Good looking and sexy athletes are popular, especially sportswomen. Magazines, including Playboy, GQ, Maxim and FHM, they all know that.
One of the popular women athletes in year 2004, Jennie Finch has yielded a lot more hits on Internet than she did on the field. Unlike Amanda Bread and Ashley Harkleroad, Jennie Finch has actually turned down Playboy’s lucrative offer to appear on the magazine cover. She said that she would rather be a role model for young girls than being the cover girl.
However, Lauren Jackson who is one the best Australian basket ball players will probably disagree. During an interview, she said, “I feel really comfortable with my body and the shape I’m in, and I know I’m not going to look like this forever,” Lauren Jackson told The Seattle Times after she posed naked.
In fact, is being beautiful alone is good enough to be famous in sports world? May be. Look at Anna Kournikova. How many professional tournament title has she won? Winning or not, she is considered by lots of people as one of the most famous female tennis player of all time.
So, being beautiful is good, but being beautiful and sexy are even better. Maria Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon and 2006 U.S. Open champion, has the Kournikova sex appeal plus the ability to win, which makes her even more attractive to the media.
Talking about tennis, the other two tennis players, Serena and Venus Williams, have posed for Sports Illustrated wearing only American flag. Sometimes, you may be wonder what would this heading to.
Most female athletes, when they train six to seven hours a day to be the best in their sport, I doubt that they want their performance to be overlooked. They train for the victory, not for the look.
However, no matter what, sex still sells.
Not convinced?
Some male audience like watching gymnastic sport for the reason you should know. They love women volley ball game too. Beach volley ball make things even more spicy. Not forget about the cheerleaders performing for NBA. Also, most men just love the umbrella girls in the motor sports too.
Some time ago, FIFA President, Joseph S. Blatter has even made a controversial statement which encourage women soccer players to flash more flesh by wearing skimpier uniforms.
Is it really hard to let sport stand on its own merit?
It is possible. But not now, probably.
Alison Stokke
So, yes, sex still sells a game, for many more years to come.
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Angie Tan // Nov 13, 2008 at 11:18 am
As long as there are organized sporting activities and us humans are more or less influenced by our primitive drives to pro-create, sex will always sell…. :-P
Or else, why does American Football or Basketball have those sexy cheerleaders at all sporting events?
Thank goodness the BPL (Barclay’s Premier League) has not stooped to that low yet. However, I can’t say much about some female ESPN sportscasters who irritate the hell out of me every Saturday/Sunday before the big match…
JutawanSavvy // Nov 13, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Some women interpret it as an exploitation of sex gender, but honestly speaking, as a male, kind of very attractive proposition (but somehow unethical) having gorgeous girls around, don’t ya think?
Might sounds like a pervert, but it’s a current fact of marketing campaign, let alone advertising industry.
Regards,
JutawanSavvy.
Horizon // Nov 13, 2008 at 7:02 pm
For me, the prettiest sport woman is Maria Sharapova, and Alison is not bad too. ^^
CJ // Nov 13, 2008 at 9:30 pm
What can I say, we’re sexual creatures. I don’t think David Beckham’s very nice Calvin Klein ads were meant to glorify sport.
As a woman I don’t think I could ever appear in public in anything less than a fairly modest swimsuit. But I don’t begrudge any woman who chooses to pose in their birthday suit.
Tom Parker // Nov 15, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Just the point I was going to make CJ. Yes David Beckham is a good footballer but I think the reason he has become such a worldwide phenomenom is sex appeal. Whether you like it or not sex is a key part of sports.
afma // Nov 16, 2008 at 10:26 am
Umm yea.. I would say sexy athletes are very popular. Just look at what happened after the olympics.