Some thoughts on Survivor

Posted on February 15, 2019 by AverageAndy

The new Season of Survivor (Season 38: Survivor:Edge of Extinction) starts next Wednesday (February 20th).   As for every season I am really looking forward to this.  Looks like they are changing things up a bit, with contestants getting the opportunity to get back into the game once they are voted off.    I like the fact that the producers of Survivor constantly change things up to keep the contestants guessing, as long as they keep the spirit of the game the same.   The game of Survivor should alway be based on the contestants ability to outwit, outlast, and outplay the other contestants, and should never come down to pure luck.   The time that it did (when winner Ben Driebergen got saved because of the new final 4 firemaking twist that nobody knew was coming) was a bit of a let down and I didnt think that was fair.

As another season starts, I will again be putting together a application video and applying for a spot on the show.  Believe it or not, going way back, I have applied by sending in video tapes, sending in DVDs, uploading videos, as well as attending a Open Casting call, and even entering the fan contest they had one season.  I have filled out countless applications over the years.  The original application was pages long with lots of questions, and you had to send it in through the mail with your DVD and copies of your passport.

To try and make the best possible video, I have read and watched interview, and watched videos by Jeff Probst, Mark Burnett, Lynne Spiegel Spillman, Robyn Kass, and cast members such as Parvati Shallow.   I listened to every episode Dan Gheeslings podcast “How To Get On Reality Tv”, and read his book as well as other books about getting on  Survivor.   I follow Survivor on Facebook to try and gather information (although I am one of the few who hates all spoilers, so I have to be careful when reading through feeds).   I even watched the Rob and Amber Get Married TV special in 2005

As a Non-Sports Card Collector, I love looking for the Survivor Trading Cars that were released for Seasons 1 and 2, and recently created my own set of Season 1 Cards with the through of trying to get them autographed from all the Season 1 contestants


I actually remember when Jeff Probst was the host of “Rock and Roll Jeopardy”, and actually really enjoyed “The Jeff Probst Show” during the one season it aired.  Every season, I look forward to reading Jeffs weekly column for Entertainment Weekly

Jeff Probst, host of CBSTD new syndicated daytime talk show, “The Jeff Probst Show,” premieres September 10. Photo: Andrew Eccles/©2012 CBS Television Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

I have been obsessed with the show ever since reading about it back in 1999 on the website slashdot

cbs-to-pay-one-million-to-desert-island-survivor

Starting with Season 1, I have never missed a Episode (I remember having to set my VCR to record the show to VHS tapes back in the day before DVRs).   When my daughter was born in August of 2000, I remember watching Rudy running through the jungle on his way to the Final 4.   I remember when Survivor was on Thursday nights, and would be interrupted for 2 weeks during the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

cbs-moving-survivor-new-wednesday-night-time-period-this-fall

Early on, I played in several Survivor Fantasy Leagues, where you got points for choosing which player would be eliminated, or who would go and get / read tree mail.

More recently I have really enjoyed watching the Ponderosa videos on the CBS website after contestants get voted off.   Love seeing the contestants from a different perspective and getting great insights to how the game actually affects people.

Survivor has become a major part of my life; from 1999 when I was a young aventuras 33 year old, up until now as a older (but still aventuras) age of 52.   I still get excited every time a new season starts, and plan on continuing to watch for many more years.

But besides how much I have enjoyed Survivor myself over the years, the best part of all of this, is that my wife and daughter are also a big fan of the show.  I am grateful to Survivor and its producers, creators, and contestants for creating such a great show, and giving my family the great times sitting down together season after season rooting for our favorites (and villians) to make it to the end.   These memories will last forever and for that I am grateful

Hopefully one day, I will be able to write about my adventure on Survivor from the view of the winner of the best reality show ever

Average Andy

 

 

 

 

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Jeff Kent checks all the boxes and deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame

Posted on January 18, 2019 by AverageAndy

While looking at the list of players eligible for the 2019 MLB Baseball Hall of Fame, I started thinking why some players are more likely to make it over others, regardless of their career statistics.

