ABCElimination Tuesday turned into a world premiere for six aspiring hopefuls. And we don't mean the celebrity sextet that remains after another Dancing With the Stars elimination.
ABC, already gearing up for the hit show's ninth season this fall, has introduced a new competition-within-a-competition that pits a group of international ballroom champs against each other in a bid to become the next Julianne, Maksim or Cheryl.
But the main attraction at the DWTS arcade was still whack-a-star, and that's what you came to see...
It was fourth and goal for Lawrence Taylor, and the NFL Hall of Famer was sacked before he could gain any more yardage.
"I have to tell you, this has been a great experience," the 50-year-old ex-linebacker said. "I gotta thank Dancing With the Stars and ABC for really such a lovely partner...[Edyta Sliwinska has] taught me everything I know about dancing. I don't know where the hell I'm gonna use it..."
So apparently he's not going to be hitting up the underground salsa scene with Emmitt Smith and Warren Sapp anytime soon.
"I want all my boys to know back in Miami—I'll be on the practice range at 9 o'clock," Taylor said. "Tee-off is at 9:30."
Before the show said toodaloo to L.T., Ty Murray was the last cowboy to be plucked from the pile, a reminder that a respectable 24 isn't high enough to guarantee safety at this point in the competition—although it doesn't necessarily mean he was in the bottom two.
Chuck Wicks was the first to be declared safe. He and real-life love Julianne Hough earned their highest-ever score—and tied Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke!—last night with a sufficiently spicy salsa.
Also good to go on are Shawn Johnson, Melissa Rycroft and Lil' Kim.
Meanwhile, over the next four weeks, we can vote by phone and online for the dancers (who will be strutting their stuff during the elimination shows) we'd like to see join the show as pros next season.
One of them will win a guaranteed spot opposite one of the stars.
The subset of contestants includes Genya Mazo, brother of season-one champ Alec Mazo; Afton DelGrosso, of the DelGrosso dance dynasty; and the aptly named Snow Urbin of Siberia. And since they all obviously know their way around a ballroom, they've got to impress with personality and pizzazz. (Being hot will not hurt.)
The competition's down to six, meaning there are only two more weeks to go before the semifinals. Boy, the time really toe-heels away from you sometimes...