Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-66.205.130.149-20140920095421/@comment-1827503-20150829215327

Russell actively played for second place, even if he didn't realize it. Sherri/Albert/etc. were dragged into second or third place finishes.

Also, Russell's antics got him $200,000 as a fan favorite, while the goats didn't get that extra money. I'm not defending Russell, but he ended up with $375K in his pocket from his first two seasons.