Let’s face it, when it comes to finding the hottest male athlete, Charles Barkley is the man. You can’t deny it — and I certainly can’t either. What’s hotter than 300 pounds of unbridled, steamy muscle?
Three-hundred pounds of sweaty, unbridled, steamy muscle constricted in a tight sports suit. That’s why I reach back in time and choose Charles Barkley as the hottest male athlete.
Amid the suggestions of David Beckham, Sam Cassel, LeBron James, Tiki and Ronde Barber, and Jermaine Dupri, I still have to go with the man himself, “Sir Charles.” Sometimes you have to look beyond the six-foot-long legs of Maria Sharapova and take a peek into what goes on in a basketball god’s mind when he takes Michael Jordan down the lane or provides commentary on TV to find the sexiness lying within.
Barkley certainly isn’t about to win the men’s swimsuit competition in any pageant any time soon, nor is he about to stand on the podium next to the winners, but he’ll be the guy on the sides making you crack up. Someone has to be there to kick some crotches to see if anyone’s armed themselves with a cucumber.
He’s not afraid to speak his mind and he’s not afraid to admit his mistakes; in fact, he’ll straight-up tell you what he did wrong and kick your ass in the process. Barkley has this talent of saying things that seem humorously absurd at first, but end up being right in the end.
Case-in point: “They [Phoenix Suns] are like the Jackson Five without Michael. That’s exactly what losing Amare Stoudamire is.”
All of this makes it no surprise that he was named Sports Illustrated’s Most Intriguing Character.
Barkley probably had his glory days about 12 years ago; he was retired for a couple years and, if it wasn’t for his gambling habit, he probably wouldn’t remain on television — but thank God he still is.
Every sport needs a Sir Charles, someone not afraid to say what’s on their mind, not afraid to admit that they’re wrong, and someone who is able to poke fun at everything and anything that comes their way.
Chris Rose: “You used to be called the Round Mound of Rebound. Just how round are you these days?”
Sir Charles: “A few doughnuts away from a complete circle.”
He’s not known for his all-American Abercrombie good-looks or his Greek-god body, but he’ll go head-to-head with you in any debate, teach you how to perfect your golf swing (hmmm, Charles grabbing you from behind), and tell you why you’re wrong even when you’re right. And that’s what makes him the sexiest male athlete in the past and present.
HOTTEST FEMALE ATHLETE
Maria Sharapova is a backhanding beautiful blonde bombshell and the recipient of my vote for the hottest female athlete in the world today. Alliteration aside, Maria is HOT and unlike her identical comrade, Anna, she can swing a racket.
Anna Kournikova, the popular vote for hottest athlete, is now more associated with Hollywood glam than with a Grand slam, due to the fact that she dropped tennis balls to fondle Enrique Inglesias’ “huevos.” Tennis aficionados appreciate Anna’s skills about as much as Steven Spielberg appreciates Paris Hilton’s acting in “House of Wax.”
So, when an Anna look-a-like turned pro in 2001, there were doubters. However, unlike Kournikova, Sharapova relies on her skill to go places. Her toned legs and long blonde hair is just icing on the cake.
In her first year, Sharapova, at age 14, went 28-5 in singles events and reached No. 186 in the World Tennis Association Tour rankings. Four years later, Sharapova is now barely legal, and holds a 52-12 WTA record with a No. 4 ranking in the world. She has already won Wimbledon, something Anna could never accomplish, and is not fazed by the numerous “injuries” Anna claimed to have.
While Anna relied on modeling and wiggled her way out of playing tennis, Sharapova is eager to improve her record and add to her trophy case and bank account. Sharapova earned over $2.5 million just in tour earnings, while Anna relies on her looks and Enrique to survive.
Aside from her fortune and skill, Maria has the icing that makes every dirty old football fan in the country tune in to tennis occasionally just for a glimpse of Sharapova in a tennis dress. To complete the package, Sharapova is a philanthropist, donating the value of her Porsche Cayenne to the Russian school hostage crisis and playing in exhibition matches for Florida’s Hurricane Relief Fund and the tsunami in Asia.
This girl has the beauty of Kournikova, the tennis talent of Billie Jean King and the kindness of Mother Theresa. Anna’s not an athlete, Billie Jean’s not a looker and Mother Theresa is too prude, making Maria Sharapova the obvious choice for hottest female athlete.
