What a Great Experience !
I hate to lose. Fortunately, i didn’t. Even though I didn’t get the votes to stay on as long as I hoped for. I won in every single way possible.
Five time I got to experience the rush/fear/excitement of knowing that when the music starts 20mm people were going to see me do something for 90 seconds I had never done before, and while I did it, I had to find a way to put that aside and love every minute of it. I did. Thats a win.
For 8 weeks I got to get up every morning knowing that no matter how sore I was, I had a goal that required me to challenge myself physically and mentally from 2 to 6 hours or more every single day. I did it. Ioved doing it, and I lost 30 lbs doing it. Thats a win.
Probably the most rewarding part of being on the show was just being able to be me. I had no say over the music , the video packages they did or how they presented me on the show.. The show people were doing what they thought would make great TV and they obviously are phenomenal at it.. ( I still haven’t watched a single one of the shows. I hate watching myself . All I see are the flaws. ). All I had control over was working as hard as I possibly could, making as many friends as I could, and enjoying every single minute of the experience.
What it reminded me more of than anything was the feeling of being a kid and moving to a new neighborhood. The fear, the excitement, the uncertainty, the newness of it all. Not knowing if I was going to be picked first or last for the game and whether or not I would live up to either . Knowing that feeling again. Thats a win.
Thank you to everyone who supported me with their votes, emails, texts, posts and everything else. You motivated me and made it all the sweeter.
And thanks to Kym Johnson. I couldn’t have gotten any luckier than having her guide me through this entire process. She is an amazing teacher and now, a better friend.
Thanks to my family , friends and co workers for filling in for me in so many ways to allow me to experience all of this. I know it couldn’t have happened without your help , love and support.
Way to go Mark! You are the man and it was great watching you on the show. You were fantastic, especially for not having any dance experience at all compared to most of those people on the show who have. Now go buy the Chicago Cubs already and sign A-Rod.
Comment by Jake — October 24, 2007 @ 5:20 pm
I still think you were robbed, Mark! Especially this week — your \”I Dream of Jeannie\” dance was easily the most fun routine that anyone put out there.
Hey — maybe you can do the DWTS touring show later!
Comment by J.D. — October 24, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
Mark,
I voted for you every week numerous times. You brought fun, entertainment and a work ethic to the screen every week. I am a RN and was amazed as to how well you moved after so recent Hip Replacement. Kudos to you. You are definately a role model for
for our youth and many adults who don\’t know the meaning of hard work, commitment and a sense of humor.
Congratulations on your performances, you should be proud.
Linda
Comment by Linda McKinley — October 24, 2007 @ 5:22 pm
It was fun watching you show that there is more to a guy with an IT background by dancing your heart out. I wish all the best.
Comment by Mercy — October 24, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
It was nice to see you put the effort in! Keep up the good work. I voted for you every time.
Comment by Gino Green Global — October 24, 2007 @ 5:29 pm
Way to go. I voted for you!!!!
Comment by Evisu — October 24, 2007 @ 5:29 pm
Awesome job Mark - amazing you lost 30 pounds in 8 weeks - spokesperson for Jenny Craig next?
Speaking of crazy fun stuff - you might enjoy this Internet Controllable Halloween Display for Celiac Charity:
http://www.komar.org/cgi-bin/halloween_webcam
Comment by alek — October 24, 2007 @ 5:29 pm
Congrats on a fine showing, and on dropping lbs. I only watched DWTS because you were taking part (although my wife is a fan of the show). Fun to see you getting things done, and having fun in the process.
Comment by Mike Solarte — October 24, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
Mark, I enjoyed you more than any of the other dancers on the show. I think you did a phenomental job, and you got all of my votes every week. Loved the I Dream of Jeanie number! Your ability to come back so soon after hip replacement surgery has been inspirational to many. I will remember you for this season of DWTS long after I have forgotten everyone else. Congratulations! You did great!
Comment by Linda — October 24, 2007 @ 5:31 pm
You were so much fun to watch and so inspirational. It was amazing to see you work so hard and have so much fun with it. I\’m sorry you didn\’t get enough votes to stay another week but you get to come home just in time for the beginning of the Mavs season which is so exciting.
Comment by DallasGirl — October 24, 2007 @ 5:31 pm
Sorry to see you ousted, you were fun to watch. I will continue to read your blog.
Idea: since you are looking to expand your horizons, how about buying my New York Rangers? current ownership is, well, not too swift. Hockey is the coolest game there is, and I bet you\’d do a better job!
Comment by Susan Lewis — October 24, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
You did great Mark– I\’m not the type to watch DWTS but even I enjoyed the last dance (and voted!)
Stepping out of your comfort zone is a pretty powerful and rewarding experience; thanks for reminding me of that.
Comment by Chris Youra — October 24, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
I didn\’t even really know who you were when I started watching the show but I ended up a huge MC fan. I too admired your work ethic and determination but more than that I consistently felt your remarks were thoughtful, gracious and down to earth. I also thought your \”I Dream of Jeannie\” dance was adorable and sexy. Well done all the way around.
Comment by Laurie — October 24, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
I will miss seeing you dance every week. You were so much fun to watch, I voted for you several times each week. I think it was very courageous of you to do something like this, especialy just weeks after hip surgery. Your work ethic is amazing.
Comment by Melissa — October 24, 2007 @ 5:36 pm
Mark,
You made us smile every time you were on that dance floor. To us you are a winner as you won us over, many times over! Thank you! Now.. may I suggest calling your dancing with the stars friends to have a fun, fund raiser get-together (once the competition is over) for the fire victims of California? That would really be neat I think.
Cali fan,
lindzy
Comment by lindzy — October 24, 2007 @ 5:37 pm
Mark,
Sorry to see you go from DWTS - you had ALL the votes in my house each Mon night - BUT look at all the positives you got out of your experience - new friends, new dance moves, losing weight, a bigger fan base and so on!! What an AWESOME experience for you!! And yes you can now tell your kids and grand kids how you danced in front of America - way to go MC!!
GO MAVS!! GREAT win against Chicago!! I must admit that I kept switching last night between the game and DWTS
James
Comment by James — October 24, 2007 @ 5:39 pm
It\’s fantastic that you can savor the joy and the memory. Few people see the world that way anymore.
Comment by Jamiesl — October 24, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Mark,
\”When the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name, he writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game\”.
You did an outstanding job and we will miss you next week, now we can pull those Mavericks thru for another exciting season.
Nancy Clark
Comment by Nancy Clark — October 24, 2007 @ 5:43 pm
mark,
thanks for doing this. more importantly, thanks for putting it in words i understand and find translatable to my life.
good luck on the upcoming mavs season.
Comment by blyx — October 24, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
Congrats on everything and sharing your journey with us. You were so fun to watch and I loved your authenticity you could just see radiating from you (as much as pixels and light can radiate)…
On a separate note, as much as I am looking forward to a new job in Oklahoma City in January, I am so very upset the Mavs won\’t be as accessible as they are to me now. When we were visiting KC during the playoffs, we had to call around to find a sports bar that was broadcasting it…
I\’m hoping to have a going away party somehow Mav-game-centered. Thanks for making it fun!
Comment by Anne Jackson — October 24, 2007 @ 5:59 pm
At least Marie Osmond didn\’t get her claws in you. Then you would have lost more.
Comment by Joe Corey — October 24, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
Mark,
I\’m sure you\’ve heard this so many times (and will continue to hear it!) but I really, really enjoyed watching you every week on DWTS. You were honestly the reason I decided to watch this season (My husband and I are HUGE fans of you and the Mavs. He thinks you\’re the best owner in the NBA.) Your hard work, dedication and willingness to try something completely out of your experience zone was inspirational! It won\’t be the same watching DWTS without you to root for! Thanks again for everything you brought to the show!
~Sarah
Comment by Sarah — October 24, 2007 @ 6:02 pm
Mark,
I loved watching you every single week. You did a great job and I\’m unhappy you were voted off - I\’d hoped to be able to watch you at least another few weeks.
I\’m glad to know you\’ve got a blog. I\’m going to check in regularly to see what you\’re up to.
Great job and thanks for the fun and entertainment you gave me.
A new fan,
Deborah
Comment by Deborah — October 24, 2007 @ 6:06 pm
Being from Texas (Austin) I see and hear about Mark all the time - not too many good reviews from his actions on the game floor BUT BUT BUT I have to say from watching him dance I have a whole new respect for you Mark - I actually enjoyed you so much and you were one of my favs. KUDOS for giving us Texans a reason to LOVE you!
Comment by Sandra — October 24, 2007 @ 6:06 pm
Hi Mark,
I have been a fan of DWTS for several years now. Like you, I am addicted to the high tech industry (have been now for over 25 years), so I am often communicating with some of my friends and business associates late in the evening here in the east (I\’m in Ashland, Virginia … not exactly the Silicon Valley of the East, you know … but beautiful this time of year!).
Anyway, I have always taken the time to watch this show on ABC. I think it is terrific, and one of the few ways I\’ve found to really wind down and watch something beautiful occur on the big screen. And I\’m not just talking about those beautiful professional dancers on the show. I think the way people get to know the \”stars\” is beautiful as well.
I sent you an e-mail after one of the earlier shows where I criticized you for looking too serious and disappointed when the judges criticized your performances. You either listened or learned this on your own. You turned towards a more humble style and used that nice smile of yours (and a good bit of humor, as well) to win over many of us out here in TV land. I think you did far better than most people thought you would do after the first week.
Congratulations!
Like you and your hip, I am scheduled to have my knee replaced early next year. I am very nervous about it and have been avoiding the reality of the whole thing. However, watching you come back from your hip surgery so quickly (and participate in competitive dancing, no less) was quite inspirational to me, and I\’m sure to others as well … to say the least.
You covered this obvious pain with a hearty smile and a contagious laughter as well. You represented yourself, your family, your friends and your business associates in both technology, media, and professional sports very well, Mark. You should be proud. I even had my 85-year-old mother cheering (and voting) for you. She\’s addicted to her new computer and e-mail as well. When I told her you worked with Dan Rather, she was hooked.
