COMMENTARY : GRAF TRIES LEGS ON A DIFFERENT TYPE OF RACKET.

Byline: Gwen Knapp San Francisco Examiner 

Steffi Graf's magnificent legs carried her to a different realm this week. Before, they had taken her along the route traveled by Navratilova, Evert, King and Gibson - women whose bodies gained renown for what they did.

Now, those legs are stretched over pages traditionally occupied by Brinkley, Tiegs and a bunch of first-name-basis types like Vendela and Paulina - women whose bodies became famous just for being there.

The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue corralled Graf, whose form follows function as gracefully as Michael Jordan's. Jordan, of course, won't be asked to don a bikini for a national publication any time soon. The Bulls are in midseason when the swimsuit issue is assembled, and, well, you know how athletes hate distractions.

Amy Tucker saw the Graf pictures and loved them. She is the top assistant basketball coach at Stanford, and she is not a fan of the swimsuit issue. But the Graf pictures ``celebrate her athleticism,'' Tucker said. ``You look at them and say `That is a strong woman.' I like seeing her as role model for what's beautiful.''

The headline on the piece said: ``The world's premier women's tennis player shows that she can be as dazzling off the tennis court as she is on it.'' The obvious question then is: Why not just show her on the court? Or, as head coach Tara VanDerveer said: ``Would they pose male athletes that way?''

Actually, in a recent feature the magazine published a decidedly beefcake photograph of the brightest young shortstops in the majors. They were all bare-chested. But the accompanying story focused on their athletic ability, and none of the surrounding articles suggested that beefcake, in and of itself, constituted a sport.

``Of course it's sexist,'' Tucker said, but she sees progress, sort of like the period when primates evolved and began walking upright. Any century now, anthropological advances will bring us advertising aimed higher than the typical man's belt.

Until then, true enlightenment will remain in the eye of the beholder. No one can fault Graf for her decision. She obviously worked for her physique and has every right to be proud of it. There are plenty of female athletes who would happily do the same thing.

``I'd definitely do it,'' said Trisha Stafford, a player for the San Jose Lasers. ``Maybe it's just because of my ego, but I think it's something I could do well.''

She has already done some modeling, as has teammate Jenni Ruff, who said she, too, would sign on for a swimsuit gig if it were offered.

Ruff agrees with Tucker - that glorifying athletic bodies represents a positive step. ``Most models are very skinny,'' Ruff said. ``I think it's a good thing if young girls could see `This is how a body should look if you're healthy.'''

In one sense, modeling fits the impulses of any athlete, male or female. Athletes have always sought admiration for their fitness, and outright vanity infiltrated locker rooms years ago. The arrival of double-knits ushered in the era of baseball players who forbade breathing room in their uniforms. Track and field is filled with peacocks. For every Florence Griffith Joyner, there is a Carl Lewis carefully overseeing the design of his latest singlet.

Dennis Rodman can't wait to show off his torso after every game. The gesture of throwing his jersey into the crowd surely demonstrates his exhibitionism as much as his affinity with the fans.

But as an NBA player, Rodman doesn't have to convince anyone of his masculinity. In fact, even as an NBA player with feather boas and wedding dresses in his wardrobe, Rodman doesn't really have to defend his masculinity. (Where's the headline: ``Dennis Rodman, as dazzling off the basketball court as he is on it?'')

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Photo: The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue recently corralled tennis star Steffi Graf to pose in a bikini.

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