Now, what many people probably don’t realize is that Santa Claus is actually a pretty big sports nut. So he keeps especially close tabs on famous athletes and other sports figures throughout the year—sometimes even scouting them in person, at the games—to make sure he gets it right come Christmas Eve.

Today, therefore, we bring you a sampling of the most notable athletes on Santa’s 2011 Naughty List. Unless these people can figure out a way to atone for their bad behavior in the next few days, they’re going to find giant lumps of coal in their stockings come December 25th.

(And no, you won’t find Jerry Sandusky or Bernie Fine here. They’re on Santa’s Evil Scumbag List, not his Naughty List.)

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.

We wanted to express our most heartfelt gratitude to the gene pool for producing these lovely ladies. While you’re watching burly men today, remember that female athletes just get hotter and hotter every year. These are 12 female athletes we’re definitely thankful for today.

Serena Williams

We need more chicks this hot in the Grand Slams. And we need them winning like Serena Williams. Her past accomplishments in tennis is so impressive that we can’t even begin with where to list them.

Rachel Unitt

Rachel Unitt has us reconsidering our position on whether or not soccer is a real sport (it’s not). She started her career at the young age of 14 playing for the Wolves Women. She’s now a part of the English women’s national team.

Arantxa Rus

Ah, Holland. Producing hot chicks since nearly the beginning of time. One of their latest exports is Arantxa Rus. We’re wishing her a long career of Grand Slam entries so we can see that skirt keep flying up.

Carling Coffing

Remember when women’s golf was all kinds of beastly looking women? What happened? Now we have hot chicks like Carling Coffing parading around the links in little skirts. This is Total Pro Sports approved.

Sara Galimberti

When you’re a track star and a beauty queen, it’s kind of cheating. Whatever. All we can say is thank you to Italy for exporting this beauty to the rest of the world. We would have kept her for ourselves.

Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix makes us patriotic. Because not only is she a top-quality track and field runner, she’s also a stone cold fox. And, y’know, that’s what we want America to be known for.

Anouk Hoogendijk

Anouk Hoogendijk is yet another reason to watch soccer. She plays for Bristol Academy Women out of England. This might be reason enough to brave the rain and bad food. Or you can just watch them on TV. Whatever.

Michelle Waterson

Kind of hard to believe, but they now let chicks vote, wear pants and compete in MMA. It’s kind of hot and Michelle Waterson is one reason why. Please don’t call her “The Karate Hottie,” though. She seriously needs a better nickname.

Candace Parker

If you’ve never watched the WNBA, Candace Parker might be the reason to start. The yellow-and-blue jerseys synonymous with Los Angeles have never looked quite so good.

Michelle Wie

Michelle Wie was the youngest person to ever qualify for an amateur USGA tournament when she was only ten years old. Now at the age of 22 she’s tearing up the LPGA. Keep getting hot chicks, LPGA and we’ll keep watching.

Alicia Sacramone

Alicia Sacramone is 5’1”, which makes her a giantess by gymnastics standards. Whatever. We’re loving it. Anything that can break up the boring parts of the Olympics with some certified hotness is all right by us.

Lindsey Vonn

Lindsey Vonn is in the elite of female skiers. She’s won world cups in all the major events of downhill skiing. Not bad for a chick who hasn’t even hit 30 years old yet.

Don’t hate them cause they’re beautiful. Hate them because they are beautiful and more successful than you are. And most of them could probably kick your butt on and off the court.

Hate them for that.

Though these ladies have looks, don’t write them off as eye candy, as they are among the most decorated and talented athletes in the world. In case you’re not willing to take my word for it, see below for the proof.

9. Maria Sharapova

At 17, she took down Serena Williams at Wimbledon. Though she’s no longer number one, she’s still killing it, with a resume that includes over 20 titles, including victories in the Australian Open, the US Open, and Wimbledon. She’s currently holding strong at number six in the world, with a serve that could bring her back to the top at any moment. Look out, numbers 1-5.

8. Jennie Finch

Sure, she’s got great looks in a sport that gets little media attention, so it’s easy to write her off as something of a novelty. She is currently retired, but led the US National softball team to a gold medal in 2004 and a silver in 2008. In 2002, she won her NCAA-record 51st consecutive game. Since softball has been pulled from the Olympics beginning in 2012, Finch has crusaded to see its return in 2016 in her retirement.

On the flip side, she has many times over been voted the nation’s most attractive athlete and, in 2004, was named one of People’s 50 Most Beautiful People.

7. Misty May-Treanor

Treanor has won more tournaments than any other beach volleyball player in history. That should be enough right there, but in case it’s not, I’ll keep going. She won gold with her partner Kerri Walsh at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. As early as 1994 in high school, Misty was voted as the best female volleyball player in the nation by USA today.

