As “Survivor” hits its midway point, it’s time to check in with our favorite contestant…former University of Tennessee-Martin outfielder Albert Destrade.
So far, the nephew of former big leaguer Orestes Destrade is looking pretty good.
He’s in the power alliance. He’s one of only four castaways to not have his name appear on the parchment. And did you see the way dude pulled teammate Brandon Hantz up over the wall (go to the 1:15 mark) in that challenge?
Damn!
Anyway. I knew Destrade’s gameplay was impressing me…but I was curious what “Survivor” guru (and XFINITY TV blogger) Gordon Holmes had to say about the chiseled Florida native.
HOVG: I’ve been rooting for Albert since Day One. What do you think of how he’s playing the game so far?
HOLMES: How do you not love the game Albert is playing right now? As a post-merge Alpha male, he should have a huge target on his back. But, his alliance with Coach will keep him safe until Savaii is gone and it also opens up a world of opportunities once they are.
HOVG: Alright…break it down for me.
HOLMES: First, the guy is a freakish challenge destroyer. My big takeaway from watching the first challenge (you can watch it below!) in Samoa was watching him lift Brandon over the wall using nothing but his arms. Super impressive.
HOVG: And two?
HOLMES: Second, the Upolu alliance relies on trust in Coach. The second Coach considers stabbing an Upolu member in the back the whole thing will break down. Thank Brandon and his Tribal Council hissy fits for that. If Albert can work his way into a final three with Coach, Upolu jury members (and there will have to be at least three) will feel more betrayed by Coach than they will by Albert.
HOVG: What about how he played the Edna-Mikayla situation?
HOLMES: Albert played the Edna vs. Mikayla Incident perfectly. He could’ve blown up the alliance by telling Brandon about Coach’s idol. Boom. They’d head into the merge without a solid direction. Instead, he realized that it’s better to keep the alliance together and let Rick make the final decision. He may have lost the battle, but the knowledge that Rick and Brandon are going to follow Coach over him may prove to be valuable later.
HOVG: You’ve been writing about “Survivor” for a while now…how do you see this whole thing with Albert playing out?
HOLMES: The season seems to be heading toward a Coach/Sophie/Albert final three. If that’s the case, and Albert manages to pick up some individual immunities on the way, it does seem entirely possible that the million-dollar check could be used to buy a new fungo bat and some Big League Chew.
You can follow Gordon Holmes and get his thoughts on the the latest season of “Survivor” over at XFINITY TV. He can also be found on Twitter or at his personal blog.
And to tie this whole thing back to baseball…he’s also a rabid fan of the 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.
Ta daaaa!
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