Gold Medal-winning ice dancers MERYL DAVIS and CHARLIE WHITE have capitalized on fame following the Sochi Games by landing on the latest season of ABC's "DANCING WITH THE STARS." However, the pair will be competing against each other this time. Davis and White will be joined by three other sports figures when the season begins on March 17 -- former NHLer SEAN AVERY, paralympic snowboarder AMY PURDY and distance swimmer DIANA NYAD. Davis said of the trash-talking between the celebrities, "It's brewing." ABC's Lara Spencer called Avery a "real fashion plate and you said that your strategy is just trash-talk." Avery: "I was actually making coffee in the morning and I heard some guy trash-talking behind me and it ended up being DREW CAREY" ("GMA," ABC, 3/4). USATODAY.com's Chris Chase notes Davis and White yesterday announced they "wouldn’t be competing in this month’s figure skating world championships in Japan, citing a desire to end their four-year Olympic cycle on a high note." However, the "DWTS" announcement is "another reason for their absence" (USATODAY.com, 3/4). Several marketing analysts cited a potential "DWTS" appearance as a way for Davis and White to stay in the public's consciousness (THE DAILY).
