Two big-name athletes to be on ‘Dancing With The Stars'

From Comcast SportsNetWednesday, August 31, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The new cast of "Dancing With the Stars" has been revealed.ABC says the 13th season of the hit show will feature a mix of actors, athletes and TV personalities. Set to tango and quickstep with professional dance partners will be basketball star Ron Artest; World Cup soccer player Hope Solo; reality stars Robert Kardashian, Kristin Cavallari and Chaz Bono; TV personalities Nancy Grace, Carson Kressley and Ricki Lake; singer-actress Chynna Phillips; actors David Arquette and J.R. Martinez; and Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis, who may be better known in the United States for being George Clooney's ex-girlfriend.Ryan O'Neal was set to join the cast, but his publicist said the actor had not yet fully recovered from recent knee-replacement surgery.The new cast members will perform their first dance routines on the season premiere on Sept. 19. The first celebrity contestant will be eliminated on Sept. 20.