On the business/Internet front, I have kept a close eye on all the \”happenings\” in the Viacom vs. Google/YouTube lawsuit, and all of the other activities in the ongoing battle between technology and copyright holders these days. When you\’re back in the saddle, I\’d love to hear your current perspective.
I have my own theories as to who will ultimately win this high tech \”war\”. And they won\’t speak English if we\’re not damn careful over the next few years. More on this topic later.
Although I am more than a decade older than you, I have decided to start my own blog on copyrights, Internet Piracy, and the graphic arts content industries (illustrators, designers, cartoonists, animators, digitizers, programmers, and digitizers). I might even include choreographers after watching the DWTS show!
I know these subject matters far better than most, Mark. I have lived them in the field for many, many years. While the stakes are enormously high, I call my new blog \”Nonsense 2.0\” anyway. If you have ever tried communicating with IP lawyers and litigators, you\’ll understand this decision. The blog officially launches next week.
Anyway, great to watch you improve (in both performance and attitude) over the past few weeks. We\’ll miss you on the show.
By the way, I agree. Kym is a real doll. She made a better Jeanie than Jeanie, in my view.
George P. Riddick, III
Chairman/CEO
Imageline, Inc.
griddick@imageline2.com
Comment by George Riddick — October 24, 2007 @ 6:07 pm
Mark,
I thought you were great on DWTS! It is nice to see a real man dance
I could tell every week that you put your whole heart and soul into the dance. Thanks for being an inspiration to men everywhere… Real men CAN dance! Won\’t be the same without you.
Shana
Comment by Shana — October 24, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
Mark…I didn\’t vote for you. I leave that to my daughter and wife. Honestly, I didn\’t even think you were all that good. BUT…I\’ve got to give it to you. You gave 110% and stepped outside the box for this deal. You tried it when many of us couch potatoes wouldn\’t have even thought of it. So from this Laker fan…I commend you!
Comment by Mike — October 24, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
Hey Mr C How a bout a before and after picture of your weightloss. Congrats.
Comment by Giuseppe Badalamenti — October 24, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
Mark-
I am one of those who had never heard of you before the show- no offense- but after the first night I voted for you every time ( 8 times each time). I was inspired not only by your hip surgery and the effort you seemed to put forth every week to learn the dances but also because you were not a \”D\” list star trying to revive a career. At least I don\’t think so. You are a successful businessman who took a chance to learn something new and did it every day with dedication for that reason only. I though it was sweet that you diligently took notes and the steps and probably rehearsed from those notes long after Kym had left for the day. I was sorry to see you go Mark, I was pulling for you all along. Oh, and will you please buy the Cubs now that you have a little more free time– we would be honored and grateful if you would!
Best,
Lindsay, Wisconsin
Comment by Lindsay — October 24, 2007 @ 6:14 pm
Congratulations on a job well done. I didn\’t know who you were when you started DWTS but was awestruck by your courage to do something like this so soon after hip replacement surgery. What you can do physically in such a short time should be an inspiration to everyone having any kind of replacement surgery.
A bonus was losing 30 lbs.
Again congratulations!
Comment by Ruth — October 24, 2007 @ 6:33 pm
I thought that you were great especially for not having any exprience what so ever. The only other one in your boat is Helio but he has a small advantage with his brazillian blood line. Cameron has acting experience and according to Len that is a big part of dancing. You lasted a long time and gained some knowledge and experience that you might have never been able to do.. I liked your comment about the judges this week.. Yes they do give you scores but it is the fans that are more than half of the final score so why not entertain them in the long run. You are full of vibrance and courage and I aplaud you!! … Getting out there and never giving up even after having major surgery!!! WONDERFUL JOB!!!
Comment by Tonya — October 24, 2007 @ 6:34 pm
I loved seeing you on the show and I loved your last dance. I thought it was so cute. (I\’m currently looking for a picture to use as my desktop). I\’m also now hooked on your blog. It was great getting a type of behind the scenes guide to the show. Know I voted for you every single week (even When I got home from school late and had to YouTube it after the fact).
Great luck in the future and now while my brother roots for the Knicks, I\’ll be rooting for the Mavs!
Comment by Meredyth — October 24, 2007 @ 6:41 pm
You really did great! I voted for you and I wish you could have stayed longer. I will miss being able to watch you every week.
Comment by Des — October 24, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Great job Mark. I loved watching you on the show and voted for you every week with every phone I had available, ie my whole family\’s cell phones and house phone. I will miss watching you but will be looking for you courtside when the Maves play the Lakers or Clippers!!! Take care and keep dancing!
Comment by Linda Agajanian — October 24, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Mark, I have never voted before but I just had to vote for you. I could tell you were having so much fun. Being from the Pittsburgh area, I was faintly familiar with you but I am now a fan. By the way, if you buy any team, pleeeease, let it be the Pirates!!!!!!! We really need you back here. Wishing you and your lovely family all the best.
Comment by Joann — October 24, 2007 @ 6:53 pm
Thanks for your observations. What a guy! I\’m going to miss your \”dancin\” and my ventures into \”blogdom\”. You did Dallas proud. Now, on to BASKETBALL! Go Mavs!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Karen J — October 24, 2007 @ 6:55 pm
Mark,
I thought you did a great job. You put fun in the show, and I know you worked really hard, I definately don\’t think you should have been the one to go yet. I didn\’t realize until I started reading your blog today that you had hip replacement surgery, I have to say that you did a totally AWESOME job. I really enjoyed watching you.
Comment by The Brakes — October 24, 2007 @ 6:56 pm
Mark,
I am so sad to see you leave the show. I voted for you over 150 times on Monday. You were so dedicated and work so hard. You were so much fun to watch. I wish you the best.
Go Mav\’s!
Comment by Lyn — October 24, 2007 @ 6:57 pm
Thank you for an outstanding job Mark. Some of us ladies on the DWTS board wanted to see more of the biceps though lol. You had my votes from the start. And again I say you are a big inspiration because of your hip. Good luck in all you do.
Comment by Joyce in Kentucky — October 24, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
Hey! Great run Mark! Your outlook on the whole experience proves that what may appear a loss is truly a victory. And losing 30 lbs. is a gigantic win. Now, how are you going to keep it off? Congrats on a stellar showing of your winning spirit.
Comment by Bob Wegener — October 24, 2007 @ 7:07 pm
Hi Mark, Congratulations on such a great dance last night, of course I\’m sorry to see you go. But let\’s look at it, you\’ve lost 30 lbs, so we\’ve been seeing you go weekly :-). Anyway, you\’ve been an inspiration and if you\’re thinking about buying a football team, why not our Phila. Eagles, we need a dancing, daring owner, and you seem like a Philly type guy.
Comment by Elizabeth — October 24, 2007 @ 7:10 pm
Thanks for providing us with a great time. I appreciated your openess to show yourself dealing in an area outside your comfort zone. Quite inspirational …. I couldn\’t help but think that you would rule on a show called \”Dancing with the Billionaires\”! Warren, Bill, and Oprah wouldn\’t stand a chance.
Comment by Dave — October 24, 2007 @ 7:11 pm
I thought that you do an awesome job!!! Your attitude towards the judges was great! Go Mavs!!
Comment by Ashley — October 24, 2007 @ 7:15 pm
Mark,
Sorry to see you go from DWTS. You had my vote every week just for the chance to see the enjoyment you got out of performing for your \”fans\”. You approached the dances with the same exhuberance and passion that you have when you\’re on the sidelines at the Maverick games! You are a joy! Hopefully we will see you soon, doing something else that we can hitch onto for the \”ride\”. You\’re the best!! Much love to you and yours….
Comment by Melanie — October 24, 2007 @ 7:16 pm
My wife and I had a great time watching you and getting to see another side of you. I didn\’t start following your blog until you got on the show, but I\’d seen pieces of it here and there and since I\’m a die hard Cavs fan I knew you from the NBA.
I have to say - when I heard you were part of the cast I was just \”eh…\” about it, but you presented yourself well and seem like a great guy. I wish you would have hung around longer.
See you court side in Cleveland - if you send me tickets!
Comment by Paul — October 24, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
It was a joy watching the two of you have so much fun!
It seems you bring the same energy to all that you are (and do)…
Not a loser by any terms…
Comment by Marilyn Schenck — October 24, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
Hey, Mark
You did a great job. The show will not be the same for me since you are gone. But we do have something exciting to look forward to and that is the regular season finally gets started next week. I gave you at least 100 votes each time. Go MAVS!
Comment by Serena — October 24, 2007 @ 7:54 pm
Way to go Mark! First time I watched the show this season and I could tell you lost a lot of weight since I last saw you on the Leno interview.
Class act by the way after you were called out. (Now get to work and buy the Cubs!)
Comment by SVRPaul — October 24, 2007 @ 7:54 pm
You were terrific Mark. Thanks for the pleasure of watching you and sending the message that we can do anything we put our minds to. You are an inspiration in so many ways! I wish you and your family the best for continued success in all of your endeavors!
Comment by C Hansen — October 24, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
This competition really gave people a fresh new look at you, Mark, and I for one liked what I saw. Your hard work and humility throughout were very pleasant surprises, and you earned my votes with your graciousness and willingness to accept criticism. You were also a lot of fun to watch; you did give 100% every night. This committment right after hip replacement surgery was amazing. Thank you and good luck to you in your continued and future ventures.
Comment by Mimi — October 24, 2007 @ 7:57 pm
I am being honest here…read the whole thing before you get mad…I am a San Antonio Spurs fan and I have to confess, I intended on watching Dancing with the Stars this season to see you make a complete fool of yourself!! Instead, it gave a new light to someone I thought was so easy to hate!! The show really showed a different side of you–an easy-going, fun, excited, hard-working, never quit kinda guy–not that I didn\’t already know you were an \”excited\” person..just a different way–one I can appreciate (lol). I have enjoyed watching you each week and see how hard you\’ve been working and how you really put your whole heart into this adventure. I was really disappointed tonight to see you leave…honestly!! I know I am little behind on this, but we are active duty Air Force stationed in the UK, so all our shows are on a 24 hour delay–I have to force myself not to cheat and look on the internet to see what happens!!
