of people wonder if reality TV is worked like pro wrestling is. Some former cast members have made accusations and filed lawsuits claiming the contest isn't on the up-and-up. In this "Torch Talk" with Fairplay conducted Dec. 18, he talks about the manipulation through editing by producers to create certain characters for the show and addresses rumors that even more of the show is worked for the sake of TV ratings. He also talks about the reactions of the producers and his fellow castmates to his obsession with pro wrestling. Wade Keller: How did being close follower and participant in the wrestling industry over the years influence how you approached the game of Survivor going into it? Jonny Fairplay: Survivor is basically a game of faces and heels. As far as TV time is concerned, cutting heel promos guaranteed me more airtime than anyone else. As far as strategy in the game, good backstage workers like Triple H were definitely inspirational in how to manipulate others and get the things that you want. Keller: I know some people watch Survivor and think that contestants should have a code of honor even in the attempt to win a million dollars because you're living with these people for 39 days. It seems you went in there thinking this whole thing is for television so you would say or do anything to get the money. Is that how you approached it? Fairplay: I approached it as a gameshow as far as the rules were concerned. The only two rules in Survivor are you can't attack another player and you can't conspire to split money in the future. Those are the only two rules. The motto is "outwit, outlast, outplay." By outwit, that means lie, cheat, and steal - pull a Latino Heat (laughs). Keller: At any point while you were in the game, did you get the feeling other people in the game looked at a lack of honesty as as much of an affront as they would have outside of the game of Survivor? Or did everyone accept everything was fair game even if you surprised them with how far you were willing to go with the deception? Fairplay: Out there you know that everything is fair game. I think I changed the way the game is played in the respect that I was more malicious than any other survivor before. As a result, people became more malicious than they would have otherwise ever been. I brought out the worst in people. I mean, there was so much they didn't show. I mean, I hid our food i the woods for 12 days. I wouldn't tell people where they were until after tribal council. People would burn other people's clothing when they went to go get wood. They'd throw it in the fire and say, "I don't know what happened to it." Producers said they had never seen more hatred between players than they did this season. And I'm happy about that. (laughs) Keller: Do you think at the reunion show on Sunday that everybody was past any hard feelings and saw the game for what it was, which was just making good television, or do you think absolutely there was strong resentment toward people, especially toward you, for how the game was played? Fairplay: I think everyone gave me credit for being the best Survivor player of all time. Anybody who has been interviewed going into the finale of the reunion special had said that. As far as ill-will, the only ill-will is by Lil and that is something she has to live with. I'm not losing any sleep over it. Keller: She has ill-will toward you? Fairplay: She's crazy. She's absolutely nuts and no one really liked her there. I noticed that a lot earlier than anyone else. That's why I continued to carry her along. But post-Survivor, she hates me and I kinda don't like her for screwing up my (chance at the prize) money. Keller: Being part of the show and then seeing the show on television, do you think there was strong manipulation to create certain images that were deceptive or were an unfair representation of what happened? Or was it such a good portrayal of reality that it was practically a documentary? Fairplay: I think the only person who was really portrayed accurately was me. I mean, I was about as evil as possible. But obviously people liked me in that I was there that long. Some of the more harsh things I said were done in the one-on-one interviews that nobody else heard. Those were just heel promos for me. No one liked Rupert. We're sitting there watching this show and they're like, "Rupert, America's Favorite Survivor." I mean, we all hate Rupert. There's a reason he didn't make it past the halfway mark. They created that character. Burton became really evil toward the end. We were hand in hand in doing some of the most ruthless things ever in the history of Survivor. However, his character was that of an all-American. The editing was done in a way to not jeopardize that. You never saw how evil Burton became. Keller: So the producers wanted a clear delineation between him as the babyface and you as the heel of your pairing? Fairplay: Yes. I was cast as the villain. Burton was the all-American. Rupert was the pirate. Darrah is the quiet Southern girl. I mean, Darrah talked all the time. She talked about chocolate chip cookies and a boob job, but she talked all the time. They made it appear as though the girl never said a word. Like Tijuana, she cried every challenge she didn't win. She would cry for like 30 minutes. But they portrayed her as a strong black