Dancing With (Some) Stars

IF IT CAN SURVIVE THIS GROUP OF CELEBRITIES, IT CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING 

I am not embarrassed to admit that I enjoy Dancing With The Stars.  It is one of the only shows on network television an entire family can watch together and enjoy, without the risk of seeing the kind of off-color humor most sitcoms employ before 10PM. 

As the season progresses,  it can be quite exciting (and amusing) to see the professional dancers and their amateur partners mix it up from week to week.  Frankly, it’s just nice to have a competitive reality show whose contestants don’t have to rely on cut-throat tactics or snarky remarks in order to succeed. 

Dancing With The Stars has also shown that you don’t have to be a great dancer to be entertaining.  When Jerry Springer competed last season, I was floored by how well he did with what little skill he possessed.  His positive attitude and likable personality were justly rewarded by the show’s audience.  I never expected the guy to win, but I was happy to see him succeed over some of the ‘wet blankets’ they chose to fill the other spots on the show.

Michael Waltrip: Freak of the Week

DW’s (TALL) LITTLE BROTHER BRINGS CONTROVERSY AND A JAPANESE CAR TO THE DAYTONA 500 

(If you don’t enjoy stock car racing, you may want to avoid these pages for the next nine months.  While I won’t dedicate every story to the Nextel Cup season, I will cover important events and controversies as the year unfolds.) 

Boy, do I love NASCAR!  I got hooked on the sport (yes, it’s a sport–I want to see the doubters drive a car for an entire 400-500 mile race at 150mph and tell me how they feel the next day) twelve years ago when I worked at a radio station and had to play local commercials during the race.  Less than a year later, I was in Daytona as part of a news team (I was the cameraman) covering Speed Weeks.  We would go around the garage area and interview drivers as they prepped for the big race and the upcoming (then) Winston Cup season.  Meeting the crew chiefs, tire changers, and big-name stars of NASCAR was a privilege and it helped me appreciate the depth of the sport.

Super Bowl XLI: Rex Sux

 

Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman wasn’t the only thing stinking up my TV set Sunday evening.  Could someone name three advertisements that were shown during the broadcast worth repeating?  I hope everyone that spent his hard-earned money on a HD television set enjoyed the crystal clear picture through a foggy lens.

You have to hand it to the Indianapolis Colts for overcoming plenty of rain and all of the naysayers in a game that started off with Devin Hester’s stunning 92-yard kick-off return.  My heart sank as soon as I saw too many missed tackles and a wide-open field.  It was a brief hiccup in what turned out to be a typical game for both teams.

Freak of the Week (ending 2/2/07)

This week’s Freak (known only as ‘Mr. Duck Fan’) hails from Eugene, OR.

Last Saturday, as Oregon University Men’s Basketball Team (the Ducks) played Washington State’s Cougars, Mr. Duck Fan sat in front of the big-screen TV at Eugene’s Pegasus Pizza.  What made this particular fan stand out from the rest was his choice of clothing.  Hardly matching the ‘Ducks’ sweat shirt and hat he wore was a pair of hospital-issued pants.

One look at the nurse sitting at his side (periodically checking his blood pressure, pulse, and temperature) and you instantly recognized that the man had recently checked out of a hospital.  According to the PeaceHealth hospital’s Andrea Ash, the unidentified man left their cardiac unit (with a nurse who reportedly was off duty) to watch the game.  “We don’t have Fox Sports here,” added the spokeswoman.

Ironically, the Ducks barely pulled off a 77-74 overtime victory.  Restaurant owner Paul Reader told reporters Mr. Duck Fan remained the calmest person in the place.  Imagine the free pizza’s if he hadn’t!

Way to go, Mr. Duck Fan!  You certainly earned this week’s  Freak of the Week award, hands down.