So, I have a challenge for you…I realize that in a sense we are rivals..but honestly, the Mavs are my #2 favorite–AJ really brought me to love the team. He\’s always been a favorite of mine–a very respectful guy!! Back to my challenge…being military and spending 8 wonderful years in San Antonio, that city is over-flowing with our wonderful military, this season, instead of wearing hand-made insulting San Antonio t-shirts–why don\’t you try wearing an Armed Forces shirt–Lackland AFB for example or just something patriotic!! I know that you support our military–I do believe that–so while you are in SA, support the troops–I want to keep thinking you are really a nice guy and I don\’t want to have to start disliking you all over again…I could never ask you to love the Spurs, but I am asking you to show some appreciation to thousands of military in San Antonio when you visit…take a walk on the RiverWalk on a Saturday afternoon and see all the skinny, pale, newly graduated Airmen, walking around with their families and preparing to serve this great Country! You may not catch a rash…but some patriotism!
Keep Dancing Mark!! You were awesome!! (my daughter will kill me for saying this…but you looked great too). I hope you made it to the end of my message before you hit delete!
Cindy
Comment by Cindy W — October 24, 2007 @ 7:59 pm
Paris Hilton, Film Download, Lost, Heroes, Prison Break, Divx Download, Adult
Comment by fevzi — October 24, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Great job Mark! Your determination in DWTS is nothing less that I\’ve come to expect from you. Everything you do turns out to be an amazing experience for you and the people around you - because you enjoy doing the things you do. Which is true leadership.
Keep up the great work.
MFFL.
-C…
Comment by CC — October 24, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Mark, I can\’t believe you are not on DWTS anymore. I don\’t really watch the show but I did because of you and the Mavs. You were a \”class act\” the whole way through. Loved your little bits of humor. I am sure Kym thought you were the best partner ever.
The best part of this is, the season is about to start and we can see you more than 3 times a week in your seat watching the best team in the NBA.
Please don\’t ever sell the Mavs! Always remain in Dallas! You give the city so much.
Best of luck with everything you do. You deserve it!
This is the Mavs year! They will bring you a ring!!!!
Comment by MFFLinFL — October 24, 2007 @ 8:06 pm
Hi Mark,
I am not writing to comment on your dance, I am writing because I have an idea that I think you would find interest in. After reading the blogs, it looks like you really read these blogs so hopefully you will get to read this. I shared my idea with Donni Nelson (the younger) and he knows who I am. You are where you are because you worked hard and someone gave you a chance. I don\’t know if you are the person to open a door of opportunity for me, but it\’s worth trying.
Comment by T — October 24, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
Just want to say again - Great Job, Mark! You will be missed on DWTS. It\’s really nice that you have this blog so we can keep up with you!
Comment by Princilla — October 24, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
Congratulations on surviving five weeks! You may not have been the best dancer but you had the best attitude (well, you and Jane Seymour). I enjoyed watching you each week and the hard work and effort you put into your performance was clearly evident in each improved performance. Your positive, upbeat attitude and ready smile will be sorely missed.
Comment by Theresa — October 24, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
Mark,
congratulations, and on the weight loss as well. Looking good!!
Comment by Toni — October 24, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
Mark,
You are indeed a class act. Thanks for such an eloquent post, yet again.
Comment by Sharon — October 24, 2007 @ 8:20 pm
Thanks so much for the wonderful times you gave us this season. My family helped me vote for you with all our cell phones, the house phone, and all of our email addresses! The last Monday night, I was traveling back from a conference. Since I was a passenger, I was able to call in my votes. I told my co-workers about you, and they voted using their cell phones, too! The show won\’t be the same without you.
I\’ve admired you for several years, and was excited to find out that you were going to be on the show. Thanks again, Mark!
Comment by Janice — October 24, 2007 @ 8:24 pm
Mark .. It was such a joy watching you on DWTS.. even stayed up to watch you on Jimmy Kimmel… I actually feel like I just lost a family member. for you actually grew on me.. and LOVE watching your dancing..
Really not much on Basketball.. but wonders if i\’m gonna have to start… laughs.. do have your blog bookmarked.. so maybe…
Wow.. darn.. did I just lose a brother..Next week will be kinda empty.. but the rules of the show.. someone has to leave every week…
*hugs* it\’s been a PLEASURE to watch you…
Comment by Bonnie — October 24, 2007 @ 8:26 pm
Congratulations for all your wins! Being a IU grad, I would see your picture in the undergrad hallway wondering if the Mavs owner really is all business. DWTS showed an amazing side to your personality and has really inspired me to think beyond my comfort zone. I simply loved watching you dance, you were easily the most entertaining dancer, and I actually found it very charming when you sang along with the songs, hey thats what anyone who is enjoying the song would do. Good luck with future dancing, I hope you continue on.
Comment by Sarika — October 24, 2007 @ 8:28 pm
Congratulations on having lasted so long and performed so well on \”Dancing with the Stars.\” As a recent hip surgery patient, you were very brave to step up to the challenge and risk not only public embarrassment but also physical injury. I\’m sure you won the admiration, affection, and respect of everyone watching.
Comment by Liz — October 24, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
Mark,
\”What it reminded me more of than anything was the feeling of being a kid and moving to a new neighborhood. The fear, the excitement, the uncertainty, the newness of it all. Not knowing if I was going to be picked first or last for the game and whether or not I would live up to either. Knowing that feeling again. Thats a win.\”
I honestly believe that the heart of what makes you a success is revealed in this statement.
Why?
Everyone wants to be viewed by others as a whole person. We all desire that people allow us the space to be more than what appears on the surface. Paradoxically, we want others to be able to summarize us on the one hand, while, on the other hand, we despise being pigeonholed or restricted. Even generalizations about us are often bothersome because it makes us feel like a cartoon version of ourselves.
Most of us seek out comfortable stereotypes when it is convenient. Particularly when there are things about us that we\’d prefer are not highlighted, held under a microscope, or publicized. A keen awareness of our own shortcomings drives us to perpetuate the same stereotypes that we are so devastated when others bring them to light. We tend to fall back on them at strategic junctures. When we are incapable of actually pulling something off \”the way it should be,\” we quickly retreat and grab hold of some generalization that will allow us a \”graceful escape.\” Still we expect that others won\’t sense this tendency in us even though it happens at regular and predictable increments or under situations that others learn to expect.
Mark, your success is an outgrowth of the fact that you have held this tendency to retreat at arm\’s length.
If you are honest with yourself, you will recognize this internal contradiction is a survival mechanism that everyone utilizes–no exceptions.
In a strange way, our stereotyping of others often is a civil response, a reaction to what are often unspoken signs and dialog. Hiding just beneath the surface in others is the same self doubt that we reserve for ourselves when we \”get in over our heads\” or find ourselves in an area beyond our current capabilities or talents. The cartoon caricature we assign to others may actually be our way of letting them off the hook–a way of relieving the pressure of unrealistic expectations.
Mark, you are to be commended for resisting the caricature that you and others tend to attach to you.
Your participation shows that you don\’t let yourself \”off the hook,\” and that attracts others that have similar personal standards.
Does this mean that, as a rule, we should lower our expectations to avoid prejudging others? No, that would be a critical mistake. Why? Because if we wish to reserve the right to be considered fit for a particular thing, despite being aware of our lack of qualifications etc. we would still prefer the benefit of the doubt that we might be able to do it, given the right set of circumstances.
I am under the distinct impression that you feel a certain morally obligated to have high expectations for others, even when you sense or know that they would rather deploy the caricature of themselves.
The heart of Mark Cuban, the heart of a winner, is found in your resistance to stereotypes…like the new kid on the playground that was picked last, but uses it to \”prove \’em all wrong!\”
Comment by Peter David Orr — October 24, 2007 @ 8:39 pm
Mark, you are awesome. I was sad to see you voted off DWTS…you gave it your all, and it showed! Thank you so much for doing the show, and bringing us so much fun…you and Kym were easily the most entertaining pair this season.
jagz, ny
Comment by jagz — October 24, 2007 @ 8:43 pm
Hi Mark,
First time I am ever writing to anyone commenting on DWTS but I wanted to let you know what an incredible job you did!!! For never having dance experience like so many of the others and with your hip replacement you were truly amazing! It was great watching you every week, I have total respect for you and I will really miss you and Kim. Keep on dancing Mark!!!! Thanks for the joy in watching you!
Cindy
Comment by Cindy — October 24, 2007 @ 8:52 pm
You were beautiful every single time, and never more so than in what you are taking with you from the experience. Thank you so much for letting us get to know you during the past several weeks. May we all dance more, and may we all become more of who we really are.
Comment by Diana Christine — October 24, 2007 @ 8:53 pm
Mark,
I\’ve been a DWTS fan from the beginning, and you added so much to the show this season! I lived in the Metroplex for about 25 years until about a year ago. I have followed Mavs news, but not the games so much. I really haven\’t known much about you, except that you live life big. You have been a joy to watch as you dance! Your gracious manner and kind words each week were even more impressive. Thanks, and congrats!
Comment by Sandy — October 24, 2007 @ 8:54 pm
Mark-You have been an amazing role model. DWTS is one of the few shows we watch as a family. The example you displayed through working hard, never slacking off despite your injury, no entertainment expeience and doing everything with positive attitude allowed me many opportunities to talk to our nine year old son about the true meaning of a WINNER. I see why you are so successful. My son Garret & I voted for you and Kym as many times as we were allowed. You put on a great show and we will miss you.
Comment by Jill Foster — October 24, 2007 @ 8:58 pm
Mark,
I love you, i love you, and um…i love you! Watching you week after week was so much fun and it was obvious that you were the absolute most hardest working celebrity on the show! I can\’t help but compliment how hot you are! I loved your last dance, I thought it was fun and entertaining. It was great that you were able to input some of your own ideas into it and just have fun! You really are an amazing man and role model. Everyone here at home was rooting for you!!! DALLAS LOVES MARK!!! hahaha Thanks for all the laughs, and oohs and aahhs and WOWs that you gave during these past five weeks. Can\’t wait to see you at a Mavericks game! (Maybe you should strut some of your dance moves during a game…show the cheerleaders how it\’s really done huh?!?) Haha
Good luck this season with the Mavs!! Can\’t wait!!!!
