SI 2012 Swimsuit cover girl, Kate Upton

Kate Upton's cover photo was leaked early to media prior to the Sports Illustrated party on Monday night, by way of a Michigan gas station.

Sports Illustrated 2012 Swimsuit Edition cover girl is the lovely Kate Upton. She is being celebrated at a party in New York City and the magazine expected to do the unveiling at the site.

Unfortunately, according to TMZ, it got word of Upton's cover via a Michigan gas station, believe it or not, that received early copies. Darren Rovell, Sports-Business writer for CNBC posted a link to the actual cover and as one would expect, it is sizzling.

Upton, 19 follows 2011 cover girl Irina Shayk and Brooklyn Decker who graced the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover in 2010.

In the photo, posted here, Upton is show\n in one of the smallest bikinis seen in recent memory --brown and red in color and shown off to perfection on the young model's body.

Kate Upton is scheduled to appear on CBS's Late Night with David Letterman where the comedian host is sure to stumble and bumble his way through an interview while sitting oh so close to Ms. Upton.

The second time is the charm for Upton who graced the pages of the 2011 Swimsuit Edition and was dubbed Rookie of the Year.

New York City tabloids as well as celebrity websites were printing stories of a romance or at least a very close relationship between the model and N.Y. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The N.Y. Daily News and N.Y. Post were in a feeding frenzy reporting that Sanchez was seen coming and going to Upton's apartment building in Manhattan, sometimes carrying shopping bags.

From a Page Six report in December: "Sanchez has been paying frequent late-night visits to the Victoria’s Secret and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model’s Flatiron apartment, we’re told. He’s been spotted several times at the voluptuous blonde’s pad since November, usually after games or before practices — sometimes as late as midnight — rolling up in his black chauffeur-driven Navigator."

Upton's relationship with the Jets did not begin with a Mark Sanchez friendship. Her sister is reportedly on the Jets staff and the model's pet pit bull, yes she has a pit bull, has its own Jets doggie jersey to wear on football Sundays.

It's been quite a few months for Upton. She was recently named the "GQ Body of the Year."

Image credit: Sports Illustrated Twitter page, used with permission

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