Tag Archives: Detroit Lions

Hernandez: First Latina to Win ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”

Posted on by
Reply

She may be a teenager, but Laurie Hernandez is already dancing royalty…

The 16-year-old Puerto Rican gymnast, an Olympic gold and silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Games, has been crowned the champion of the 23rd season of ABC‘s Dancing with the Stars.

Laurie Hernandez

Hernandez was crowned the belle of the ballroom alongside her dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy in Tuesday night’s finale, which also featured former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe.

Hinchcliffe was the runner-up as Johnson finished third.

At just 16 years old, Hernandez is the youngest champion in the show’s history. She’s also the first Latina to take home the coveted mirrorball trophy, and only third Hispanic competitor to claim the title in the show’s 23-season run. Brazilian IndyCar racer Helio Castroneves won DTWS in Season 5, while El Salvadoran-American actor J.R. Martinez, a former U.S. Army soldier, won the title in Season 13.

Hernandez joins Shawn Johnson as Olympic gold medalist gymnasts that have also won a season of Dancing with the Stars. Fellow gymnasts and Olympic champions Nastia Liukin and Aly Raisman have fourth place finishes on their DTWS resumes.

Other previous Olympians to win Dancing with the Stars include Apolo Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi and Meryl Davis.

Hernandez to Compete on Season 23 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”

Posted on by
Reply

Laurie Hernandez is heading from the beam to the ballroom…

The 16-year-old Puerto Rican gymnast, who helped lead Team USA’s Women’s Gymnastics team to gold at the 2016 Rio Games, has joined ABC’s Dancing with the Stars for Season 23.

Laurie Hernandez

Hernandez, who won an individual silver medal for her balance beam routine at the 2016 Summer Olympics, will be paired with professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy.

But Hernandez isn’t the only Hispanic celebrity hitting the dance floor this season…

Controversial Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, will compete this season. The 32-year-old half-Cuban American swimmer and 12-time Olympic medalist, who said he made a “very big mistake” when he claimed to have been held up at gunpoint during the Rio Games, will be paired with professional dancer Cheryl Burke.

Meanwhile, former The Fosters star Jake T. Austin will also make a bid for the Mirror Ball trophy. The 21-year-old part-Puerto Rican, Argentine and Spanish actor will be paired with professional dancer Jenna Johnson.

Other celebrity competitors set to foxtrot their way onto the show include Former Texas governor and GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Indy race car driver James Hinchcliffe, Brady Bunch’s Maureen McCormick, actress Marilu Henner, Amber Rose, rapper/reality star Vanilla Ice, R&B singer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Little Women: LA’s Terra Jole, and country music singer/actress Jana Kramer.

Season 23 will see the return of pros Derek and Julianne Hough, who last appeared in 2015. Derek, a six-time Dancing champ, will be back as a dancer, while Julianne will serve as a judge.

Also returning is pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, He last appeared in 2014 when he and Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis won the mirror ball trophy in Season 18. And Burke is back, after leaving the show in 2014.

Julianne Hough, a former pro dancer on the show, is expected to be joined at the judge’s table by Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman, who judged with Hough the past two iterations of the ballroom dance competition series.

Here are the new season’s dance pairings:

Cheryl Burke with Ryan Lochte
Maksim Chmerkovskiy with Amber Rose
Valentin Chmerkovskiy with Laurie Hernandez
Emma Slater with Rick Perry
Derek Hough with Marilu Henner
Artem Chigvintsev with Maureen McCormick
Sasha Farber with Terra Jole
Witney Carson with Vanilla Ice
Lindsay Arnold with Calvin Johnson
Jenna Johnson with Jake T. Austin
Allison Holker with Babyface
Sharna Burgess with James Hinchcliffe
Gleb Savchenko with Jana Kramer

The new season of Dancing With The Stars premieres on Monday, September 12.

Ramirez Agrees to One-Year Deal with the Chicago Bears

Posted on by
Reply

Manny Ramirez is ready to Bear all…

The 33-year-old Mexican-American NFL offensive linemanhas signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears, according to ESPN.

Manny Ramirez

The move reunites Ramirez with Bears coach John Fox, whom Ramirez played for as a member of the Denver Broncos team from 2011-14.

Ramirez played for Fox in Denver before being traded to the Detroit Lions last year.

Fox said last week that he expected the Bears to pursue another free-agent offensive lineman with positional versatility. Ramirez has experience playing both guard and center.

The veteran Ramirez was traded from Denver to Detroit during the first night of the 2015 NFL draft, when the Broncos moved up to take Shane Ray and the Lions moved back to draft Laken Tomlinson, the player who eventually replaced Ramirez in the starting lineup with Detroit.

Ramirez appeared in all 16 games for Detroit last season, playing 463 snaps between guard and center.

He spent four seasons in Denver prior to his second stint in Detroit, including being the starting center for the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, a game the Broncos lost to the Seattle Seahawks 43-8.

Ramirez was initially drafted by the Lions in 2007 as a fourth-round pick.