Muhammad Ali

Apolo Anton Ohno Wins ‘Dancing With the Stars’

James Joyner @ Gone Hollywood | Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Apolo Anton Ohno follows Emmitt Smith as world class athletes to win the “Dancing With the Stars” championship.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno earned a new title Tuesday: “Dancing With the Stars” champion. The speed skater and his partner, Julianne Hough, beat out former ‘N Sync star Joey Fatone to win the ABC dance-off’s mirror-ball trophy.

“I feel amazing,” the ebullient Ohno said. “You put your mind to something, you give 100 percent, sacrifice and dedication, anything is possible.”

Ohno, 25, became a technical master during the season, training in the dance studio as he would on the ice. “Apolo’s competitiveness is almost on the verge of insanity,” his coach, John Schaeffer, said on Tuesday’s show.

Fatone, 30, was the season’s undisputed showman. He used a light saber for a “Star Wars” themed tango and wore breakaway clothes and a sparkly gold suit for his freestyle dance. “Congratulations to them. Well deserved,” he said to Ono and Hough, adding, “I feel like a winner.” Being on the show “has been an amazing journey,” Fatone said: “It’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.”

Laila Ali, who joined Ohno and Fatone during the final round, was eliminated from the trophy race in the middle of Tuesday’s two-hour finale. She and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, earned the lowest score from the judges, and fans failed to make up the difference. When asked which of her fellow competititors was poised to take the trophy, Ali called both “great.” “It doesn’t mean anything no matter who wins,” said the world champion boxer. “Especially because I didn’t.” Being on the show allowed fans to see her in a different light, she said. The 29-year-old daughter of Muhammad Ali was the last remaining female contestant.

None of the show’s contestants are expert dancers. Each becomes the student and performing partner of a professional dancer throughout the 10-week season. Three judges rate each couple’s ballroom- and Latin-dance skills while viewers weigh in by phone and Internet. The combined tallies determine which couple is eliminated each week.

Fans — taken with Ali’s grace, Fatone’s showmanship and Ohno’s determination — got to know their favorites a little better each week as the show offered glimpses of the couples behind the scenes. They saw Ali bring her partner to a get-to-know-you backyard barbecue at her house. Ohno invited a hip-hop dancer to help him with his moves. Fatone brought his partner, Kym Johnson, to Disneyland. Viewers connected with them as they bonded with each other.

Ohno was the first of the finalists to earn a perfect score during the competition, collecting 30 points for his samba in April. Fatone and Ali have each earned perfect scores since. All three earned perfect scores during Tuesday’s season finale.

[...] Past champions were soap-opera star Kelly Monaco, NFL record-holder Emmitt Smith and former 98 Degrees member
Drew Lachey. Lachey said participating on the show was “one of the best things I’ve done in my whole life.” “People have forgotten all about my football career,” Smith said.

Each episode has drawn at least 16.5 million viewers this season.

These shows aren’t my cup of tea but they’re clearly huge. It’s not surprising, really, that superstar jocks have done so well. In addition to Ohno and Smith, Ali and NFL wide receiver legend Jerry Rice have made it to the final rounds.

Source: Oh, yes! Ohno takes ‘Dancing’ title (SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer)

Photo credit: (AP Photo/ABC, CAROL KAELSON)

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Tags | Television Couple, Dancing with the Stars, Disney, Emmitt Smith, Julianne Hough, Muhammad Ali

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Muhammad Ali Sells Marketing Rights

James Joyner @ Gone Hollywood | Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Muhammad Ali has sold the rights to market his name, for a cool $50 mil.

Muhammad Ali, one of the world’s most recognized people, has sold 80 percent of the marketing rights to his name and likeness to a firm for $50 million. The 64-year-old former heavyweight champion, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, will retain a 20 percent interest in the business. The new venture will be operated by a company called G.O.A.T. LLC, an acronym for “The Greatest of All Time.”

Ali and wife Lonnie are expected to work with CKX, Inc. to market his interests around the world. The deal includes trademarks owned by the boxing great. “This relationship with CKX will help guarantee that, for generations to come, people of all nations will understand my beliefs and my purpose,” Ali said in a statement issued Tuesday by the company. “I am honored to be able to partner with CKX as they continue to grow.”

CKX has concentrated primarily on entertainment and holds the rights to the IDOLS television brand, which includes the show “American Idol.” It also holds the rights to Elvis Presley’s marketing, and has an interest in the operations of Graceland, Presley’s Memphis, Tenn., home.

Elvis and Muhammad Ali are a pretty good combo, I guess. Still, this somehow seems wrong.

And how does one sell eighty percent of one’s name, anyway? Eighty percent of the profits, sure. But either Ali has a veto power over how his name is sold, in which case he effectively owns at least 51 percent of it, or not, in which case he effectively owns none of it.

Update: I hope they don’t change his name to “Enron Field.” That would really suck. Although, if they changed it back to “Cassius Clay,” it’d be kind of funny.

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Tags | Uncategorized American Idol, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, PDA, Relationship, Television

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