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Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
EW Interview With Dan
'Big Brother 10' winner Dan Gheesling on house hygiene, the Judas comment, and his future plans by Lynette Rice
EW talked to Dan Gheesling, the 25-year-old Catholic school teacher from Michigan and quite possibly the nicest winner in Big Brother history, about his landslide victory, his thoughts about Jerry and what his girlfriend Monica asked him once the show was over.(Catch Josh Wolk's Big Brother finale recap here.)
What did you think of the unanimous vote in your favor? Who did you think was the least likely to vote for you on the jury?
Man I was hoping to get four votes … maybe. But 7-0, wow, what a phenomenal feeling. I thought Keesha and Renny were solid but the others were up in the air. I thought Jerry and Libra would vote for Memphis and April, Ollie and Michelle would decide the game. I think this is a first in Big Brother history. (Editor’s note: He’s right. It is. Even the Big Brother master, Dr. Will, had two votes against him in season 2.)
We saw your girlfriend Monica hug you at the end. Did she think you acted like a good boy?
Monica was pretty supportive but I had some questions to answer. One had to do with my sharing a place to sleep with Keesha. I assured Monica that I built a wall of pillows between us and put a picture of Monica on top of the pillow wall. I told Monica it was for game play. Any girl would hate to see her boyfriend in bed with a girl as beautiful and charming and nice as Keesha, but we were just friends.
There was speculation in the house that you were America’s player. Did that last for long?
I had to fight that off every second thanks to one woman: Libra. She started the America’s Player conspiracy. It went on constantly. I always had to battle it. (Editor’s note: Dan was America’s player for one week, and won $20,000 for it.)
It’s all over now Dan, so you can say it. Who was really a vile person in the house?
You’re trying to get me in trouble here! How about we say who was the most un-clean? The person with the least amount of personal hygiene was Jerry, but we still loved him. At 75 he doesn’t need to wash his hands anymore.
Was it just us or were you always yelling to the camera in the diary room? Are you just a loud talker?
I tried to be very inconspicuous, very calm, in the house. I’m very calm as a teacher. But after school as a coach I like to get fired up. So in the diary room I’d like to coach up America. That was my chance. I took it and ran with it.
Let’s go back and talk about specific things in the house. I have to start with what you said at the start of the game … that you think a trip to confession will help wipe the slate clean. Dude, really? Are you gonna go? And what on earth will you say?
Without a doubt, I’ve already spoken to the powers at be back at St. Mary’s and arranged a three-hour confession. Part of being Catholic is that you’re not supposed to lie and manipulate, but that’s what you have to do to win. The St. Mary community was behind me 100 percent. I didn’t want to be seen fighting or dropping f-bombs. I didn’t want the kids (back at school) losing their temper, and they never saw me do that. I played Big Brother the best that I could. I stayed within the confines of the rules, though there are no rules in Big Brother.
Let’s talk about Jerry’s Judas comment. Were you hurt by that or were you more hurt by the implication that Jessie, of all people, represented Jesus in that scenario?
Neither was offensive. It was like water running off my back. I never let it pull me in. I knew what they were trying to do, but it was not worth getting into personal fight over religion. I was focused on the game.
Jerry was in your face a lot. Did he scare you?
No, Jerry’s a big teddy bear. He’s still is tough man, though, who could beat me in a fight.
Can we go back to that HOH competition when Michelle won and we heard Jerry trash-talking you in the background? Do you remember all the crap he said?
When Michelle won, it felt like Jerry won. He was in my face, pointing his finger in my face saying 'don’t hide behind the cross,' blah blah blah. He got so fired up and made it so personal, but I never did anything to him in the game. I voted Jessie out, not Jerry. He acted like I took shots at him but I never put him in harm's way but he took things so personally.
Now let’s talk about when you won against Ollie. We at home were pretty suspicious that you were the only one wearing a hooded jacket during what turned out to be a very wet challenge. Ollie said he was half-nude. How is it possible you knew to wear a jacket?
