A Reality Check From ... Angela Ruggiero (NBC's "The Apprentice")

Three-time Olympic Ice Hockey Player Angela Ruggiero, 26, grew up in Los Angeles, California and Harper Woods, Michigan. She graduated cum laude with a degree in government from Harvard University. A star player on the U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey Team, Angela won a Gold medal in 1998, a Silver medal in 2002 and a Bronze medal at the 2006 Olympics. She was the first woman non-goalie to play professional men’s hockey in North America, earning a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Angela is the founder and president of a girl’s hockey school; the author of “Breaking the Ice,” her inspirational autobiography; and the director of the New York Islanders’ Project Hope — an organization that provides young Chinese athletes with access to educational opportunities. In addition, she is currently training for the 2007 World Championships with Team USA as well as the 2010 Olympics.

RC: You’ve achieved so much: Harvard educated, published author, Olympic gold medalist, Hockey Hall Of Fame … do you ever find time to sit back & take it all in?
AR: I try to do that. You definitely have to stop & take a big deep breath & appreciate all yo'uve been given & worked for.

RC: What was it like being a woman in a men’s professional hockey league? Did you find it challenging or intimidating?
AR: They respect you for being a good hockey player. The Oilers definitely did that. It was a good mental preparation for life. You go in & tell yourself you’re prepared, hocky is hockey & not to get so overwhelmed with what you can’t control ... with what people are thinking are saying.

RC: For those who weren't familiar with this year's process, tell us how you would up on The Apprentice?
AR: There was an online poll during the Olympics on nbc.com. People could vote once a day for their favorite athlete on a ballot. I got call one day saying I had received the most votes.

RC: And you were ready to go?
AR: Yes, I was relaxed & ready. The Olympics had ended in February, I traveled, and we didn't start filimg until the summertime. I bought all of Trump’s books to get myself ready!

RC: Is the board room everything you thought it would be? More intense?
AR: The boardroom was very intense. There's a film crew, Mr. Trump is sitting across from you. You're on constant defense.

RC: Let's go back to the last episode. Do you still feel that Nicole should have been the one to be fired or were you trying to deflect blame off yourself as the PM?
AR: Well I felt that Nicole steered us in the wrong direction. She got us all riled up, saying what Arrow was going to do. She has insider information and we had to take that into account. In my opinion, it was the wrong idea - running around chasing people as opposed to having them come to you. I was surprised I wasn't supported in the boardroom.

RC: Well, that seems like a fairly recent tactic. Like the contestants have figured out that if they all gang up on one person, Trump would probably fire them? Was that approach some of the time?
AR: Oh it was every time, gang up on one person. Kinetic was ruthless. Arrow would change who they would say they'd fire but Kinetic always ganged up on one person.

RC: You felt Arrow played dirty during the challenge. What irked you the most about their behavior?
AR: First off, we were told that we couldn’t have a booth. That was our first inclination, a booth with a ticket sign. Universal had said no but Arrow did it anyway. They were pulling people away claiming tickets were cheaper. The way they were operating on the space, selling tickets several times to families of 4 where kids could’ve gotten in for free. I’m not going to lower myself. I kept saying to Trump, "it’s quality over quantity." You really want someone who’s going to represent your company well & I was the leader. Unfortunately in business it’s a lesson. They worked hard but I wish they kept it a little more fair.

RC: Is there anyone that you are particularly rooting for?
AR: Well of course I’d like to see Kinetic win but it seems their numbers are dwindling. I like Stefani, she seems like someone not so much under the radar but playing a quiet role.

RC: What's next for you?
AR: Next – training for Women’s World Championships Apr 3-10 in Winnipeg. This will be my 7th World Championship. I still have my job with the NY Islanders. I'm staying involved in lots of different things. None of it conflicts with the live finale, I’ll be there.

Thanks so much to Angela Ruggiero for talking to Reality Check!
The Apprentice airs on NBC Sunday nights at 10pm EST

Survivor: The End Of Rocky (3/29/07)

I'd like to say that I had the time to write my own recap today but I've been crazed so I'm giving you TV Guide's recap instead.