Sure she’s a little tall for the some, but she’s a pro athlete. It comes with the territory. Maybe you’re just too short.

6. Serena Williams

While her body type might not be for everyone, she’s got an inordinate number of admirers, including famed producer/director Brett Ratner, who dated Williams for some time. Some guys just like a girl that can kick their ass.

Williams has notched an astonishing 27 Grand Slam titles in her career, putting her among the most successful female tennis players of all time. She has a $40 million contract with Nike to show off their wares and has a fashion line of her own. Oh yeah, and once she threatened to “kill” a ref that called her for a foot-fault. Pretty awesome.

5. Paula Creamer

At 24, she’s the defending US Open champion, with 9 LPGA Tour victories. 2010 was her only year to earn less than $1 million on the tour, but don’t expect that trend to stick. She’s demonstrated that she is still on the rise, so don’t let the looks fool you. Further, her last name is “Creamer,” which makes me happier than any other name on this list does. Yup, even happier than “Wozniacki” makes me.

4. Caroline Wozniacki

This Danish tennis player is ranked number one on the WTA Tour and has kept that ranking for 36 weeks. At 20 years old, she has earned almost $10 million in winnings. She also is a backer of Liverpool in the Premiere League, so don’t go running your mouth about Arsenal or Man U if you are lucky enough to speak to her. Also, don’t bring up doubles tennis around her – she’s not that great at it, having established a losing record of 36-53 in her career.

3. Lindsey Vonn

This 26 year-old downhill skier has notched three consecutive World Cup downhill championships in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Overall, she has 41 victories in events such as the downhill, Super G, slalom, and super combined. She is regarded as the most successful racer in US skiing history, a stat that is backed up by a gold and bronze medal for her Olympic performances.

Also, she’s a hot girl that skis. What’s not to like?

2.Stephanie Rice

Rice might not be as well-known a name as some of these other athletes, but rest assured, she’s got both looks and success in spades. The Australian holds the record in the 400 M individual medley and has three gold medals. She might be the most important swimmer not named “Phelps.”

However, she’s got a bit of a mean streak as she tweeted after an Australian team beat a South African team in rugby, “Suck on that, f*gg*ts.” Yikes. That cost her more than a little goodwill and a few of her sponsors.

1. Gina Carano

Though she only competed in a handful of matches, she had established herself as one of the premiere fighters in the world of MMA. However, after some time away from the sport, her return was waylaid in April of this year after failing to receive medical clearance to fight. Both the medical issue and her return date are unknown, but Carano is keeping busy as a star of what is expected to be director Steven Soderbergh’s last film, an action movie of all things.

Above is the incredibly hot image that Serena Williams posted as her Twitter avatar yesterday.  Unfortunately for every man who can appreciate a body with so many lovely curves in so many lovely places, that avatar is now gone.

Thankfully, we have it here, so you can still enjoy it anytime you wish.

Serena took the image down after many questioned whether she had “crossed the line” with the image, and whether it was a smart thing to do one week after a man was arrested for stalking her outside her Palm Beach home.  In my opinion, she should put it back up!  Just because someone stalked her, does it mean she can’t express herself for the rest of her life?  Does it mean that she must now hide her body, or take the blame for not doing so should any other males decide to stalk or even rape her?  Have we not learned anything from Slut Walk?

Your body looks outstanding in that sexy lingerie and those scorching hot heals Serena.  If you want to show it off, go for it!  It is your body.  You own it, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Hat Tip – [Greg Couch On Tennis]

This list could be a thousand entries long. Of course, everyone has their own athletes they want to punch. I’m sure someone out there hates Dirk Nowitzki with a passion and wants nothing more to see him hurt, but that’s not what this list is about. Some athletes, seemingly universally, just rub everyone the wrong way. Sometimes it’s cause they’re total jerks, and sometimes it’s just cause they’re too smug and perfect. Regardless, many would agree they’re due for a good slug in the kisser. So here are 11 athletes we wanna punch.

11. A-Rod
This should surprise precisely no one. From his outlandish contracts to his purple lips to his hot girlfriends to his girly glove slaps, there’s not a whole lot to like about this guy. He didn’t come out smelling like a rose from steroid allegations, but that’s really neither here nor there. He’s just a douchey, unlikeable guy he must be punched. And not in the face, either.
 
 
 
10. Phil Mickelson
I’m not sure how Phil got so much hate thrown his way, but here we are. It probably has to do with his smoking hot wife, the fact that he looks like a sunburned Skeletor with man-breasts, or the fact that he has spent his whole life in San Diego playing golf. OK, I do know he got all this hate. We are insanely jealous of this guy.
 