I’m been waiting for this question. In this game, it’s not about being bigger or stronger, it’s about being smarter. I knew we hadn’t done an endurance competition yet with any kind of liquid, so I decided why not wear a jacket to be prepared? Sometimes I carry out a long sleeve shirt and throw it aside if I don’t need it. This was the one case where I got lucky with it. There was a lot of speculation that producers told me to wear it. Being a Big Brother fan I was suspicious about how involved the producers were, but there was no funny business. No one told me to wear a jacket.
What are you going to do with the money and please don't say you’re going to give it to charity.
Here’s what I’m going to do. Some time in the near future I’m going to buy Monica a gift to fit on her ring finger. Other than that I may invest it. I’ll stay at St. Mary’s and continue the job I love. I may even set up a college scholarship for Big Brother alumni -- but only for the non-winners because the winners won’t need it.
Dan's TV Guide Interview
How Big Brother 10's Dan Talked His Way to $500,000
by Adam Bryant
After a long summer of manipulation, betrayal and all the other underhanded adjectives that go along with Big Brother, Catholic school teacher Dan Gheesling was crowned the game's winner by a 7-0 vote from his evicted peers. We caught up with him to learn his plans for the cash after besting his "Renegade" ally, what he believes was the defining moment of his game (which might surprise you), how he really feels about Keesha and when he'll be heading to confession.
TVGuide.com: Congratulations! What are your plans for the $500,000?
Dan Gheesling: It's very overwhelming. I do have some plans, but I'm not sure how immediate they will be. My girlfriend Monica is probably going to be getting a gift that fits on her left ring finger, but when that's going to happen, we still need to talk about. Other than that, it will probably be some smart investments. I want to stay in teaching and coaching, so if I invest well, I should be able to do that without worrying about my financial future. Nothing too extravagant for me — I'm a straightforward Midwest guy and don't need a lot. But having that kind of money is unbelievable.
TVGuide.com: You obviously had fan support — you won America's Player and were always at the top of our reader Power Rankings. But did you have any idea you would win over the jury for a 7-0 vote?
Dan: [Laughs] No way. I thought it was going to be either Memphis or me in a 4-3 win. A 7-0 vote is overwhelming. I thought I had Keesha and Renny, and I thought Jerry and Libra would definitely vote for Memphis, which left the game for April, Ollie and Michelle to decide. It was all up in the air, and I had no idea what they would do. For it to work out the way it did, I was just as shocked as anyone.
TVGuide.com: When did you decide that it was the right moment to stop playing "weak"?
Dan: I needed to wait for a challenge that I knew I could win. When I looked at April winning the earthquake challenge, she impressed a lot of people. So, I knew if I was going to win an endurance challenge, I had to pick my mark, and I did when I got up on that vine. Plus, I had just won the veto right before that. Once you win competitions, there's no turning back, so I knew I had to pick something that I could control my own will. Luckily I was able to talk good ol' Ollie into dropping.
TVGuide.com: You're head whipped around a couple of times at Memphis during the jury interrogation. What were you most shocked to learn about your fellow Renegade?
Dan: I found out a couple things about him on the trip with Michelle — mostly that he had an alliance with Michelle. I felt like that was the case, but it was never really proven. He also told me that the banner said "We Love Libra" not "Libra's a Liar," so he did pull some Dan-like antics on me with that one. Other than that, Memphis was very loyal, and I found a best friend in the house.
TVGuide.com: So you never doubted him in the game?
Dan: Memphis never really had a chance to prove himself to me until he won that veto. I was like, "Alright, it's time to find out if the Renegades are for real or not." So when he used that veto on me and took me off the block, I knew there was no stopping us unless we got unlucky. We did get lucky a couple times, but when he used the veto, I knew we had a shot to take it to the end.
TVGuide.com: When he took you off, he then evicted alliance member Keesha. Did he know how much of a bad guy you were making him out to be in Keesha's mind?
