http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Hines Ward might be counting on Steelers Nation to propel the Super Bowl XL Most Valuable Player to win ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, the popular, viewer-driven ballroom dance reality show.What Ward shouldn’t count on are his teammates’ votes.
"He is probably the worst dancer on the show," linebacker James Farrior cracked. "I give him two weeks because of his popularity. I wish him all the best. That is all he has — personality. That is the only chance he has. Be nice and give them the old Hines Ward smile."
That smile attracted the attention of Dancing With The Stars senior producer and head of casting Deena Katz, who believes the Steelers’ career receiving leader could win the Mirror Ball Trophy as DWTS champion.
"I see Hines going real far," Katz said. "That smile alone could get him to the finals."
Katz initially was reluctant to cast another NFL player among the celebrities, but changed her tune once she learned that the four-time Pro Bowl pick was a "huge fan" of the show and willing to be a celebrity contestant.
"Once I met him, there's not a chance in the world you can’t have Hines on the show," Katz said. "He is so charming. That smile he has can light up a room. There's a twinkle in his eyes. That smile, even when he's standing on the sidelines, he's the one guy you want to embrace. I have a feeling he is going to be that one crossover star with men and women. I was hoping they would win the Super Bowl, but that didn’t make a difference."
Ward, who will be 35 by the show’s Season 12 premieres March 21, is trying to become the first active NFL player to win the popular reality show. Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith won Season 3, and Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice and former Woodland Hills star Jason Taylor, a defensive end with the New York Jets, also were finalists.
Ward's appearance on the show could come amid NFL labor strife. The league's owners are expected to lock out the players from off-season activities after midnight on Thursday. The series finale is May 24.
"If they’re going to lock us out, you've got to stay active. That’s one way of doing it," said Steelers right tackle Willie Colon, who was surprised to learn of Ward being cast as a celebrity contestant. "I think it's funny."
Ward said he hopes to survive the early cuts in a cast that includes actors Kirstie Alley and Ralph Macchio, WWE wrestler Chris Jericho, former world welterweight champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and rapper Romeo.
"I’m looking forward to it," Ward said Monday night during ABC’s Dancing With The Stars new cast reveal special. "A lot of our fears up here, we don't want to be eliminated first. For us, we want to compete hard."
Ward said he is recovering from "minor" knee surgery three weeks ago, and used his charm to gain sympathy for the Steelers’ 31-25 loss to Green Bay in Super Bowl XLV Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
"With us coming off a devastating loss in the Super Bowl against the Packers, the season was long," Ward said, drawing an "awww" from the ABC studio audience. "It was just a light scope, but I'll be fine."
Ward could not be reached Tuesday, and the Steelers declined comment. Katz said Ward's knee injury was "a big discussion with his dance partner," which will be announced today on Good Morning America. (TMZ.com has reported that Ward will be paired with Australian Kym Johnson). Contestants train three-to-four hours per day five days a week, Katz said.
"They'll do dance steps that won't hurt the knee as much," Katz said. "There have only been two rehearsals so far, but he can move. He's got the best feet in the NFL, doesn’t he? When it gets to the end of the competition and gets really intense he'll have to do more, but that’s 12 weeks away."
Katz said she first spoke to Ward in November about becoming a celebrity contestant, including a conversation with his camp 10 minutes after the Super Bowl to confirm his interest. Katz believes Ward's notoriety — he has gained a reputation as one of the NFL’s dirtiest players because of his crack-back blocks, but also has become an outspoken advocate for mixed-race Korean children like himself — will attract viewers to DWTS.
"That's part of the fun," Katz said. "You've got that big fan base and those people get behind you. The Steelers are a team the whole nation loves or loves to hate. It makes for great television, for people talking about the show and it helps with the buzz. Even if you are not a Steelers fan, to have a current guy with a marquee name like Hines Ward has, you're still going to root for him. People are going to say, 'Oh, my God. I want to see Hines.'"
Staff writer John Harris contributed to this story.
Photo: Getty Images
Read more: Steelers' Ward to put moves on display for new audience - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_725311.html#ixzz1FRaBiMBV
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