Celebration Dance
http://www.atomicsportsmedia.com/articles/659/1/Celebration-Dance/Celebration-Dance.html
Megan Tomlin
Megan Tomlin is a senior journalism major at Penn State University. She is also a member of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State. Megan is a lifelong fan of the Nittany Lions and the New York Yankees.
By Megan Tomlin
Published on 11/29/2006
Reality TV shows like "Dancing with the Stars" are giving former athletes a chance to regain the limelight, even if Atomic Sports columnist Megan Tomlin says some of them should probably remain on their couches.
Reality TV shows like "Dancing with the Stars" are giving former athletes a chance to regain the limelight, even if Atomic Sports columnist Megan Tomlin says some of them should probably remain on their couches.
Celebration Dance
Professional athletes are used to getting tons of public attention, but in the past few years many have resorted to entertainment venues that are more like reality TV than ESPN GameDay.
“Dancing with the Stars” has become a popular new game show-type reality series. Professional dancers pair up with celebrity dancers to train, perform and compete against one another until there are only two pairs left and a winner is determined. In every season thus far, there are famous athletes trading in their cleats, boxing gloves or WWE outfits for salsa lessons and dancing shoes.
Season one had Evander Holyfield, while seasons two and three had more professional athletes-turned-dancers. Jerry Rice, Stacy Keibler and ESPN reporter Kenny Mayne were on season two.
“Dancing with the Stars” season three was what put the cherry on top for all the athletes on the show. Emmitt Smith actually won.
So what convinces these formerly famous athletes to jump back into the limelight on the dance floor? Is it a thirst for competition, or just a chance to enjoy the spotlight one more time?
It could go both ways. For example, Smith may have simply just wanted a variety of trophies and awards to hang on his already well-adorned wall. He’s won three Super Bowl championships and holds the all-time leading rushing record.
Smith could have been bored with life after football and wanted to shine in the limelight in a completely different way.
Others, like the 2004 WWE Babe of the Year, Stacy Keibler, love to dance. She’s been dancing since she was a little girl, which started her career in modeling and acting. Keibler later became a cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens football team. This path was a short one after she won the WCW Nitro Girl Search in 1999. Keibler has been trying to shine since the day she was born and “Dancing with the Stars” was just another outlet for her…until they put her light out halfway through the second season.
Former San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice sure was a sight to see during the show. His dancing skills were far less superb than his talents on the football field. Which makes one wonder why on Earth would he sign up to be a part of it?
Surely he had to know he wasn’t going to win, so why bother? Rice possibly just wanted to “shake his thang.”
Season two also starred Kenny Mayne, a former Seattle Seahawk, who later became an ESPN anchor and reporter. Mayne was possibly even worse than Rice. After all he was eliminated in the first week of his season, meaning that he only performed ONE dance before the audience felt it was his bulb went out. I guess Mayne’s dancing career ended as quickly as his professional football career.
Last but certainly not least, the athlete who started it all, Evander Holyfield. He turned in his boxing gloves for tap shoes during the premier season of “Dancing with the Stars.”
Holyfield showed during his dance sequences that his “quick” feet in the ring helped his moves on the dance floor. Although he and his partner, Edyta Sliwinska, did not take home the title, he did improve throughout the season.
So why is it that these athletes are moving towards the dance floor? Is it the hunger for a spotlight that is now shining on the younger faces of sports, or simply just a love to dance and engage in a new experience?
While we will never know the exact answer for any particular star, one thing is for certain… some athletes need to stick to their sport and leave the tap dancing to Fred Astaire. Otherwise they’re just using up a perfectly good light bulb.
“Dancing with the Stars” has become a popular new game show-type reality series. Professional dancers pair up with celebrity dancers to train, perform and compete against one another until there are only two pairs left and a winner is determined. In every season thus far, there are famous athletes trading in their cleats, boxing gloves or WWE outfits for salsa lessons and dancing shoes.
Season one had Evander Holyfield, while seasons two and three had more professional athletes-turned-dancers. Jerry Rice, Stacy Keibler and ESPN reporter Kenny Mayne were on season two.
“Dancing with the Stars” season three was what put the cherry on top for all the athletes on the show. Emmitt Smith actually won.
So what convinces these formerly famous athletes to jump back into the limelight on the dance floor? Is it a thirst for competition, or just a chance to enjoy the spotlight one more time?
It could go both ways. For example, Smith may have simply just wanted a variety of trophies and awards to hang on his already well-adorned wall. He’s won three Super Bowl championships and holds the all-time leading rushing record.
Smith could have been bored with life after football and wanted to shine in the limelight in a completely different way.
Others, like the 2004 WWE Babe of the Year, Stacy Keibler, love to dance. She’s been dancing since she was a little girl, which started her career in modeling and acting. Keibler later became a cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens football team. This path was a short one after she won the WCW Nitro Girl Search in 1999. Keibler has been trying to shine since the day she was born and “Dancing with the Stars” was just another outlet for her…until they put her light out halfway through the second season.
Former San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice sure was a sight to see during the show. His dancing skills were far less superb than his talents on the football field. Which makes one wonder why on Earth would he sign up to be a part of it?
Surely he had to know he wasn’t going to win, so why bother? Rice possibly just wanted to “shake his thang.”
Season two also starred Kenny Mayne, a former Seattle Seahawk, who later became an ESPN anchor and reporter. Mayne was possibly even worse than Rice. After all he was eliminated in the first week of his season, meaning that he only performed ONE dance before the audience felt it was his bulb went out. I guess Mayne’s dancing career ended as quickly as his professional football career.
Last but certainly not least, the athlete who started it all, Evander Holyfield. He turned in his boxing gloves for tap shoes during the premier season of “Dancing with the Stars.”
Holyfield showed during his dance sequences that his “quick” feet in the ring helped his moves on the dance floor. Although he and his partner, Edyta Sliwinska, did not take home the title, he did improve throughout the season.
So why is it that these athletes are moving towards the dance floor? Is it the hunger for a spotlight that is now shining on the younger faces of sports, or simply just a love to dance and engage in a new experience?
While we will never know the exact answer for any particular star, one thing is for certain… some athletes need to stick to their sport and leave the tap dancing to Fred Astaire. Otherwise they’re just using up a perfectly good light bulb.