Dan: I talked to Memphis and told him I was going to have to throw him under the bus. But I don't think he realized I was going to throw him under the bus, run him over, put in reverse and keep running him over back and forth. That's exactly what I did, and I had to take that opportunity. When he voted Keesha out, that was my glimmer of hope to win — prior to that I didn't think I had a chance.
TVGuide.com: Explain your gift to Keesha on her way out the door.
Dan: I gave two people gifts when they left the house, two people I cared for deeply. I gave Brian something when left, and I gave Keesha this duck that I confiscated from the house on Day 1. I wanted her to look at something that would remind her of me everyday and remind her to fight for those votes for me. The meaning on the bottom was harmless and just something I threw out there. But basically, it was a token to remind her of me and to fight for me to win.
TVGUide.com: Do you think Monica sent you that "Taken" shirt because she saw you and Keesha flirting on the feeds?
Dan: [Laughs] I had a long talk with Monica last night about the entire experience, and there were a few questions about Keesha. But everything is good on the homefront. She knows Keesha and I are just tremendous friends. I think the world of Keesha, and I wish her the best of everything, but we're just friends.
TVGuide.com: Obviously, the big moment for you was backdooring Michelle because you said she was strong. But we only saw her win one competition. Was it actually more to get in Ollie's head?
Dan: It was a definite combination of both. When Michelle was in that competition with April, she hung up there for what seemed like days. She proved to a lot of people that in a test of will's Michelle is going to win, and that scared a lot of people, me included. I knew if she got to the end, she'd be fighting tooth and nail and could probably beat me. She was strong in competitions, not so much in manipulating people, but she would've been tough to beat down the line. As for Ollie, he stabbed me and Brian in the back in Week 1, and I told Brian I would take out Ollie and Jerry for him. It's a game, and what goes around comes around.
TVGuide.com: You told the jury you did that to ensure that you were disliked so Memphis would take you to the end. I smell some teacher Dan rhetoric.
Dan: [Laughs] Did you ever see me work any rhetoric in the house? I didn't do that kind of stuff in the house, did I? [Laughs] I knew I pushed the limits of that roulette game a little too far. I got a little borderline overconfident, and I knew I had to put a strategic spin on it, and lucky for me it worked. I always prepared in the house, whether it was for competitions or speeches, and this was no different. I was able to cover my tracks a little because I did get out of hand, but luckily I had a chance to redeem myself in the eyes of the jury.
TVGuide.com: You said you would play the game dirty if you had to and then go to confession. So, when's confession?
Dan: [Laughs] I talked to the powers that be at St, Mary's early this morning to make sure I still have a job, which I do. The chancellor is supporting me, and I just set up my three-hour confession time with him as soon as I get back to Michigan. It's going to be a long one, but I have a lot of support at St. Mary's. They said, "Is it a sin to bluff in poker and is it a sin to trap someone in chess? If it is, then Dan's a sinner, but if not, he was just playing a game." And that meant the world to me.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Post-Jury Questioning
The feeds came back at around midnight to Dan mumbling to himself about how he has to get either April or Ollie’s votes, but he never talked to either of them. But in his mind, it’s Renny’s vote that is the most crucial. “If I do not get Renny, then I cannot win.”
Memphis then joins him (he apparently was in the diary room), and over beers they discuss the jury questioning. Surprisingly, it appears that the jurors are now going to be separated from each other until the finale.
Each of them believes the other has the votes to win. Dan says Memphis has three votes “wrapped”, so only needs one more vote. Memphis replies that Dan’s probably overestimating the count, and that it’s a toss up. He believes that Dan will get Michelle’s vote because of the trip (“that trip was huge”), but agrees that April and Ollie’s block votes could determine the winner.
Keesha apparently asked Memphis about his line about taking her to the end, and Memphis response was that she never made a similar promise to him. He doesn’t remember what Ollie asked him, though. (No surprise.) Renny’s question to him was what did he do for her? Michelle whined to Memphis that he threw all the competitions. No, that was Dan. “We didn’t win shit for six weeks, and then we won everything.” They both agree that if Michelle had remained in the house, she would have won a lot of the competitions.
