I watched on live television yesterday as the hottest draw in tennis won a first round match at Wimbledon. The crowd cheered wildly during the first-round match, and several people gathered around the television in the office to watch the event. And the player who created this fuss is ranked just 14th in the world. In fact, that player has never won a professional tournament. Of course, that player is Anna Kournikova, who has generated more media and fan attention with fewer results than perhaps anyone, ever. You can bet that the folks at NBC breathed a huge sigh of relief yesterday when our favorite Russian lass held on to win. NBC has trumpeted its Wimbledon coverage with promo after promo featuring Kournikova. And this girl has almost no chance of winning! So, is Kournikova really a worthwhile story? Does she deserve media attention despite the fact that she’s never won a thing? I know this: when she was on the screen yesterday, people in my office stopped what they were doing and watched. Whatever their reasons, people want to see her, and like it or not, that makes her a story worth covering, even if her tennis isn’t.
