I am disappointed that Sean won. His worship of Tammy was a turn off to me by the last few episodes. Obviously he's able to focus but let's hope he isn't smitten with another Trump employee when he starts the actual job.

I really wanted Lee to win because I think he faced (and dealt with accordingly) the most obstacles. The fact that he didn't shove the dragon lady and her partner (or that other woman from the charity) into the ice face first should have scored him 20 extra points! I understand that corporate types and leaders of organizations can be demanding, but they were out of control, considering they were getting free labor and a ton of free publicity.

I think Lee embodies what a true apprentice is. He's young, energetic, eager, smart and ready to learn. Sean is already established and has tons of experience. I really wanted Lee to win.

The fact that
>he didn't shove the dragon
>lady and her partner (or
>that other woman from the
>charity) into the ice face
>first should have scored him
>20 extra points!

Sorry, but I thought they cut him more slack than I would have.

I understand
>that corporate types and leaders
>of organizations can be demanding,
>but they were out of
>control, considering they were getting
>free labor and a ton
>of free publicity.

I'm sorry, but this statement is just ridiculous. Lee was the one who had no control. The Leary Foundation people had an event scheduled that they had no operational control over because that was Lee's job and had to be sure that it would raise the money their charity needed and keep the celebrities, who give their time and image for free, happy. The most obvious aspects of planning and execution had to be pointed out to Lee. And the incompetence of the person Lee gave the most responsibility to (Lenny) was glaringly apparent. Lee was going to be involved in their event once. They had to make sure that their charity would keep the reputation they had already established and assure funding and volunteers forever. Lee gave them plenty of reason to be worried about that and I think they were as tough on him as they could be without outright pulling out of it altogether.

>I think Lee embodies what a
>true apprentice is. He's young,
>energetic, eager, smart and ready
>to learn. Sean is already
>established and has tons of
>experience. I really wanted Lee
>to win.

If you look back at the whole history of the show, you will see that none of the past winners were as completely inexperienced as Lee. Trump isn't and never was looking for someone who would have to be taught every single aspect of business. He was and is looking for someone who is ready to move to a higher level of experience and who has already shown some business success. Lee doesn't fit that bill yet. Sean most obviously did.

Goddess of the Steeler Nation

LAST EDITED ON 06-06-06 AT 12:22 PM (EST)

Couple things about your comments Cassandra, first off Lee put Lenny in charge of kissing celebrity ego. That assignment showed a lack of understanding his teams strengths and weaknesses. Of the People on his team Roxanne was best suited for that task. Seems like although Lee said he took people he trusted...he really only trusted Lenny because Roxanne and Pepi were giving only minor tasks.

The team Lee picked lacked the depth that Sean's team had. There were no creative types. Roxanne was best at sales. Lenny was obvisiously not creative and a lousy people person. Pepi might of had some strengths, however none of them were presented. Sean on the other hand picked not only people he could trust (really trust...not like Lee), but people with many different types of abilities. Sean was able to set his people lose and do stuff with out him around.

And as far as Lee saying at 22 he is where Sean is at 33. That is not even close to true. Maybe Lee has made as much money, but Lee is no where near as business polished as Sean. It was obvisious on the final task. His inexperience resulted in poor business decisions.

Lee has much to learn to be where Sean is. Over time I don't doubt Lee could be a better businessman that Sean, but at this time Sean was obvisiously a better businessman than Lee.

This was the most obvisious finale ever. Wasn't even close. And I went into the final task wanting Lee to win.

LAST EDITED ON 06-06-06 AT 12:20 PM (EST)

Lee saying that at 22 he's at the same place where Sean is at 33 is like some 22-year-old software developer somehow ending up in the same hot dog ballpark line as Bill Gates and claiming he's therefore Gates' equal.

I understand Lee had to promote himself at that point in the competition, but claiming the fact that he and Sean were the two finalists somehow meant that they were equally qualified and actual previous work experience is meaningless was a pretty insulting and disrespectful dismissal of the value of having a decade of actual business experience. For all the talk of Lee's values, Sean seemed to be the one taking the high road during their final boardroom arguments.

I couldn't agree with you more, Webby.

Goddess of the Steeler Nation

totally with you Geg6 and with SB. Excellent points.

