Now, there are a lot of things that can make a Super Bowl commercial bad. It might be too corny or too serious; too bizarre or too boring; too racist or too sexist; too many talking dogs or too few. Or maybe the product or service being advertised is just plain dumb.

But why am I explaining this? You know a stupid Super Bowl commercial when you see it. So let’s just jump right in.

It was a pretty big year for women’s sports. The biggest event of course was the 2011 Woman’s World Cup, which was more exciting and more popular than ever before. Women’s tennis also got a big boost this year thanks to the return of it’s biggest star, Serena Williams, who had been out for the better part of a year. How did all of this affect this year’s results? You’ll have to read the list to find out.

So without any further ado, here are the world’s most popular female athletes in 2011 as measured by the number of Google search results from the past 12 months.

In 2011, female athletes are extremely popular and, more importantly, well respected. But this wasn’t always the case. For the last century or so, female athletes have had to put in a lot of hard work and perseverance to get the respect they deserve. And in some cases, this meant women actually competing against men in the very sports that they supposedly dominated.

Today, Total Pro Sports brings you a list of 9 kick-ass female athletes who dared to take on the impossible by competing against men. They didn’t always win (though sometimes they did), but they held their own and proved to the world that they had to be taken seriously.

9. Danica Patrick (Auto Racing)

In auto racing, women don’t suffer from a particularly large physical disadvantage. Yes, riding in a burning hot car for hours while holding onto the steering wheel for dear life is physically exhausting, but the physical capacity required is fairly low compared to other professional sports. Nevertheless, auto racing has always been a macho sport dominated by men. So Danica Patrick’s career still counts as a pretty big breakthrough. She’s not quite a perennial champion, but she won the 2008 Indy Japan 300 and finished 3rd in the 2009 Indy 500. There’s a lot of good male drivers who haven’t finished 3rd at Indy.

8. Diane Crump (Horse Racing)

It’s been said that a woman named Lula Olive Gill competed as a jockey in California as early as 1906. However, that fact is hard to verify and, if true, the race probably wasn’t a high-level event. The first female jockey to compete in a Thoroughbred race at a parimutuel track (i.e. a race track where people place bets…you know, the good kind) in the United States was Diane Crump. On February 7, 1969, at the Hialeah Park Trace Track in Florida, Crump rode a 48-1 long shot horse to a tenth place finish. It’s not exactly Seabiscuit, but it was pretty momentous.

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7. Madge Syers (Figure Skating)

Today, there are a number of sports that are often considered “women’s sports.” This classification is condescending to both women and men—the former because it implies that it is a sports that they must settle for, the latter because it implies they are somehow less “manly” than those who play “men’s” sports. Nevertheless, I suppose the idea of a “woman’s sport” is preferable to the idea that used to prevail, which was that women shouldn’t participate in sports at all.

Figure skating was no exception. Around turn of the 20th century it was, like all sports, the domain of men. That is, until Madge Syers became the first women to compete against men at the 1902 World Figure Skating Championships. At the time there was no women’s competition, but she noticed that the rules for entry into the de facto men’s competition did not actually stipulate the gender of competitors. So she entered, they couldn’t legally kick her out, and she won the silver medal.

But that’s not the end of the story. Apparently, just about every observer thought she performed far better than everyone else and deserved the gold medal. This included the guy who actually did win the gold medal—a Swede by the name of Ulrich Salchow. Legend has it he took the gold medal from around his neck and gave it to the deserving Syers.

How have they not made a movie about this?

6. Seana Hogan (Ultra Cyclist)

Ultra cycling, as you might have guessed, is long-distance endurance cycling. Unlike events in traditional cycling, in which competitors race hundreds or thousands of miles of many days, in ultra cycling events the cyclists just keep on going. For days.

Seana Hogan is a legend in the sport, and not just among the women. Yes, most of her records and wins are in the woman category, but not all of them. In 1995 Hogan was the overall winner at the Furnace Creek 508. Perhaps most impressively, she holds the distinction of setting the overall ultra cycling record time for the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco. In 1996, she rode that in an incredible 19 hours 11 minutes. To this day, no one (man or woman) has ridden that route faster.