Survivor: Fiji
by Rhoda Charles

Surely this isn't Survivor: Fiji that I'm watching? Talk about your quick turnaround. Tonight's Survivor was interesting, funny, entertaining, did I already say funny? At the end of the hour I was a happy armchair camper. Let me tell you why. I laughed pretty much through the whole show, including at things that weren't supposed to be funny — like the fact that the rub-you-the-wrong-way Lisi is a customer service rep. I found that funny.

Tonight's show made me happy from Yau-man's successful hunt for the immunity idol to the flamethrowers and fireballs at the reward challenge. Heck, I was just happy we had a reward challenge. I laughed at Mookie's expression after Yau-man sunk a fireball for his tribe — that same Ravu player who moments before had been laughing at Yau-man's technique.

I was happy that Ravu finally won a challenge. But I gotta tell you, I think the odds were stacked in Ravu's favor for this one. I mean, come on, this challenge was designed for a tribe of guys (and Lisi). Any guy who had ever played Lacrosse could have won it, especially with the added incentive of a day at the arcade, hot dogs and beer. Toss in a flaming pellet, and there was no way Ravu was losing that one. And did you check out the pits on Lisi? There's no way she's not one of the guys.

I'm happy that because of their win Ravu got some more food. Who among us, though, didn't see the stomach upset on the horizon? Earl makes me happy: from his positive attitude to his alliance with Yau-man to his snake-ridden island complete with tourism bureau of one. The amount of screen time Edgardo had tonight makes me happy.

Yau-man makes me happy with his gleeful grin and his all-around skill. This man is the man, and it's crazy to me that most of the other players don't realize the threat in their midst. The only player who does recognize Yau-man's value is in an alliance with him. But as far as The Yau goes, I'd be happy if he won purely because of his out-of-the-box strategizing. Fake immunity idol indeed. Love. It.

I’m happy that in real life I don't laugh at blind people, but on Survivor, watching blindfolded folks swing bats at hanging skulls was too much for me to suppress my giggles. Who am I kidding? I snorted watching Boo. Not only was his swiping at the skull hilarious, but so was his backwards retreat to his team. Topping off his ridiculous performance was his replacing Michelle as the caller but not being able to see. Such precious moments! Then Michelle had to go and fall off the platform. Mookie walking into an obstacle at crotch height — no wonder he didn't put up much of a fight for Rocky after this immunity challenge. He just didn't have the... um, he was not himself.

I’m happy that Moto won immunity. Like ecstatic. Earl, Yau-man, Michelle and Cassandra are safe while Lisi and Rocky are on the block. Now, it was a toss-up for me as to who should be voted out of Ravu. Wait. I'm lying, because I was disappointed that Dreamz didn't take the opportunity to force a tie by getting Mookie and Rocky to vote for Lisi. Dreamz has to know that if he lets Alex, Edgardo and Lisi vote out the original Ravu members then he's only two tribal councils away from a snuffed torch. My fingers are crossed for him to make it to the merge.

I’m happy that tribal council ended with the dismissal of one of Survivor's most colorful players. Rocky went out as he played the game: angry and screaming. I expect that his post-tribal council wail will be up on YouTube soon. However, this isn't the last we'll see of him because James (I think we can drop the Rocky moniker now) is the first member of the jury. I can't believe it's that time of the season already, but alas, we're here and it is time for the players to start courting votes.

Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with tonight's show. I guess you could say that I’m happy that I held out faith that this season would improve.

That's What They All Say

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Chris Sligh, the curly headed contestant from South Carolina who was voted off "American Idol" this week, said he considered quitting the show two weeks before viewers sent him packing.

"I never came into this wanting to win it," Sligh told The Greenville News on Thursday. "I made the Top Ten. That was my goal."

Sligh said he decided not to quit because the top 10 contestants participate in an "American Idol" summer tour that comes with a nice paycheck.

"I wanted to make the tour," he said. "I wanted to be able to make music for my living, so I don't have to work at the marketing company that I was working at."

Sligh also talked to the News about being kicked out of the Christian fundamentalist college, Bob Jones University, for attending a contemporary Christian concert featuring the group 4Him.
He enrolled at another Christian school, North Greenville University, and is three credits shy of a music degree.

Leaving Bob Jones "was actually good, because I had been trying to figure out how to leave," he said.

Sligh is scheduled to appear on the show's May 24 finale. But for now he plans to return home to his wife and his church, where hundreds of people gather each week to hear him play his electric guitar and sing as part of services.

"I definitely am looking forward to getting back home and kind of having a normal life for a few weeks," he said.