I think that the politician in Lee will cause him to say anything to win. I definitely question his moral barometer, because he does scheme, and in ways that are ineffective and not always necessary. An example of the "scheming" impulse would be making a nonsensical statement comparing his experience with Lubber Lip's(Sean) experience. And when The Donald called him a politician last night, Lee said, "yes, but you like that." Yeah, right. I think that the fact of The Donald's observation does not mean that The Donald likes the fact that he is observing...

Anyway, Lee was completely out of his element. He did not really deserve to make it to the finals. The people on Sean's team could have been excellent finalists. I also include Roxanne in that category. I also think that Bryce was an excellent candidate.

Until Burnett and Trump let the best people make it to the finals, there will always be sleep-inducing finales akin to the one that we saw last night.

--Singer

>This was the most obvisious finale
>ever. Wasn't even close.
Slight correction. The most obvious Finale ever is Kendra vs Tana.

LAST EDITED ON 06-06-06 AT 01:48 PM (EST)

I agree with all the comments made by WackoJacko and others regarding Lee's lackluster performance. He made a terrible mistake by putting Lenny in charge of the celebrities. The man has poor communication skills and poor people skills.

I don't agree that Lee's event was more difficult than Sean's. I think Lee made it more difficult for himself due to his lack of experience and organization. Lee's event was completelly unimpressive. It was so pathetic to see Lee trying to get people to bid for the cars. Those cars should have been able to sell themselves.

Sean's event was much more memorable. I thought it was very impressive to have Trump drive the car onto the stage. But I do have to admit that dressing up the lead singer of the band as a panda was a ludicrous idea. But, overall Sean executed his event better than Lee. Sean deserved to win.

LAST EDITED ON 06-07-06 AT 03:57 AM (EST)

LAST EDITED ON 06-07-06 AT 03:55 AM (EST)

Geg6 and SurvivorBlows are right on the money once again. I'm guessing that Casandra is Lee's 13 year old sister, and that the normally sensible CattyChat is jealous that Sean is now taken. Lee is 22 YEARS OLD! He has accomplished NOTHING in life other than graduating from college. He saying he is Sean's equal is completely delusional, and he saying that experience doesn't mean anything shows the level of naivette that he has. Saying Lee was stronger than Sean during the team tasks completely forgets about 3 MAJOR facts:
1) Lee didn't even participate during 2 tasks!
2) Sean's team dominated Lee's. And,
3) Lee didn't EVEN PARTICIPATE DURING 2 TASKS!

No, I disagree, Linden, this WAS the most obvious butt-whooping during a final task. Lee managed to pull the task off, but so did Tana. Tana's only problem was that she treated her workers like slaves, and she misplaced the American flag. I have no doubt that Lenny would have misplaced ALL the flags, if flags were involved. Tana was given a very difficult team to work with. Lee HAND-PICKED his terrible team! Lenny should NEVER have been involved in a final task. And he CERTAINLY should not have been chosen to "handle" celebrities. I mean, let's pick the guy with the worst English and the most abrasive personality of the entire 16 candidates to accomodate our celebrities. I agree that some of the event planners gave Lee a hard time, but that is going to happen when YOU ARE 22 YEARS OLD! If you are 40-something and have run the event for years, how much confidence are you going to have in some kid fresh out of college? Are you going to be concerned that maybe this kid won't take the event seriously enough? I think so. Fair or not, it's natural. Such are the pitfalls of being young.
Sean was always the better candidate and the final task just made that glaringly apparent. All anyone can criticize of Sean, besides some presentation in a task 8 shows ago, is about his effusiveness in his feelings for Tammy. Except, the guy REALLY does love the woman! He is now engaged to her. He MEANT what he was saying. Don't jump to conclusions just because he went on about her having his babies. That was obviously just his over-the-top way of expressing his love.
I also disagree with Singer that Sean did not deserve to be a finalist. I think Sean was ALWAYS the best candidate on the show. He is obviously a natural leader, as Carolyn observed. I believe that Sean and Bryce would have been the IDEAL final 2.
Oh, and if you don't know who Jamie Pressley is, COME ON, watch something besides reality TV sometime.

My comment:

"Anyway, Lee was completely out of his element. He did not really deserve to make it to the finals. The people on Sean's team could have been excellent finalists. I also include Roxanne in that category. I also think that Bryce was an excellent candidate."

I highlighted a universe of qualified contestants who would have been excellent finalists. Lee is not in that universe.

Also, my process did not exclude Sean from that universe.

--Singer