Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Fisher trading high tops for dancing shoes
Former UALR and Little Rock Parkview guard Derek Fisher won five world championships in two stints with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now he’ll be looking to add something to his trophy case with a different type of ball on it.
Fisher was named Wednesday as a competitor in the 25th season of Dancing With the Stars, which begins Sept. 18. Host Tom Bergeron appeared on Good Morning America to help make the announcement.
Fisher, who will be paired with dancer Sharna Burgess, isn’t the only athlete who will be competing for the Mirrorball Trophy. Other competitors include:
■ Paralympic swimmer Victoria Allen with Val Chmerkovskiy
■ WWE wrestler Nikki Bella with Artem Chigvintsev
■ Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens with Cheryl Burke
■ Malcolm in the Middle star and noted Los Angeles Clippers fan Frankie Muniz with Witney Carson
■ Shark Tank entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran with Keo Motsepe
■ Singer/actor Jordan Fisher with Lindsay Arnold
■ 1980s singer Debbie Gibson with Alan Bersten
■ Singer Nick Lachey with Peta Murgatroyd
■ TV personality Vanessa Lachey with Maksim Chmerkovskiy
■ Pretty Little Liars star Sasha Pieterse with Mirrorball trophy
■ Property Brothers star Drew Scott with Emma Slater
■ Violinist Lindsey Stirling with Mark Ballas
After the pairings were announced, former Lakers guard Kobe Bryant had a message for his teammate.
“I gotta say, on the list of all teammates that we’ve played with, yours was not at the top of the list, as far as guys that would be on Dancing with the Stars,” Bryant said. “That being said, I wish you nothing but luck.”
Burgess has experience with athletes on the show. She was paired with wide receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Antonio Brown in past seasons. She also partnered with IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe two seasons ago and finished in second place.
Former NFL running back Rashad Jennings won the trophy in the show’s 24th season in May. Other athletes who have won the dance competition include Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, wide receivers Donald Driver and Hines Ward, and gymnasts Laurie Hernandez and Shawn Johnson.
This one’s for you
Technology is coming to the beer glass.
Bud Light distributed 65,000 glasses to New England Patriots fans at Thursday’s NFL season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The glasses will light up for every Patriots touchdown throughout the season.
To make the glass light up, fans will have to download an application on an Android or iPhone, pair the glass with the app and ensure the phone is within 30 feet of their glass.
Bud Light will also sell 28,300 “Touchdown Glasses” for $18 each at budlight.com/touchdown. That number is a tribute to the Patriots’ 28-3 comeback to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
This isn’t the first time Budweiser has used technology to associate a game’s big moment with its brand. In 2013, Budweiser sold Red Lights, which lit up and sounded a horn when the purchaser’s hockey team scored a goal. The company sold 80,000 lights at $150 each in its first 2½ years.