 
 
9. Ben Roethlisberger
I feel like I’m wasting my (metaphorical) breath explaining this one, but here we go: He is at worst a sexual predator and at best a sleazebag that makes it harder for the rest of us to pick up random girls at bars. He has a goatee. He is an NFL quarterback AND he rides a motorcycle. Ok, dude. We get it. You’re badass.
 
 
 
8. Tim Tebow
9 times out of 10, the “aw shucks” white boy is a media and fan darling. Well, Tebow may have been exactly that at one point, but behold the power of the backlash. God-boy had everything going for him: championship hopes, the moral high road, and a hot girlfriend (that he probably wasn’t even banging). I don’t approve of wanting to hurt someone just because they’re too perfect. Unless they’re Tim Tebow.
 
 
7. Chris “Birdman” Andersen
I believe cultural anthropologists call this “peacocking.” Throwing up as many garish tattoos and stupid faux-hawks as possible to garner as much attention as one possibly can. I really can’t say the fact that he struggled with substance abuse factors into it one iota. If anything, it makes him more sympathetic. The fact that he looks like a giant, skinny Biff Tannen does not.
 
 
 
6. Plaxico Burress
This guy may not be the worst dude in the world, but he’s dumb enough that you feel compelled to punch him then scream, “What the hell were you thinking?” Three stupid things in one unlucky night for Mr. Burress. First, he brought a loaded gun into a club. Second, he wore sweatpants into a club. That’s just tacky. Thirdly, he tucked his gun into his sweatpants. SWEATPANTS! Of course something bad is going to happen if you tuck your gun into your sweatpants!
 
 
5. Philip Rivers
Rivers talks smack to his own fans, other teams’ fans, his own players, other teams’ players, and just about anyone who will listen. However, it seems that people have stopped listening after he has time and time again failed to meet expectations with so many weapons in his arsenal. He’s not Peyton Manning. He’s not even Eli Manning, yet he continues to strut around like owns the place, despite an obvious lack of success.
 
 
4. Serena Williams
Honestly, I just am curious to see how she could take the punch.
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Wayne Rooney
Rooney is clearly among the elite in international soccer, but that just means he’s more visible and we want to slap him around a little more than a normal player. As one of my friends put it “he has a head like a potato,” which may not be grounds for punching him, but it doesn’t help matters. He’s got a pretty trashy outspoken wife, which we wouldn’t have to deal with if he didn’t marry her. And the constant threats about leaving Manchester United are getting a little old. According to him, they’re not “matching his ambitions.” Further, he may have been cheating on his childhood sweetheart (who was four months preggers with his child) with a prostitute. If one of the world’s most famous athletes, and you need a hooker to get laid, you’re a huge douche.
 
2. Roger Clemens
I wanted to keep this list limited to the field of current players, but the idea of adding Clemens was just too tempting. He bailed on the Red Sox, only to have a career renaissance probably due to our good friend steroids. Then he gets in front of panels, commissions, and congress, only to lie about it. Roger – if you’re going to lie to the American people, make sure you’ve got your trainer/juicing partner all muzzled up. Also, make sure that you’re at least smart enough to tie your shoes before trying to orchestrate a cover-up.
 
1. Tim Duncan
Duncan sorta seems like a decent guy. I mean, he’s probably the one guy on the Spurs that I could call up to ask him to help me move and he would. However, he’s pretty insufferable as a player. He has never (NOT ONCE) been called for a foul without getting that silly incredulous look on his face. Yeah, Timmy, you got called for a foul. Deal with it. He also might be the most boring superstar in sports. Asked if he has any vices, Duncan responded with, “Actually, yeah. I play too many video games.” Ugh. Go hang out with Stephen Jackson and Marbury for a weekend and get back to me. Further, Mr. MVP has never even made an exciting play as best I can remember. Baby hook put-back? Snoooooze.

If Serena Williams was going for the “giant bottle of Pepto-Bismol” look, I’d say she nailed it with this incredibly bright pink spandex suit.  Talk about a fashion statement!  This flashy outfit makes its statement loud and clear – hot pink is never a good idea.

We spend a lot of time at TPS talking about the hottest women in sports, but of course there is a totally different facet to female athletes that merits discussion – many of them could beat the crap out of you. Granted men have a genetic advantage when it comes to strength, but that advantage will only take us so far when we are up against the likes of these women. So say what you will to them, but I recommend you be respectful an courteous, otherwise you could end up as a stain on the floor.

15.Chyna

Just because she engaged in fake wrestling doesn’t mean she’s not a real bad-ass. I mean, just look at her. She’s huge. Is there anything else you need to know? Her arms are roughly the size of my thighs, and, in her heyday, she regularly lifted people up and threw them to the ground. Doesn’t sound like my idea of a good time, but if it does for you, I’ve got her number.

