There have been Survivors that I've absolutely loved. Elisabeth from Australia was the best looking girl who hadn't showered for thirty-six days that I've ever seen. Tom the Redneck from Africa cracked me up. Boston Rob was the dirtiest player in the game. Well at least until another favorite, Johnny Fairplay came along. Rob from the Amazon was such a gigantic loser, you couldn't help but root for the guy. And Judd from Guatamala - all I need to say is "I hope you all get bit by a crocodile". And while I'm talking about all-time favorites here, let me just get this off my chest and say that Rupert = way overrated. Not that I didn't like the guy. But still, overrated. And Colby = way, way overrated. Couldn't stand the guy.
Anyway, the point of all that was to say that there have been plenty of Survivors whom I've taken a liking to, but none have come even close to Stephenie LaGrossa. Now those other people I've listed up there basically made the list by being immensely entertaining, or in the case of Elisabeth, immensely easy on the eyes. That's not why I'm such a big fan of Stephenie LaGrossa's. In fact, when she burst onto the scene in Palau, I started out not even liking her.
Generally the way I pick the tribe I root for is based on which players I like the best, and I couldn't stand Stephenie LaGrossa's team of divas and wannabe jocks. So it was to my great pleasure when when her tribe went down, week after week, not winning a single immunity challenge - except for one thing. As the losses kept piling up, this girl's huge heart kept becoming more evident. The girl just refused to give up, even if it meant spending an entire night stranded in the jungle by herself. Stephenie LaGrossa fought and fought against the odds with such courage, that by the time she got voted out, she managed to become my favorite player and earned the nickname "The female Kevin Garnett".
Fast forward six months to Surivor: Guatamala. As the teams beging their initiation, Jeff Probst drops the bomb that two Surivors are returning: Stephenie LaGrossa, and the dumb as bricks Bobby Jon. Needless to say I was pumped that Steph got a second chance. I figured she was probably getting voted out at her first tribal council, but I was pumped nonetheless.
Well Stephenie LaGrossa didn't get voted out, and managed to show the same heart as she did in Palau. Her team ended up dominating, and put her in a position of power in a major alliance down the stretch. But here's where things got a little shaky. Suddenly, when she wasn't fighting against impossible odds, Stephenie LaGrossa got a little cocky. It didn't bother me much, but it seemed to sour her fan base and began to turn her tribe against her.
My girlfriend, Maria had never watched Survivor before Guatemala, so she knew nothing of Stephenie LaGrossa's previous struggles. Now maybe it was just the fact that her boyfriend had way to much support for another female, but Maria totally couldn't stand Steph by the end of the show. Then again, maybe it was her undying support of Gayfe, I mean, Rafe that tainted her viewpoint. Either way, Stephenie LaGrossa's approval ratings were dropping like George W. Bush's down the stretch, to the point where she probably would have lost to Lydia, the fishmonger, had she faced her in the final two.
It was at this point that I began to question whether I was justified in supporting Stephenie LaGrossa, or just suckered in by the lovable underdog act she had played in Palau. I got my answer the week before heading into the final four, when Stephenie finally won individual immunity. After making a frantic finish, Steph burst into tears as she realized she had finally won. It was at that moment, that I realized that although her warrior's heart had been masked by her tribe's success, deep down she was still the player I had come to respect. And that fact was never more evident that at the final immunity challenge. Cramped in an awkward position and unable to move, Stephenie LaGrossa fought through the pain and maintained her balance on the stand as long as she could. Despite the fact that her opponent, Dani, was totally comfortable and showed no signs of faltering, Steph would not give in. She kept holding on until her body collapsed on her and ended the challenge. Just a total display of pure heart.
Though she didn't end up with a million, Stephenie LaGrossa certainly won my respect throughout her stints in Palau and Guatemala. And you can't put a price on that...
Ok, you can. It's not worth a million bucks. Not even close. But it sounded good.