If you go strictly by statistics, Jeff Kent should be a sure Hall of Famer. But he is now in his 6th year of eligibility and it looks more and more like he will never make it.   Why is this?   Looking at his stats, he seems to check off all the boxes needed for the Hall of Fame

His 377 HRs are the all time leader for 2B
His 1518 RBIs are 3rd all time for 2B
His 2461 Hits and 1320 Runs are 11th all time for 2B

He had 8 seasons of 100+ RBIs
He had 3 seasons of 100+ Runs

He made the playoff 7 times, and got to the World Series with the S.F. Giants in 2002 

But for whatever reason, the baseball writers overlook most of this and simply do not think he has what it take for he the Hall of Fame. 

But they did vote in Craig Biggio, with 80 less HRs, 350 less RBIs and who never had a 100 RBI Season in 3 mores seasons then Jeff Kent. 

The one difference is that Craig Biggio got 3000 Hits.  For the Baseball Writers, this seems to override all of his other shortcomings and automatically gets him elected 

Jeff Kent – Baseball Reference

There are other players besides Jeff Kent such as Fred McGriff (10th Year) and Albert Belle (No Longer Eligible) who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, but for various reasons other than their stats will not be elected

Hall of Fame case for Albert Bell

So I ask – Why are some players more likely to get voted into the Hall of Fame than others?

And it’s not only true for sports figures, but also true for things like Movie and Music.  There are plenty of movies that check all the right boxes (Superstar Director and Actors, with a great story) that just do not connect with Academy of Motion Pictures (Oscars). Or there are bands with great musicians and songwriters, with songs that people love, that simply do not register with the Recording Association of America (Grammys)

What makes people and groups look at Superstar Athletes, Movies and Music and decide that while it checks off all boxes of what are needed to be one of the greatest, they still see some flaw that keeps them from giving them the highest honors. 

Does it have to do with a individuals charisma that subconsciously make people feel just a bit less towards them than others.  Or are there other reasons that make people care more about a person’s perceived personality or attitude, and overlook their talent or skill.

Just something to think about

 

 

 

 

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Happy Holidays

Posted on December 27, 2018 by AverageAndy

Been a crazy few months, so sorry I haven’t written lately

First off, would like to congratulate Nick Wilson for winning this season of Survivor. Was one of the better seasons and Nick was a deserving winner. Really liked how the contestants played this season. Instead of forming early alliances and just floating through, there were lots of big moves as people tried to add things to their resume. I did find it very interesting how some things worked (Carl playing the Idol nullifier was seen as a good move), while others (Angelina making a big deal about here trade for rice, and then trying to orchestrate her playing her hidden immunity idol) kind of fell flat with the jury. And speaking of the jury, I read somewhere that this jury seem not to hold grudges and voted on who they thought played the best game, which is how it should be. (In the past, there have been votes from some jury members against people they just did not like, as opposed to voting for who they wanted to win. I think this shows that the contestants not only played a great game, but also played a fair game

Average Andy will be submitting his next video in the near future for the upcoming seasons. As the years go by, it is becoming clearer that Survivor needs to cast me as somebody who is a big fan, but started watching when I was in my mid 30’s and am now slightly over 50. I thinks this is just as compelling as somebody who started watching as a child and is now in there mid 20s. Both have connected with Survivor and stuck with it and deserve a shot at being a contestant Older people have dreams of what they would love to do as they get older, just like young kids have dreams of what they want to grow up to do. If anybody out there agrees with this, and has some way of letting CBS / Jeff Probst / Mark Burnett or the rest of the Survivor Team, please let them know you would like to see some older contestants get a chance to live their dreams.