So Long, Farwell... (Week of 3/26/07)

Wondering who's 15 minutes are up? Well 14 min & 59 seconds into it, I'm here to tell you who got the boot this week in reality world:

Dancing With The Stars: Paulina
I'm sure in her mind, she knew she was going. In the bottom 2 with Shandi Finnessey, Paulina joins the likes of Trista Rehn & Tucker Carlson - the first voted out of Dancing With The Stars. I actually didn't know who she was so ... I guess I'm not surprised.



America's Next Top Model: Diana
So Mr. Jay asks her why she wants to be in the competition and she answers: "Just ... 'cause ..." When will you people learn that Tyra boots the girls who lack the passion & drive? This week, the girls had to dress like men while their partners (male models) dressed like women. While girls like Natasha & Dionne flourished, Diana found herself in the bottom 2 with fellow plus-size model, Whitney. P.S. Whitney said she was a size 8. So am I. Apparenly, I'm a plus size model.




American Idol: Chris S.
Dammit! I wanted to call that he'd go home. I did say in my last blog that I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in the bottom 3. Poor Phil was there again along with Haley (I also called that one). But lo & behold, Captain Mohawk stays in the game. He just doesn't get it, does he? What will you do if he wins? Seriously, WHAT will you do? Ryan, no giving more attention to Sanjaya by wearing the hairstyle. (sigh) I'm shaking my head at producers.



There you have it, a trifecta of losers (I love that word ... trifecta, not losers.) We'll see you guys on MySpace awaiting comments from fans telling you how much you'll be missed.

American Idol: Random Pop Songs (3/27/07)

So Gwen Stefani was the guest ... helper??? ... tonight. Which was cool because I love Gwen Stefani but more for her No Doubt days than her solo days. But I wasn't getting it. I got that they were singing pop songs. But they didn't have anything to do with Gwen or her time period thus far in the music industry. Still cool that she was there. Okay onto the performances. I'll break it down one time for ya:

Lakisha - "Last Dance" - Won favorable comments from the judges, Simon said she looked 30 years younger. For me, she's a girl with a really good voice. I'm not sure I see her as a star.

Chris S. - "Every Little Thing She Does" - Like Gwen said to him, his timing was really off & the judges agreed. He also tries WAY too hard to be funny & sometimes I just want people to be themselves. I still like his voice though. And it's not his turn to go ... yet.

Gina - "I'll Stand By You" - LOVE THIS SONG! I thought she sounded her best. I'm a Gina fan (maybe it's the name) but I thought she was starting to fade into the background. Simon says she knows who she is & he's right ... as always.

Sanjaya - "Bath Water" - Ohhhh Lord. First of all, what was up with the hair? WOWWWWW ... I have no words. Oh wait, I always have words. Speaking of words, he forgot his in front of Gwen & it's HER freakin song! While I guess I'll agree that he's had more personality in recent weeks - it's time to go. PLEASE. Stop listening to Vote For The Worst & Howard Stern. Side note - did you know some chick is starving herself until Sanjaya gets voted off? Sanjaya, you're killing people ... LITERALLY.

Haley - "True Colors" - She's a fighter, I'll give her that. She got her butt handed to her for weeks on end by the judges & I was surprised even when she made top 12 after the harsh criticisms. She still comes out week after week trying her best.I do think it's between her & Sanjaya next week. Paula, stop telling people who suck that they're pretty.

Phil - "Every Breath You Take" - I want people to sing in their real voices & Phil was giving me a nice Sting impression. However, the judges liked it. Paula told Phil that he lives in the chorus ... that's really where he lives. Ok so despite the Sting impression, it was good. We'll see him next week.

Melinda - "Heaven Knows" - Does she not watch Best Week Ever & The Soup? We're all making fun of you, Melinda, for your fake humility. We know you can blow (though I wish the song was a little more upbeat) & YOU know you can blow. We'll see you in the Final 2. Don't act surprised.

Blake - "Love Song" - Ok so nobody is a bigger Blake fan than me. I think he's the best choice for a winner only because he's the most marketable. But I didn't love tonight ... AT ALL. I thought it lacked personality. So even though he can sing, it didn't do it for me tonight. The judges were mixed with their reviews. He'll definitely stick around.