14 Gina Carano.

She’s the best-known female fighter for a reason. She made her debut to mainstream culture during the nationally televised CBS MMA exhibition and has shown herself to be a force ever since then. She may only be #3 in the world, but she’s #1 in our nightmares.

13. Aneta Florczyk

12. Alison Stokke

She’s actually kind of small, but don’t let the tight, small frame fool you. This woman earns her living throwing her body over a bar using a pole. Which means she could just as easily hand plant on your coffee table and kick you in the head. I’m not saying she would – she seems like a sweet girl – but she could.

11. Kira Gracie

Any female that’s got the Gracie DNA is going to be on this list with very few questions asked. Kira hasn’t gotten into MMA, but in the realms of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and grapping, she’s a world champion. So yeah I think she could take you in a fight. Hard. She’s also only 25 years old, which means she’s gonna get tougher, while you just get fatter.

10. Julie Kedzie

5’6”, 123 lbs doesn’t sound THAT intimidating. Until you realizes that Julie uses every inch and pound to beat her opponents to a bloody pulp in MMA fights. She’s currently only ranked tenth in the circuit, but if you get a sense of confidence from that, you’re probably digging your own grave.

9. Carissa Gump

An American weightlifter, despite being only 5’1” and 130 lbs, happens to own most of the collegiate powerlifting records in our fair land. Her husband Jason is a weightlifter as well. I’d love to watch a domestic dispute at their place.

8. Olha Korobka

A 25 year-old Ukranian woman that can clean and jerk over 325 lbs is pretty intimidating. And in case you’re confused as to whether or not that’s all lean muscle…it’s not. She’s 5’11” and 368 lbs. She might be the only one on this list literally capable of snapping you like a twig.

7. Toccara Montgomery

This female wrestler (not WWE, the real kind) isn’t one to be trifled with. She’s 160 lbs, she competed in the Olympics in 2004 and her dad is in jail for 30 years for two counts of murder. So, uh, step right up.

6. Brandi Chastain

Sure, it’s been a while since that moment when the US Women’s soccer team won the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and Brandi threw modesty to the wind and took her shirt off, it was pretty clear that she looked like she was carved from stone. You could grate parmesan on those abs. She may only be 5’7”, but she’s still playing pro soccer at age 42, and she’s still tougher than you are.

5. Laila Ali

This one gets in on genetics alone. Even if her last name wasn’t Ali, she’s 5’10”, 160 lbs, and has scores of boxing titles to her name. 24-0 as a pro boxer. I’m not going to oversell her. She was the best female boxer in the world, and she could still kick your ass.

4. Holly Holm

She’s 26-1 as a professional boxer. What’s your record? Yeah, that’s what I thought. After sufficiently owning that league, she branched out into MMA. So go ahead and get a little rough with her. See what happens. I’ll even give you a tip. She’s a southpaw, so keep that right guard up.

3. Hayley Wickenheiser

Even Sports Illustrated has bequeathed her one of the 20 toughest athletes, regardless of gender. Since 1995, Hayley has been regarded as the best and toughest female hockey player in the game, having turned down many offers to play in men’s leagues throughout the world. Her reluctance to join wasn’t out of fear. Rather, she decided, at the age of 31 to go back to college and get her degree.

2. Venus Williams

The lesser of the two Williams sisters is still not all that “less.” If there were any fights between these two as kids, I’m guessing that they involved broken bones and shattered furniture, not just pulled hair and scratches.

1. Serena Williams

No surprise here. This half of the Williams sisters is clearly the larger, more dominant sister. There may be other women on this list that are stronger than her, but none of them would have as much fun lifting you above her head and twirling you around her head. Trust me, I’ve dealt with her before. Granted it was in a valet line, and she was very polite and nice, but still….I could tell she had a thirst for blood.

12. Anna Kournikova

You know how we roll at TPS. Let’s bookend this list with the Russian tennis players. Anyone who has a problem with that better make a VERY compelling argument in the comments. IF we really need a reason besides “she’s really really hot,” let’s just say that her grunting isn’t a huge turnoff and leave it at that.

11. Michelle Kwan

I’m going to go out on a limb and posit that the blur spin has practical applications beyond those on the ice. She’s used to being carried and tossed. Check and check.

10. Ashley Harlkeroad

She looks good in little-to-no clothing, she isn’t afraid to get naked, and her last name practically begs “porn pseudonym.” She makes the cut. Congratulations, Ashley! Welcome to the world of porn!

9. Misty May Treanor

We’re going to completely ignore the fact that some of these women are married, because that just sucks all the fun out of this exercise. Misty’s got the body, the tan, and though she’s a volleyball player, she’s only clocking in at 5’9″, so you don’t have to worry about her movies going straight to the “Amazon Woman” section of your adult bookstore.

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