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By Michael Lopez

In case you haven't noticed, model Kate Upton got a huge publicity boost this week with her cover shot on the Sports Illustrated "Swimsuit Issue." And, as expected, the press has been zeroing in on her personal life too, particularly the rumors about her dating NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Stories about an Upton/Sanchez romance have been swirling since December, though neither one has confirmed anything. The two have been very careful about not being photographed in public, though Kate was spotted leaving Mark's apartment building on several occasions.

Upton got grilled about the issue by TMZ this week and predictably, gave a very ambiguous response.

"I don't know," she said, when asked if her and Sanchez were a couple. "It's whatever you think!"

We think they make a very cute twosome. And we wouldn't be surprised one bit if Kate starts popping up at more Jets games in the fall.

Do you think the media should respect Kate and Mark's privacy? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrity Couples, Chisme, Football, Kate Upton, Mark Sanchez, New York Jets, NFL, popnews, Sports, Sports Illustrated, Swimsuit Issue

By Michael Lopez

Sure it's freezing in most of the country right now, but in Sports Illustrated land the beach bods are full bloom. The popular jock mag just released its latest "Swimsuit Issue" and it's chock full of bikini-clad Latin beauties.

One particular model who's making a ton of waves is Costa Rica's Jessica Perez. Sporting golden blonde hair and washboard abs, the Latin American beauty has several videos on the SI site. Her shoot in Panama has proven to be quite popular, with imagery of her dancing in a two-piece alongside crashing waves.

Seeing how she's so new to the game, Sports Illustrated has dubbed her one of their "Rookies." But as Jessica told the readers, she doesn't mind the label as long as it gets her in the magazine.

"Even though I'm a rookie, [I think] my pictures came out really great," she explained. "I was so shocked when I found out they were using my shots. I was jumping up and down, I was teary eyed, I called my mom immediately! The feeling was surreal."

But Perez isn't the only Latina throwing on a trademark "Swimsuit." Brazil's Izabel Goulart also made the cut. Known for her runway shows and appearances in the Victoria's Secret catalog, Izabel has gone on to wow Hollywood with her exotic good lucks. In the past few years, she's appeared on Two and a Half Men and Entourage.

"Oh my god, I'm so happy," Goulart told the magazine after her photo shoot. "Last year I was a rookie and when I got the call back it was really exciting. It was such an amazing shoot, it was very special."

And though the other 19 models aren't Latinas, they've got some strong connections to the Hispanic community. Cover girl Kate Upton has been recently spotted with Mexican-American QB Mark Sanchez. She also ranked right behind Sofia Vergara in AskMen’s "Most Desirable Woman" poll.

Russian-born Irina Shayk made the SI cut this year too and trust us, this isn't the first time she's been mentioned in the magazine. Irina has been famously dating fútbol star Cristiano Ronaldo for the past two years.

And though she may not be romantically linked to Spanish tennis pro Rafael Nadal, Bar Rafaeli posed for some very provocative shots with him for her "Swimsuit" session.

You can see all 21 beach babes in the newest Sports Illustrated issue, on stands now.

Are planning on picking up the SI 'Swimsuit Issue?' Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Bar Rafaeli, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Hot Stuff, Irina Shayk, Izabel Goulart, Jessica Perez, Kate Upton, Magazines, Photos, SI, Sports, Sports Illustrated, Style, Swimsuit Issue

By Michael Lopez

Ever seen the 1989 movie Major League? If so, you'll remember that star Charlie Sheen seemed pretty ripped underneath that Indians baseball jersey. And now he's coming clean about why that was. In another famous Charlie rant, the actor told Sports Illustrated that he used steroids while playing that role.

"Let's just say that I was enhancing my performance a little bit," Sheen confessed. "It was the only time I ever did steroids. I did them for like six or eight weeks."

Charlie went on to reveal how his passion for MLB went way beyond the silver screen. During the interview, he claimed that he was a star pitcher for his Santa Monica High School team and nearly got a scholarship to play for the University of Kansas.

But it's clear, his biggest baseball passion is Major League. Sheen admitted that he's pushing hard for a fourth sequel to the franchise and would love to bring his famous "Wild Thing" character back to movie audiences.

Would he "juice up" again for the part? Let’s hope not. As his recent antics have shown, Charlie's already got more than his share of testosterone. Although he didn't seem too regretful about testing out steroids back in the day.

"You can print this, I don't give a f—k," Sheen said unapologetically. "My fastball went from 79 to like 85!"

Do you know anyone who's tried steroids? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Baseball, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Charlie Sheen, Chisme, Major League, MLB, Sports, Sports Illustrated, Steroids

By Sharmaine Jones

Ronaldo Nazario de Lima has scored his last goal. The Brazilian legend held a press conference Wednesday announcing his retirement from the game he loves.