woman. Everybody had a role and the editing is done to make sure that that role is portrayed. Keller: Do you think there was a portrayal of people that was so different from reality that it wasn't even close to being a documentary of what happened on the island, or do you think it was more a case of oversimplifying people's characteristics and excluding things that contradict their oversimplifications. Fairplay: It's a little bit of both. I mean, the fact that no one liked Rupert I think is a huge editing ploy. They created America's Favorite Survivor. Rupert was not. The guy lost his temper on a daily basis. It was only shown once, him losing his temper, and the only time that was shown was with me. He lost his temper to the girls, everyone. The guy has mental problems (laughs). Keller: Do you think the TV show turned out the way anybody who was part of the cast who lived through the experience expected it would? Fairplay: I sat there everyday and said, "Next show, they're going to show this on the show." And the next day I'd say they‘re going to show this. Everyone was like, "You have no clue what they're going to show." Then I received calls the entire season from the other Survivors and they were like, "You predicted every single exact thing they were going to show." I said, "Look, I know what would make the best TV. As a result, I knew what they were going to show." For instance, at the tribal council with me being drunk, the other Survivors said there was no way they were going to show that. I guaranteed they were. They didn't show the fact that I actually fell off my stool, but I had a very clear idea of what they were going to show. There were other people in denial, thinking they were going to have much more airtime. I told them, "You know, you're not that entertaining. You're not entertaining to me on this island, I don't think you're going to be entertaining to 25 million people." Keller: Do you think if you had never followed wrestling that you would have been as accurate at pinpointing what the producers would decide would most resonate with the viewers? Or did your background help? Fairplay: Sure. Absolutely. The wrestling background was huge. When I had my own promotion in Portland, Oregon, I produced, wrote, edited, directed, I did it all. I knew the things to take from that and I just carried it over. Keller: Do you think that the producers of Survivor are deceptive or hiding anything significant about how that show is created or produced as wrestling promoters did for decades in the 1900s where they wouldn't want the secret out? Or do they have nothing to hide? Fairplay: No, they are monitored by the FCC like the movie Quiz Show. Like with the fish thing. I was convinced that maybe one of the producers had thrown out the fish to create animosity. I talked to a producer about it. He said, "We don't have to do anything to mess with you guys. You guys are insane. If we did anything, it would probably make you guys less crazy. There'd be no point in it." They are governed by the FCC, so they aren't doing anything that would jeopardize them or cause huge fines or lawsuits. Keller: Do you believe any of the accusations made by other cast members in previous seasons that there was manipulation by producers, or are those just sour grapes? Fairplay: Definitely sour grapes. It's not worth it to them. And they have no reason to. If they really wanted to manipulate the game, Sandra would not have won the game. Lil would not have been in the final two. I was responsible for every person I had the chance to throw a vote against being eliminated from that game with the exception of Burton and myself. Unless I work for the producers (laughs). Keller: How did you originally get cast for Survivor? Fairplay: I had just gotten through having sex with my buddy's girlfriend and I was on my way to pick him up. We stopped by a gas station and she went to get gas and I went out to go get a soda and I was on the soda on the corner waiting for her to finish and the casting director drove by and locked up her brakes and got out of her car and she was like, "Do you mind if I ask you a crazy question?" I was like, "You're hot, why not?" She asked if I ever watched the show Survivor. I said, "No, they're a bunch of losers." She said, "Well, I'm the casting director. Would you be on the show?" I said, "No, probably not." She goes, "Well, I'm offering you a 1-in-16 chance at a million dollars." She told me I'd be perfect. I said, "Tell me something I don't know." She said, "That's it, you're on." Keller: What was it about you that got her attention? Fairplay: I had a pretty cool L.A. look. I was rockin' with 0 camouflage pants, a 0 t-shirt, a stocking skull cap, and had the blond curls coming out and the big blue eyes. It was the Cally Boy look. After meeting me and seeing all the arrogance, she was like, "Oh my God, this guy is great TV." Keller: Did any other members of Survivor get cast that way or did they all send in applications? Fairplay: Yes, myself, Christa, Burton, Shawn, and Nicole. Keller: Is being cast off the street something they don't like you guys to talk about since so many people send in tapes. That seems to make the show seem a bit manipulated if they're actually casting certain types of people for the show off the street without letting that be known? Fairplay: The problem is they receive 80,000 tapes every season and the problem is they bring these people in for interviews and they have nothing to say during the interview. They ask what they do for fun and they say, "I don't know, I play softball." Then two minutes of silence. They figure if they can't entertain them for three minutes, what makes you think you deserve an hour of our time a week on television. A lot of people who take the time to do those tapes are just really geeky people and it's just really difficult. You don't want to do the show with someone who's going to be scared to death of the camera. When you see someone is beautiful or larger than life or exciting, that's the person she wanted on the show. People get upset about it. But, you know what, if you're exciting enough, they're going to see your tape and pick you. I mean, the sad fact is out of 80,000 tapes, they only found 11 people. Some of these people applying are fat and in front of their keyboards more than they are out living life. That person would make for a horrible athlete and a boring person. Keller: Do you think others besides you performed for the cameras even at the exclusion of their chance to win because they wanted to be stars more than they thought they could win the money? Fairplay: Yeah, Shawn spent more time making sure that his buff looked good on his head and concerned with how his hair looked and all that than actually playing the game. As a result, people hated the guy. They couldn't stand him because people thought he was doing Survivor just to get his girlfriend back who left him for another guy. As a result, the guy was portrayed as an idiot on the show and he was trying to do the exact opposite. I think it was hilarious. The cameras didn't bother me at all. I didn't even notice them. My biggest problem was not paying attention to the cameras in that my language was just so bad that after the first day they told me nobody is going to know I'm on the show because every other word was "f---." At the same time, I was always cutting jokes. When I was doing Ric Flair impressions, I was getting across some stuff I wanted to TV-wise but at the same time, I was also entertaining the rest of the Survivors. They didn't want to get rid of me because I was an entertaining guy and they were bored as sh-- every minute of every day. Keller: How boring is it out there? Fairplay: That's the reason I was on it as long as I was. Most people show up and they have two stories because most people don't have really exciting lives, so they tell these two stories over and over again. And by day ten it's like, "Shut the f--- up. I know! You went to the store." It's just boring lives. I've led one of the most exciting lives of anyone I know. I mean, I've done some pretty amazing things. I tell these grand tales of wrestling or the L.A. club scene. I've been able to do some crazy stuff. Going to the Players Ball at the Pimp of the Year Awards with Roddy Piper. That's a crazy story. I have a crazy story for almost every day that I've been alive. Every day I was their TV. They hated my guts, but at the same time they'd probably slit their wrists if they had to sit there and listen to Darrah talk about chocolate chip cookies and boob jobs. Keller: How did the other castaways respond to you being a wrestling fan? Did they want to hear stories or did they think you were just a big geek? Fairplay: I was scared in the beginning to talk about wrestling. I know the stigma that pro wrestling carries with most people. It wasn't until maybe day two or three that I mentioned wrestling to a couple of people and they loved it. Christa emailed me right before the episode where I voted her off and she was excited to see what I had to say when I wrote down her name. She said, "You wasted Razor Ramon on that dumb bitch Michelle." She got Ric Flair so she was pretty happy about that. But it got to the point where even if you weren't a wrestling fan, they just wanted to hear stories. Some of the wrestling stories are some of the most incredible stories out there anyway, so it didn't matter if it was wrestling related or not. Plus, when you are talking about something you really feel passionately about, it makes for a better story and you want to be as entertaining as possible. Keller: How many good solid wrestling stories did you have? Did you have a new one for every day? Fairplay: I probably had ten new ones for every day I was there. Keller: Did the producers and castmates know you had aspirations to work for WWE before the show was over? Fairplay: One of the questions during the Loved Ones Challenge when I said the grandma lie, one of the questions was "What would be your person's dream job?" I wrote, "Work in wrestling." My buddy Thunder D wrote: "Work for the WWE." And Jeff Probst goes, "WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment!" I couldn't believe he knew what WWE stood for. There were tons of wrestling things said between producers and myself. They referred to me as Wrestling Guy. During the editing, the casting director called and told me they were using almost every reference I made because they're adding a demographic they never had before. It was smart of them to include the people in their ratings. They see the numbers that WWE does. Why not add that to the 20 million they already had.