So much for the Football Giants. They were unable to rebound from their dreadful 1 – 7 start, and will again miss the play-offs. It was a strange season as they were not as bad as their record would indicate, but were also not as good as they should have been. Hopefully they can end the season with a win against Dallas and then regroup for next season. As a Eli Manning fan, I have no issues with them giving it one more try next year with him. Through free agency and the draft, they should be able to fix issues with the offensive line, and improve the defence (One great pass rusher could really make them a contending team)

On a sad note, I saw that longting Lehigh Football Coach Andy Coen was forced to step down due to health issues. He was a great coach for the program, winning 5 Patriot League Championships in his 13 years. Wishing him all the best

Lehigh football coach Coen steps away to focus on health issue

Also, the Lehigh Men’s basketball team is off to a good start with big wins over Princeton and Arkansas State. Hopefully they can keep things going into Patriot League play, and earn a NCAA birth this year.

I finished reading the laters Dave Gurney book by John Verdon. I have really enjoyed reading the entire series.

Dave Gurney Books by John Verdon

Started a new Dean Koontz book (The Silent Corner – Jane Hawk #1). Have read almost all of Dean Koontz books and they never disappoint. He has written some of my favorite books (The Odd Thomas series, Watchers and Strangers among them).

And my daughter gave me “The Escape Artist” by Brad Meltzer for Christmas, which will be next on my list.

I hope everybody was able to take some time off and enjoy the Christmas Holiday with family and friends. I was able to take a nice hike / walk with a few friends and then enjoyed Christmas with my family

 

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Happy Thanksgiving to all

Posted on November 20, 2018 by AverageAndy

It’s been a while since I have written (other then some re-posts) and even longer since I have written about Survivor.   I have really enjoyed this season as the players have gone back to making bold moves to try and get themselves ahead in the game.  The past few seasons did get a bit stale as alliances were formed early and remained as the players without an alliance just sat back and got picked off one by one with really no resistance.   This season casting did a great job of finding players who were willing to cross boundaries and not just accept the  tribes they got placed on as a set group that they could never leave.   Also, they went and got some interesting people and not just game want to be famous people or  super fans who are really not that memorable.   In fact, I am having a hard time remembering the past few seasons winners (this from a fan from the beginning who use to be able to name all the winners from Season 1 onward).   The thing that makes Survivor great is the combination of the game and the charisma of the players.   When they find real life genuine people (starting with Richard Hatch, and following with the likes of
Rob Mariano, Benjamin “Coach” Wade, Ozzy Lusth, Parvati Shallow and countless others) who were memorable for their personality as well as their game play, they make the show so much more than just a reality show.  

I will always be a fan, watching each and every week, and will continue to apply until I eventually become a contestant and can see if I can become one of the many people who can call themselves a Survivor Champion.   

As far as other TV, there are a few new shows I am enjoying.   I really like “911” (I know, it really in its 2nd year, but I finally caught up so it feels like its new to me).  And I have to admit I am enjoying “God Friended Me” as a way to wind down after football on Sunday.   I am still watching both “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead” event though the original is getting a little bit to strung out.   Thinking back, I liked the original seasons better just due to the smaller cast and more thought provoking episodes.  I am giving “A Million Little Things” and “Manifest” a try and will see how long they can keep me interested.

Its was a strange year for my sports team.   The Mets were done by the All Star Game and I hate to admit, but I did tune them out most of the 2nd half.   Then both the NY Giants and Lehigh Mountain Hawks got off to dreadful starts.   The Giants have sparked a little excitement by winning their last 2 games after their 1 – 7 start, and if they can beat the Philadelphia Eagles next, things might start to get a bit interesting.   And after getting blow out in most games this season, the Mountain Hawks did win 2 of their last 3 including beating Lafayette in college football’s most played rivalry (154 games and counting).   

I did get to the movies and saw both “A Star is Born”, and “Bohemian Rhapsody”.   I really enjoyed both these movies.   As a lifetime Queen fan, it was fun to see the band in its early years.  And it reminded me (and  by the looks of it, many others) how great a band they are, and the number of songs they have that have become part of musical history (besides the title track).

