Dancing with the Stars Season 8

Dancing with the Stars Season 8 returned the title to the hands of an Olympic-level athlete, this time the diminutive Shawn Johnson (and her rugged partner, Mark Ballas). While I found Shawn Johnson and her partner delightful, I have to say that this was not one of my favorite lineups. While Dancing with the Stars had a brief hiccup in the Spring of 2009, most of the supporting cast, especially a slightly more critical group of judges, offered strong performances.

Dancing with the Stars Season 8 Judges: Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli

Dancing with the Stars Season 8 Co-Hosts: Tom Bergeron, Samantha Harris

Dancing with the Stars Season 8 Time: Spring 2009

Dancing with the Stars Contestants - Season 8

Here's a list of the Dancing with the Stars contestants and their partners from Season 8:

Belinda Carlisle of Go-Go's fame was a favorite of mine growing up, so I was sorely disappointed to see her leave the show. While I feel for Denise Richards having to put up with that Charlie Sheen swine, I have to admit that I was ready to see her leave the show. I'm not sure I ever thought Holly Madison belonged on the show, while I can say the same about Lawrence Taylor.

Don't get me wrong: Lawrence Taylor was an NFL star-among-stars. If Lawrence Taylor wasn't the reason the 3-4 Defense was designed, he was a big part of the reason it's become such a mainstay in the NFL. Lawrence Taylor redefined the linebacker position, so much so that Redskins Hall of Fame coach, Joe Gibbs, designed the H-Back position and the constant shifting of receivers, tight ends, and running backs along the line of scrimmage to scheme against LT. Lawrence Taylor was a 2-time Superbowl champion and one of the greats of the game, but his drug abuse made him a less-than-ideal selection for the show. Taylor has since plead to serious crimes I don't want to get into.

Dancing with the Stars Season 8 - Celebrity List--Who Are They?

Here's a list of the celebrities from Dancing with the Stars Season 8 and what they're famous for:

The star of this season was Shawn Johnson. While I did enjoy seeing country icons like Chuck Wicks and Ty Murray compete--and Lil Kim was a delight--Season 8 of Dancing with the Stars was a little too "Steve-O" for my tastes.