It didn't take Sports Illustrated by surprise, if you happened to see a recent cover girl. But it's always been that way. Joe Namath in pantyhose, Michael Jordan in his Hanes. The afore-referenced Brandi Chastain in her sports bra. They sell, you know, but good.
People are interested.
As they are about Kournikova, for that matter, in just about anything. Now, granted, the Lycos Sports 50, tallied over the past year, is just a listing of the names people search for in sports, not the arcane stats and stories that so many thrive on. Still, it is at least some indication of what people want. Jackie Robinson at No. 9. Walter Payton, No. 19.