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Ben Wade on Survivor.
Benjamin "Coach" Wade
Can the Dragon Slayer be stopped on "Survivor: Tocantins"?
Knoxville native Benjamin "Coach" Wade - who dubbed himself "The Dragon Slayer" for his Samurai-like methodology - is among the final five contestants. Despite editing that shows an apparent ego gone wild, Wade has been able to manipulate his way through the game fairly gracefully. He's dodged elimination and been able to thwart competitors.
But with this next episode (airing 8 tonight, WVLT, Channel 8), Wade has to maintain at least one or two allies to sail into the finals. If he wins, he gets $1 million - or more like $700,000 after taxes. (Are you listening, Richard Hatch?)
The fact Wade has been able to maneuver his way this far through "Survivor" is quite an accomplishment. He's irritated his fellow castaways and shown no lack of self love, which he heaps upon himself in almost every conversation shown on camera.
Even in the best of circumstances, Wade's behavior would be hard to take. Under the conditions of a "Survivor" game, you'd think the others would have enough of his grandstanding. That hasn't been the case.
Instead, though, he was able to virtually lead his tribe around by their collective nose. Perhaps they don't take him seriously enough as a threat to actually winning.
Whatever their reasoning, they have severely underestimated Wade. And that is a testimony to his true value as a player of this game.
Wade credits his feelings of self worth to his parents and says there is a difference between having an ego and not caring for anyone other than yourself.
"When I was growing up, my parents didn't just say, 'You can be whatever you want to be.' They said, 'You can be the best,'" Wade said in a pre-"Survivor" interview.
Before the show aired, he said he would be "fascinated" to see how the editing would portray him. He called being on the show "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" because of its taxing nature.
"I wanted to make the game about the noble warrior," he said. " ... I want to play it honorably. I want to play it nobly."
Terry Morrow may be reached at morrowt@knoxville.com or 865-342-6445.
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Comments » 10
belayvol writes:
Ok this made my jaw hit the floor. I also will not tell this to my Survivor friends that he is from Knoxville. Easily the most disturbed player since Johnny Rotten. It must have been his capture by the Amazon cannibals that made him act so crazy. He goes out tonight.
knightsaynih writes:
Isn't Survivor on tomorrow night?
thurs2000#245193 writes:
Another "local yokel makes good" story, barf barf'
Element writes:
The poll didn't give the option of @$$hole; that would have been the nickname that is most appropriate.
BainxGriffith writes:
Boys and girls, can you spell A-R-R-O-G-A-N-T ?
I knew you could!
Cash writes:
Survivor ? oh my gawd, this is reality tv ? scripted for your viewing pleasure.
if the "reality show" phooey is all I could find for entertainment on tv, I honestly would kill myself.
damn, people will buy anything.
maestra writes:
Oh wow. I'm embarrassed to be a Knoxville native now.
knoxtomarion writes:
Go TINA!!! Oh wait, wrong season.
belayvol writes:
Where was he the coach at? This about floored me to learn this Bozo was from K-Town. Spill the dirt Fashionista.
belayvol writes:
Thanks for the info. I thought i had read somewhere that he was a girls soccer coach who took a leave of absence for some bogus reason to go on Survivor. Once the school found out, they canned him. I agree he is still arrogant.
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