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5. Billy Jean King (Tennis)

Tennis legend Billy Jean King wasn’t really looking to compete against men. She just wanted to compete and be respected. But when retired pro Bobby Riggs made a big deal about how women’s tennis was and starting challenging women’s players to prove him wrong, King stepped up to the challenge. She accepted an invitation to play Riggs in a $100,000 winner-take-all match in 1973 dubbed, appropriately, the Battle of the Sexes.

The match was played on September 20, 1973 at the Houston Astrodome. There were 30,000 people in attendance, and another 50 million viewing watching on TV around the world. And of course, what they saw was Billy Jean King defeat the pompous Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

4. Katie Hnida (College Football)

Katie Hnida wasn’t the first woman to compete in NCAA football. She was actually the second. A woman named Ashley Martin beat her to the punch, playing for the Division I-AA Jacksonville State University Gamecocks as a kicker in 2001. However, Hnida is the first woman to score points in college football’s highest division (Division I-A). She accomplished the feat on August 30, 2003, by kicking two extra points for the University of New Mexico Lobos. (And yes, she also played for Colorado before transferring to New Mexico, but she never scored for the Buffalos.)

3. Jackie Tonawanda (Boxing)

As a child growing up in New York, Jackie Tonawanda loved boxing and didn’t understand why women couldn’t do it. So she set out to change that. In 1975, she took the New York State Athletic Commission to court over their refusal to allow women’s bouts. The judge sided with Tonawanda, explaining, “this court will not hold that women should be precluded from a profession exploiting whatever skills they may have in the sport of boxing merely because they are women.”

With women now legally allowed to box, Tonawanda got into the ring. And she didn’t waste any time validating herself. In 1975, at Madison Square Garden, she took on kickboxer Larry Rodania…and KO’d him in the second round.

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2. Babe Zaharias (Golf)

When Annika Sörenstam played in the Bank of America Colonial tournament back in 2003, she became the first woman to compete in a PGA event…since Babe Zaharias did it in 1945. Of course, unlike Annika, Babe actually made the cut in several men’s tournaments

But competing against men in golf is actually the least of Zaharias’ achievements. She played organized baseball and softball, was an All-American basketball player, and she won 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal in track & field at the 1932 Olympics.

Just. Ridiculous.

1. Jackie Mitchell (Baseball)

You might be wondering what the hell a woman would have to do to top Babe Zaharias. And the answer is: strike out the greatest hitter in the history of baseball.

Jackie Mitchell was a pitcher for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts in 1931. From the team’s point of view, she was there mostly as a publicity stunt. But she took her pitching damn seriously. And on April 2, 1931, when her team played an exhibition game against the mighty New York Yankees, the 17-year-old Mitchell proved how serious she was by striking out Babe Ruth AND Lou Gehrig back to back. On 7 pitches. As you can imagine, The Babe was not exactly a good sports about it.

The title of this piece probably sounds harsher than it is. Of course, everyone who appears here is an extraordinary athlete. But being an extraordinary athlete is not necessarily enough to give you a boost to international stardom, which is smack dab where all these ladies reside.

Now that I’m done covering my ass, let’s bring out the hot chicks, shall we?

10. Maria Kirilenko

She’s never placed higher than 18th, and is currently hovering around 26th. That’s pretty good for you and me, but does anyone really know who the 18th (or 26th) best person at anything is? Maybe Tiger Woods on a bad day, but that’s about it. Still she’s only 24, which means she’s heading into the twilight of her career, but she’s still trending upwards. So let’s say she’s got five years of game left. Her looks could be with her a while longer, though.

9. Biba Golic

If you don’t know who Biba Golic is, you might have to bear with me for a second. She’s a “professional” ping-pong player. (I’m not going to call it “table tennis,” and you can’t make me.) She’s been referred to as the “Anna Kournikova of table tennis,” which I’m sure is not meant to praise her abilities. She played at Texas Wesleyan on a table tennis scholarship, which I didn’t even know you could do, and my dad will be mad at me for not having pursued. She’s Croatian, she’s 33, and she’s really hot. Just enjoy the picture.

