Sexiest Sportscasters of 2009 Narrowed to 5, Erin Andrews Still Around

Talk about drama: There are just a few weeks left in the hotly -- pun intended -- contested voting in Playboy's America's Sexiest Sportscaster 2009 poll. Since we last checked in with news on this all-important vote, the field has now been narrowed to five finalists.

To the surprise of no one intelligent, last year's winner, Erin Andrews, is one of the five finalists. The ESPN sideline reporter has been an internet sensation for the past few years. Her following is much to large for her to be defeated in the finals.

Another finalist is Bonnie Bernstein, possibly most famous for not leaving Roy Williams alone after a National Championship loss. Remember? He didn't "give a s**t about North Carolina?" The place where he coaches now? Anyway, Bernstein now works for ESPN.

The other finalists are Charissa Thompson of FOX Sports and the Big Ten Network, Lauren Shehadi of CBSSports.com, and Molly Sullivan of MountainWest Sports Network. For my money, the most qualified of these candidates to take down Andrews is easily Thompson (pictured right).

Still, Andrews has tons and tons of fans no matter where you look. She's become a phenomenon, really. The winner is announced February 12 on playboy.com, and I will be especially shocked if Andrews does not take home a second consecutive crown.

Hat-tip: Game on