Reality TV isn't typical content for BCI, but when Doug Flutie is involved we have to cover it. BCI writer Laura Berestecki and special contributor Becca Bagnall will be discussing Flutie's performances every week as he looks to add another trophy to his mantle.
Pre-Show:
Laura: So Becca, as the dance expert in this duo, what do you think the outlook is for Flutie on DWTS?
Becca: I think he's going to do better than people expect him to because although you don't normally associate dance and football, quarterbacks have to be quite coordinated. QBs have to move with balance and precision, which are also required to be a good dancer. Quarterbacks have to be students of the game, so I think he'll pick up on the dance techniques quickly.
Laura: I know pretty much nothing about this show or dancing. When I told my mom that Flutie was going to be on the show she pointed out that he is also a drummer and therefore probably has good rhythm. So since you and she both think he'll do well, I feel good about his chances.
Becca: Also, his partner Karina Smirnoff has won DWTS once before (in 2013), and has been in the top 3 on four separate seasons. She's also been paired with athletes before, although she's had mixed success with them. I do think that Karina is a good choreographer who doesn't go too far out of the box, which will help Doug to learn the moves and remain consistent. She doesn't create crazy routines with tough to follow steps. She also was quite successful as a professional dancer prior to DWTS. I think that Flutie and Smirnoff will start out in the middle of the pack, but will improve over the weeks as he gets more comfortable learning the different styles.
Laura: Flutie is dancing to Sweet Caroline this week. Do you think he will dance to a Boston-ish song every week?
Becca: I think they'll do their best to get him to, but a lot of the theme weeks will make that tough (such as Disney week). I also think a lot of people use the show to step out of their comfort zone.
Becca: I also think it's important that Len is coming back as a judge because he is very traditional and favors dances like the ones Karina excels at, such as the waltz.
Showtime:
Laura: OH MY GOD DOUG AND KARINA ARE BOTH WEARING BC COLORS IN THE INTRO. I am all in.
Becca: I think he's had a football in his hands every time he's been on screen so far.
Laura: YES so many BC shoutouts already. WE HAVE A HAIL MARY VIDEO. This is good right, that he gets a really long bio intro?
Becca: Yes, this is good. The producers must like him. He's also already incorporating his family which is good.
Laura: He is having so much fun but he's a little stiff.
Becca: He needs to work on his posture, but I'm surprised at how emotive he is.
Laura: Good footwork though!
Becca: Yea, it's just the posture. He needs to not hunch his shoulders. I love how enthusiastic he is. They want to see that you are having fun and trying.
Laura: Oof the judges think he was very bad but they seem to like him as a human. Do you think he's going to make it?
Becca: I think so. They're giving him a lot of air time.
Laura: The audience seems mad that he got all 5s. He could be a fan favorite underdog.
Becca: He's accustomed to being the underdog, so I think this will motivate him to work hard on his technique.
Laura: I think he'll also take criticism well and actually use it productively since he's used to that as an athlete.
Becca: Exactly. Just like after every game you review your footage, I think he's going to build off of his performances every week.
Becca: Also, he's doing the paso double next week which a very strong and aggressive dance. It requires a lot of energy which will play to his strengths. It's less reliant on grace. I think we could see a big improvement from him next week.
Overall we think he'll probably make it to next week based on his enthusiasm which will translate to a strong fan vote. The fact that he went so early this week could hurt his fan vote though.
(Note from Laura: Becca knew exactly what the judges would say to him. She is a lot more knowledgable about dancing than I am.)
Post-Show Thoughts on the Other Dancers:
Kim Fields: She isn't going to be a great technical dancer, but her personality will carry her far. We're both a little surprised by how high her score was.
Paige VanZant: She actually seems good, but we wonder if she'll suffer in the fan vote ... supporters of female boxers and DWTS voters might not necessarily overlap a lot. We like her! (Mark's styling is kind of terrible though.)
Jodie Sweetin: Laura didn't like her outfit. Becca says her musicality was off and wasn't impressed.
Geraldo Rivera: He is very stiff. They did the cha-cha so that she could dance and he could just stand there according to Becca.
Marla Maples: OF COURSE SHE IS DANCING TO DIAMONDS ARE A GIRLS BEST FRIEND. Becca says: "My cousin did a solo to this song and it was much better than this." She was better than we expected. The judges love her.
Wanya Morris: We didn't love the outfits, but he was good! He also has a great personality. He could be an early favorite.
Ginger Zee: We were a little surprised by how high her scores were. She's clearly used to being on camera. Having a good pro will help her. Becca pointed out that they have to be nice to her because she works on an ABC program too.
Mischa Barton: The outfit is not great. She was very uncomfortable :( We were not thrilled that they compared her to Doug because we thought he did better than she did.
Nyle DiMarco: We were surprised by how good he was (he's deaf, so it's trickier for him). We think he'll do well in the fan vote too. Doug also looked impressed by his performance.
Antonio Brown: He had a lot of personality and energy. He was pretty good but we didn't love the choreography.
Von Miller: Getting the last spot means the producers want you to move on, so that's a plus for him. HE STUDIED "POULTRY SCIENCE" IN COLLEGE AND HE HAS A TATTOO OF A CHICKEN. He's another one who is going to get by on personality more than on talent. We were a little surprised by how high his scores were.
We'll be updating our Spotify playlist with Flutie's song choices each week so that YOU can dance like Flutie whenever you want:
Becca danced from ages 3 to 15. Laura quit dance class at age 4 because tap shoes were "too loud."