the buzz log

More than 250 million people are expected to view the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue online—and it feels like most of them hit the Web this week.

The annual spectacle of string bikinis launched on Tuesday. In the 24 hours that followed, searches for "2008 s.i. swimsuit issue" surged more than 6,000%. Demand for "s.i. swimsuit issue" moved the query into Thursday's top movers. Searches soared for everything from "sports illustrated swimsuit" to "si swimsuit 2008."

As always, the models proved their buzz-inducing power. Race car driver Danica Patrick and cover girl Marisa Miller incited a crush of lookups. Among the other lovelies posing for the camera—and contributing to the search craze—were 4 athletes' wives, 12 NFL cheerleaders, Leonardo di Caprio's girl friend, Heidi Klum, and, uh, Will Ferrell.

Usually, the story ends there. The issue spikes in Search, the girls reap the buzz, thank you, and good night. But not this year. Due to an extraordinary convergence of Congressional questioning and beachwear beholding, an older edition of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue is giving the current copy a run for its buzz.

Five years ago, Debbie Clemens posed on the cover of the magazine's anthology of thongs with her husband, Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens. Wednesday, the New York player was up on Capitol Hill dodging inquiries about steroids. Among the topics discussed: Did Clemens' wife take human growth hormone before the S.I. shoot? Answer: Yes.

The resulting brouhaha has provoked an astonishing amount of interest in "2003 sports illustrated swimsuit issue." The '03 copy is currently neck and neck in Search with the '08, and the models are spiking, too. Ranking right behind Danica Patrick in Sports Illustrated buzz is "debbie clemens sports illustrated" and "roger clemens sports illustrated." This could be the start of a beautiful new career for the Rocket.

Filed under: Models

When you're attempting to build Buzz, a great stage name never hurts. Anna Nicole Smith sounded more regal than Vickie Hogan. Ditching Tara Patrick for Carmen Electra helped to jumpstart a career. And if Joanna Levesque seems blah, how about the more perky JoJo? Following in these proud footsteps is aspiring starlet Tila Nguyen. If you've never heard of Ms. Nguyen, perhaps you'd recognize her as...

Tila Tequila. The intoxicating web celeb has built a small empire of Buzz through her online efforts. Searches on the petite beauty are up 68% over the last month and she's poised to break into our top 2,000 searches. Not bad for a girl whose popularity is almost strictly limited to the under-24 crowd. About three-quarters of her searches come from that influential demographic slice.

Looking to expand her influence beyond the standard bikini and lingerie shoots she's known for, the very smooth Tequila has moved into the realms of recording and reality TV. She charted with a tune titled "I Love U" and her full-length album is set to drop in August. Her official site has word that she's working on a pilot for celeb-addled VH1. With so many shots lined up, it's no wonder curious folks are guzzling down searches on "tila tequila pics," "tila tequila maxim," and "tila tequila lyrics."

Before we jump off the wagon, we must mention the sheer amount of naughty lookups tiny Tila engenders. Searches for pictures of her in Playboy, in the buff, and in sexy videos demonstrate the glass is never half empty when it comes to searches on hot chicks. Viva Tequila!

Filed under: Celebrities, Models

We don't know who the benevolent genius is that decided to publish the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in February, but we here at the Buzz (well, some of us, anyway) would like to send that person a box of chocolates. It's smack dab between St. Valentine's Day and President's Day and the country is weathering some record-breaking snowstorms. What better way to celebrate love and leadership and get all warmed up than by admiring the glossy pages bursting with bikinis?

We're not the only ones who feel this way -- "sports illustrated" rose 33% to place in our top 200 searches this week. Other hot searches surfacing included "sports illustrated swimsuit edition" (+58%) and "sports illustrated swimsuit models" (+25%).

We wanted to take a good long look at the 2006 edition of SI's most anticipated issue, purely for research of course. Sadly, SI's cover price just didn't fit into our budget, so we had to settle for a visit to the accompanying web site. Once there, we came face-to-face with some 26 swimsuit models who were baring their souls on exotic beaches and luxurious locales. This year's swimsuit adventures have a few added bonuses, including shots of tennis superstar Maria Sharapova, body painting with Heidi Klum, and a reunion of supermodels from editions past, featuring Elle Macpherson, Rachel Hunter, and Rebecca Romijn.

Now let's get back to work and take a look at the fabulous featured models listed in order of Buzz, from biggest to smallest. And, remember, we get paid to do this...

Filed under: Sports, Models