Lindsey Vonn: Why She Can't Win with American Sports Fans

Lindsey Vonn captured American fans for one brief, shining moment with that gold medal in the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

She was supposed to be our Golden Girl many times over, but there was just that single gold medal. She was supposed to win five, but a shin injury took care of that.

These days Vonn still competes on the world scene, but at home she's more famous for her cover shot on ESPN The Magazine, posed as Sharon Stone in the hit movie Basic Instinct.

With her Olympic success and good looks, Vonn is still a relative unknown compared to other American athletes. The last time we saw her in the United States was in a Law and Order episode.

Vonn has expressed frustration over her sport's lack of visibility in America, even North America. In non-Olympic years, skiing is invisible—and with invisibility comes less recognition. Vonn won another Super G race this month in Canada, but who knew?

Put her on the cover of ESPN The Magazine, and without reading the print, you'd wonder: Geez, who is THAT?

Vonn still makes about $6 million a year in endorsements. She has 34 World Cup victories but still makes small dollars compared to her tennis counterparts.

It's all about the snow.

After looking around the country so far this winter, it's becoming more and more apparent that Americans hate snow. The NFL hates snow, Philadelphia hates snow and New York certainly has an aversion to the white stuff.

For Vonn, snow has been her way of life, but it hardly makes her one of her country's recognizable athletes, and her sport does not go overboard to market its stars.

Vonn is a downhill star, but her battle for recognition is nothing but an uphill climb.

And that's a shame.