Molly Sullivan has become a fixture on Mountain West sports telecasts.

Now, I’ve always been a fan of the underdog; so after looking at the five that made the cut, I have to eliminate Erin Andrews, Bonnie Bernstein and Charissa Thompson from contention.

Andrews is probably up there with Paris Hilton in terms of Internet image searches at this point and voting for her to repeat as champion would be like hoping the Yankees sign another big-name free agent. She’s doing just fine without another award from Hef.

Bernstein seems like a surprise choice at this point in her career. It’s sort of like seeing Roy Williams (not the one she agitated in 2003) at the Pro Bowl last year on name value alone. Besides, Bernstein is a recognizable figure in the industry -- having been at CBS and ESPN for the past 14 years -- so I doubt this would be a highlight in her career.

Thompson has become a household name, certainly in the blogosphere, within the past year with her work on the Best Damn Sports Show Period and as a sideline reporter for the Big Ten Network and Fox. She seems like she’s headed for big things in 2009 and probably doesn’t need this “honor.”

So, it comes down to Lauren Shehadi of CBSSports.com and Molly Sullivan of the Mountain West Sports Network. Now, I’ve never heard of either Shehadi or Sullivan. Then again, I don’t really watch much programming on the former Sportsline or The Mtn. I’m sure both of them would like to change that by moving on to a television network people actually watch, and this competition may be their chance. Consider it a female sportscaster’s version of American Idol -- but slightly more shallow and superficial.

Now, I think both ladies will be big names for major networks fairly soon. Not only are they easy on the eyes but, more importantly, on the ears. In fact, I might put them near the top of this list if we were to remove the sexy aspect. But alas, this is a competition for Playboy’s Sexiest Sportscaster and my vote has to go to Molly Sullivan.

The best part about Sullivan is she is probably the only finalist that would actually embrace the award and not laugh it off, saying she’s “just one of the guys” or that the players and coaches she covers see her as “a sister or daughter” or some other nonsense. Judging from her snazzy MySpace page and past experiences in a bikini on E!’s Paradise City, I could totally see her accepting the award in the Playboy Mansion’s Grotto, wearing a two-piece amongst frolicking Playmates or at an after-party at the Playboy Club in her hometown of Las Vegas. I don’t think either experience would be a first for her.

So who gets your vote for America’s Sexiest Sportscaster?