Jerry apparently complained to Memphis that he tried to take his four grand that his children “need”. Dan asks Memphis if he would have had his vote if he kept Jerry over him. I think everybody knows the answer to that question.
One other interesting tidbit that came out last night – besides teaching, Dan is also a website designer. This info came out when they were discussing the “shocking” disclosure that Renny owns her own business. I still don’t get why that’s a big deal.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Will Dan Now Tell Memphis About The Luxury Trip?
Judging by the footage we saw of the jury house tonight, I have a feeling that Dan's trip will be one of the major topics of the juror questions on Saturday. Will Dan let him know ahead of time? One can argue that it won't matter, but I think it's in Dan's best interest to tell Memphis. Finding out during the questioning could bring an ugly tone to the rest of the proceedings, which may lead to Memphis nabbing a vote or two of Dan's.
Jerry's Sick...Or Is He?
Jerry's been hovering near the garbage cans for quite some time. He gagged a few times, but did he ever really throw up? Dan joked that at the sight of him, Jerry vomits.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Dan's HOH Blog
Wow, what a ride this entire game has been. There have been so many ups and downs it is crazy! I had the chance to leave the house for a day and it was a very strange feeling. The helicopter ride was out of this world, I enjoyed it so much, I managed to see Memphis' Bar, Keesha's Restaurant, and a whale in the ocean! (not to mention all of the spectacular tourist type locations) Being outside of the house for a short period of time made me realize how fast this stay has gone in the house. I know some people may complain a lot about being in the house, but it has (scary enough) become my new home. I was almost missing the fact of being locked in a house with 3 other people, which is borderline insane. I enjoy every minute I am in the house and am very appreciative of all the support of my family, girlfriend, friends, students/faculty of Orchard Lake St. Mary's, and of course the fans (what few fans I may have left, hahahah).
Being in this house for so long you create bonds with people whether you want to or not! Jerry and I have had a...interesting summer to say the least but even after everything has passed I still wish the best for him and his family. It is a very unique thing living with someone who you know dislikes you very much on a 'game level' but on a personal level I think Jerry does not dislike me as much. Hahahah. My relationship with Keesha has come tenfold since the first week. I am not sure I even said one word to Keesha during the first week in the house, she even called me the mole and "very sneaky" at one point. Since the first week, Keesha and I have grown very close on a brother/sister type level, and I've really had a chance to find out how kind and caring Keesha really is. Keesha actually reminds me more of my sister than anyone else in the house. It is funny how terribly OFF my first impressions of everyone was. Finally there is Memphis. Who would have thought there would even be the RENEGADES after week one of trying to back door Memphis with Brian. It's ironic how much Memphis and I have in common considering that we are basically from opposite ends of the world and have almost polar opposite careers. Whether or not I am able to pull game out I have enjoyed every second of it and will cherish the people.
I think I have a little explaining to do about Michelle. Obviously back-dooring her was one of the most dastardly moves this season, and it really could not have happened to a nicer person. I needed to find some way to make amends with her because I think I have hurt her most in this game. Part of my strategy was to make people ANGRY as they walk out the doors because it could possibly ensure me being taken to the final two. It was my goal to have another houseguest take me to the final two for the mere fact that they think they can beat me. I'm not sure how that gamble will pay off.
Last but not least I want to thank the fans of Big Brother this season. We would not get to have as much fun as we do in the house if it wasn't for all of your support and loyalty (yes, I know me throwing "loyalty" around is a oxymoron). Real quick, I am sure that people are wondering, "How can a Catholic School Teacher play the game of Big Brother so conniving, untruthful, and dastardly?" Here's my answer: In my real life I don't have people trying to kick me out of my house, and I came here to play a GAME, and I'm playing as hard as I can.
