'Survivor 14: Fiji' - The Castaways, Part 3

There are 19 castaways starting out on Survivor 14: Fiji set to premiere on Thursday, February 8 at 8 PM ET/PT. I posted the first ten here and here. I plan to have the last four castaways up sometime Wednesday. I'm checking out their bios on the official CBS website, exploring their favorites, then attempting to assess how well they might do on the show. Of course, I could be totally wrong in my guesses, but I like to guess anyway! Without further ado...

The Next Five Castaways

What? No Los Angeles? I might just faint. Edgardo was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He moved to the States to attend Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and played on their tennis team. He then moved to Miami to advance his career.

From his bio page: "Rivera enjoys playing beach volleyball, tennis, basketball, traveling, spending time with his family and friends when he visits Puerto Rico and occasionally hitting the hot spots in South Beach, Miami. He describes himself as spontaneous, ambitious and very adventurous." He's single, born on October 5, 1978.

Ah, but the real skinny is in the Favorites, right?

• Another chess player. As I mentioned with Dre, chess is the sort of strategical game which makes folks think moves ahead. It's a game which should fare well for someone on the show. Oh... Battleship is his other one listed. Eep, watch out other castaways!
• He likes camping, another plus.
• Argh, he doesn't list Survivor in his TV shows at all! It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Family Guy, 24. Why are so many not fans of the show this season? It's screaming "recruit."
• He likes alcohol, it seems. He listed wine, vodka, rum, whiskey, and tequila.

With the exception of not listing Survivor in his shows, he looks like a strong player. He's an ad man, so he should be able to "sell himself" to his fellow castaways, but I wonder if he would realize things like not too much leading, etc. I think he'll do well. Winner of it all? Maybe.

Michelle hails from Cincinnati, Ohio. She's completing her last year at the University of Cincinnati, studying fashion design. She likes pirates and things that are green. Hey, it's in her bio -- I'm not making it up.

From her bio page: "Yi describes herself as very independent and is a true believer in following one's passions and staying inspired. She thinks a positive attitude will keep you smiling through anything. She believes her bubbly and laid back personality allows her to enjoy most people, but she claims if you rub her the wrong way, she'll be sure you know it!" She's single, born on December 2, 1983.

What do her Favorites tell us?

• Scrabble and Mario Bros. games make her list. Not bad. I like them both, too.
• She's a rock climber - good for the show, I would think.
• She doesn't list Survivor as her favorite show. She only mentions The Amazing Race. Hmmm.
• Oh, she likes When Harry Met Sally as her movie. I think I'm liking her.
• No favorite alcoholic beverage but enjoys water and fruit juice.

Well, I like her. She sounds like a neat person. Has she got what it takes to win the show? I'm not sure. I think she could do very well if she works her fellow castaways right. Often it's that skill which is the crucial one to make it to the Final Two and then tip the scales for the win.

At least this latest batch isn't all from California. Gary was born and raised in Silver Lake, Minnesota. He was a barber for 14 years and currently works as a carpenter and school bus driver. He's a Vietnam vet and has also worked as a taxi cab driver and landscaper.

From his bio page: "Stritesky has competed in multiple inline skate marathons. He also enjoys biking, canoeing and coaching. He spent many years coaching his children's soccer, baseball, basketball and football teams. At least once a year, Stritesky travels to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, taking part in portaging, canoeing, fishing and enjoying the solitude of the northern Minnesota lakes." He's married with four children and two grandchildren. His birth date is September 16, 1951.

His favorites will tell us even more:

• Monopoly and checkers, but no Pac-Man for him - it's XBox!
• Biking, rollerblading and walking made his list.
• Ah, finally... favorite shows are Survivor and The Amazing Race.
• A beer drinker, but he also enjoys quaffing root beer.

It looks like he has his Survivor act all together. He watches the show, is physically active and into camping and such. I don't know if his age is going to be a factor on not. If he doesn't try to run things, he might do well. We'll see.

Just when I thought I could stop typing California for this entry... Rita was born in Venezuela, but moved to San Francisco when she was eight years old. She went to the University of California at Berkeley, then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles. Her degree is in Italian and French literature.

After college, she moved to Mexico City where she lived for eleven years with her (then) husband and two children. She was a Miss Venezuela contestant and did modeling.

From her bio page: "Verreos enjoys playing with her children, cooking, listening to "world" music, reading and writing in foreign languages. She also enjoys playing basketball, football and walking. She describes herself as persistent, tough on the outsideÂ…tender on the inside, considerate and respectful." She lives with her parents and two children. Her birth date is July 19, 1968.

Her Favorites will spill the real beans...

• Um, she lists the "scent of children's skin" under favorite scent. I do hope that's not to be confused with dirty diapers or a child who's been playing with the dog all day!
• Barbie Fashion Designer is her favorite video game. Eep. That exists?
• He TV shows include Survivor (good), Project Runway and "anything on the Food Network."
• Tristan & Iseult are listed for authors/books. I haven't a clue.

Well, I just don't know about her. In some aspects, such as actually knowing the show, she may do well. But I get the feeling she's not going to be around for a real long time unless she rides coat-tails. I could be wrong.

Why, oh, why am I getting Johnny Fairplay vibes from this photo of James Reid? Either that or soft porn Brian. I feel my judgment of James is probably going to be clouded due to the fact that this photo turns me off. It looks like he's trying to be smug, sexy, and "all that."

Originally from Boston, he received his high school diploma in an adult program. He's a Navy veteran and currently works as a bartender, but with a catering set-up job going, too.

From his bio page: "Reid enjoys working out at the gym, most sports (especially football) and hanging out with good friends. He describes himself as outgoing, tough (but an overall "good kid"), a people person and a "man's man." He's single and currently living in Los Angeles. His birth date is September 11, 1978.

Onto his Favorites:

• Chutes and Ladders? Yipes. At least he lists Monopoly and Sorry, too.
• He lists six favorite colors. What does that say about him? Fickle? Amongst others, he lists both silver and gray. Okay...
• He likes to play catch.
• No Survivor in his TV list, but he likes Entourage, Weeds, and Brotherhood.
• The Departed, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas make his movie favorites. I'm sensing some sort of pattern here.
• Okay, he's a Cap'n Crunch eater. Maybe my pattern was premature.

Remember, my opinion may be tainted by what I think of the photo from CBS. I wish they had just used a normal shot like with the other castaways. I want to say slacker or, perhaps belligerent leader. I don't want to say "winner." Prove me wrong, James.