Kubicek's analysis...

Friday, August 26, 2011
'Big Brother 13': What Were Jeff and Daniele's Biggest Mistakes?

John Kubicek
Senior Writer, BuddyTV

Thursday's live double eviction on Big Brother 13 saw the two biggest competitors in the house, Daniele Donato and Jeff Schroeder, sent to the jury house. It was a rather stunning display of the inmates taking over the asylum and now the four remaining newbies are in control.

I realize that many fans are upset that their favorite HGs are now gone, but I have to respect the game move from the newbies. The truth is that if Daniele or Jeff made the finale, they easily would've won the entire game. They had to go in order for the others to have a shot at half a million dollars.

But what led to the two biggest competitors of Big Brother 13 to their demise. Here's my take on their biggest mistakes in the game.

Jeff: Throwing the Corn Hole Veto

Big Jeff likes to complain about how the HGs aren't stepping up and getting things done. But he was just as guilty of that during Daniele's second reign as HoH in the Corn Hole veto competition. Adam and Shelly were on the block, and when it came down to Jeff, Daniele and Adam, Jeff agreed to throw the competition and let Adam win.

Why? Well, because Big Jeff didn't want to make a hard decision. At the time he had two alliances: one with Adam and Shelly and one with Brendon and Rachel. If Jeff won that veto, he would've had to choose between saving one alliance or protecting the other. Jeff chickened out and avoided any responsibility.

In hindsight, Jeff should've won the veto, kept the nominations the same and then Jeff, Jordan, Brendon and Rachel would've all made it to the final seven. Jeff's big mistake was choosing his alliance with Adam and Shelly, because they've proven all season that they are weak and never actually win competitions, while Brendon and Rachel won almost everything they played in at the start. Jeff needed an alliance that would step up and provide some benefit to him, but instead he chose to work with Adam, Shelly and Jordan, which is like hitching your wagon to three lame mules.

Daniele: Having Faith in Rachel

I know everyone thinks her biggest mistake was trying to get Rachel to backdoor Jeff in week 3, and it was, but not for the reason you might think. Her logical argument was sound and, once Brendon returned after being evicted the first time, he and Rachel admitted that Daniele was right and they should've backdoored Jeff when they had the chance.

No, Daniele's biggest mistake was believing that Rachel could play this game logically and not emotionally. Rachel likes to talk about how she doesn't make personal decisions and how she's a smart game player, but she's not. She proved that when her goodbye message to Daniele called her an "arrogant, rude, horrible bitch." That's not what an unemotional player would say.

Daniele foolishly thought she could rationalize with Rachel and lay out a logical plan that Rachel would go along with.


After analyzing Jeff and Daniele's weaknesses, I decided to look back at the other evicted HGs and see what their biggest mistakes were.

Keith: The Giant Flower

Seriously dude, the minute everyone saw the giant flower on your bright blue shirt and vest, they all knew you had to go as soon as possible.

Cassi: Being Pretty

It might sound catty, but looking back on it, I genuinely believe Rachel was so eager to get Cassi out solely because Rachel was threatened by how much prettier and more awesome Cassi was than her. The same could be said about Daniele, the difference being that Dani was a much stronger player that Rachel couldn't handle so easily.

Dominic: Trusting Shelly

Yes, it was Daniele who spun him up in her web of deceit, but it was Dominic's decision to tell Shelly about his future plans to get rid of all the veterans that really bit him in the butt. It's OK to think that early on, but it's not OK to say that to anyone.

Lawon: Asking to Be Evicted

Never in the history of the game has there been a worse move. Marcellas famously didn't use the Power of Veto on himself and got evicted for it, but Lawon beat him by not only offering to be nominated, but offering to be EVICTED. Even Lawon couldn't make up a word to describe how stupid that was.

Brendon: Getting Engaged to Rachel

I'm pretty sure this isn't just his biggest mistake in the game, it's his biggest mistake in life. Brendon seems like a pretty decent guy by himself, but when he's with Rachel, her awfulness taints him and makes everyone hate him.

All of the Veterans: Not Waiting for a Real All-Stars Season

Mixing newbies and all-stars just doesn't work on Big Brother, and now we see why. The veterans are definitely going to be targeted no matter what. Also, it's clear that Jordan doesn't even want to be on the show, she only did it for Jeff, and the same can be said for Brendon. If Jeff and Rachel had simply waited for a legitimate all-stars season, they could've played without their significant others and had a real shot at winning. Instead, they're gone and, unless CBS is willing to let them play for a third time, they shouldn't be back again.