Let the Madness Begin

Here's the lineup.

1. Belinda Carlisle
2. David Alan Grier
3. Jewel
4. Lil Kim
5. Gilles Marini
6. Ty Murray
7. Steve-O
8. Nancy O’Dell
9. Denise Richards
10. Laurence Taylor
11. Chuck Wicks
12. Steve Wozniak
13. Shawn Johnson

Now the interesting thing is that almost none of the pairings have been announced. Only two pairings that have been announced. The first is that Chuck Wicks will dance with his girl friend,.... Julianne Hough (does that seem like a good idea to go into a competition with your significant other? hmmm... suddenly this relationship is going to be on the watch list for implosion.). The other is that Maksim Chmerkovskiy will be dancing with Denise Richards. This pairing, to me, seems fraught with problems. Denise Richards does not seem like the easiest person to coach.

What we do know is that Karina Smirnoff will be dancing. Also, there will be a new profession, Chelsie Hightower. Lacey Schwimmer, unfortunately in my opinion (hey, she's got to do something other than whine about how unfair things are), will return. Other returnees will be Derek Hough, Cheryl Burke, and Mark Ballas.

If I had to bet, these are the two pairings I would bet will happen:

Belinda Carlisle will get Tony Dovolani. (At 50, she's the cougar of the group and Tony is the cougar's choice.)

Lawrence Taylor will get Cheryl Burke. (She seems to draw ex-NFL players)

Unlike other seasons, there does not seem to be much in the way of early favorites. Belinda Carlisle is a performer, but not a dancer (like Joey Fatone). The best of the bunch at first blush would seem to be Shawn Johnson. She's an athelete. She's used to being told to do things in a particular way. She accepts coaching (hence the gold medal). Will her gymnastics abilities translate to the dancefloor like Apollo Ono or Kristi Yamaguchi.

And now, we wait until the premeir on March 9.