Why isn't Annika Sorenstam a cover girl?

The NBA has a playoff system?
Who is this Nash fellow?
We may be witnessing the greatest athlete in his or her sport since before the 30-second sound bite and she'll be overlooked like the WNBA.
There's a women's professional basketball league?
Poker is a sport?
Blog on.

Best athlete in the world today, bar none! I witnessed it, in person, last week...

Are you kidding me? The reason she's not a cover girl is because she's dominating an inferior league. Seriously, would you expect the best minor league baseball player to win Sportsman of the Year? C'mon, get over this crap.

IF CUTTER & BUCK GAVE HER BETTER CLOTHING SHE'D BE ON MANY COVERS, MAYBE EVEN SI. SHE DOMINATES HER SPORT AND CAN STILL WALK DOWN ANY STREET IN AMERICA WITHOUT CAUSING A COMMOTION.

Shanks, nothing minor league about her golf game, could you beat that many Koreans every week?

Annika withstood the Karie Webb onslaught at the turn of the millenium, refocussed in all the right ways, and took the single-minded approach that made Eldrick into a Tiger, to dominate the women's game. When the ladies catch up with her physically, as the laddies did with Tiger, we'll see if she is as mentally tough as she needs to be. Annika has hit some wayward shots down the stretch, and has lost some big ones, usually to a wiley vet (Inkster and Mallon leap to the fore).

Honest to God, I love EVERYTHING about Annika. She's amazing .... for a female golfer. But the fact is that if you put her in with the best golfers in the world every week, she would rarely - if ever - make a cut. Add about 50 yards per LPGA hole to get to the average PGA TOUR hole and see how many under par she'll be (THINK about that one). She's only awesome when she's the big fish in that little LPGA pond. Stop trying to make her into something she's not.

Shanks...sounds like some of your shanks have hit you in a soft spot...your head. Annika minor league? A big fish in the "little LPGA?" Now, don't tell me, just what women's pro league would you recommend she play in? No need to penalize her cause she dominates. next thing we know, you'll be saying Mickey Wright (82 wins) and Kathy Whitworth (88 wins) are not that impressive cause they played against women. From the tone of your anti-Annika comments I would not be surprised to see your photo next to the word mysogny in the dictionary.

Dude .... seriously. I'm talking about best in the world regardless of gender. No question she dominates and could be the best WOMAN of all time. But guess what? She couldn't even lead the Hooters Tour. So please, stop with the "best athelete in the world" nonsense.

Annika is arguably the best female golfer of all time. So, why no covergirl? First check the x,y chromozome factor. Let's face it, she isn't cute enough to attract male viewers. Then there is that cold, Swedish personality. I remember her crocodile tears when she won her first US Open. So, on top of her less than feminine looks, her cold personality, and her phoniness, I can't imagine why she isn't a covergirl.

Annika is a cover girl, she should be in the swimsuit issue, I bet you'd be surprised by her body. She's a great golfer, a hard body and deserves the cover more often.

less than feminine looks??? WHAT???tom you have gots to be gay (not that there's anything wrong with that). annika is pretty hot.

What??? Annika hot????? Where are you from? Would hate to be single in your neck of the woods.

Matt, do you get out much? Annika is hot? I hope you mean in a lesbian weightlifter kinda way. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Annika's an amazing golfer and seems like a nice person, but she's about as hot as a Madeline Albright.

Using Shanks logic, why would SI ever put a college or amateur athlete on the cover? Can they play at the highest level of the sport, regardless of sex? Has SI ever put an athlete on the cover that turned out to be a bust as a pro? I guarantee that Michelle Wie will be on the cover one day soon - and she hasn't even beaten the same women that Annika has drummed time after time.

Annika dominates because she's put in the time and effort to separate herself from the others. She only has to beat whoever is in the field that week and she's done that pretty consistently. Is she perfect? No. Is Tiger perfect? No, but he's managed to make it on a bunch of covers, and has won the same number of majors on his tour that Annika has on hers. She will go down as one of the best ever, if not the standard that all others will be judged by. Give her her due, SI.

Should Annika should get more attention than she currently does? I don't know. Maybe the answer is to have a Womens edition of SI. (My guess is it wouldn't sell.) Then Annika would be on the cover every month because she's more dominant than any female athlete in any sport. But it IS the minor leagues. People want to the see the best in the world and are willing to pay huge sums to do it. But she ain't gonna get there. Wie, already one of the best female players in the world at 15, seems to have a chance. We'll see. But until she can start CONTENDING against the guys, even she will have to settle for second class status.

I'm gonna go way out on a limb here and say that at least 90 percent of SI readers are heterosexual males. For my next crazy leap of faith, I'm going to say that most heterosexual males don't want to look at a "Cover Girl" who walks like a linebacker, no matter how many Chinese and Koreans she can vanquish on the links. Seth Davis, are you listening? Who will be able to blog in protest FOR Anika if you put her on your cover? All hail the "feminists." Surely God in heaven will reign down horrors on us all if the girl from Sweden is not properly paid homage.

Annika doesn't get more attention because she doesn't deserve it! Attention isn't given to athletes because they earn it...it's given because they excite the public's imagination and they have that very elusive something...charisma. Annika will win lots of trophys...money..and admiration...But she is one dimensional and doesn't excite people.
Arnold Palmer and Michael Jordan and Ali had it.....Nicklaus and Jabbar and Frazier didn't.....

Colleen.....You've been watching too much Little League baseball! Annika as best athlete in the world? She's not even the best athlete at Lake Tahoe. By the way...Doug is wrong...Annika was cover girl on Diesel Repair Monthly just last May....wore that fetching bicep busting polo....

