America’s Most Powerful Athletes
After breaking the NFL passing record, Drew Brees has found himself atop yet another list. Recently Bloomberg Businessweek released their list of the 100 most powerful athletes–a list of the most popular superstars from across all sports. The rankings were made using a compilation of “on-field metrics, total earnings, and social media presence”. Here are the top 5.
1. Drew Brees -The franchised quarterback taking home the top spot is no surprise. Breaking one of the most coveted records in football this past season is only one accomplishment on his resume’. Brees’ impact on the city New Orleans has been simply amazing, and with his affable personality, he’s a marketer’s dream.
2. Aaron Rodgers – Mr. Discount Double Check jettisoned his way from 35th on last year’s list to 2nd after having stellar back-to-back seasons. The Green Bay Packers came up short in their quest for repeat championships this season, but Rodgers led them through an incredible season. Through recent endorsement deals with State Farm and Nike, Rodgers has seen his popularity grow at a staggering rate, and has padded his bank account.
3. Tom Brady – Nicknamed the “Golden Child”, Brady has long been the face of the NFL. Don’t expect that to change anytime soon as the Patriots once again prepare to play on the most important Sunday in America. It’s only fitting that Brady finds himself near the very top of this list. The man has 3 championship rings, 2 MVP awards, an insanely hot wife and countless endorsements from the likes of Audi to UGG Australia. What else needs to be said?
4. LeBron James – The man everyone loved to hate last year is looking and playing better than ever after last season’s infamous decision followed by 4th quarter woes. The back-to-back NBA MVP has secured endorsements from the biggest names, and has poised himself to succeed Kobe Bryant as the global face of the NBA. He can thank Nike, Sprite, McDonald’s, Audemars Piguet and State Farm for helping him secure a cool $61 million this past year.
5. Rafael Nadal – Dominating men’s tennis, Nadal has won Grand Slam after Grand Slam after Grand Slam. Most recently he played Novak Djokovic in a grueling 5 hour match at the Australian Open finals that is considered one of the best matches ever played in tennis history. Quite a feat for someone the age of 25. Dethroning Roger Federer, Nadal has become the face of tennis across the globe and thus lucrative endorsement contracts with Nike, Armani and others have followed.
Check out Bloomberg Businessweek’s Power 100 2012 for the complete list.
Category: Featured
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
