ESPN hosting show on the world's sexiest athletes.

January 7, 2002 3:13 PM

ESPN hosting show on the world's sexiest athletes. 32 men and 32 women vie for the big crown(s), to be announced Jan. 27. The website has profiles on all 64 and will have a place for you to vote for your favorites. Don't all chime in with who you're going to vote for (that's what espn.com is for, not MeFi), but who'd they leave out? I say race-car driver Dario Franchitti and track star Suzy Favor Hamilton.
posted by msacheson (43 comments total)

Gabriella Sabatini should be there, no doubt.

And also Picabo Street and Angelle Savoie, 'cause I love fast women. Heh.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:25 PM on January 7, 2002

Gosh I saw Suzy Hamilton in a store once. . .she was purusing the vegetable section. . .you just want to take her home, she's to beautiful, and hardly anything to her but muscle, and not much of that either. . . .I knew that I would turn into George Costanza if I said anything to her so I just took a few furtive glances and tried to get on with my life.
posted by Danf at 3:26 PM on January 7, 2002

crash, there are a few fast women coming your way for the Olympics soon, though the heavily-promoted "Bobsled Girls" recently split up.
posted by msacheson at 3:34 PM on January 7, 2002

I thought this line on Anna Kornikova's bio was pretty interesting... "Stats: None. She's just really hot." In other words, she's never won anything, but she still gets listed.
posted by crunchland at 3:38 PM on January 7, 2002

Interesting you should mention them, msacheson. Jen Davidson lives not more than two miles from me, and the big breakup has been the source of quite a few nasty rumours here in my neighborhood, all of which of course paint Jean Racine as the evil one.

I actually saw a minivan in a grocery store parking lot the other day with the girls' "Got Milk" picture in the window, and one of those big red circle-slashes over Jean's face.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:48 PM on January 7, 2002

crash, it's unfortunate to see Jen Davidson's Olympic dreams of competing in front of family and friends dashed so close to the Olympics. That said, Jean Racine did what she felt she needed to do to be the best, and her results have improved recently.
posted by msacheson at 4:08 PM on January 7, 2002

speaking of non-athletes on the list, Molly Sims doesn't even have a sport listed. she's a model and MTV moper.
posted by donkeysuck at 4:17 PM on January 7, 2002

My wife would say that Juan Pablo Montoya should be on there, and I would say that Dale Earnhardt Jr. should not. I find anyone who sound like Boomhauer on "King of the Hill" to be decidedly un-sexy.
posted by machaus at 4:25 PM on January 7, 2002

In other words, she's never won anything, but she still gets listed.
in other words, guess who is going to win the female's hottest athlete award.
posted by jmd82 at 4:25 PM on January 7, 2002

Where's my main lady, the very sexy and talented female ice hockey player
Cammi Granato ? (sister of Tony)


posted by jonmc at 4:27 PM on January 7, 2002

I'll second that Juan Pablo Montoya should be up there along with Jacques Villeneuve.
posted by gyc at 4:31 PM on January 7, 2002

Not to mention her fellow hockey player
Manon Rheaume. Sexy Goalie, hubba hubba.



posted by jonmc at 4:32 PM on January 7, 2002

Manon's hockey card is the first hockey card I ever got.

She still has me in the palm of her glove hand.
posted by tsarfan at 4:48 PM on January 7, 2002

hmm...

I wonder if Ronde is pissed that they picked Tiki and left him out
posted by bitdamaged at 4:49 PM on January 7, 2002

Jennifer Azzi (and her girl muscles) are on the list. I can die happy now. I lust for Venus and Serena in different ways, not because I'm hot for them, but because I want bodies like theirs. As for the boys... A-Rod's the only one on the list who floats my boat.
posted by likorish at 4:59 PM on January 7, 2002

Annoying that all the pictures are closeups of faces, and some are just plain unbecoming. :/
posted by Nauip at 5:02 PM on January 7, 2002

In other words, guess who is going to win the female's hottest athlete award.

Well, the contest is to determine the "Sexiest Athlete", not the "Best Athlete". So regardless of what you think of Anna Kournikova, it's not like her winning this would be a great miscarraige of justice.

It is too bad that there aren't more body shots.
posted by jaek at 5:27 PM on January 7, 2002

Ralf Schumacher was voted the most attractive F1 driver last year in the ITVF1 polls.
posted by riffola at 5:33 PM on January 7, 2002

It makes me ill to see Jeter and A-Rod with no mention whatsoever of the lovely Bret Boone and/or the beautiful, boyish Ichiro. Bah.
posted by babydoll at 6:12 PM on January 7, 2002

Lennox Lewis? Hello?
posted by Poagao at 7:16 PM on January 7, 2002

I think it is a travesty that svelte 320lb-er DT Keith Traylor who rumbled down the field yesterday is not even considered. Where's the love for the chunky linemen? Where?
posted by owillis at 7:29 PM on January 7, 2002

First of all, we must give Anna her due: she has won ~21 doubles titles.

