KU, TWC Ink Deal For Tier-3 Rights Atlanta Radio Hosts Fired Over Morning Bit Mets, SNY Look For Audience Boost Media Notes NBA Finals Game 5 Overnight Down 9.5% U.S. Open Finale Gets 6.1 Overnight Scott Pioli Signs On As NBC Analyst NBC Affil Hears About Move To Pre-empt NHL ABC Earns 12.0 Overnight For Game 4 Dodgers Would Retain $6B Under Tentative TV Deal
Upcoming Conferences and Events
SBD/Issue 174/Sports Media
Blog Hound: Ashley Harkleroad To Pose In Playboy
Published May 30, 2008
Bloggers discuss WTA player Ashley Harkleroad’s decision to pose nude for Playboy.
| The Hollywood Gossip Posted by: mischalova |
| "Move over, Anna Kournikova! You had your (hot) time in the spotlight as the best looking player ever on the professional women’s tennis tour. Ashley Harkleroad is now looking to take that title from you." |
| In Entertainment Posted by: Daniel |
| "She must worry if it will cause a backlash from other players in the sport. However … Serena Williams did offer her support. " |
| Larry Brown Sports Posted by: Larry Brown |
| "I’m kinda scratching my head on this one. And not to mention, think about all the different places Playboy’s efforts could be better focused." |
| Red Hot News Posted by: mles |
| "Most of us who don't follow women's tennis on a regular basis had probably not heard of Ashley Harkleroad up until last weekend." |
| Fresh Loaf Posted by: Scott Freeman |
| "It seems unbecoming and desperate for a professional tennis player to make her statement by posing for Playboy." |
BUILDING THE BUZZ: Sports Media Challenge's Buzz Manager analyzed the online conversation about Harkleroad posing for Playboy. Bloggers who approve of the photo shoot were tallied positive, while those who disapprove were counted negative. See www.SportsBusinessDaily.com for more info. See more info on this topic.
-
The topic ranked 8 out of 10 on The Buzz, indicating a high level of interest among sports and entertainment bloggers.
-
Entertainment bloggers discussed Harkleroad’s pictorial in reference to how it will affect her marketability, while sports bloggers discussed the topic with respect to whether they would enjoy the images as well as how she will compare to other female athletes who have appeared in past editions.
-
The majority of bloggers believe this is a good business move for Harkleroad. They admit that until the announcement was made, they had never heard of her.
-
Some bloggers believe Harkleroad is destined to become the next Anna Kournikova, an attractive tennis player that dominates headlines because of her appearance and not her play.
 |