8. Anna Kournikova

No titles to her name, and her highest ranking was #8, though she did sit at #1 in doubles. Nothing to sneeze at, but surely not commensurate with her international superstardom. If you don’t think that has something to do with her looks, you’re fooling yourself. She has reached a level of international renown for being a hot girl that plays tennis.

Google results for “Anna Kournikova Hot”: 15.4 million

Google results for “Anna Kournikova Tennis”: 4.76 million

People are three times more interested in her hotness than in her tennis skills. And I think that’s pretty damn conservative.

7. Jeanette Lee

The “Black Widow.” Why do I know the nickname of a professional billiards player? It’s not because she’s the best in her class (she was). From 1994 to 2007, she was a best-in-class pool player. So let nothing I say diminish the fact that she is probably the most decorated pool player this green earth has ever seen. However, let nothing I say augment the fact that she is a female pool player that exists almost exclusively on Saturday afternoons on ESPN2. The fact that I know her is a “consequence” of her hotness. I will let you argue with me about her accomplishments and fame. I won’t let you argue with me about her hotness.

6. Ashley Harkleroad

She didn’t get to where she is because she has a sexy name, that’s for damn sure. She also probably didn’t get to where she is as a result of her tennis accomplishments, seeing as how her career-high ranking is #39. You know what gets you notoriety when you peak at #39 in the world of women’s tennis? Posing nude in Playboy.

So guess what Harkleroad did?

Time’s almost up….

Yup. She posed for Playboy, insuring that her name and brand would become infinitely more valuable than her prowess on the court. She’s made over a mil in winnings, but I’m guessing that’s a drop in the bucket considering what she makes in endorsements. We can’t show you the Playboy pics, but go ahead and Google her. Make sure SafeSearch is turned off.

5. Danica Patrick

She’s a great race car driver. But if she wasn’t a hot woman in a man’s game, I’m not entirely sure that she’d be the ubiquitous force that she is, haunting us during every Super Bowl, trying to prove some causal link between seeing a hot naked chick on TV and recognizing the need to reserve a domain name.

She’s been voted the most popular driver in the IndyCar circuit from 2005-2010. You know how many wins she has? 1. That’s only 1 more win than I have on the IndyCar circuit. You know how many times I’ve been voted “Most Popular Driver?”
That wasn’t rhetorical. I really don’t know. I’m assuming it’s 0, but the research guy is on vacation, so I’m at a loss.

4. Anna Rawson

According to Wikipedia (the definitive source for everything, always), this Australian golfer has one top-10 finish and has made roughly the same amount of money playing professional golf as I have over the same period of time writing these funny little lists. Somehow, she caught the attention of lad mags and fashion designers all over the world. But how?

I dunno. Cause she’s insanely hot?

3. Natalie Gulbis

Gulbis has one LPGA win in 2007, and endorsement deals with RSM McGladrey, TaylorMade Golf, Adidas, Canon, Michelob Ultra, SkyCaddie, Payment Data Systems, MasterCard, Winn Golf Grips, Lake Las Vegas Resort and EA Sports. Now, some of these I get. I’m pretty sure I could hang out at my local pitch-and-putt for a week and weasel some kind of endorsement from TaylorMade. But Payment Data Systems? They decided they needed to enlist the help of a golfer that’s only cracked the top 10 in annual earnings once? And MasterCard thought the only cache associated with the winner of the 2007 Evian Masters would be able to bring to the table.

Those last two unanswered questions were rhetorical. And a little mean. Sorry, Nat. Keep on truckin’.

2. Ashley Force

Granted, I’ve got something of a blind spot when it comes to motorsports, but the fact that I’ve heard of Mrs. Ashley Force Hood should be a red flag in and of itself, especially considering she races funny cars. There is no reason that I should know a single funny car driver. I don’t even know what a funny car is. I can only assume it’s more humorous than a regular car. And probably faster than my Prius. Just kidding. I don’t own a Prius. I can’t stress that enough.

