By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com, filed originally January 6, 2015
Instead of a standard recap of the two episodes aired Monday of "Celebrity Apprentice," I am going to handicap the remaining players based on the first four hours of the show. (Good news for NBC: ratings are way up over the last "Celebrity Apprentice" cycle.)
Oddly, two very competent players - Keshia Knight Pulliam and Kevin Jonas - were cut first, both in effect taken down by Geraldo Rivera. The third one out, Gilbert Gottfried, was highly entertaining and very funny but probably not winning material because he tends to do whatever he wants. By not preparing a script in the third episode last night, he threw out some not-so-family friendly humor in a corporate setting that led to his departure.
STRONGEST PLAYERS SO FAR
Vivica A. Fox: The popular actress comes across as very Type A, committed, bright player. She is also passionate in a way Trump tends to like. Like Joan Rivers, she really cares about this competition. She really wants to win and isn't there just for the paycheck or publicity. And she shows real empathy. She cried in the boardroom over Keshia getting beat up during the first challenge. On the second challenge, she showed so much enthusiasm over victory, Trump noted it. And when she took on project manager the third round, she was authoritative and sharp, beating the guys. ODDS OF WINNING: 4-1
Leeza Gibbons: She raised a lot of money the first round, directed the ladies to victory in the second round. Overall, the TV host is coming across as organized, bright and business savvy. Plus, she appears to have some backbone and will bite back in the boardroom if need be. ODDS OF WINNING: 5-1
Ian Ziering: The actor is composed and solid both in the boardroom and out in the field. He appears to have a vast array of business, creative and marketing skills that will serve him well as the game moves along. Even when Trump questioned his inability to critique Kevin Jonas during the second episode for bringing him into the firing line, he held his own. Sure, his movies ("Sharknado" anybody) may be cheesy, but Ziering himself is anything but. ODDS OF WINNING: 5-1
So far, this season has been All About Geraldo. The man has a massive ego that can only be matched by Donald Trump himself. He is a bloviating, self-centered boor. If he doesn't get his way, he treats others with disdain and pouts. But in the boardroom, he is savvy, strident and persuasive. It's like Trump is looking into a mirror. He
loves
Geraldo! His team easily won the first challenge, raising far more money than the lady's team. And to Geraldo's credit, his friends came through. During the second episode, Kevin gunned after Geraldo because he disliked the journalist's crazy self-centered persona and tried to lock him out of key portions of the commercial. When they lost, Geraldo spun it that the reason they lost is
because
Kevin locked him out. Somehow, Trump bought it. Trump also hated that Kevin, when given the option to bring two others onto the chopping block, picked an ally (Ian Ziering) as well as Geraldo instead of a weaker player. Trump punished Kevin for this tactic and fired him instead of Geraldo. In the third challenge, Terrell Owens also brought Geraldo into the bottom three but Geraldo survived yet again. As this game moves forward, other celebrities are going to keep targeting Geraldo given his high irritation factor. At some point, Trump will have no choice but to get rid of him. But for now, he is the master of "The Geraldo Show." ODDS OF WINNING: 10-1
Terrell Owens: The former NFL player has been surprisingly low key so far, mature and even keeled. Although he lost his first project manager challenge last night, partly over a messaging problem, he deftly sloughed off the blame to others without looking like a jerk. He's an underdog who could go far by not ruffling feathers while doing a competent job. ODDS OF WINNING: 10-1
DIFFICULT TO JUDGE AT THIS STAGE
Kenya Moore: This "Real Housewives of Atlanta" reality star is a bit of a wild card. She may come across as a faker at times but she is also smart as a whip. And she knows how to pick apart other people's faults and use that to her advantage. Two words: Bill Cosby. She basically got Keshia Knight Pulliam fired by bringing him up. Her divisive personality, though, might do her in at some point, as evidenced by how she treated Jamie Anderson in the third episode. (See details later.) I'm curious to see how she's able to lead once she becomes a project manager. ODDS OF WINNING: 20-1
Shawn Johnson: This Olympic-winning gymnast complained in the third challenge about PMS, which didn't impress project manager Vivica. And Vivica brought it up during the boardroom. Fortunately, the ladies won that competition so the issue didn't come up again. But Shawn clearly was taken aback that this was used against her and faced off against Vivica after they got back to the suite. While a great athlete, does she have the fortitude to deal with this type of battle? She could very well surprise us so we can't count her out just yet. ODDS OF WINNING: 20-1
Sig Hansen: This "Deadliest Catch' reality star has thrown out a few funny quips but otherwise, he hasn't shown much in the way of creative or logistical leadership that I can tell. We may have to await him becoming a project manager to see what his true mettle is. ODDS OF WINNING: 25-1
Johnny Damon: This former baseball star has left almost no impression to date after three challenges. It's impossible to say if he's just really quiet but smart enough to shine once he's a project manager or if he's so laid back, Trump will eventually find a reason to can him. ODDS OF WINNING: 25-1
Jamie Anderson: A snowboarding champ, she seems way too nice to take home this competition. Trump likes it a little more ruthless. She did get really irritated when Kenya Moore spoke to her dismissively in the kitchen during the third challenge and found her apology insincere. She did call Kenya out on it during the boardroom. ODDS OF WINNING: 50-1
WEAKER PLAYERS
Lorenzo Lamas: This veteran actor seems well meaning but a lightweight. He directed the losing challenge commercial and could have been easily targeted by Trump if Kevin Jonas had brought him in. ODDS OF WINNING: 500-1
Kate Gosselin: The reality star did win as project manager in the second episode but it had very little to do with her. She knew very little about technology and the company they had to do a commercial for was about technology. She will eventually be exposed as a great mom but not someone Trump would ever crown as a winner. ODDS OF WINNING: 1,000-1
Brandi Glanville: There is virtually no way this "Real Housewives" cast mate will win. She doesn't seem to have any real business gravitas or drive to win this. She is all drama, no substance. ODDS OF WINNING: 10,000-1
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