Annika's accomplishments should be based on the fact that she is the best female player in the world...not on how the heterosexual men deem her unworthy because she isn't sexy enough for them. How do you guys pick your favorite male player? Is it because he has sexy lips and broad shoulders? No?? Maybe its because he has talent and no one bases that on his looks!!!!!

>>"Annika's accomplishments should be based on the fact that she is the best female player in the world...not on how the heterosexual men deem her unworthy because she isn't sexy enough for them."

Oh she's sexy enough for me I reckon. A bigger chest would help though.

Has very little to do with sexy!! Has to do with charisma and excitement...none of which Annika has or projects.
The media was enthralled with Babe Didrickson Zaharias in her day.....not sexy..but VERY exciting with a great personality.
Annika has a ton of money and some great looking trophies...what's the problem??

Let's face it, she will never be a "natural" cover girl. But with her money, she could afford a visit to a plastic surgeon, who could do wonders for a lot of cash. She could also pay for a make up artist, a professional hairdresser, a wardrobe makeover, and a personal assistant, who could teach her how to be more media-friendly, and much-more feminine!

All of you Annika bashers need a reality check, especially those of you questioning whether golf is a sport or not (Marc). I'd love to challenge you to a round (I'll even let you play from the front tees!). This comment trail is exactly the problem with our society. Why does someone have to be "attractive" (which is relative anyway) to be a cover girl? There have been plenty of "cover boys" who aren't good looking enough to be on the cover of national geographic! There is no denying that Annika is the most dominant female golfer ever and that she could beat up on some of the "boys" on the PGA tour too. Just give her the credit she deserves and quit using your "other brain" below the belt to think for you.

The reason for a cover person is to sell magazines. Annika simply has't got the looks to do that.It's pretty simple really.
People don't earn the right to be on the cover of a magazine. The editors decide who will sell more magazines.

Alan M

Well, it's all been said here, but it all seems pretty simple to me. These magazines exist to make money. Men buy them, and men are looking for excellent athletes and sexy ladies. Evidently, most guys don't really think she's attractive(I think she's cute, personally). And as far as her golf skills, she's really good. For a girl. She will never be able to compete with the best men, it's that simple. So, these magazines don't make money off of it.

I wish she'd get a cover, personally.

By the way, everyone in the world should rent "When Billie Beat Bobbi" with Holly Hunter. It's good, and this discussion just put me in mind of it.

Annika is hot, sexy, & the best female athelete in the world.
Wake up guys...sexy is in the eyes of the beholder & this beholder knows she sizzles!!!!!

You all are missing the point. Regarding beauty, women are the most beautiful beings in the world. That's why models (relative or not) make covers. Regarding sports, the best in the world are men, period. The only way that women can say they are best is if they only compete against other women. If Annika were to play on the PGA Tour, or even the Nationwide Tour, she would rarely make a cut, let alone contend. That is why sports mags don't feature the greatest female golfer of this generation. Now, me, I dig chicks, especially jocks. And I think Annika is a cutie. She gives those bland comments but is sincere. I'd really like to hear what she has to say when the doors close at home.

But all of that doesn't mean she should get a cover ahead of Tiger, Vijay, Phil, Ernie, Retief, etc. THEY are the best in the world.

As usual, as proven in earlier comments here(Shank), men think superficially, shallowly & with the head they think every woman wants.(Which is a joke in itself). Annika's staements in interviews are short & to the point & you can actually understand her unlike some athletes, whats wrong with that? She is shy & reserved which probably has to do with her nationality. Just because she is in the USA does not mean she has to become arrogant & egotistical like some of the American athletes or wear her soul on her sleeve for the whole world to see.Like 95% of the men I know in my life & have met over the years, Are afraid & intimidated by a strong women. First men will say we are lesbian feminist, which may or may not be true,then men will attack our looks which all of this makes men feel big bad & macho because you don't know how to handle a strong beautiful women as Annika sorenstam. You want women to look "foo foo" or like sissies out on the courts & fields they play on with their tits & asses hanging out so you can gawk at their bodies rather than watch their great athletic abilities. So when a strong beautiful women who is more than outstanding & dominating in her sport comes around men become afraid & intimidated of her & think she may be just as good as the men & better than most. Men & women are different & how we play is different,this does not make this a gender war.It is great athletes accomplishing great things in their repective sports. Annika Sorenstam is a very strong beautiful women & has an incredible ability to stay focused & consistent in her game which you[Shank} say is cockiness & won't say that about a man] & yet she is the most consistent athlete in the world male or female which has been proven year after year & this has obviously hit your ignorant arrogant male chauvanistic attitude.Annika is definetly one of the best athletes in the world today & like any outstanding athlete, she deserves her due & her fame. And for those of you who thinks she needs a make over, you need to go back to your anorexic bleach blond bimbos in your porn magazines. you are obviously jealous of Annika's athletic ability & her fantastic work out program. She is a very beautiful women physically & spiritually. Give her, her due in sports as one of the greatest athletes ever. GO ANNIKA!!!! You have a world behind you.

To be a "cover girl" has to do with charisma. Female Athlete of the year? Maybe. Athlete of the year? Probably not, in spite her record. But a "cover girl" is subject to opinion. The public's opinion. So I think that answers the question, why she isn't a cover girl.

No debate guys.
Annika is class personified.
She's totally dedicated to her profession, motivated beyond what most of can imagine & keeps herself in the best physical shape.
My kind of woman & should be yours.
HOT, SEXY, DRIVEN (GET IT? DRIVEN)
& READY TO TAKE ON ALL COMERS!

She's one of a kind & the best female athlete in the world.

WAKE UP & SMELL THE GREENS!!!!!