What if “Dancing With The Stars” Was Not an All-Star Edition

The new season for Dancing With The Stars is about to being with its much anticipated All-Star Edition.  Many favorites from season are back for the torture and heavier scrutiny this time around, but what if ABC did not go this route or had waited on this idea?

ABC is looking for a boost on this new DWTS season, but could they have waited?  I bring this up because they could have capitalized on the Olympic fever that was going to this past summer.  Imagine ABC announcing the new season shortly after the Olympics were done, and having locking in 4 significant Gold Medal winners from London?

This could have been entirely possible when you consider that Ryan Lochte, the U.S. swimmer who won 5 medals at the 2012 games - 2 of those Gold - said after the Olympics was over that would love to do DWTS.

Another great choice would have been South Jersey's own Jordan Burroughs.  He lived up to his own hype and won the Gold Medal in his wrestling weight class, and was doing the talk show circuit with great success with his personality and smile.  You just know he would have been a hit here!

Getting one of the gymnasts may have been tricky with all the girls being just young teens with school and other commitments.  Probably the best option for a female Gold medalist could have been from the U.S. Women's Basketball team.  Diana Taurasi would fit here since her WNBA team is out of the playoffs.  ABC does have a vested interest in the women's professional basketball league, so this would have been a win-win.

One more woman who would have gotten the call if she was not pregnant is Kerri Walsh Jennings from beach volleyball - her playing partner Misty May-Treanor had done DWTS in the past.  This would leave someone to follow in Hope Solo's footsteps from the Gold Medal winning soccer team.  Alex Morgan was considered one of the hottest athletes from the Olympics - sounds like this would have worked!

As far as the remaining 8 to join this group, ABC should have tapped some of their talent from to help some shows get a boost.  4 that come to mind are Patricia Heaton from The Middle  (whose fan base is still huge from her Everybody Loves Raymond days), Nathan Fillion from Castle (on after DWTS - no brainer?), Laura Wright from General Hospital (she's Carly on the show, and DWTS always seems to get a soap star to dance), and maybe ESPN reporter Lindsay Czarniak (part of the ABC family).

4 more to make this cast sizzle a little more could involve a call to Amanda Bynes (who is train-wreck award away from Lindsay Lohan), Robin Thicke (Pop/R&B star who recently worked for ABC on Duets, and had a pot arrest that got attention), Brian Austin Green (his wife is Megan Fox, and he would be the 3rd alum of 90210 to go on the show), and Beverly Johnson (she would be the elder at 59, former supermodel and has a Reality TV show).