(For Winokurs thoughts, as well as host Julie Chens, clickhereandhere.)
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How are you feeling?ROSS MATHEWS:I am thrilled, truly really thrilled.
Im thrilled for my friend.
Cliff Lipson/CBS
Second place and Americas Player?
Ill take that any day.
I love this game.
I know how tough it is.
I made it to the finale.
You are a superfan, which means you know how to play the game.
You also know the jury doesnt always vote for the best gamer.Yes, but you cant control that.
I stand by everything I did in the game.
You dont behave outside of the house, the way you behave inside of the house!
This is a game.
This how you play it.
I played this game hard.
If I didnt, I would have been home sooner.
I made it all the way to the final two.
I dont apologize for anything I did it in this game.
Did you get any intel about how and why everyone voted?I dont need intel.
I assume the people who voted for Marissa did so because they love Marissa.
They thought she should win, and they played with feelings and not strategy.
But Im fine with that.
I really am thrilled.
Do you think Mark McGrath made the wrong decision throwing the HOH skiing competition to you?No.
I was true to Mark.
So Marissa knew you had a final two deal with Mark?
How did she know that?I told her!
I told Marissa everything throughout the entire game.
I neveroncetold Marissa I would take her to the final two.
And yet she stuck by you.Yes, because we love each other.
I dont know, had I won that final HOH, that I could havenottaken Marissa.
I dont know if I could have looked her in the eye.
It was going to be a real moral dilemma for me.
I still dont know what I would have done.
Who did you think was going to win Americas vote?I had no idea.
All I knew was my game.
I was the Carrie Bradshaw of my game.
Were all the starring character of our game!
I knew what I was putting out there.
Im sure there was both.
But I dont know!
Americas Player, as a super fan, means more to me than the title of winner.
Because the fans get this game.
They want people to go hard, play to win and enjoy every second, to relish theBig Brotherexperience.
Even when I was put on slop, I relished being on slop.
It was part of the game!
