Dancing With the Athletes

Monday, March 8, 2010

Dancing With the Athletes

ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” just announced its new line-up for the upcoming 10th season of the ballroom competition. As with years past, the show keeps getting a sports twist. This year’s cast boasts ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, Olympic figure skater and gold medalist Evan Lysacek, and Cincinatti Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.

Previous contestants on the show included Jerry Rice, Warren Sapp, Emmitt Smith, Jason Taylor, Michael Irvin, Chuck Liddell, Apollo Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Helio Castroneves, Clyde Dexter, Maurice Green, Misty May-Treanor, Shawn Johnson, and Laila Ali. As you can see, athletes are definitely perennial personalities on the show, but how do they fare? Previous winners of the glorified disco ball trophy, like Ohno, Castroneves, and Yamaguchi, are more known for the accomplishments off the dance floor.

No matter how many athletes are in this season’s cast, there will always be one clunky dud to keep you entertained and baffled on how badly someone with so much athletic talent can’t move (anyone remember Evander Holyfield from Season 1 and the Terminator to Tinkerbell comparision?). Early predictions point to Lysacek following in the other Winter Olympians’ footsteps, with the best chance of winning. Andrews will also probably be a contender, or at least give the male audience something to look forward to when your special lady friend won’t let you change the channel. As of now, Ochocinco is an unknown quantity on the dance floor, but fluid football players don’t have the best track record.

-Mia Spadoni

Keep checking back for clips of the athletes and sports personalities working it on the dance floor.

-Mia SpadoniTweet