And finally, I finished listening to Season 3 of Serial.  (Serial Podcast).   As with the past seasons, they do a great job and found this seasons premice (a year in the Cleveland Court System) very fascinating and eye opening.   I learned alot about a subject I really am not familiar with

And I started listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s new podcast Broken Record (Broken Record Podcast)   I love everything he does (books, podcasts) and this is a great listen.   

Wishing everybody out there a happy and safe Thanksgiving – Be sure to find the time to spend with friends, family, and love ones.   Remember to cherish what you have and don’t dwell on what you don’t have or can’t control.   Life is precious so enjoy it as much as you can

Will be back with more soon  (reading some good books to talk about)

Average Andy

Posted in Friends, Holiday Weekend, Lehigh, Lehigh University, Movies, NY Giants, NY Mets, Podcasts, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brady Bunch meets Property Brothers

Posted on November 2, 2018 by AverageAndy

 

If you grew up in the 70s / 80s like me, you should set you VCRs now.    The real Brady Bunch House went up for sale earlier this year and was eventually bought by HGTV.    They are now planning to renovate the house back to its 70s style, and have gotten all of the original Brady Bunch Kids to help out.  I am a hugh Brady Bunch fan and enjoy watching the Property Brothers, so this is a must watch for Average Andy

Brady Bunch meets Property Brothers

2018_11_02_09_04_14_The_Brady_Bunch_Cast_Reunites_for_HGTV_Renovation_Show_PEOPLE

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Happy Halloween by Helloween

Posted on October 31, 2018 by AverageAndy

A must listen on Halloween

More thoughts from Average Andy coming soon

 

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2019

Posted on October 9, 2018 by AverageAndy

Here is the list of 2019 nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of fame

Rock-Roll-Hall-Of-Fame-2019-Nominees

Kind of disappointed with this list.   Seem to be a lot of repeat nominees (9 of the 15) and the committee continues to show now love or even acknowledgement of 80’s rock acts (corporate rock, hard rock, or heavy metal).

Also, seems like the committee has an agenda to get certain bands in based on the nominees – Heard Alan Light on SiriusXM Feedback explaining how they only nominated one band in certain fields to make sure they didn’t split the vote with other similar bands  (i.e Def Leppard or the Zombies).  Why not nominate the most deserving and see what happens.

Congratulations to all the nominees, and lets see what happens, but going forward it may be time to get some new people on the committee who have a different view other than the same old rock critics (similar to movie critics) who a lot of times seem a bit to high on themselves.

 

 

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Couple of things for today

Posted on August 15, 2018 by AverageAndy

Was very glad to hear that Steve Perry has finally released new music after 25 years.   Really like the new song and looking forward to hearing the rest of the album when it is released.    Steve will be on with Eddie Trunk on Sirius Volume 106 today to talk about the album.   Should be a great listen

Steve Perry – No Erasin

 

And for something completely different – Was listening to the This American Life podcast while on a walk, and they had this fascinating story.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/04/wildlife-watch-feather-thief-fly-tying-birds/

Give it read or listen to the podcast at https://www.thisamericanlife.org/

I miss writing for you and am looking forward to writing more soon

Andy

 

 

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What Makes a good Manager

Posted on June 15, 2018 by AverageAndy

As I watch the NY Mets spiral downward, I am torn on what the team should do.   Most of all I am torn on if its too early to get rid of the Manager Mickey Callaway or continue with him and his staff.   I admit that I thought it was time for Terry Collins to go after a successful run that did get the Mets to the World Series and back to back playoff appearances.    But last year he seemed to lose the team and they Mets were basically and afterthought after the All Star Break.    When the Mets hired Mickey Callaway, I thought he would come in breath some new energy into the team.   And when the Mets started the season 11 -1, they were the talk of the town.   And then they just stopped.  Since the 11 -1 start, the Mets are 17 -36 and have been hard to watch.  They cant hit, they can’t feild, and they look lethargic.  There is no energy or sense of urgency. (The season is close to 1/2)

Lately I have begun to wonder if the poor play is due to Manager or if the players are simply not that good.  The Mets have a long history of over hyping their players and  believing they are better than they actually are.   But even so, they are professional players so they have to have some talent.    So is it the Managers fault that the entire team seem to be having terrible years.  The more I watch, the more I think it is and that the Mets should make a change.