Jordin - "Hey Baby" - Another Gwen choice. Changed up her look tonight. Mabe tried to shed her good girl look. I'm a big Jordin fan & I feel she SHOULD go far. Judges gave her great comments & I was happy for her.

Chris R. - "Don't Speak" - Chris closed the show ... and I felt sad. I was actually rooting for Chris but the last 2 weeks, he's not for me. If you have matches, I'll fly to L.A. to light a fire under his butt. Because vocally he's there but performance wise he needs work.

My prize for the night goes to Gina - I thought she did a great job

& showed tremendous growth.

My picks for bottom 2: Haley & Sanjaya (though Chris S. wouldn't surprise me)

Dancing With The ... Dammit, I'm Hooked! (3/26/07)

I'll admit it. I was more of a "So You Think You Can Dance?" person then a "Dancing With The Stars" person. The whole first season thing with Kelly Monaco & John O'Hurley (well really my problem was just O'Hurley) really turned me off to the show. But ... for the good of my blog, I decided to check it out again this season. And what do you know? I actually like it.

In the beginning, I called Ian Ziering as the winner - after all he IS paired up with 2-time winner Cheryl Burke. Then, I was thinking that maybe The Fat One (aka Joey Fatone - I didn't come up with that name) would pull off a win. Is anyone surprised that a guy who spent years of his life learning how to be in sync (literally) with 4 other guys is constantly in step with his partner? SHOCKER! Ok but guess what? I loves me some Apollo Anton Ohno. A) You're hot (but lose the soul patch). B) You can DANCE. I think we'll see him go far in this competition. His quickstep last night with partner Julianne Hough was great to watch. And surprise - boxer Layla Ali is pullin' out some great dances herself. She ended the night with the highest score after a great night with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy (I had to look up the spelling of that 9 times).

By the way, are you as confused as I am as to who might win? But maybe you have a guess! You can play Fantasy Dancing on ABC's website - you predict who's going & who's staying. And you'll get bragging rights. I registered today! ... that was very informercial of me. Sorry.

Grease: You're The One That They Wanted! (3/25/07)

Congratulations to Laura Osnes & Max Crumm on winning the roles of Danny & Sandy in the Broadway production of "Grease"!

In somewhat of a surprising turn of events, Max beat out Austin for the lead role of Danny. Certainly surprised was producer David Ian, whose jaw was noticeably on the floor when Billy Bush announced the winner. It's hard to feel bad for the guy who was in soap operas and played Link Larkin in "Hairspray" but ... losing on national television must be rough. I felt more for Ashley who seemed to want this so badly and was very gracious in her losing to Laura. Both losers had to come back on minutes later singing backup for the people they just lost to! I was having heart failure ... I don't know how they did it. Ok - did anyone else notice that when the Broadway cast joined them on stage ... that ... they looked ... a LOT older than Max & Laura??? In any case, tickets for "Grease" are currently available through Ticketmaster and the show opens on Broadway this summer. And finally, did I not tell you that Max won it with that bells palsy story last week? If I could've flown to L.A., I would've just to give him a hug. But - I'm very happy with the choices for the roles. And maybe I'll catch it in Broadway this summer. Congrats again to Max & Laura!

A Reality Check From Doug Benson

Doug Benson is a comedian who has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Mr. Show, and Best Week Ever. He appeared on last season's Last Comic Standing. Benson was part of the writing team that created & performed in The Marijuana Logues. He is currently working on the film project Super High Me.

RC: The new season of "Last Comic Standing" is auditioning now in NYC. What happened last season? I thought for SURE you were going to have no problem going far.

DB: I thought the same thing. Maybe I was too cocky.

RC: "Best Week Ever" seems like such a great show to work on! How were you approached to join the cast?

DB: I wrote some jokes for a VH1 talking heads countdown thingy that was hosted by Sarah Silverman. I said to the producer of that show that I'd like to be a tv talking head. So she used me in THE 100 HOTTEST HOTTIES and a few other shows. Then my agent got me an audition for BEST WEEK EVER and I've been doing it ever since.

RC: I see you have a new comedy cd out. What else is in the works for you? Touring?

DB: To find out about all things me, go to my myspace page and send me a friend request. Then I'll let you know when I'm coming to your town.

Thanks to Doug Benson for chatting with "Reality Check"!

Be sure to check out his MySpace page to find out what he's up to!