I’m a Pennsylvania native (but I'm not a Steelers or Eagles fan!) and have lived in the area for a couple years now. When I'm not working, I'm coaching swimming. If you want ask me a question, or don't like my blog, or just want to give me some coaching advice, I'd love to hear from you! -Christina Christina@MainlineDayton.com
Show Me the Money!
by Christina,posted Feb 17 2011 6:30AM
Yeah I'm sick of that line too but lately that's all the talk in sports: money. I've listed the top 7 athletes, in order, of how they should be paid in the sports world. (Don't like my order? I don't make enough money to care.)
7.Roger Federer He's still the best in the game of tennis, but that's the problem right there - it's tennis. Plus, he's beginning to slip just a bit, and in an individual sport you have to really be dominant if you want to earn the "highest paid athlete" title.
6. Alex Rodriguez Any real Yankees fan knows A-Rod not only shouldn't be the highest paid player in baseball, but probably should only be third of fourth highest on the TEAM. I'd give more money to Derek, Mo, and even guys like C.C. and Tex before I'd give Alex $30 million but his numbers don't lie even if they are artificially enhanced... oh and Scott Boras is his agent.
5.Sidney Crosby Out of everyone on this list, he probably means the most to his sport, but hockey's still the fourth of the "Big 4," so that keeps him from jumping anyone above him.
4. LeBron James He hasn't won a championship, yet, so it's really tough to say he deserves to be the highest paid athlete at this point. Plus, despite being the most marketable NBA player, the case could be made that Kobe, Wade, and Duncan are all better "players," at least right now, which is just another knock against LeBron.
3.Tiger Woods If this was two years ago, he's clearly, far and away, number one on this list. But he hasn't won in 15 months, and until he proves that all of the outside distractions are behind him and he gets back to winning ANY golf tournaments (and stops spitting), he doesn't deserve a big paycheck of any kind.
2.Jimmie Johnson I know, I know - NASCAR? Really? But if you want to talk dominant, he's won like 40 straight championships (ok, it's only 5, it just feels like 40). And with the popularity of racing continuing to skyrocket, he might even deserve a bigger chunk of change than number one...
1.Peyton Manning When you're the biggest star in the biggest sport in America, you probably have the best claim to "highest paid athlete." He's got a Super Bowl, he's got a great personality, and in a major plus over No.'s 3, 4, and 6, he has virtually no negative press, steroid or divorce scandal, or "decision" hanging over his head.
Of course, he has to have games to actually play, but that's for another blog...
