I like so many of these familiar faces so well that I'm honestly having a hard time figuring out who I'd like to see win. Ethan's still my favorite of the 1st-time winners, with Richard a close second. But they don't really need to win again, right? So, I'll knock out all past winners from my 'hope' pile. OK, I think for now I'll just root equally for Rupert, Rudy, and both Robs, and I'll narrow it down later.

In case you're wondering why I'm still cheering ol' Rudy along, it's partly because I actually met the man a few years ago at a BEA convention, where he was signing postcards and taking pictures with people in preparation for his impending Book of Rudy release. He is not a tall man, but please note that he is sitting behind a table in this picture and I am standing.

Update: Surprised to see the first person voted off was a past winner - I realize they constitute a real threat, but I'm afraid the tribes are overlooking what I'm going to call "the wisdom of the elders." I mean these guys were around for the whole shootin' match, and someone like Richard knows more about Rudy than we were ever shown. They also have a proven ability in the challenges, which is crucial in the pre-merger phase of the game. I'll be curious to see if picking off winners will be a pattern or an anomaly.

posted by Chris at 6:29 PM Permalink