Emmitt jives live, Sara leaves
10/18/06 03:06 AM
By ED BARK
Tuesday's latest performances on Dancing with the Stars seemed all but superfluous after ABC baited viewers throughout the evening with "an emotional and exclusive" goodbye from contestant Sara Evans.
Her abrupt withdrawal last Thursday, tied to an ugly divorce proceeding with husband Craig Schelske, had dominated the show biz gossip circuit ever since. So host Tom Bergeron waited until the last 10 minutes of another expanded 90--minute edition to commiserate on tape with the still shaken country singer. Her husband's alleged sexual transgressions, the tamest being adultery with the couple's ex-nanny, had left her in shock and in fear for "the emotional welfare of my kids," she said. And "the horrific thing" is that it's "all over the Internet."
"I just had to take care of my children," she said, emphasizing that no TV show could be more important than that. Still, she'll "come back for the finale if I'm invited," Evans promised, prompting Bergeron to issue an instant invitation. Also, her pro dance partner on the show, Tony Dovolani, will be choreographing her next tour, Evans revealed in his presence.
As for Emmitt Smith, he landed the night's second-best score, a 25, after dancing a nimble jive with Cheryl Burke. The performance ended with the former Cowboy great sliding on his knees for what looked to be about a three-yard gain. He then did the same maneuver in front of the judges, prompting Bruno Toniolo to trill, "Emmitt, you can boogie with the best!"
The shtick is getting thick, though. Preparing for the jive, Emmitt executed a few high kicks with two Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, who later approvingly shook their pom poms at him. In other trumped-up preliminaries, Mario Lopez loosened up at a dance club with a cackling Eva Longoria and Jerry Springer went to a "bloodless bullfight" to duel what turned out to be a calf.
Jerry's resultant paso doble proved to be painfully stiff and nowhere near as funny as he intended. He notched a lowly 18 score, with Tonioli opining, "It's been a perverse pleasure watching you butchering every dance. Tonight it was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
The five remaining couples capped their night with a group disco display after Emmitt promised, "We gonna bring some funk."
He did execute a nice lift, hoisting Cheryl overhead before catching her coming down in reverse. But Joey Lawrence did a cartwheel.
It seems as though a banged-up, increasingly Jerry-atric Springer will be the next to go. He keeps crying "Uncle," and his gimpy right knee looks ready to buckle.
In contrast, Emmitt keeps figuratively buckling on his chinstrap. You know how these pro athletes are. Some of them don't even like to lose at rumba.