My sport is most definitely tennis, and Andy Roddick & Marat Safin are hardly representative of the male tennis player population! What about Juan Carlos Ferrero (my personal favorite)? The ladies have even been drooling over Lleyton Hewitt, who ended 2001 as #1.

Also, Pieter van den Hoogenband, the multi-Olympic gold-winning swimmer from the Netherlands. Although I can see his name *is* ripe for the picking . . .
posted by somethingotherthan at 7:47 PM on January 7, 2002

If Kristi Yamaguchi isn't involved, then this contest is just a farce!
posted by Wildcat3 at 7:50 PM on January 7, 2002

Norwegian half-pipe specialist Stine Brun Kjeldaas. Sexy, even with her coat on. And you gotta love the name.
posted by qbert72 at 7:53 PM on January 7, 2002

...and she rips!
posted by Vek at 8:24 PM on January 7, 2002

I was never into surfing until I knew Malia Jones was.
posted by owillis at 8:34 PM on January 7, 2002

Maybe I'm old school but I think that the sexiest female snowboarder is Victoria Jealouse. Not only is she an ex-skier, she's an ex-snowboard racer, won the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom recently, and rips it up in the Extreme IMAX film.
posted by gen at 8:49 PM on January 7, 2002

Speaking of female hockey players, I'm surprised that Cassie Campbell hasn't been mentioned. (Ok, that's not the most flattering picture though)
posted by mkn at 8:52 PM on January 7, 2002

They forgot David Wells!
posted by billder at 10:10 PM on January 7, 2002

I forgot, Marion Jones is also very cute, although I would be intimidated by her physique.
posted by gyc at 11:28 PM on January 7, 2002

owillis and gen, I believe any woman featured in Maxim should be excluded de facto. Yes, I hate Maxim. And Denise Richards. They're an insult to beauty.
posted by qbert72 at 1:05 AM on January 8, 2002

Putting this on the web almost guarantees a win for Anna K! Every geeky guy in front of a monitor has seen her portfolio.
posted by Hugh2d2 at 6:09 AM on January 8, 2002

I agree, David Wells should definitely be on that list.
posted by LinemanBear at 6:30 AM on January 8, 2002

On hotornot, or pickthehottie, or whatever, if the girl is in front of a computer, or if she is in hockey gear (it actually happens quite often), I vote an automatic 10, on principle.
posted by insomnyuk at 6:41 AM on January 8, 2002

Am I the only one who's a bit sickened by the fact that ESPN, the self-anointed "worldwide leader in sports," has deigned to turn its audience's attention from athleticism and the business of sports to assessing whether Oscar de la Hoya is more attractive than Tony Hawk?

I'm not that much of a purist--hey, I like Anna Kournikova as much as the next guy--but I am rather surprised by ESPN's decision and the lack of negative reaction.
posted by werty at 7:16 AM on January 8, 2002

although I would be intimidated by her physique.

I'm sorry to hear that your penis is so small. :-)
posted by jpoulos at 7:26 AM on January 8, 2002

werty: if you think that's bad, apparently CNN thinks Paula Zahn is "sexy."
posted by insomnyuk at 7:35 AM on January 8, 2002

no sport gets my blood pumping like roller derby. the sesxiest female athlete simply must be a jammer.
posted by danOstuporStar at 7:57 AM on January 8, 2002

oops, i mean sexiest
posted by danOstuporStar at 8:07 AM on January 8, 2002

apparently CNN thinks Paula Zahn is "sexy."

Dude, Paula Zahn is a total hottie.
posted by jpoulos at 8:47 AM on January 8, 2002

donkeysuck, Molly Sims is the host of the show. She is not one of the 'contestants' in the women's bracket.

werty, I guess you missed The ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards, that came complete with the top news item with the headline: "Ladies lookin' Good," and first-class news coverage from MTV.

In the past few months I have become partial to women's volleyball. As a demographic group, they are packed to the brim with attractive, athletic, and not to mention smart women.

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised to see the usual, McPeak and Reece as the token volleyballers in the bracket. But there is more to volleyball than just the beach variety.

Two who got shafted from the 'sexiest' list, in my opinion, are: First-Team All-American, Stanford and US National Team's Logan Tom^*; and Long Beach State's Tayyiba Haneef^*, who is currently pursuing her Master's degree.
posted by tamim at 9:29 AM on January 8, 2002

I'm horribly offended by this...

...because Monica Seles is on the list and Picabo Street's not. ;)
posted by Foosnark at 10:31 AM on January 8, 2002

Hee. I've known Jeanette Lee for ten years. This is hilarious. I absolutely must hassle her about it. Thanks for the link.
posted by swerve at 2:28 PM on January 8, 2002