I voted for Bush in 2000 and I'd vote for him again. I do not trust the Democrats on the international issues concerning the USA's safety.

You know, if you’re going to go out, at least don’t go out like a bitch. And that’s exactly how Burton left. The guy was a strategic fool! And the first ever two time loser. Well earned. Master Strategist Burton’s great plans: Lets throw immunity so my tribe can boot me. I’ll waffle with Lill and push her out of my alliance. P.S. If Burton had stuck with Rup/Christa/Sandra way back at the beginning of the merge, he would have finished no worse than 4th. All that lying and backstabbing really paid off. He traded a spot in the final four for a 5th place finish. Burton just goes to show you, there's a reason pre-jury boots are pre-jury boots.

GO LSU!!!!

Outside view: Emerging Democrat minority WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- The Democrats have a real dilemma on their hands in the wake of the November midterm congressional elections. The challenge of repositioning their party so that it is more attractive to the American electorate is a difficult one. But reposition they must or they risk becoming a long-term minority party or -- even worse -- being superseded by a new upstart one. Many analysts offer pedestrian advice to the Democrats about what they must do to increase their political appeal, including developing a more coherent message; focusing on issues important to main street America; and finding more enthusiastic and photogenic messengers. But the Nov. 5 election results demonstrate that the problem is far more serious and systemic. The collapse of the Democratic Party's electoral majority was neither necessary nor automatic. But it has happened. And unless that fact is recognized soon this collapse may remain permanent. Even if the Democratic nominee for president is successful in 2004, a highly unlikely prospect at present, the serious problem of the party's disintegration will likely continue. According to United Press International, Americans voted for the GOP over the Democrats by a margin of 53 to 47 percent. A telegenic face doesn't easily undo a six-point margin. This is the political landscape after Nov. 5: Republicans hold a majority of statehouses and a majority of governorships; they are the majority in the U.S. and the House of Representatives. As a result, the GOP has a bench from which to launch new candidates making them a viable party in races across the board. In contrast, the Democrats find themselves increasingly taking a pass in potentially competitive races by either fielding unqualified candidates or no candidates at all as they did in several Senate and House races this year. Having every Democrat united on one message is not going to overcome this state of affairs. Actually it's worse than that. There are places in the country, like Texas and Virginia, where there simply are no serious Democrat challengers left who are undefeated, capable of raising a credible level of funds or likely to command at least 40 percent of the vote in the general election. In Texas, every statewide office is held by a Republican. In Virginia, Democrats hold only two out of five, and that appears to be the upper limit. To be fair, Democrats appear to have a similar advantage in California. But the advantage is deceiving. The Republican Party is viable in California. The GOP candidates consistently and regularly break 40 percent, significantly higher at the statewide level. Republican Bill Simon's lackluster gubernatorial bid still came within six points of upsetting incumbent Gov. Gray Davis. Repositioning the party so that it appeals to more than just beneficiaries of the social safety net as some progressives recommend won't negate this type of structural disadvantage. Consider that among several voting groups, Nov. 5 was a walk through the electoral killing fields for the Democrats. White men nationally gave the GOP a 20-point margin and the trend looks likely to increase rather than contract. Married women favored the Republicans by 10 points on Election Day. Rural voters in general preferred the GOP by an average of 20 points. And the former Democratic stronghold, the South, voted overwhelmingly against them, expelling several governors and at least one senator from office while handing new legislatures over to the GOP. There is a serious values gap aiding the GOP and hindering the Democrats. Increasingly a sizeable percentage of the voting public rejects the Democratic party out of hand. The sense that the party promotes the agendas of elite liberals, caters to minorities at the expense of equality of opportunity and fails to treat national security issues seriously undermines the electoral prospects of the party. Heading into the 2004 campaign the Democrats face a serious headwind. For the first time in a generation Gallup polls show that the American people have a more favorable view of the GOP than the Democratic Party. Even as President Ronald Reagan was winning 49 out of 50 states in 1984, he was unable to translate his landslide electoral support to the Republican Party itself. The GOP since then has maintained a favorable rating, meaning more people liked it than disliked it, but the Democratic Party was always more popular with the public because it was perceived as representing the interests of the average person. That advantage no longer exists. Increasingly the public thinks of the Democrats as the party of special interests. Notwithstanding Ruy Texiera and John B. Judis' thesis that there is an "Emerging Democratic Majority," it appears not to be so unless that majority is undergoing an unusually long gestation period -- say 25 to 50 years. The untold story is how rapidly and how far the Democrats have descended from the heights of political power they once enjoyed. In less than 30 years the party has changed from having a stronghold in every area of the country to now being primarily limited to the two coasts. It has shrunk from being popular in urban and rural areas alike to dominating only in the inner city. Did the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Towers and part of the Pentagon have an impact on this? Perhaps, but it shouldn't be overstated. The trend is the real issue. Does a wartime president like Bush, whose leadership skills shine during a crisis, provide benefits to his party? Certainly, just as a charismatic president like Reagan drew the country towards him and made being a Republican respectable for new demographic groups. The reality is that the collapse of the Democrats is part of a nearly 40-year-long process. Since 1964 the Democratic Party, while winning the presidency four times, has received more than 50 percent of the vote in a presidential election exactly twice. In 1964 by a wide margin and in 1976, just barely. The GOP on the other hand has won six times and received an outright majority of votes four times -- in 1972, 1980, 1984, and 1988. In the 2000 presidential election, Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore won the popular vote while losing in the Electoral College, but he carried fewer than 200 congressional districts, foreshadowing the House Democrats' uphill challenge in their failure to retake the House in 2002. What does this mean? It is possible for the Democrats to topple a GOP candidate here and there such as in Wyoming, a state Bush won by more than 40 points in 2000 but elected a Democratic governor? But the problem is those elections are anomalies rather than trends. The fact is that the so called "GOP electoral lock" at the presidential level has expanded and now in approximately two-thirds of the country the GOP candidate for state and national office starts out with an advantage that must be overcome by his Democratic rival. The longer this trend continues the more difficult it will be to reverse. Losing replicates itself. As the backbench is depleted by losses, new challengers come in with less experience and less viability and they lose even more. Issues such as liberal attacks on the Boy Scouts, support for needle exchange in the inner city, and a reflexive hostility to U.S. military action are part and parcel of the modern Democratic Party. While these and similar issues are a large cause of the public's alienation with the Democratic Party, reversing course may not be the best option. Critics of the Democratic Leadership Council and other "centrists" within the party rightly charge that if given the choice between the GOP and a Democratic Party posing as a "wannabe" GOP, voters will elect the real GOP every time. On the other hand, there needs to be a real examination among the party members as to why issues important to core Democrat constituencies prove to be losers nationally. Reversing course on issues like the death penalty and middle class tax relief may help in the short run, as they did for President Bill Clinton in 1992. But, as the Republican triumph in regaining control of the House in 1994 proved, beware the wrath of a scorned public. The truth is that unless the party can convince the public to change its view on these issues, the decline of the party will continue. Perhaps the bleakness of the present situation will challenge the Democratic Party sufficiently that it decides to take action now. It's more likely though that the party elders will agree that better polling, TV friendly candidates and other smoke-and-mirror approaches will solve their problems. Even if these techniques work in the 2004 presidential election they can't sustain the party against this long-term trend. When the GOP has a majority of inner city mayoralties it will be too late. (Horace Cooper is a senior fellow with the Center for New Black Leadership.) (Outside View commentaries are written for UPI by outside writers who specialize in issues of public interest.)

