DWTS 14 Preliminary Power Rankings, Part II

 Alright kids – so on Tuesday, I counted down my picks for the bottom half of this season, and heard some great feedback from you guys.  Now onto the top half…and my prediction for the winner! 🙂

6.) Sherri & Val – Let me remind you guys that these rankings are certainly NOT a ranking of who is and isn’t my favorite, and really just who I think has staying power and who doesn’t.  That said, Sherri gets on my last nerve – and I know I’m not alone.  That right there could be her biggest obstacle this season: just completely turning people off with her loud, in-you-face personality.  I noticed many of you commented that you either put Sherri’s media clips on mute or didn’t watch them at all because Sherri was so annoying – can you imagine if that’s what she’s going to be like every week on DWTS? 😯 If she manages to not turn off the viewing audience, she has a big advantage in that she gets more media exposure on a daily basis than any of the other cast members this season – she’s on a popular morning show on a major network.  And what demographic do you think that morning show really caters to? The same middle-aged female demographic that does the bulk of the viewing of DWTS.  Even if she can’t blatantly promote herself on The View for votes on DWTS, just the fact that she’s got daily exposure will keep her fresh in people’s minds.  She also seems to have had some…ahem…”preparation” prior to the start of this season.  She’s definitely moving better than the average celeb with 3 weeks of training already.  Will it really give her an edge in the long run? Probably not a huge one, as I’ve always been of the opinion that a naturally-talented dancer (like Jaleel or Roshon) will always have an easier time picking up dance moves & choreography than a better-prepared celeb that’s not so much of a natural mover. As for her pro – I think the jury’s still out on Val.  I don’t think we really got a good idea of what he’s capable of last season, so I think this time around will be the real test.  There’s also the potential vote splitting in play – that’s another factor that I’m not sure we got to see play out last season.  If both Val & Maks’ partners stick around for awhile, will vote splitting come into play? Could be an interesting variable in the competition.

5.) Donald & Peta – Seeing what I have of Donald in interviews & rehearsals so far, I daresay he might be the most determined celeb this season – he’s talking about reviewing rehearsal tapes, special diets, marathon practice sessions, the works! But the very thing that gives him an edge could also be his downfall: being overly determined.  As paradoxical as it sounds, being too determined can almost be as detrimental as not caring at all – I’ve found that couples who are desperate to win often reach a point where they put too much pressure on themselves and flame out…a good example is Aaron Carter.  Remember the post-rumba meltdown in the confessional? Too much pressure on yourself, dude. I think they can also turn viewers off, too – the stench of desperation is not a pleasant one, and viewers can totally tell when a celeb has stopped having fun and just entered the “wayyyyy too competitive” territory.  However, if he can strike a nice balance between being determined and also just enjoying himself, I think he could be a big force to be reckoned with – of the 3 other NFL players who did the show while they were currently playing for a team, the lowest any of them have placed is 4th.  Perhaps because they’re still in peak physical form? Athleticism has obviously proven to be a huge asset.  Then there’s the famous NFL fanbase – and in this case, he’s got a very unique one backing him: the “cheeseheads”, or Green Bay Packers fans.  A lot of people don’t know this, but the Packers are the only team in the NFL that is non-profit and publicly-owned – meaning that there isn’t some wealthy individual or corporate entity that claims ownership of the team.  As a result, the Packers have remained a very “small town”-type team, with a surprisingly large legion of fiercly loyal fans.  I’ve witnessed it firsthand, as many of the people in my office are originally from Wisconsin and the big talk of Donald waltzing away with the trophy began mere hours after the cast announcement (I actually have an official wager going with our GM…maybe I’ll go into further detail in another post ;-)).  In short – these are some WICKEDLY DEVOTED fans.  I would even say they could give the Steeler Nation a run for their money.  I’m definitely fascinated to see how it plays out 🙂 As for Peta…she, like Val, isn’t truly battle-tested, so we may finally get to see what she’s made of this season.  If Donald could strike the right balance of competitiveness & fun, if the cheeseheads can put together an efficient voting effort, and if Peta can create some great routines…these two could be a bit of a dark horse to win. Read more..