RNO Roundtable - 'Survivor: The Amazon' Predictions, Part 2: The Men

Editor's Introduction: If you haven't already, you should check out Part 1 of this series to see what we had to say about the women. Here we continue to look at the contestants of Survivor: The Amazon, this time for the men. Tomorrow we'll make our overall general predictions.

Here we have put the predictions in reverse alphabetical order by writer: Melinda Smith, Charlie Reneke, Phil Kural, Ken Kellam III, Jamie Goralski, C. Brian Devinney, Jeffrey Clinard, and David Bloomberg.

TAMBAQUI: THE MEN

Alex Bell
Age: 32
From: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Triathlon Trainer
Marital Status: Single
Luxury Item: Finisher Medal, 2001 Wildflower Triathlon
Enjoys competing in triathlons in addition to training people for them. Struggled with severe drug and alcohol problems when he was in his teens, but has been sober for eleven years. Self-described as funny, determined, and intelligent. Enjoys the game Monopoly.

Melinda: What a great guy! Not only is he good-looking, smart, and athletic, but he has the class to appreciate Frances McDormand, the scent of jasmine, and his mother's chocolate chip cookies. His biography shows a wonderful variety of interests and experience. He's not just a triathlete - he trains triathletes, and he has the creative drive to work for Dreamworks. But, the thing about him that strikes me the most favorably is his big, confident grin. Alex is my pick for male winner of Survivor: The Amazon.

Charlie: Alex is the one person on Tambaqui whom I don't see trying to land a leadership role, and that's a good thing. With all the alpha-males that reside in men's tribe, Alex can sit back and let them tear each other apart. Of course, by time the smoke clears, there might be nothing left. I believe Alex will be the last man left standing... literally.

Phil: Right off the bat, I like him. I'm not sure why yet, but he looks really genuine in his profile picture. However, I said the same thing about John Carrol, and look what happened there. He has recovered from alcoholism and drugs, which means he is a determined person and I respect that. I think he is going to do well. It looks to me like he has his life in order and knows how to get along with other people. He is athletic and appears very strong. Alex looks to me like he is a shoe-in to make the jury, if not the final four.

Ken: A writer for TV Guide who was on the set of the show during filming noted that initially, Alex was taking charge and telling people what to do. Being a triathlete and triathlete coach, he'll obviously have a tremendous competitive edge about him. But if he tries to push his tribe the way he's used to pushing those he trains, he could find himself pushed right out of the tribe. Nevertheless, I think he'll be around for the merge, but wouldn't be surprised to see him become one of the first members of the jury.

Jamie: Hard core tri-athlete will be a force to be reckoned with during the challenges. Varied resume so he has some interesting life experiences which I think could serve him well here. If anything gives me pause it's him referring to previous drug and alcohol problems from adolescence. I am not sure what that says in his need trot out that which other people would have left in the past. I do however want him to win since buying a GTO is a noble goal.

Brian: Part of me is trying to understand the whole bringing of his medal since it actually serves no purpose other than something shiny for them possibly to use to make fire. I'm also trying to figure out how he goes from working at DreamWorks to training people for triathlons but that's something else altogether. We can tell he has strength, willpower, and determination by remaining drug and alcohol free for the past eleven years but I'm really not getting a good read off of Alex in order to make a full determination of him. His bio is incredibly ambiguous which makes me just scratch my head.

Jeffrey: Alex will probably be a key member of any male alliance that develops within his tribe. He's smack in the middle of the tribe age-wise, and athletically fit. He should make the merge.

David: Alex is certainly fit enough for Survivor, but he also looks like he could have the necessary social skills as well. Frankly, I think with the men we are going to see that strength is not nearly as important as it historically has been. There will be more emphasis on who gets along with whom. And that's where things get tricky. But he has worked at fundraising and in communications - both of which should serve him well. Look for him to make the jury and potentially the final four, depending on how the tribes and alliances break down.

Butch Lockley
Age: 50
From: Olney, IL
Occupation: Middle School Principal
Marital Status: Married
Luxury Item: School Banner
Served 19 years as a high school teacher, athletic director, and coach. Enjoys hunting, water sports, and walking. If he could hold any political office, he'd like to be a state congressman because he could influence laws and programs that would help his state grow and develop while maintaining contact with the local people. Self-described as enthusiastic, ambitious, and humorous.

Melinda: Butch has a lot of good qualities that could be very useful in Survivor. He hunts, enjoys outdoor activities, coaches athletics, and has leadership skills. But taken all together, his background, outside interests and focus on being "the man in charge" add up to a rather unsympathetic persona. I'd like to think he has the inner character of Frank of Survivor: Africa but there's nothing in his biography that tells me he has the ability to laugh at himself like Frank did. Butch needs to build a strong coalition among the younger members of his tribe like Jake of Survivor: Thailand and keep it intact.