I realize it’s a short sample size but maybe Mickey Callaway was not ready to be a Manager.   Perhaps the Mets job is just not the right place and time for him to be a 1st time Manager.   Plenty of all time great Managers started off poorly and needed to learn how to become a Manager.   But in most cases, the teams they got their start with were not that good and they were not expected to do much (Joe Torre with the Mets,  Terry Francona with the Phillies, and even Bill Belichick with the Cleveland Browns).   So they had the liberty of managing for a few seasons with no expectations and were able to learn what works and what doesn’t, and what they needed to do to become better.   and based on the careers they went on to have, they appeared to have learned a lot and taken what they learned and their experiences to go on and win World Series and Super Bowls

But in Mickey Callaways’ case, the Mets are a know team.  They were expected to contend for at least a Wild Card spot.  Mickey Callaway was not hired as a gap manager to hold the fort while the Mets built towards the future.

Its funny how the NY Mets and the NY Football Giants both found themselves with Managers who were well respected and came with great recommendations,  but simply were not the right person for the job at the given time.   It took the Giants almost 2 years to realize this and ended up making a drastic move of firing Ben McAdoo in the middle of season to clean things up and refocus.   Maybe it’s time for the Mets to do the same.   This does not mean that Mickey Callaway or Ben McAdoo are bad people, or bad managers.  It’s just that they are not the people for the jobs at the present time.  Businesses evaluate and make changes all the time.  And the really successful businesses are the ones that are head of things and make hard moves before the masses.   It’s hard to admit mistakes and make tough decisions, but in the long run, the people who are able to move on from mistakes and bad decisions earlier than later are usually the ones who end up winning in the long run

Here is a recent piece from the NY Daily News with some similar thoughts

Mets and Mickey Callaway

Hope you have a great weekend

Will be back with more soon

Andy

 

 

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Just some quick notes

Posted on June 1, 2018 by AverageAndy

Going to try and see Solo this weekend.   Heard both good and bad things so want to check things out for myself

All of Fish’s (from Marillion) solo albums are now available to stream – Listening now on itunes.

Fish – The Digital Collection

At the 1/3 way mark,  the Mets are playing .500 ball (27 up, 27 down).   Been a strange beginning to the season.   After getting off to an 11-1 start, they have given that all back and are now truly an average team.   Coming into 2018, it was time for a change so I have no issues getting rid of Terry Collins.   But I am still on the fence with Mickey Callaway.  Kind of reminds be of when a guy I was working with got promoted to Manager.  He was a great guy and a great worker, but never blossomed as a Manager.  In fact he was a pretty bad manager, and I ended up moving on from the job.   Management is hard and not everybody is built to be a manager.   It takes special skills to be able to relate to both upper management (who has ways they want things done) and to the workers (who do the work).   If you give the appearance of leaning one way or the other, you can lose both sides.   Also, the best managers need to be able to separate personal feelings with work objectives and be hard on people if they are underperforming.   The saying ‘It’s not Personal’ is true,  but the hard part is getting your workers to understand this without hurting their feelings.    I think that Micky Callaway needs to trust himself more,  and stop appearing to be doing everything based on statistics and instead do what he thinks will win games.  (This is an issue all across MLB).   Funny how managers will follow other managers and teams by relying on all these statistics they have from people who have never played the game, and have never really won anything.   If I were a manager, I I would trust myself to know what my players can do.  I would also look for the Managers / Teams that are winning and follow what they are doing.   The idea is still to win games, (regardless of team Run Differential or Pitchers Quality Starts).

Have a good weekend

Andy

 

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