Stop wasting tax payer dollars on NPR!

This Redskins game is fun to watch for all the wrong reasons

The way I see it, if they are going for ridiculous lies, mis-quotes, and distortions, why not go all out? Make it a musical, add huge dance numbers, and maybe a car chase or two. This is so silly. What was CBS thinking? If they were low blows in this movie, it was going to come out. I must say, I do find it quite amusing. It looks like the public outcry over their revisionist history has forced them to backpedal.

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- According to a news release sent by the Terry Schindler-Schiavo Foundation, Florida Speaker Johnnie Byrd will introduce "Terri's Bill" during the special session Monday. The bill would put an immediate moratorium on all dehydration and starvation deaths in Florida. Meanwhile, supporters of Terri Schiavo showed up Sunday outside a Pinellas Park hospice. Doctors say Schiavo has been in a vegetative state since complications from a heart attack in 1990. Her husband was granted a court order that her feeding tube be removed, saying his wife wouldn't have wanted to be kept alive.

by the way, next episode's title is "Everyone's Hero" Has to refer to Rupert Me thinks he wins the reward challange for Morgan than wins immunity for Drake That would be a Survivor first!

The blonde guy's name is Jon... He used to work for Roddy Piper, apperently. Jon also has his own wrestling nickname, "Jonny Fairplay" Amazing that this jackass became the swing vote tonight.

Bill is right about the LA Times. They are carrying water for Gray Davis. I find that sad. grim. pathetic.

I just hate it when the WWE goes down a road we the fans and they the bookers know will lead to failure. Goldberg/Nash will be unwatchable.

here's what I think happens: Triple H drops the title by ringout or DQ... meaning, he doesn't actually have to lay down for Goldberg... Then Triple H returns for Survivor Series and claims Goldberg never 'really' beat him Then Triple H wins the belt back in the rematch Goldberg looks like a bitch

Ah well, this is disappointing, but it doesn’t ruin Inspector Gadget for me. This is, afterall, just a crappy toyline and separate from the old toon. Just like the movie is separate from the old toon. His face was also shown in a video game, I believe. I saw screen shots. He looked like a monkeyman. Different forms of Gadget media, different continuity, you know? Some things are better kept secret. Dr. Claw’s face should never be shown. Thankfully, it never was in the toon.

why would someone be watching a Nash/Hogan match while getting a blow job?

that was a good read...

Congratulations to Shawn. The voters have spoken and the smarks whine. I love it.

Actor Gary Coleman, star of TV's Diff'rent Strokes, is also a gubernatorial candidate.