And just so you know, YOU are the reason that I watched DWTS this season!! haha I have never seen more than 2-3 episodes of a season and this season, I have not missed one! (I wonder how many more I\’m going to watch now that you\’re not on the show anymore!!!!) Just Kidding….Now I\’m faced with the task of finding a new favorite to give all my votes to every week!
Take Care and Best Wishes,
Kelley
Comment by Kelley — October 24, 2007 @ 9:05 pm
Dear Mark,
I didn\’t even really know who you were until I started watching the show. Now, I\’m totally such a fan. In fact, I found this blog because I was searching the Net to learn more about you. I want you to know that I admire your sincerity, passion, determination and graciousness.
I\’m also very glad you have this blog. I will keep on visiting it because I\’ve already learned so much from your posts.
Thank you for being on DWTS! I loved watching you. You will be missed.
Comment by Treena (from the Philippines) — October 24, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
Mark,
You did a fantastic job every week. I loved watching you! The best part was seeing how much you were really enjoying yourself and the experience. You certainly went out with your best dance.
Thank you for taking such a risk and sharing so much of yourself with us. It did not go unappreciated.
Leah
Comment by Leah — October 24, 2007 @ 9:27 pm
I was so sad to see you go last night. I will miss seeing you and your fierce determination each week. I hope you keep the spirit you gained with all the hard work you put in this different venue and know that the people in Dallas were behind you! Take care and I look forward to reading your blog in the future.
Comment by Kelley Glazier — October 24, 2007 @ 9:28 pm
Mark, you\’re my hero. The contest ended for me once you left. Nice work!
Comment by Phil — October 24, 2007 @ 9:31 pm
Great job Mark! The sheer joy you exhibited while dancing was such a pleasure. We have moved to Austin from Kansas and look forward to following the Mavs this upcoming season!
Comment by glo — October 24, 2007 @ 9:32 pm
Mark. Congratulations on an awesome job! You and I are the same age (weeelllll…actually I\’m a year older!>Gosh, I hated to admit that…lol) and there is no way I could do/learn the moves you did. You were amazing. I\’m sorry you didn\’t last longer. You got all our votes here! The only reason I was watching the show was because you were on there. So, I don\’t know if I will tune in regularly now. You were great fun to watch though. Thanks for entertaining us. I will be seeing you on tv at every Mavs game though as I never miss one of them. The Mavs are going to win it all this year. I feel it. The new guys are great and everyone is playing awesome. If you listen closely you can hear me cheering in East Texas! Again, thanks for the entertaining me…and GO MAVS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Cynthia — October 24, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
Awesome! You have done so well. What an inspiration! Keep it up! Please? Want the MAVS in 2008!
NA all the way this year!?
Love the All-for-Nots!
JR
Comment by JR BURGHER BOY — October 24, 2007 @ 9:45 pm
I hated to see you go. You were amazing at how well you did after your recent surgery. Will they let you come back next season??? Maybe do a DWTS with the most entertaining dancers??
Comment by Cassy — October 24, 2007 @ 9:47 pm
So sad to see you go. I enjoyed watching your energy and enthusiasm every week. You did a great job.
Comment by Amy — October 24, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
You were wonderful! I personally voted for you everyway I could landline and every cell phone I could find and of course online!! Your humor will be missed. Even on Jimmy Kimbal you had me rolling. My husband is a HUGE Mav fan in San Antonio, at first I vote for him, but at the end I voted because you deserved it. Thanks for the laughs
Comment by katie — October 24, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
Hi Mark,
The first night of dancing with the stars I was checking everyone out and as I went down the list of the all the well known guest dancers for this season … Well, no offense but I had never heard of you and wondered to myself who the heck is this guy? Seen as that I grew up watching Donny and Marie and her being a Mom I had already had my mind pretty much made up that she would get my vote BUTttttttt after you danced and after you spoke I had to look up your name to see who you were since you came across so fun and down to earth. You\’re simply adorable and I loved watching you dance because anyone could see how much you enjoyed yourself not to mention you are pretty gosh darn cute! No disrespect to the Mrs
Anyway I am really going to miss watching you dance and how much fun you brought to your routines. The I Dream of Jeannie performance was fantastic! For some rich guy I never heard of your pretty awesome! I bet you wouldn\’t catch Trump out there dancing! Keep living life the way you are, your an inspiration! If you ever end up in Maryland save a dance for me!
Sincerely,
Mia {{{~,~}}}
Comment by Mia Zimmerman — October 24, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
Mark,
I just wanted to say I thought that you did a terrific job on the show and that you were so much fun to watch!!! I know how hard it is to step onto a stage and perform LIVE (I was a former NBA cheerleader/dancer) so I know first hand what that is like!!! So from a former dancer I would like to say that you did an amazing job and you were improving every week…I would have liked to see you last longer!!! I also would like to add that your last dance was very entertaining and a pleasure to watch!!! You got my votes every week!!
Comment by Colleen — October 24, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
That was the greatest attitude I\’ve ever seen anyone have. Wow, you are amazing. I loved getting to watch you each week and vote for you. I watch the Mavs every time they are on tv and I felt like I knew you just from being so involved in the Mavs, but DWTS showed me a new you. One that I respect even more. Thank you for doing the show and showing everyone that you are a great person who works hard at whatever he does. You are the Mavs number one fan and sometimes the media likes to show that as a bad thing, but I LOVE it. I know that now a lot of people have a different opinion of you. Not as the rich guy who yells at the refs, but as a man who is passionate about whatever he is doing. Thank you for entertaining all of us for the last 5 weeks.
Comment by Mycah — October 24, 2007 @ 10:46 pm
You did Dallas proud, Mark! Way to goooo! Loved your dancing from Week 1, and you\’ll be sorely missed!
Comment by Texy — October 24, 2007 @ 10:51 pm
You totally should have gone berserk on the judges, asked them if they were paid off by David Stern or Phil Jackson, just for the fun of it.
Comment by Linda — October 24, 2007 @ 10:52 pm
What a great attitude, Mark! That\’s why you have been so successful, I believe. Because with something that some people would deem a \’failure\’, you are able to bring out the good and the accomplishment in it. And you are a winner, no doubt about that!
I\’ve enjoyed watching you on this show and getting to know you better. Instead of the somewhat out-spoken and competitive man that the media paints you out to be, I got to see that you are much more than that; you are passionate, driven, determined, hard working, a good listener and learner, and a family man. And each week you showed the world that even though it was a competition, you just wanted to have fun in the process. What a great experience! I\’m saddened to see it end so soon, but it was definitely fun while it lasted!
With that, I\’m looking forward to seeing you step off of the dance floor and back out onto the basketball court! Go Mavs!!
-Amanda
Comment by Amanda — October 24, 2007 @ 11:24 pm
Mark, you received all my votes every week, and this is the first season I\’ve watched DWTS consistently. You exhibited such class every week when you received constructive criticism from the judges. I join many others in believing they were not totally fair with you. In fact, they were not understanding about your recent hip replacement. They\’ll understand someday when they go through the same surgery. In summary, I\’m saddened that you were outsted; however, I\’m thrilled that you\’ll be back in Big D in time for the season opener of the Mavs. We watch all the games on TV and root for the team all the time. We got hooked on the Mavs in the mid-90s and have continued to root for them. You are the best owner for sure!!! Keep up the good work!!!!
Go MAVS!!!!!
Comment by Linda Cantwell — October 24, 2007 @ 11:29 pm
Hey Mark, It was cool to see you make it that far and stick it out. Im glad you didnt faint too dude! lol. That was the most gentle fall I ve ever seen someone take. I just about fell out myself from laughing when I saw that. That would have surely made it to your \”vunerable\” moments collection. Thanks for the great time. And Mark, you deffinitely got better as the shows went on. Thanks for the effort and fun, I never watched that show before you decided to take a shot at it.
Comment by Frankie from Lawnside — October 24, 2007 @ 11:31 pm
Mark,
Your dances were fun and a treat to watch as opposed to the borning, stuffy dances that you usually see. I probably won\’t be watching anymore ;(
Comment by Monica — October 24, 2007 @ 11:31 pm
Hi Mark! I wanted you to know that my boyfriend and I voted and voted and voted for you! I was soo bummed to see you go, your determination was very motivating and inspiring. You did a fantastic job!
~Mary Ellen
Comment by Mary Ellen Patranella — October 24, 2007 @ 11:34 pm
Hey Mark!!! You rocked the \”I dream of Jeannie\” dance! You are a inspiration to me and my husband. We are considering taking up ballroom dancing because you made it look like so much fun. (and we would love to lose 30lbs.) You look GREAT!!! Keep up the great work you do and we will see you in Big \”D\” - Go Mavs!!!
~R.H.
Carrollton, TX
Comment by Rebekah Hinojosa — October 24, 2007 @ 11:36 pm
I don\’t see my post, so I\’ll try it again. I wanted to tell you that I have paid attention to you ever since you purchased the Mavericks and have never been more impressed than when I watched you dance. You have always shown to be a man of drive and determination, yet you were out there having the time of your life–and it showed. I was sorry to see you leave, but will just wait for your next venture. You have made us Texans proud–once again.
Many congratulations on your \”winning\” experience. Now, get some rest!
Sandra
Comment by Sandra — October 24, 2007 @ 11:44 pm
Congratulations on your great performances and thank you for showing us that hard work and a positive attitude combined with determination to entertain and enjoy the experience is such a winning combination. You will certainly be missed from the show, but fingers are crossed that you\’ll buy the Cubs and we\’ll see you more here in Chicago
Comment by Shannan — October 24, 2007 @ 11:46 pm
Markie !!!
Great to see you here so quickly! I enjoyed your performances
and handsome smiles! Thank you for all your dancing and showmanship!!! you did GREAT !!!