Back to the support of the fans, you guys are all awesome and it is a tribute to you all that Big Brother has run for TEN seasons. TEN seasons of anything is crazy, let alone a reality TV show like Big Brother. So I hope all in all, everyone has enjoyed watching us in the house. Finally, I have to thank the love of my life Monica for being strong and supporting me in this crazy adventure. It is not everyday that someone you love says, "Yes, go ahead, leave me for 3 months, and I'll be waiting when you get back." All of the families and loved ones of everyone in the house I would imagine are very special people, so I thank you for all of the support.
To everyone back in Dearborn: THANK YOU! I'm trying to bring this home for all of you, if I can pull this win off, we may have to shut down Michigan Ave. when I get back!
To the Men of St. Mary's: School has started, and your teacher/coach is still locked up in the house! I hope all of you are studying hard, paying attention in class, and supporting your fellow brothers. Support the football team, you guys mean a lot to the squad and they need your support. Keep your priorities in check, God, Family, St. Mary's! I hope to return to OLSM soon, go Eaglets!
St. Mary's Football Team: Seniors keep working hard this is your last go around! I hope we beat EGR. Start this seasons strong and finish strong - I will be back soon.
To my Family: I love you all, thank you for the awesome HoH letters, they have helped more than you can imagine. Happy Birthday to Mom and other family birthdays that are coming up. I'll be back soon. I love and miss you all.
Monica: I love you and miss you more than you can imagine. Thanks for sending the stuffed animal that you hate, it brought back a lot of memories. ;) This is almost over stay strong for me and you know I will be strong for you. TAU
Dan's Fans: (if there are any) Thanks for all your support, I will finish this game out with everything I have. If you've liked what you have seen so far, you haven't seen "nothing" yet! I've still got ONE more trick up my sleeve, we'll see if I need to use it or not. I appreciate you all.
Take care,
Dan
a.k.a Father Dan
a.k.a America's Player 2.0.
P.S. Brian, I got Ollie for you, one more to go.
No Bandanas Tomorrow
A few times this season, Dan and Memphis have talked about whipping out bandanas when it comes time to evict the final contestant. They've now decided that won't be smart since the jurors will see this silliness. Smart move.
Second Round Details
They're not rehashing too much of the competition, except for the fact that it took Jerry 51 minutes to complete the task. Cutouts were involved, though, and Dan noted that he forgot how beautiful Angie is. He also wants to take his cutout home with him.
OK, I Was Wrong
Feeds are back to Dan and Jerry talking, and Memphis in the sauna room. Memphis indeed won, as Jerry just said "oh well, I'm done. I don't have to do anything anymore. You two will fight it out tomorrow".
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
"We're Going To Have To Flip To See Who Sends Him Home"
Jerry got called to the diary room, so the boys can now celebrate a little. Memphis asked what he said to Keesha as she walked out, and he just said "get Renny" (meaning her vote). Dan doesn't think he gets to watch round two, so they're going to use bandanas as code as to whether Memphis won.
"You Better Make It To Sunday"
Keesha is much more calm today than last night, but she's been sniffling tears all day as she packs. Dan is trying to cheer her up by talking about her dog, and it seems to be working to an extent. She just told him, though, that he "better make it to Sunday".
Jerry and Memphis are cleaning, and few words are being spoken by anybody other than Keesha and Dan to each other.
Monday, September 8, 2008
"What Can I Do?"
Dan is turning up the charm, and asking what he can do to save her. Good one, Catholic boy. She's decided that Memphis believes she'd pick Dan over him, and has let it slip more than once that she'd pick Memphis over Dan. "You're a bad liar, by the way", she tells Dan, who has some lame excuse that he was hoping he could flip it.
Time To Lie To Jerry
"Dan's really pissed about this whole thing", Memphis just told Jerry, who is all full of appreciation for everything he's doing for him. Meanwhile, Dan's sweet talking Keesha, and badly lying that the "change" occurred while he was at the beach, and that he told Memphis that Jerry was lying about his neck injury.
"I've always fucking had his back...to everybody!" She just predicted that Jerry is going to pull out the win.
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