"As you can imagine and you heard during the whole weekend, I'm here today to [confirm that] I'm closing my career as a professional player,'' Ronaldo said, with sons Alex and Ronald by his side.

The 34-year old striker's impressive 18-year career included three FIFA Player of the Year awards and two World Cup victories. He also holds the World Cup scoring record. Ronaldo said he decided to hang up his cleats because of an aging body and hypothyroidism, a condition that causes fatigue and muscle pain, thus preventing him from performing at his best.

"It's very hard to leave something that made me so happy," Ronaldo told ABC News. "Mentally, I wanted to continue, but I have to acknowledge that I lost [the fight] to my body.”

Ronaldo captivated fans when playing for FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan, scoring 326 goals in 466 games. And how could we forget the two goals he scored in Brazil's 2-0 victory over Germany in the 2002 World Cup final. Yes, soccer fans will mourn Ronaldo's departure from the game, but we may never fully understand the difficulty of his decision.

“With this announcement,” he said, “it feels like it's my first death.”

The decision to retire comes on the heels of the Corinthians' 2-0 loss to Deportes Tolima earlier this month. Fans blamed Ronaldo for the loss, which eliminated the Brazilian team from the preliminary round of Copa Libertadores.

“I want to publicly apologize for failing in the Libertadores project,” he said, according to USA Today. “My career was beautiful, was wonderful, I've had many defeats but infinite victories.”

Indeed.

How do you feel about Ronaldo's retirement? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags futbol, retire, Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazario de Lima, Soccer, Sports Illustrated, World Cup

By Sharmaine Jones

Argentinian heartthrob Lionel Messi won FIFA's 2010 World Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

We all knew the forward/winger would win the Ballon d'Or last Monday, Jan. 10, but Messi seemed more impressed by his Barcelona teammates' performances than his own. Messi used his Twitter page to share his opinion about those he felt were deserving of the award.

“This year I think one of my teammates at Barcelona, Xavi or (Andres) Iniesta, will win the Ballon d'Or,” he tweeted before the announcement.

To win, a player must receive the largest percent of votes cast by selected reporters and national team coaches and captains. According to Sportsillustrated.com, Messi received 22.65 percent of votes, Andres Iniesta came in second with 17.36 percent, and Xavi received 16.48 percent to finish third for the second straight year.

Messi scored an impressive 58 goals in 54 games for FCB (Futbol Club Barcelona) and 2 goals in 10 matches for Argentina during the 2010 World Games, making him the first player to win the award back-to-back since Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (Ronaldhino) did so in 2004 and 2005. Despite his mesmerizing play, the 23-year-old forward was surprised he won the Golden Ball Award.

“I didn't expect to win it today,” Messi tweeted after receiving the award. “Already it's a source of happiness to be here with my friends and even more to win it.”

He was probably just as elated after he and five of his Barcelona teammates were named to FIFA's All-Star team.

Marta Vieira da Silva, of Brazil, won the women's 2010 FIFA World Player of the Year.

Do you think Messi deserved the 2010 FIFA Player of the Year Award? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Barcelona, FIFA, futbol, Golden Ball Award, Lionel Messi, Ronaldhino, Soccer, Sports Illustrated, World Player of the Year

By Michael Lopez

If you're a fan of Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue, you may want to consider investing in a 3D TV.

In a partnership with Sony Network Entertainment, Sports Illustrated will distribute a 3D swimsuit video for Playstation 3 and other Sony formats when its annual swimsuit issue hits newsstands Feb. 15. The 30-minute video will be available for rent or purchase through PS3, Video on Demand via Qriocity and Blu-ray. It will also be available in 2D and as an iPad application, so you can digitally flip through every sexy shot.

The swimsuit issue has been around for more than 45 years, featuring such legendary models such as Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks and Mexico’s Elsa Benitez on its cover.

"Just when you think the bar couldn't get any higher for the Swimsuit franchise, we've raised it once again with our partners at Sony," Mark Ford, president of the Sports Illustrated group, said in a statement. "Swimsuit in 3D has extraordinary potential and we're thrilled to deliver its millions of fans a new perspective through the exciting world of 3D video."

SI clearly knows how to stay on top of their game. Last year, the swimsuit edition sold 1.1 million print copies, drove 11 million unique users, 100 million video views and led to 1 million iPhone app downloads, according to Mashable. Let's see if another dimension does anything for circulation.

Do you plan to buy Sports Illustrated's 3D swimsuit video? Comment below or @MTV3.

Tags 3D, Magazines, Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Supermodels, Technology