Survivor's Dave Reveals How to Go Out "Like a Man"

At least he saw it coming. After weeks of betrayals and blindsides on Survivor: Samoa, Dave Ball knew early on in last night's episode that his name was being thrown around the campfire (mostly thanks to the Shambo's vision of sending Dave home). However, "Dangerous Dave" had one more trick up his sleeve, in hopes of convincing Jaison to flip against Russell and the rest of Foa Foa. In the end, Jaison didn't flip, Shambo got her way and Dave went home, as he puts it, "like a man." Dave talked with TVGuide.com about trying to flip Jaison, who he regrets not voting off sooner and which of his competitors he think is "unstable, crazy and stupid." Don't forget to check back Monday to read our chat with last night's second eliminated player, Monica Padilla.

Watch full episodes of Survivor: Samoa

TVGuide.com: What were your thoughts going into tribal council?
Dave Ball: My thoughts were pretty simple, like "Alright, I'm going home."

TVGuide.com: Were you pretty worried your name was on the chopping block from the minute you didn't win immunity?
Dave: Once I didn't get immunity, it was like, alright, time to start playing the game again and try to start getting Mick and Jaison to flip. It wasn't until later that they came to me and said, "It's you tonight, man." So I said, "Well, if it's me, I'm not going to go out like a little cry baby. I'm going to go out like a man."

TVGuide.com: Did you have any hope Jaison would flip? John had also mentioned last week that he almost got Jaison to flip, so why was Jaison the person who seemed most likely to switch?
Dave: Yes, because Jaison spent $500 on an advantage [in last week's auction] and that would seem to indicate that he feels weak in their tribe. If he felt he was solid, he wouldn't have spent his money on it. Unless he was an idiot who has never seen the show before and didn't know how to play the game, which actually is also the case. We figured Jaison was the low man on the pole so we figured he was the one we could get to flip. We offered final three, me, Jaison and Brett. We thought he would take it too. I told him, "Against Russell, you're never going to win." Those guys [Mick and Jaison] were not playing to win.

Survivor's John talks about turning against Galu

TVGuide.com Why do you think he decided not to flip?
Dave: At the time, I thought it was a combination of cowardice and laziness.

TVGuide.com: Jaison has gotten a lot of flack this season for his laziness.
Dave: Well he spent a vast majority of his time sleeping on the beach. Literally, 85 percent of his waking hours were spent on the beach and the other 15 percent was spent eating our food.

TVGuide.com: Did you have any hope Russell was actually going to vote Shambo out like he said he would?
Dave: If you go back and look, the look on my face was pretty incredulous. I was like, "Yeah, right, Russell. I believe whatever you're saying." It wasn't my plan but I figured I would go with it. I was cognizant I was the one going home. I am actively dangerous while she is only schizophrenically dangerous. Like Mick said, they went against Foa Foa once and Shambo is unstable, crazy and stupid, so going against her twice would be detrimental.

TVGuide.com: Why do you think Shambo was gunning for you to leave over Brett or Monica?
Dave: She dislikes me more than them. She voted strictly with ego and personal preference as opposed to strategically or with any sense of playing the game. She was never playing the game. She was always playing to hurt who she hated.

TVGuide.com: Is there anything you would have done differently, looking back?
Dave: Two things I wouldn't have done. I wouldn't have voted off Eric and would have picked off Foa Foa's weakest first rather than gunning for Russell straightaway. There's no way he was going to give Mick a hidden immunity idol. So if we had just targeted Mick or Jaison and burned away the candle from the skinny end rather than the strong end... I wouldn't have voted off Eric but his problem was that he was listening to John strategy-wise and John didn't know how to play the game at all. He was running around like a maniac a third of the game, "Monica's after me, Monica's after me." That's like butterflies coming after you, she's harmless.

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