You have worked hard on your life endeavors
and accomplished so much. I know you will continue to make
good choices and in turn give back so much!
will miss seeing you on dwts but looking forward to basketball
season!!! And following yours blog maverick site!
Continued best wishes to you and your family,
Go Mavs !!!!
Always,
Susan fm Mississippi
Comment by Susan M — October 24, 2007 @ 11:47 pm
You are such an inspiration.
b.
Comment by Bee — October 24, 2007 @ 11:56 pm
Mark, It was great watching you and seeing you work so hard on the show. I was especially impressed because it was something you soooo did not have to do, but you went for it! I didn\’t know much about you prior to this, except the broadcast.com thing and the Dallas Mavericks. But as a technical person myself, I found reading your old blogs on success and motivation to be enlightening about you as a person, and coming from the same era of technology, also amusing. How many times I wanted to say RTFM! RTFM! RTFM!!! Anyhow, I hope your hip is doing well, and I hope you keep up the activity, because you really look great! Using it as a springboard to maintaining your health, which enhances your family life, is worth more than money. Best of luck to you…. LOL, not that you need it. Cheers.
Comment by Donna — October 25, 2007 @ 12:03 am
There\’s something missing : the ubiquitous \’before\’ & \’after\’
pic of that handsome maverick! It\’ll keep us motivated to
keep on dancin\’, even if only in our living rooms.
Godspeed to you and yours, Mark!
Maggie
Comment by Maggie — October 25, 2007 @ 12:23 am
I was sorry to see you go. I guess my votes were not enough to keep you in competition. My apologies - I did my best! Please come to Las Vegas with a new football team. We were royally \”taken\” by Jim Ferraro and his Gladiators of the Arena Football League that the community supported for 5 years. We need your expertise and enthusiasm!
Comment by Carole Lee Squires — October 25, 2007 @ 12:41 am
mark,
congratulations, you were fabulous!! sounds funny, but i was so proud of you for going out of your element & doing something that many others wouldn\’t even think of doing. i\’m sure your family is very proud of you! living in st. louis, we don\’t have an nba team of our own, so we\’ve adopted the mavs. this was my 1st time to watch dwts. congratulations on your weight loss - you look terrific! now i only want to see the winners, not watch weekly up until. i hope you are proud of yourself, you deserve it!
Comment by ellen — October 25, 2007 @ 12:59 am
congrats Mark! I was rooting for you the whole time and I am glad America got to see a different side of you.
Comment by Dennis — October 25, 2007 @ 1:05 am
Hi Mark,
I decided to watch Jimmy Kimmel when you were on (and that\’s the ONLY reason I\’d watch Jimmy Kimmel). You were GREAT! Your sense of humor is wonderful and you never let him throw you. From what I\’ve seen you have a wonderful personality. You\’re really entertaining to watch all around. Take care.
Comment by Thyri — October 25, 2007 @ 1:06 am
You go Mark Cuban!!!
You stepped up to the challenge did an awesome job!!
Aloha from Hawaii,
Craig
Comment by Craig Sako — October 25, 2007 @ 1:45 am
Hi Mark,
I voted to keep you in because your dances with Kym were entertaining and fun, especially that last one! And although I knew you and had seen you from your reality TV show, it wasn\’t until I saw you on DWTS that I saw you reminded me a bit of my late husband, Bob (see http://g-pact.org/spotlightmay2002.htm), who was very confident, very positive, caring, wore his heart on his sleeve, and all of that with a touch of innocence about him. He liked being around people who were \”themselves.\” I have a hunch you feel that way, too. Anyway, you won me over. All the best with whatever inspirational endeavors you choose to take on in the future.
Emily
Comment by Emily — October 25, 2007 @ 2:55 am
Mark, you did not lose 30 pounds of weight. You gained 30 pounds of thin. Great job!
Comment by Brad Hutchings — October 25, 2007 @ 3:03 am
Mark,
You are indeed an impressive person, you have joined a short (very short not to mention odd sometimes) list of people I admire. The qualifying quality to get on that list? The actual action of stepping outside your \”comfort zone\” to learn and grow in new directions. That action is (in my view) one of the toughest for most people.
I would like to take a moment to comment on your previous blog entry about vulnerability. Sadly, to my way of thinking that attack on vulnerability goes on because it \”sells\”. If people didn\’t buy or watch the media promoting that type of reporting (I won\’t call it journalism)then it probably wouldn\’t exist. I feel you and others like you represent a shining answer to that type of thing in that you take responsibility for your actions and seem to take a sense of personal responsibility (rare these days).
I\’ve blathered enough, get back to your family *grin*
teej
Comment by tj Lofeld — October 25, 2007 @ 3:08 am
You Welcome!
Comment by Mitchell — October 25, 2007 @ 3:35 am
Mark: Your a mean dancing machine! Jurado on its way! You won!
Comment by Mary — October 25, 2007 @ 6:24 am
No, thank you for being on the show! I loved seeing how hard you worked, your personality on the dance floor and just how much you enjoyed it.
Congrats on everything you got of the experience.
Comment by Rebecca — October 25, 2007 @ 6:55 am
Being a Kings Fan (I live in sacramento), I went in to watching dancing with the stars, thinking of you as the owner of the Dallas Mavericks. A one dimensional view, to say the least. I have to say, you have earned my respect and gratitude for all that you have strived to accomplish, your perserverance, and your courage to expose your weaknesses, on national TV. Although, I am still a Kings fan, I now have a second team to cheer on through the play offs. My wife, having had hip surgery, and I know the pain and suffering that you have had to endure, and yet you never complained. To quote Lynn, Job well done.
Comment by Greg — October 25, 2007 @ 7:22 am
Hey Mark,
Sorry to see ya go, I loved watching you and you looked great out there! I was worried you would be about as good at dancing as Tucker Carlson, but you rocked it! We furiously voted for you, but hey its awesome that you had fun!
All the best!
Comment by Jaq — October 25, 2007 @ 7:52 am
When the new celebrities were announced I had no idea who you were or what you did. Watching you dance every week and getting out there and giving it your all I now know that what you are. You are dedicated, hardworking, funny, smart, talented, sincere, honest and just a really nice guy who happens to be a billionaire. Without the money you would still be a great person. Thanks for entertaining us week after week.
Comment by jhoop — October 25, 2007 @ 8:45 am
I thought you were a great competitor on Dancing with the Stars. You and Kym Johnson were great on each show. I was so disappointed that your team was voted off the show.
Comment by Laura Elston — October 25, 2007 @ 9:10 am
Congrats Mark. You did a great job. However, I\’m actually glad you are done now so you can devote 24/7 to the MAVS BABY!!! I can\’t wait for the season. Got to see the Spurs and Mavs preseason game and that got be PUMPED. What\’s the KOBE SITUATION?!?!?
Comment by Dallas — October 25, 2007 @ 9:11 am
Mark,
So sorry to see you leave DWTS, my three kids and I always looked forward to your performance. I am sure your daughters are so proud of their dad for many things, but with DWTS you were able to teach them to go out of their comfort zone and just try! What a great message for them to learn at a young age.
Live in Chicago and are HUGE Cubs fans. We are hoping we will see more of you in Chicago and possibly as owner of our beloved Cubs.
Comment by Nae — October 25, 2007 @ 9:13 am
you got all my votes!! you did an outstanding job mark & im proud of ya! you have accomplished so many GREAT things in your life and this is just another one to had to the record! i was upset when you guys we booted off BUT i was still excited that you guys made it that far! you should be SO proud of yourself for all the hardwork you put into it but then again you always put in lots of hard work at everything you do! now that DWTS is over lets GO MAVS!!!!!!
Comment by candace — October 25, 2007 @ 9:23 am
Honestly I tried to open my mind and heart and watch you dance on DWTS, but all your
bad behavior at NBA games was just too hard to erase — all the mean comments about San Antonio, the insulting t-shirts you wear to games, the obnoxious behavior, temper tantrems, stares at the refs. It seemed like your \”performance\” on DWTS was just an act. Now back to the real Cuban……
Comment by Buffie — October 25, 2007 @ 9:24 am
Hey Mark!
So sorry we won\’t being seeing you again this week. You know, I worried about you from the beginning of the competition because people are quick to judge and dislike extremely wealthy people…especially as young as you are! I am close to your same age and want you to know that I commend you for stepping so far out of your box! You showed the world the reason you are a BILLIONAIRE today. They can\’t \”hate on you\” now. Your work ethic combined with decency and charm are a catlyst to your success! Good Job Mark! You inspire me! PS. Grow the facial hair back- it was hot!!!
Comment by kristi — October 25, 2007 @ 9:25 am
Mark,
Congratulations on a great job. I never really followed the show before, but I started watching it when I heard you were on. I loved watching you dance because you looked like you were having a ball. Anyway… we think you\’re great, and we\’re ready for another great season. Maybe now you\’ll be able to share some tips with the Mavs Dancers and the ManiAACs.
Comment by Carol — October 25, 2007 @ 9:32 am
YOU HAVE THE BEST ATTITUDE OF ANY ONE YOU ARE SOMEONE WE CAN ALL DO WELL TO KEEP THE SAME POSITIVE THOUGHTS YOU DO IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE GETING TO KNOW YOU BETTER RITA PINCH
Comment by RITA PINCH — October 25, 2007 @ 9:49 am
Mark,
Awesome job! You have always been well known and respected in the tech/business world, but now you have a whole new world of admirers.
The biggest win is personal. You have stretched yourself in a whole new experience that you never would have considered before. Few people do that in their lives. But, then again, you are a Maverick.
The timing of DWTS was great…just in time for the start of the basketball season.
Go Mavs (except when you play the Celtics)
Don Dodge
Comment by Don Dodge — October 25, 2007 @ 9:51 am
Mark,
I thought you did a great job! I loved the \”I dream of Jeanie\” dance. It was so entertaining! You are right…you are a winner because of the experience. I voted for you every week. I will truly miss watching you and Kym dance.
Comment by Lynn Unger — October 25, 2007 @ 9:58 am
Mark, i\’d love to see you do the \”I dream of Jeanie\” dance at the Mavs-Hornets halftime December 14th. The crowd would go wild. Good luck this year. Go MAVS!
