Michael Gower really misses the mark here.

Russell had 18 seasons to draw upon. That's more than any runner-up - none of whom bitched about their placement - can claim. There was absolutely zero excuse for him to go into the game without a sound understanding of how the game actually is played. How you or anyone else feels it should be played is irrelevant.

If you intentionally weaken your own tribe before the merge, you're going to be down a whole lot of automatic support when the jury stage kicks in. That means you have to rely on the goodwill of the other tribe - particularly since more than half of its members will be determining who gets the gold. Bullying your way to the top won't make them eager to rally to your cause.

Russell didn't get screwed over by anyone. He wrote his own death warrant before Day 1 and signed it on Day 39. He ignored the warning signs from start to finish - something Natalie definitely did not - and the jury responded accordingly.

Read: YOU NEED THEIR VOTES.

Brett is the one that got screwed! If you watch carefully in the final immunity challenge when Brett's idol falls, Russell's hand is clearly above the white line! How did the producers miss that?

"Although the "jury" gave sole survivor to Nat, they later voted Russel the best player." Actually, no, they" didn't do that. The jury votes between the 3 people left @ the finale. The other "favorite" is voted on by America.

Of course.. I don't think Russel got "screwed" and I don't see what makes him the "best" player. Why, because he cheated and lied and dicked over everyone he made a deal with(thus, *everyone*)? How does that guarantee someone is the "best" player? I really don't get that logic. Sure, I thought it was awesome that he found the idols w/out clues(seems like common sense!), but that's only one part of what he did out there.

Natalie had to allign herself with the right person(s). She had to make decisions along the way as to whether to support that alliance or whether to break from it. I think her gameplay was just as important as Russel's. On top of that, she didn't have the protection of any immunity idols or false alliances with every other player, she had to just fly by the seat of her pants.

I'm not saying Natalie was *amazing* or anything, but I think she was just as much of a player in her own right as Russel was, she just laid low and let him take the hits. What's wrong with that?

Nonsense.

Russell knew that if Brett made it to the end, he'd get the most votes from his former Galu tribemates, and win the money. Russell knew that if people found out about his wealth, he would get fewer votes; that's why he kept it a secret.

Russell knew that the jury vote is based on so many factors aside from who was the best "player", and he took that into account in so many other ways.

And yet he didn't consider the fact that one of those factors is how much they hate you because you've lied to them. That doesn't make him a victim; it just makes him foolish.

Russell didn't get screwed. He, and every finalist, is at the mercy of the jury in the end. He failed to garner enough support to win. That's how it goes.

Any contestant that isn't aware that their fate is in the hands of the people they vote out is a fool. While you might win them over with your stellar play, you should also be very aware of how your attitude throughout the game will play with them in the end. Particularly if any other finalist is capable of defining their place in the final as a result of calculated strategy, which does include "riding someone else to the end", and is a more companionable person overall.

"He didn't try to hide it, which probably proved to the jury that they were right in voting for Natalie in the first place"

Wow I didn't realize the show Survivor was a morality game show or a show where the person with the best demeanor wins. That is a bizarre statement, because Russell didn't try and hide his anger, it proves Natalie should have won? Did you watch the show?

Russell got totally screwed over by the jury. He managed to take out nearly everyone who had a vote for the winner and then they showed just how much they didn't understand the game of Survivor.

Everyone has to lie or manipulate to have any chance of winning the game. Even Bob, the nicest winner of the game ever, lied to people, especially with the false immunity idol.

The jury was just a bitter bunch of assholes who took an 8-4 advantage into the merge and managed to let Russell play the game on them so they got voted off instead of him.

Russell won the fan vote because the people who watch the show understand how the game is supposed to be played.

he's the little brat boy, who whines like a baby during grade 2 schoolyard recess time when losing his marbles in a game of marbles, go home little boy LOL
I am not clicking the link to his site - I did go to Brett's website and I am going to buy 2 of his tshirts, cubism and hopefully the giraffe one gets restocked

http://www.tmooh.com

http://tmooh.bigcartel.com/

He was completely screwed and it shows how screwed up the show is. Although the "jury" gave sole survivor to Nat, they later voted Russel the best player. Russel should have won. Period.

What a pissant! All the way through the season he bragged about how he was a hard guy and a genius for manipulating all the "stupid women" and how he was gonna win. What what does he do when he loses? Pout through the whole reunion show and then whine like a little girl on his website. Man up!