"When he read that disadvantage...I knew it was going to hurt me." 'Survivor' Castoff Alan Ball: Post Elimination Q&A
CBS Local – Last night's episode of 'Survivor: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers' introduced us to a new twist in the game: the secret "disadvantage." We talked to the castoff who felt the brunt of that disadvantage, former NFL player Alan Ball. Here's his unique perspective (as told to CBS Local's Adam Bloom and Samantha Bennet) on sharing an island with Joe, and that surprising tribal council.
Castoff: Alan Ball
SB: We've seen a lot of advantages on "Survivor" but last night was the first time you saw a disadvantage. How does that feel to be part of that "Survivor" history even though it didn't turn out so well for you?
A: It sucked! They rolled something out and I'm the one that goes home as a result - I mean it obviously sucks. But it was cool. When that came out - I felt right then that this is so crazy that I'm probably going home right now. Before they played the idol - when I heard Devon read the disadvantage - things are shaping up for me to go home. This is getting strange - I'm going home. That's when I started to feel that.
AB: I recall in your post game in the interview - you had speculated that Devon might have had something to do with that advantage, but now you see how it played out. How did he make you feel?
A: I felt Devon was a good guy. It eased me on thinking he wasn't. My suspicion was Devon was somebody that we had the same goal and that was getting rid of Joe and Desi. When he read it - it was like I didn't know where he was at. So this could go either way going into tribal. When he read that disadvantage - it didn't put me at ease because I knew it was going to hurt me. But at the end of the day watching the show - it made me feel better that I knew I could trust Devon going in. So I felt at ease with the fact that I was right about who he was and how he was playing the game. It put me at ease in a sense of who he was.
SB: It seemed like last night had two tribal councils - the actual official one and then the crazy stuff that happened on the beach. For us on the couch watching TV seemed really crazy - but it must have been nuts in person!
A: Yeah it's tough for them to show everything that goes on in that little amount of time. Tribal was intense but the conversation on the beach was more intense. I was known as the crazy guy and as I'm sitting there - I'm not even the one being crazy. Most of the time - I get all of the ruckus started if I want to. It was getting away from me! That's why at the end I walked off - I'm like look - I can't even handle this one. This is getting out of reach for me and it was intense. I think those couple of days after we switched tribes were intense. I was annoyed the entire time - Joe was so annoying. It was all weighing me down and when they got to tribal all of that weight just came out. No matter what happened - I was voting for Joe. I didn't care at that point. This tribe isn't going to last with him and I in it - I can't take him anymore. He has to go or I have to go so we have to figure it out and the votes are going to lie how they're going to lie.
AB: I loved the way you handled it at the beach where you confront Joe saying: 'Who do you want then?'
A: He threw it out there. It baffled me. How do you bring something up and expect everybody else to roll out all of the information that you want them to roll out but you sit there and not say anything? So if you're going to start this conversation - you keep it going. No one else had anything to say but you. At the end of the day - talk about it. Say what you want to say - say how you feel. Don't beat around the bush - say what you feel because I'm going to say what I feel no matter what. Don't sit up and say you're like me and you say what you feel - then you beat around the bush - because you're not like me if that's the case. So say what you feel!
AB: I thought handled that beautifully.
A: Thank you!
SB: Unfortunately, your time on "Survivor" was cut short but what was your favorite part about playing this game?
A: There's so much. It was definitely a fun game - I didn't expect it to be that fun. My favorite part was just being out there. A lot of times in our everyday lives we don't realize how blessed and fortunate we are. We keep a cell phone on our person at all times. We always have access to things that we want. We're always able to do the things that we want to do. Just to be put out there and not be able to do the things that you want to do but instead do the things that you can do to make things work if that makes sense. That tranquillity of being out there being away - the nights were beautiful. I've never watched a moon go from one side of the sky to the other side of the sky. I've never been in a situation where the moon was my light for the night and sitting by the fire. I think those moments for me were the best because the world just slowed down. I think it's a beautiful thing to see how if you really just embrace nature. What a beautiful thing it is. There's so many distractions in our everyday lives that we don't get to see that enough. That was the best part for me.
AB: On the flip side - what was the most difficult challenge about being out there?
A: Having to work with and be in the same tribe as Joe.
AB: I really hope we get to see you again. Would you want to play the game again if you have the opportunity?
A: Absolutely. I don't think there's any question in my mind and I don't think there's any question in my wife's mind. I think she'd be happy to see me and I'd be happy to go. So there's no question in my mind if I would do it again - absolutely. I would love to.