ANYWAY, Ashley notched a couple of victories, wound up second in the points standings, then took a hiatus during her pregnancy in 2011, but has appeared on the A&E TV show “Driving Force,” which I have never heard of, but does feature a delightful play on her maiden name. Tip o’ the hat, Ash.

1. Gabrielle Reece

For a stretch, Gabby Reece was the best beach female volleyball player in the world. However, considering I don’t know who the overall best volleyball player int eh world is today, it’s safe to say that when Gabby needed two qualifiers to take that title (“beach” and “female), she might have a had a little help in the looks department. She was anointed by Elle magazine one of the five most beautiful women in the world in 1989. While I think that may have been a little dramatic, she’s insanely hot and became a staple of MTV sports because the WBVL kill leader four years in a row.

With only 53 laps remaining in the race, Patrick made contact with the No. 99 car of Ryan Truex before crashing into the wall and out of the race.  Immediately following the incident, Patrick’s helmet microphone caught her muttering the words, “Yeah, but what the f*&k was that?”

Truex accepted blame for the incident, but his crew chief wasn’t so apologetic as he told his driver, “Don’t worry, she’s never been wrong about anything in her whole life.”

You can check out the crash and ensuing sound bytes below.

Hat Tip – [http://www.totalprosports.com/?p=55399

It’s no surprise that sports and athletics breed hot bodies. What is hot is poring over this list and finding out exactly what sports breed the most hot bodies. There are four golfers on this list! Four! Since when do golfers have better bodies than surfers? There’s no accounting for the madness on this list, but once you read over it, you’ll come to the same conclusion I did. The Mayans were right. The world is going to end. Which is completely fine, because I don’t want to live in a world where golfers are hotter than surfers. It’s just too bizarre.

25. Natalie Gulbis

Doing the impossible: Making golf sexy.

24. Sophie Horn

Two golfers kicking off this list has to be a first. The four horsemen should be cruising by any minute now.

23. Ana Mancino

Revolutionizing the way we think about Italian volleyball players. Not that we thought about them before.

22. Stella Vidal

We will gladly submit to this MMA fighter.

21. Natalie Coughlin

It’s no surprise that she picked a career where she always wears a swimsuit.

When the game is on the line, athletes have to perform with every set of eyeballs in the crowd locked on them. These ladies probably have to deal with every set of eyeballs on them even when the games or matches aren’t even close. Hell, even when they’re at the grocery store or walking their dog, these girls probably command attention, wanted or not. Why? ‘Cause they got back. Sir Mix-a-Lot, if you’re reading, this piece is for you. Here are some of the best backsides in women’s sports. Actually, in the world, not just women’s sports. Enjoy.

19. Kerri Walsh

What has two index fingers and a great backside? THIS GIRL!

18. Francesca Piccinini

You don’t have to have a killer derriere to be a pro volleyball player. But it don’t hurt.

17. Anna Semenovich

I hadn’t heard of her either. Good luck trying to forget her after seeing this pic. In case you meet her and talk about her interests, she’s a figure skater. So read up on figure skating.

16. Anna Kournikova

We’re not going for subtlety here. And apparently, neither is she.

15. Maria Sharapova

This picture doesn’t offer much in the way of context, but when it comes to Sharapova’s body parts, context is wayyyyy overrated.

14. Misty May

The best thing about female volleyball players is that when they have a great ass, it is hidden from no one.

13. Sandra Pires

I think all Brazilian women’s sports should be simulcast stateside. If only for the tiny outfits.

12. Amy Acuff

I’m sure there is a great reason why a high jumper needs a tone and taught butt, but rather than ask why, let’s just be grateful for what we have been given.

11. Anastasia Ashley

She gets 42 extra hot points for being named Anastasia and not being a stripper or wannabe pop singer.

10. Gabrielle Reece

You can’t tell where the bikini stops and the backside starts, which is just fine. Even at 6′ 3″, she’s proportioned well.

Click Here For Best Backsides in Women’s Sports 9-1