Comment by Jeff Robinson — October 25, 2007 @ 10:08 am
Oh well, you gave it your all and it all was a win! I hope to see you do more of these types of shows. Go Mavs!!!
Comment by Debo Hobo — October 25, 2007 @ 10:08 am
Hi Mark,
I\’m really sorry you were voted off. I enjoyed you every week, and voted for you (among others). You were just a regular guy (with money, but that didn\’t show adversely) who was dedicated and determined and obviously having fun. I was amazed that you could do all that so soon after hip surgery! You are an inspiration for many, many reasons. I\’m one of the ones who never heard of you before this; but my boyfriend has been an admirer of yours from before you owned the Mavericks. He reads your blog fairly regularly and has for a long time though I didn\’t know it til very recently when he told me about it. It\’s been cool to read about DWTS from behind the scenes, and very interesting to dip back into earlier posts and read your thoughts on various issues. I will continue to read.
You are now on my (fairly short) list of most admired people.
Did I just write a fan letter? (I\’ve never done that before!) But you seem quite accessible and I wanted you to know that I admire your efforts and your mind and your sense of fun — sorry, but I\’m probably never going to watch the Mavericks, but I\’m glad to see someone following their passion. You are an inspiration.
Thank you.
Jo
Comment by Jo Allison — October 25, 2007 @ 10:23 am
Hey Mark,
Any chance you and Kym could perform a routine during halftime? We miss you already!
Comment by Jessica — October 25, 2007 @ 10:24 am
Mark, you did an amazing job and it was very clear that you were enjoying every bit of it! You put all your efforts into doing the very best you could and that\’s all that\’s asked! KUDOS to you!
Comment by Carmen — October 25, 2007 @ 10:27 am
From the cheap seats at the Mavs games, to the billionaire owner, to Dancing With the Stars. What a wild ride! Kudos to you for being a true American success story. You danced with your heart and that will always make you a winner.
Diane
Comment by Diane — October 25, 2007 @ 10:30 am
Mark,
The way you make the most of every opportunity presented to you is your real success, and an inspiration. Good job.
Comment by HJ Mann — October 25, 2007 @ 10:35 am
Mark…….You did a great job and made Dallas proud! I think it\’s wonderful that there were so many people that voted for you that were not from Dallas or even a Mavs fan. They were just impressed with your hard work and charm. Now we can focus on the Mavs!!!
P.S.No Kobe!!!
Comment by Charlotte — October 25, 2007 @ 10:40 am
Be proud of your accomplishments. You earned the right to be.
Live free,
Curls
Comment by PurtyCurls — October 25, 2007 @ 11:21 am
Mark,
I didn\’t know you till DWTS. I am also from PA. I became a big fan during the show and voted always for you and Kym. It takes lots of guts to get out there and face the music(no pun intended).You did a great job and gained lots of fans and friends
Comment by Jane — October 25, 2007 @ 11:23 am
Mark,
I just wanted to say what a great job you did on DWTS. I voted for you every week and was disappointed to see you get voted off. I will miss seeing you every week. Best wishes to you.
Comment by Lakeisha — October 25, 2007 @ 11:36 am
Hey Mark!!! Great job. The reason the Mavricks are my favorite team (when my local team is not in contention anyway) is the enthusiam, passion and support that you bring to the court! You brought this to DWTS too and I wish you could have stayed longer. It was your dedication, passion and personality that brought me a smile every week! Again great job! We will all miss you.
Comment by Ann-Marie — October 25, 2007 @ 11:43 am
You did great! Loved the last dance best- you were right. You knew by that time you weren\’t going to win, but decided to have fun and entertain us. What I admired most was/is your work ethic. I applaud you for taking a chance, for trying something new. My Grandpa used to say \’You can\’t learn it any younger.\’ when I tried something new. Applause for showing kids that hard work while learning is worth it. And thanks for sharing your thoughts about it in the blog.
Comment by Karen — October 25, 2007 @ 11:50 am
Mark,
This is a first for me to read your blog but I wanted to tell you, you did an amazing job on Dancing with the Stars. I was blown away by your passion for the dances and what not. I wish you all the best in everything you do!
-Amanda
Comment by amanda — October 25, 2007 @ 11:53 am
Mark,
You own a couple of TV networks. How about a reprise of \”I Dream of Jeannie\” starring Kym and, well, YOU! You can\’t do worse than Larry Hagman. Also, Marie Osmond has shown herself to be the next \”Lucy.\” How about a series starring Marie?
Sorry to see you go, but great job.
Craig
Comment by Craig — October 25, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
voted for you each week — u made it thru the half-way mark and that is definitely \”a win\” ——– AND u were kind and very gracious w/all ur comments ——– KUDOS MARK —-
Comment by c. gaffney — October 25, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
Just wanted you to know how much joy you brought to the viewers every week. You worked so hard and it showed. You may not be a professional dancer but you certainly danced your way into so many hearts. You will be missed on the show, but that wonderful SMILE will be remembered forever, you were truly a \”STAR\”.
Thanks for letting us share this experience with you. Best of everything in the rest of your journey of life.
Sincerely,
Penny
Comment by Penny — October 25, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
Just a quick note to let you know how much fun we had watching you and Kym. Love your energy and attitude. Can\’t wait to see what you do next.
Comment by Amber — October 25, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
Mark we loved watching you each week. My eight year old daughter had us using every phone and e-mail address to vote for you. What we loved most was that you were like any of us trying to do this feat….we could relate to never having done something like this and you succeeded.
Thanks for great entertainment!
Comment by cindyt — October 25, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
Mark, Congratulations on your participation in DWTS for 5 weeks. What a fantastic experience DWTS must have been. I know you meet famous and important people all the time in your business, but this group had quite a variety of people. All seemed nice but now that you no longer will be on DWTS, I doubt I can get my husband to watch anymore. We are season ticket holders for the Mavs and I was sorry they didn\’t announce the results during the game even if you were eliminated. How about you and Kym being the half time entertainment sometime? You would be better than some of the things that are shown. Sorry, but I do watch all of them.
Comment by Mary Ellen Baert — October 25, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
The fact that you were able to find so many positives in this experience despite not making it through to the end speaks volumes about you and your character. Too often people are quickest to point out all of the ways that things could have gone better for them no matter how good things are going for them at that point. I wish I had more people around me with your attitude (much like my own). Have fun on your next adventure, whatever that may be. Cheers! Amanda
Comment by Amanda — October 25, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
Looks like my 16 votes weren\’t enough to save you. Still, you da man!
Comment by Todd Mintz — October 25, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
Mark,
Thanks for everything, it was fun while it lasted. Now can you help me out? Where does one get in touch with you directly? Without the world reading? I just started a 501(c)3 and would love your support!
Thanks,
T
Comment by terri — October 25, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
I learned a lot about why you are so successful in your courageous, always-optimistic, nose-to-the-grindstone attitude. Thank you for sharing your insights/thoughts/reflections about this process in your blog!
Comment by Oliver — October 25, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
Oh Mark, it was so much fun watching you. I was really looking forward to you doing the free style dance because I know we would really see your personality glow. I\’m so glad you got to experience this challenge in your life. Kym appeared to be such a great coach and teacher for you and it really showed everytime you took the dance floor.
Since this is now over, GO MAVS!!!! Another great season to look forward to. I can\’t wait to see you win with that too!
MFFL,
Tammy
Comment by Tammy — October 25, 2007 @ 12:52 pm
You did a nice job, and it was pretty cool to see someone from the NBA World represented.
Comment by TwinsTerritory — October 25, 2007 @ 12:55 pm
Mark - I really enjoyed your time on \”Dancing\” - Looked like you had a great time. Your energy is wonderful.
Priscilla
Comment by Priscilla — October 25, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
Loved watching you on the show and thought you did your best everytime. It couldn\’t have been easy with that new hip. Doubtful that Trump could have pulled it off at all! Now, dont buy the Cubs, please for the love of God buy the Dallas Stars and make them into a great team like you did for the Mavs. Im begging you, to take them away from Hicks!!!
Comment by kerry — October 25, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
Amazing job Mark and my husband and I certainly admire you for taking on the dancing so soon after hip surgery. I wrongly had the impression that you were kind of a smart aleck but I am glad to see that I was wrong. You are to be admired in every way & hopefully more will see you as a role model of the highest caliber. Much luck to you and your family. God Bless you all. Nancy K.
Comment by Nancy K. Kinsey — October 25, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
Mark, I really enjoyed watching you dance and having so much fun. Took me back to my years dancing as a kid. Now as a MAVS season ticket holder…I\’m counting on you and Kim entertaining us at a half time show this season.
Comment by Barbara — October 25, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
Mark,
While I didnt actually watch any of the shows; I did hear about them from Kidd Kraddick in the morning when Kelly and Jason took your private jet out to Las Vegas. I saw some pictures of you all and I wanted to say from your post here you truly are a winner!
Congrats to loosing weight and feeling great about yourself
Comment by Gerald — October 25, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
MARK YOU WERE AWESOME!! I STOPPED THE WORLD EVERY TIME THAT SHOW WAS ON AND YOU WERE DANCING. YOU SHOWED THEM NOT ONLY HOW TALENTED YOU ARE BUT THAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A SMILE ON YOUR FACE WHICH IS SOMETHING EVERYONE NEEDS! ANYTIME YOU WANT TO DANCE I\’LL BE AN ANXIOUS PARTNER! ( ESPECIALLY IF YOU BRING DIRK WITH YOU!) LOL…..SO WAY TO GIVE \’EM HELL MARK!! MAVS RULE AND SO DO YOU!! PS…. I HATE A-ROD AND WE SURELY DON\’T WANT HIM BACK IN TEXAS!!!!
Comment by brown — October 25, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
It was so great to see you being…well, you! I\’m so delighted to read that you had a great experience and truly enjoyed yourself. You were the only reason I watched DTWS this season and I wasn\’t disappointed.
Thank you for making a positive out of what most people might view as a negative (getting voted off too early…IMHO!)
Keep on dancing Mark! GO MAVS!
