Friday, December 16, 2011

Cast your vote for what really counts: Who is the hottest athlete of the year?


It seems like there’s a top ten list for everything.

Top ten television shows, movies, computer apps, songs, etc.

When it comes to sports, top ten lists usually come down to performance.

Sometimes, us female fans have another reason for watching. It usually has something to do with tight pants, bright smiles – and, well, bulging muscles. If I'm being honest, the fact that they're often drenched in sweat doesn't hurt.

With that in mind, I decided to put together my own list of athletes. I opted to list them by their looks, however.

Shallow? Yes. Fun? Yes. Completely subjective? Yes. Is this meant to be serious? No (so don't write me complaining what a waste of time this blog was -- I already know).

Without further ado, the top ten “hottest” athletes of the year (sorry guys, you'll have to make up your own list):

10. Cesc Fabreyas – He’s Spanish. He’s 24. He looks good in shorts. Oh, and he can do a whole bevy of things to make women scream without ever using his hands. What’s not to love about Fabreyas, a midfielder for La Liga? Between his dark hair, eyes and skin, Fabreyas looks like a million bucks – which is good because he just signed a deal for $29 million. Looks, brains, and money? Sounds like a winning combination. The icing on the cake? He’s apparently single.





9. Shaun White – He’s not conventionally attractive – but he does have that “rock star” vibe. Plus, who doesn’t love a guy who embraces the moniker “the flying tomato”? White, 25, is a mainstay on the professional snowboarding and skateboarding tours – easily winning Olympic gold and inspiring a legion of slacker hipsters – both male and female. While White’s coloring and flowing red locks probably aren’t going to age well, his amiable personality and infectious enthusiasm are attractive in their own right. White’s rock hard abs don’t hurt either.



8. Aaron Baddeley – Let’s face it, for most women watching golf is akin to watching two really boring people play – well, golf. Let’s just say it’s boring. Having the 30-year-old Baddeley – who has both American and Australian dual citizenship – on the tour is at least something of a distraction from the all encompassing boredom that is associated with the sport. Baddeley is vocal about his Christian beliefs and has been married for almost six years – that devotion has only increased that of his fan base.





7. Cole Hamels – Merry Christmas! Almost 29 years ago to the day Cole Hamels came into this world. Who knew at the time that the swoon worthy Philadelphia pitcher would be the one to turn women into baseball ‘phanatics’ across the state of Pennsylvania. Not only is Hamels scoring points off the field, but in 2008 he was named World Series MVP – earning him the accolades of men as well. A married father of two (who is ironically united with a Survivor castoff) – Hamel seems to have inspired a legion of Philadelphia fans with a wide smile and a devastating curve ball.




6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – At 37, Earnhardt has made a name for himself on the NASCAR circuit as not only the son of a racing legend but something of ladies’ man as well. While competent on the track, Earnhardt has not been the racing great that many had hoped. He has been solid with his marketing appeal, though, even hosting his own show on the Speed channel and Sirus radio. Blessed with red hair that doesn’t over power his angular features, Earnhardt has found himself the center of female attention at every racing venue.  It doesn’t hurt that Earnhardt is estimated to be worth $300 million and is essentially set for life – whether he wins or not.



5. Dwayne Wade – The 28-year-old basketball player (his birthday is Jan. 17) has one of those faces that can grace a fashion ad just as easily as a promotional basketball picture. He’s articulate, well coiffed, and most importantly, he’s not all tattooed up like a lot of his basketball brethren. A divorced father of two, Wade was named to People’s ’50 Most Beautiful People’ list in 2005. What’s most interesting about Wade – who plays for the Miami Heat – is that he was briefly linked to Starr Jones (a woman decades older and a couple gauges more obnoxious than any ‘Real’ housewife could ever be) several years ago, thus giving some modicum of hope to cougars everywhere.



4. Apolo Anton Ohno – Short track speed skating isn’t exactly a “glamour” sport. As far as the winter Olympics go, before Ohno (America’s all time winter sports champion) it really wasn’t a sport that made it on anyone’s radar – in the U.S. at least. Since 2002, though, Ohno (an eight-time medalist) has been a household name – at least when the Olympics roll around. Ohno’s unique look comes from a Japanese born father and American mother. His shock of dark hair offsets his Asian complexion. Oh, and his body is pretty impressive, too . The fact that he seems allergic to his shirt in a lot of photo sessions is basically something fans are thankful for every holiday season. His only drawback is that he refused to shave that weird beard lip thing. If he did that, he might have made it to the number one spot.



3. Cam Newton – The Carolina Panthers quarterback – who turns 22 in May – was the first overall pick in this year’s draft. A Heisman Trophy winner, Newton is an almost perfect physical specimen that has one of those jaw lines that makes you want to run your finger along it through the television screen. With a rookie year quarterback rating of 81.1, Newton’s freshman season hasn’t exactly been stellar but it is solid -- throwing for almost 2,000 more yards than Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow but getting 10 percent of the publicity.



2. Sidney Crosby – The 24-year-old Canadian born hockey phenomenon has been nicknamed “The Next One” because of his on-ice prowess. Thanks to his dark good looks and genial demeanor, Crosby has earned a legion of fans – both male and female. He was even named one of the ‘100 Most Influential People’ by Time Magazine in 2007. The great thing about Crosby is that you can watch him score on the ice one minute and wish to score with him off the ice in the next. Luckily for his legion of female fans, Crosby hasn’t tied himself down to one woman, so no one has to throw themselves under the Zamboni quite yet.


1. Rafael Nadal – The 25-year-old Mallorcan wonder has achieved so many accolades on the court they are impossible to list. Off the court, he has made a name for himself as a philanthropist and media guru – even making an appearance in Shakira’s ‘Gypsy’ video a few years back (thankfully, he was shirtless throughout the entire thing). While the whole Spanish contingent of players could technically make a “hot list” – Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez, and David Ferrer especially – Nadal gets the nod because his on-court play far outshines his Spanish compatriots. While Nadal has had the same girlfriend for a number of years, for his female fans one of the best things about her is that she remains in the background and rarely comes to his tournaments. Nadal has said his priority for 2012 is to regain the number one ranking he lost this year. His fans are thankful for his effort – and the fact that he changes his shirt three times a match.

What do you think? Who makes your list?

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