Unfortunately, Beauty Is in Eye of the Sponsor

Billie Jean King has no complaints with the interest shown Anna Kournikova, despite the fact that the Russian beauty has not won a tournament. However, she does have a complaint about the disparity between men and women getting endorsements.

“It doesn’t bother me at all if some guys come out to watch women’s tennis because they want to see a beautiful woman,” King said. “Who could hold that against Anna? Still, it is unfortunate when others with a high skill factor don’t win endorsements.

“Sure, the good-looking guys [like good-looking women] get more endorsements, but the difference in men’s sports is that the ugly ones get their share too.”

Editors of the AAU’s Sports Letter ask: “Who could she be thinking of?”

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More disparity: When Kournikova appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated last month, it was only the fourth cover--out of the last 113 issues--to feature a female athlete. The others: Serena Williams, Brandi Chastain and the U.S. Women’s World Cup team.

This, of course, does not count SI swimsuit issues.

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Trivia time: Who is the only golfer to win the Southern California Amateur and the U.S. Open?

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What to do? NBC’s Bob Costas suggests forcing any all-star who sits out and is not on the disabled list to miss a game when the season resumes.

“There’s nothing you can do about legitimate injuries,” Costas told USA Today’s Rudy Martzke. “On the other hand, with the appeal and mystique of the All-Star game already diminished by interleague play and the glut of baseball on television, it’s important for the great players to participate if at all possible.”

Said Costas’ broadcast partner, Joe Morgan: “I’m concerned this is the jewel of games for baseball and all the stars don’t take it as such.”

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High rider: After tackle Ralph Neely of the Dallas Cowboys missed some playoff games years ago because of a motorcycle accident, most NFL teams put in rules against players riding bikes.

Not the Miami Dolphins, however. Coach Dave Wannstedt rides one.

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Bionic golfers: When Webb Heine was 19, a machinery accident sheared off his right arm just below the elbow.

“I gave up golf, baseball and other sports,” Webb, 43, said. “I didn’t even think about it.” Then one day he went to a driving range.

“I guess the bug bit me,” he said. He is now one of the organizers of the Bionic Invitational tournament for golfers who have had a joint replacement or are amputees with prosthetic devices.

“Like the bionic man, most of us are made up of a few mechanical parts as well,” Heine said.

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Happy signature: Some athletes sign autographs freely. Some don’t. Tony Twist, former defenseman for the St. Louis Blues, was only too happy to accommodate jurors after they had awarded him $24.5 million in his lawsuit against a comic-book creator over use of his name.

Twist’s lawsuit was prompted by Todd McFarlane’s creation of a character named “Twist” in the comic book “Spawn” and an animated series on HBO. In Spawn, “Twist,” also known as “Antonio Twistelli,” is a vile, vulgar mobster.

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Trivia answer: Tiger Woods, who won the Amateur at Hacienda Golf Club with a tournament record of 270, including a 62 in the second round.

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And finally: Sylvester Stallone, who made movie history with “Rocky,” is planning a picture about CART racing. Stallone’s character will be an aging driver. Burt Reynolds will play his cantankerous team owner.

During a news conference to introduce the cast, Reynolds was asked why Stallone gave him the role of team owner.

“Burgess Meredith was dead,” he replied.

Meredith played Stallone’s crusty trainer-manager in three “Rocky” films.