Comment by Amanda — October 25, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
I really, really did enjoy watching you on DWTS this season. It was great to see you have so much fun after enduring so much hard work beforehand. I am amazed at what you did after just having hip replacement surgery seven weeks before. Getting to know another side of Mark Cuban was a plus and delight. Thanks so much.
Comment by Ann — October 25, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
Mark,
Tremendous effort. I applaud you stepping out of your element. However, I noticed you mouthed the words \”It\’s over. Thank God.\” to Kym when they announced you will not be returning. This certainly seems contradictory to what you have been posting in regards to DWTS. Perhaps you were inferring that your leg was bothering you to the point where you didn\’t want to continue, but it raised some eyebrows in our home….
Comment by Christopher — October 25, 2007 @ 1:37 pm
Mark,
I started watching DTWS last year when I had to travel for 9 months for work and got addicted. I was happy when your name was on the list as I have always enjoyed your enthusism for life as I am a Mavs fan.
Congrats to you on how well you did for trying something totally different and in front of so many people. I enjoyed watching you this season and could tell that you had lost some weight.
May all that you try in the future be as succcessful as your time on DTWS and my your wife and daughters always be at your side.
Blessings - deb
Comment by Deb B — October 25, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
Good show Mr. Cuban! Saw you this morning on The View as well. Loved your dancing and your attitude!
And your right, you didn\’t lose…you have your beautiful daughter to dance with always.
Congratulations, you are a joy to watch!
Austin, TX
Comment by McCall — October 25, 2007 @ 1:39 pm
Hey Mark,
You did an amazing job, and coming from a dancing background, and loving dancing I was amaze to see your moves, you really have it.
Dancing is so much fun, and your performance were a thrill to see, as you had a great time while doing it. Kudos, to you, wish I could be back in the US, and have a chance to meet you. But heck so is life.
Keep on enjoying the amazing life that you have.
M.
Comment by Marie — October 25, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
Mark, You did an awesome job! So sorry to see you go. I loved watching how much fun you guys were having. Makes me want to start dancing myself! You could just see the love of it all over your face! I will miss seeing you on the show in the weeks to come. Go Mavs!
Comment by Christy Quintenz — October 25, 2007 @ 2:00 pm
I was sad to see you go but so proud of you too! You are a great man and I really enjoyed watching you. I am a huge NBA fan (mainly MY Blazers) but when there not in the game I like Dallas too. I guess that is what drew me to you and then watching you do something that you had never done before and do it so well, inspired me to keep watching. All my votes went to you every week, Great job!!
Comment by Lisa Jennings — October 25, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
Mark, I was a fan of yours anyway, but now, I am a huge fan. Your performance on DWTS was amazing. Way to go!!! You made the show so much fun to watch and I will miss seeing you dance each week. I now look forward to seeing you on the sidelines of the Mavericks games. Go Mavericks!!!
Comment by Cindy Zelbst — October 25, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
Mark, thanks for eight weeks of pure entertainment! You are a great role model for all. Your positive attitude and weekly tenaciousness were inspiring to observe. My husband and I cheered you on each week and will continue to do so even tho others may be clicking their heels to the beat. You are pure inspiration from the git-go…Dancing immediately after hip replacement? Each week I kept telling myself, \”This guy\’s just had hip surgery. I can\’t believe his spunk\”. It was a pleasure
watching you. Good luck in all you do.
Comment by Gerri — October 25, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
Mark,
I have been watching this show from the beginning and I fell you were the most real person they have ever had on. I\’ve never bloged or emailed a star but I had to let you know how great you were even with a sore hip. Congrats
Teri Kenney
Comment by Teri Kenney — October 25, 2007 @ 3:04 pm
Mark,
What a joy it was to watch you each week. You wre my 4 year old daughter\’s favorite. I was not looking forward to watching the program that I had tape with her on Wednesday. She was so sad that you and Kym were voted off. It did make her feel better that she will see you again on the finals. Thanks for all your hard work. You really made her smile.
Kelly
Comment by Kelly — October 25, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
Mark,Mark,Mark! I\’m really sorry to see you off DWTS. You were getting better & better each week. \’Somebody\’ had to go, but I think there are a couple of other folks that should\’ve left the show before you did.
It was such a pleasure to get to know you! Being a Waxahachie-ite, I love watching the Mavs & enjoyed your passion for the games but you sure weren\’t showing a flattering side of your personality. What a difference!! And now what a wonderful role model!!
I know you\’ll be back on the show later, but keep us posted on what\’s next in your life. (yes, please buy the Cubbies)
Hey! How \’bout a dancing-weight loss studio in Dallas? GRIN!
Comment by Char — October 25, 2007 @ 3:38 pm
you had a good run and made it through a lot of other eliminations. at least you weren\’t first to leave. sad that you\’re gone but now its time for business! mavericks season and the decision to see if kobe becomes a mav!
Comment by gabriel — October 25, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
WAY TO GO MARK. U DID GREAT AND I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS SEASON. Mark Mundy is awseome, so just putting in a good word. I really look up to you and how hard you worked.
Christina
Comment by Christina — October 25, 2007 @ 4:02 pm
Great job Mark! I love watching you on the sidelines at a Mavs game and I loved watching you on DWTS. This is the only reality TV show I watch and you made it so much fun this season. Congratulations on the weightloss too. I\’m working on my own program and you give me insipiration. Thanks!
Jennifer
Comment by Jennifer — October 25, 2007 @ 4:59 pm
Great job Mark!! You were so much fun to watch and found you the most entertaining of all!!! As a physical therapist, I understand how hard it was to dance on the post-surgical hip. WOW!!! Amazing. Great testament for my patients. Now, when you are back in Dallas go up to the Filling Station Restaurant (off Preston south of George Bush)and have a High Beam to celebrate your success.
Comment by Selena — October 25, 2007 @ 5:07 pm
hi mark. i\’ve always enjoyed your antics and shenanigans and was excited to watch you on the show this season. ESPECIALLY considering your hip and lack of dancing experience, you did such a great job and i really enjoyed seeing your progress each week. losing 30 lbs. is a real bonus too, considering how much you so obviously loved being there.
Comment by linda — October 25, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
Mark - I love ballroom and the show and loved meeting you through it - you are so much more than rich basketball guy. I hope you don\’t mind if I call you Mark - we need to be partners - You have passion for life and laughter and big dreams - me too. Bottom line - Cleveland needs you - don\’t buy the Cubs - Chicago has the whole toddling town thing going with the blues and the restaurants and the shopping - plus they\’ve already got Oprah. We really need you here - buy the team - put up a WEB at Jacob\’s field - have fun with rival Dan Gilbert - we could get rid of the ugly old curse of chief wahoo - let\’s go back to being proud - the Cleveland Spiders (it was our original name!) - tie in with Spiderman - it\’s just a start for the fun we could have - love you - Can\’t wait to start -Aunt Sheila
Comment by Aunt Sheila — October 25, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
i\’m so sorry mark, i think you were wonderful i cried when you left. it was so wonderful watching you and seeing you grow as a dancer, look forward to seeing you soon!
Comment by reem — October 25, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
Dear Mark:
Congratulations on five memorable weeks on
DWTS.
Your enthusiam and emergy was so amazing to watch
each week.
It really kept the adrenalin going.
Kym is indeed an amazing dancer. I rooted for her
and Joey last season.
I\’m from Nova Scotia, Canada so I could not vote.
All the best to you and I hope to see you on the
season fanale of DWTS.
Comment by M Fraser — October 25, 2007 @ 7:18 pm
Hi Mark,
You seem so genuine in who you are and you have a smile that is so contagious. I\’m sorry that our votes weren\’t enough to keep you on longer. I\’ll miss seeing you on the show, but thank you for bringing it to a new level with your charm and personality.
-Ro
Comment by Rosemarie — October 25, 2007 @ 7:28 pm
Dear Mark:
Congratulations on five memorable weeks on
DWTS.
Your enthusiasm and energy was so amazing to
watch each week.
It really kept your adrenalin going strong.
Kym is an amazing dancer. I rooted for her
and Joey last season.
I am from Nova Scotia, Canada so I could not
vote.
All the best to you.
I hope to see you on the fanale of DWTS.
Comment by M Fraser — October 25, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
so who are you pulling for now? watching you dance made me think that i can do it too, you helped a lot of people by doing something you\’ve never done before and then working hard to be good at it.
Comment by melissa — October 25, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
hello mark,
i must congratulate you on your entire appearance stint on dwts. you did a wonderful job, progressed immensely and really were a joy to watch. as we all got to know you each week, your decency ,diplomacy and drive were truly exemplary. that show just makes me so happy to watch.much continued success.cheers!
Comment by ruby — October 25, 2007 @ 7:51 pm
Maaaaaaaaark, I was so sad when I found that you were leaving, I\’m gonna miss you so much! I loved every single dance that you did, you were always amazing at it!!
Kisses from Brazil,
Marina!
Comment by Marina — October 25, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
I don\’t even want to watch anymore. Don\’t really care who wins. I loved your performances. The sparkle is gone from the show. Yes, you weren\’t the best, but you took on a challenge with a hip replacement that NO ONE would have, and maybe you shouldn\’t have. Hope you didn\’t hurt yourself. We\’ll miss you. Best of lucks to the Mavericks. This comes from a native Angeleno married to a diehard Laker fan, so shhhhhh.
Marie Mosca
Comment by Maria Mosca — October 25, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
It was always fun to see you dance. Good job!
Comment by Rosalita — October 25, 2007 @ 8:56 pm
I loved you on dancing w/ the stars and I wish they kept you on the show I will deeply miss you !! Good luck in everything else you have going on in your life you deserve it you just seem like a geat down to earth guy. Love to have you respond.
Comment by Heather — October 25, 2007 @ 9:09 pm
Mark, I hate to see you go. I really enjoyed all of your dances, your enthusiasm, your competitive spirit, and the absolute joy that was so obvious in your face each time you danced. I voted for you every week. I\’m glad you were able to stay as long as you did. You were an inspiration too, for all your chutzpah in competing with the hip replacement. That could not have been easy, or pain-free! Well done, Mark. I will miss seeing your smiles and your so obvious enjoyment at what you were doing there. You will be missed by many!
