Hope Solo Eliminated from Dancing with the Stars

So much for riding that wave of World Cup popularity into the Finals. Hope Solo was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars. In a weird twist, fans are actually thankful for it. 

Let's start from the beginning because that is as good a place as any. Hope Solo came into Dancing With the Stars as an American hero for her part in this summer's World Cup. Fans were generally happy for the chance to get to know her better. 

Now let's fast-forward to Tuesday night. Don't worry. The only thing you missed was awkward dancing that was justifiably criticized by the judges, and petulant receptions of those critiques by Solo and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. 

So here we are. Solo reached the final four but was unable to crack into the finals as fans became tired with the whining. 

Solo put on her best face in defeat. According to ABC News, Solo said, "This competition is one of the toughest competitions I've ever been a part of." She then thanked her friends, family and Chmerkovskiy. 

The report really puts a shine on how far this star has fallen. 

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But tonight, in backstage video following yesterday’s performance, the viewing audience for the first time was able to see a defiant Solo off the ballroom floor. Reacting to the critique, the World Cup soccer star said she was proud of her performance, and used the f-word to express her displeasure with the less than stellar reviews.

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The thought has been that Solo was just a strong-willed person that doesn't take criticism well. I have offered that the judges were rather harsh on her when they suggested her to be more "graceful" or "feminine." 

For a woman that exudes such things on her own, I found the claims laughable, but that was weeks ago. Solo has made little progress in her form as a dancer and very much needed to go. 

By the end, I had to admit that her dancing was robotic and the opposite of graceful. Her plodding is one thing, but her attitude was an increasing issue with fans. 

It seems that more smiling and less rolling of the eyes would have fared better with fans. Now she is out and her once soaring popularity has waned. 

It's now clear that Dancing with the Stars was not the right move for Hope Solo.