Comment by Laura — October 25, 2007 @ 9:35 pm
Mark, I really enjoyed your time on the show. I am impressed by your character and ethics. You should be very proud of yourself. I wasn\’t aware of you until the show. It is great to know that a person with so much influence can be such a nice guy. You will be missed on the show by all of the people who came to appreciate and respect you.
I voted for you on my house phone, my cell phone and on my two email accounts. Hold your head high and say \”well done, Mark, well done\”.
Kay
Comment by Kay — October 25, 2007 @ 9:41 pm
Mark, I was so disappointed that you will not be on the rest of the DWTS season. I personally think you were robbed. I watched you on \”The View\” this morning and you and Kym really did very well with that dance. I hope you keep your dancing skills up.
I know you have a lot more fans and friends after this experience.
Good luck with your Mavs and if the Spurs don\’t win again, then I hope the Mavs do for your sake.
Comment by Jane Jenkins San Antonio, TX — October 25, 2007 @ 9:48 pm
Great job Mark! Congrats on how far you got and the amazing effort…
Comment by Etavitom — October 25, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
I was waiting for you to post on here so I could say that I really think you won despite not getting the trophy. Honestly, I realize the main reason a person enters a contest is to win, and it would be easy to dismiss this as a non-victory. However, I think you won alot more than just losing 30 pounds. Your portrayal in the media is something that I\’m sure you don\’t worry about (because you can\’t control it) but I have to say I haven\’t always had the highest opinion of you and was worried when I heard you might buy my beloved Cubs. After watching you on DWTS, I have to admit, my thoughts have really changed. You impressed me with your work ethic and your genuine-ness. I am now pulling for you to make an offer for the Cubs. I wish you the best of luck in all that you do and I\’m sorry for the bad rap you\’ve been stuck with by the media. You weren\’t the best dancer, but you definitely won!
Comment by Amy — October 25, 2007 @ 10:06 pm
Well as a huge Spurs fan I\’ll admit that I haven\’t been your biggest fan…. I never watched DWTS, but as soon as I heard you were going to be on, I had to watch. Yes, I wanted to see you fail, I am ashamed to admit.
But after week one, I forgot about the basketball owner and started to appreciate what seemed like the real you, and I was surprised that I liked that guy. I watched week after week hoping to see you continue on. I didn\’t want you to fail, I wanted to see more of you and secretly hoped you\’d win. I could see how hard you were trying and was impressed that you did so well after your surgery. You entertained the heck out of me which I never thought would happen, not in a million years. I never thought that watching you perform would put a huge smile on my face but it did, week after week. The I Dream of Jeannie was priceless. I was sad to see you go last night. I am not sure I\’ll watch as religiously as I did anymore; you were the best part of the show for me and it definately won\’t be the same without you. I believe I have come to like you Mr. Cuban. Thanks!
Comment by Kay — October 25, 2007 @ 10:13 pm
I\’m from Canada and was only remotely aware of you and your billionaire status..that being said you were amazing on DWTS. I\’d wait just for you and was smiling from start to finish. I didn\’t realize this till your first dance was over and my partner said \”do you plan to freeze your face like that?\” As if a big dopey grin was such a bad look! I think you are twice as good as that soap actor what\’s his face..no disrespect. Thanks for giving me some smiles and pure enjoyment. And it didn\’t cost a dime.
Comment by Beth Christie — October 25, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
Mark:
Thank you for providing the fans with such enjoyment. You give everyone motivation to try something new. Your work ethic and effort were truly an inspiration. I\’ve been a DWTS fans since the beginning and even went to the tour but you are the first start celebrity with no acting, music or dancing experience and that made you all the more special to watch. I\’m sure your friends, family and business associates are glad to have you back but I\’m really going to miss you.
Teri
Comment by Teri — October 25, 2007 @ 10:17 pm
Loved every minute of watching you! Who\’d a thunk a billionaire was so nice?
Missing Dallas,
~ Denise ~
Comment by Denise — October 25, 2007 @ 10:29 pm
Dear Dear Mark
I am a Mom of a Young Man who has Autism–We have lived thru many challenges in the 21 years on this path but I have to say every time I have seen or watched you on Television or read about you I have such great admiration and respect for you and your \”being\” and how you push yourself.From a perspective of a family that has daily struggles with an opinion that your are a man who has \”everything\” {which I know how hard you have worked}It\’s refreshing to see you so humble and appreciative.
To have just emerged from hip surgery and to be dancing with the committment and drive you expressed is a testament of your character.You did such a great job and both my son and I cheered you on each and every week and are very sorry to see you voted off.
You have such a great spirit. You are a terrific role model.
We love you
And we will continue to follow your every endeavor.
Thanks for all you do
Cindy and Dakota in Ontario California
PS my son wants you to know he loved the Benefactor too!!!!!
Comment by Cindy Ford — October 25, 2007 @ 10:35 pm
Mark you are very entertaining. I did not really know much about you at first and questioned you being there. But the very first week, something about you pulled me in. I\’m a big fan of the show and I was pulling for you (and voting for you too) every week. You were out there doing everything you could, enjoying every moment and dancing really well. Good job. Thanks for the entertainment. — Barb
Comment by Barb — October 25, 2007 @ 10:45 pm
Mark-
Your work ethic and enthusisam were exemplary. I voted for you numerous times each week in hopes of keeping you around as long as possible. Thank you for the wonderful entertainment and for being an example of someone who has become who he is through blood, sweat, tears, and never giving up.
(Not even to mention what you have done for our fighting heroes…).
Comment by Beth — October 25, 2007 @ 10:45 pm
You were fantastic to watch. I knew you took it seriously but once you were out on that dance floor the seriousness went away and you looked like you were having a blast! I\’ll get to the point…are you married? Not for me….i\’m happily married…but i have this beautiful and sweet friend….lol…congrats to you on a superb job. We\’re going to miss you.
Comment by Stephany — October 25, 2007 @ 10:49 pm
mark please help me is there a link that i can write you that wont be posted but rather private. this is of geave importance all i need is some information please
Comment by norma — October 25, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
Mark,
There are not enough words of praise and congrulations in any Dictionary or Thesaurus to shower upon you for what you did on DWTS. Your fear of failure, your fierce competitive spirit, your determination, and your joy and fun-loving spirit shined through in everyone of your performances with Kym. You were a delight to watch and enjoy. You brought entertainment, fun and antics to the show which without you would have been Strictly Ballroom! You have truly shown America what it is to enjoy your life. Your courage to even attempt such a feat after your surgery is remarkable! You have really shown us all what it is to come out of your comfort zone. You really showed the judges (especially Bruno) what a class act you are, and how their \”tasteless remarks\” did not faze you, or prevent you from enjoying yourself. I voted all of my votes for you and Kym each week with my cell phone, home phone, both of my husbands cell phones, and the 16 email addresses that I opened just for DWTS. I pray that you will have a 100% successful rehabilitation from your surgery. I want to thank your wife, your daughters, and family for allowing America to see a totally different side of you, and to bask in your enjoyment. I don\’t think you could have had a more fitting partner than Kym to perform with. I thank you both for the 5 weeks of joy, laughter, and happiness you brought to the viewers. Continued success with the Mavericks and all of your endeavours.
Comment by Donna — October 25, 2007 @ 11:07 pm
I was so disappointed you had to leave this week! I can\’t believe Marie got more votes! It was so much fun watching your transformation. Your work ethic was amazing. Congratulations on a great job! I think you won a lot of hearts - so yes - you definitely came out a big winner.
P.S. Please buy the Rangers!
Comment by Stephanie — October 25, 2007 @ 11:12 pm
YOU ARE A WINNER!
Although I\’ll miss seeing your smile every week, I have to tell you that it was great to watch you truly enjoy every moment you spent at DWTS. You were fantastic!! I\’ve always felt that if I tried something new, whether I was successful or not, I won because I had a new adventure. In this case, you got to experience something most people will never get to enjoy. That, in and of itself, makes you a winner. Add to that the fact that people FINALLY got to see the real you, and this was a real coup!
I hope you are truly proud of yourself for putting yourself out there, in a place you might not succeed, and enjoying every moment of it. That\’s very brave! Oh…and you made your fellow IU alum proud!
All my best,
Kelly
(from \”All in\” - best to Lacey)
Comment by Kelly Marie — October 25, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
Mark it was alot of fun to watsh you each week dancing with
Kim. I voted for you each week and will miss seeing you on the show. You were alot of fun to watch because you seemed to be enjoying it so much and acting natural. The I Dream Of Jeanie dance was the best . Best of luck with the hip replacemaent. Congratulations you were great.Best of luck with the Mavs this season, we\’ll be watching in Corsicana
Comment by Dana — October 25, 2007 @ 11:45 pm
\”When you lose, don\’t lose the lesson.\”
In every failure there is victory. And you have obviously garnered the victory despite not gaining enough votes to stay on. Great attitude that reflects in the way you handle your business!
Cheers
Piotr
Comment by Piotr Jakubowski — October 25, 2007 @ 11:59 pm
Thanks for sharing…
Comment by Samson — October 26, 2007 @ 12:47 am
Such a bummer getting voted off! Not enough people realizing that dance isn\’t about the tiny infinities of exact moves but the pure joy of the expressions that burst from the heart.
Your courage through pain and expression of fun and true happiness at what you were doing made you the real winner.
You were and still are an inspiration to our friend Becky who underwent a double hip replacement a few days ago.
And BTW you look great!
Anne in DFW
Comment by Anne — October 26, 2007 @ 12:50 am
You did a fabulous job and should be so proud of yourself! For the only non-performer you sure did hold your own!!!! Great job!
Comment by Corey — October 26, 2007 @ 12:53 am
Aww, Mark you are going to make me cry. You really brought it, and were a great example and inspiration to everyone, particularly those who could identify a prime number.
Bravo, Bravo, Bravo.
Yes, you did win.
Comment by danielmcvicar — October 26, 2007 @ 1:44 am
Mark, this is my