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He's not the most popular driver in NASCAR, nor is five-time Sprint Cup champion, Jimmie Johnson, the reigning champ. He hasn't won a race since last October.
No matter. Forbes Magazine (a business journal) has named Johnson “America's Most Influential Athlete” for the second-straight year.
“I haven't read the article itself,” said Johnson on NASCAR's weekly teleconference. “I'm not sure of the criteria. But I'm happy with the outcome, bottom line. I'm happy to be the most influential athlete out there. I think it does speak to the reach of our sport. And for an outside group to analyze all sports in general and look at all the factors necessary to put myself, a NASCAR driver in that spot says a lot for all of us involved.”
It's a virtual victory for NASCAR marketing as six of the 10 most influential athletes were NFL quarterbacks.
Tim Tebow who was recently traded as a second string quarterback to Mark Sanchez to the New York Jets is second on the list. Sanchez failed to make the top ten. And surprisingly NY Giant's Superbowl winning quarterback, Eli Manning, is ninth on the list.
The NFL is just killing it, the league is now part of the American landscape,” says Stephen Master, vice president of sports for Nielsen, which runs the survey our list, is based on, along with California-based market research firm E-Poll.
According to Forbes the Nielsen group and E-Poll surveyed a panel of “over 1,100 adults about dozens well-known athletes to measure their likeability and whether they're considered “influential,” an important quality for marketers”
Influential was among 40 terms those polled could choose from to describe the athletes. Twenty-five percent called Johnson “influential” described Johnson, and 40 percent stated they liked the five-time NASCAR champion.
Johnson's teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is seventh on the top ten list.
The Top 10 is:
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Tim Tebow
3. Peyton Manning
4. Manny Pacquaio
5. Tom Brady
6. Aaron Rodgers
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Drew Brees
9. Eli Manning
10. Jeremy Lin
No matter. Forbes Magazine (a business journal) has named Johnson “America's Most Influential Athlete” for the second-straight year.
“I haven't read the article itself,” said Johnson on NASCAR's weekly teleconference. “I'm not sure of the criteria. But I'm happy with the outcome, bottom line. I'm happy to be the most influential athlete out there. I think it does speak to the reach of our sport. And for an outside group to analyze all sports in general and look at all the factors necessary to put myself, a NASCAR driver in that spot says a lot for all of us involved.”
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| Jimmie Johnson. (Photo: NASCAR) |
It's a virtual victory for NASCAR marketing as six of the 10 most influential athletes were NFL quarterbacks.
Tim Tebow who was recently traded as a second string quarterback to Mark Sanchez to the New York Jets is second on the list. Sanchez failed to make the top ten. And surprisingly NY Giant's Superbowl winning quarterback, Eli Manning, is ninth on the list.
The NFL is just killing it, the league is now part of the American landscape,” says Stephen Master, vice president of sports for Nielsen, which runs the survey our list, is based on, along with California-based market research firm E-Poll.
According to Forbes the Nielsen group and E-Poll surveyed a panel of “over 1,100 adults about dozens well-known athletes to measure their likeability and whether they're considered “influential,” an important quality for marketers”
Influential was among 40 terms those polled could choose from to describe the athletes. Twenty-five percent called Johnson “influential” described Johnson, and 40 percent stated they liked the five-time NASCAR champion.
Johnson's teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is seventh on the top ten list.
The Top 10 is:
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Tim Tebow
3. Peyton Manning
4. Manny Pacquaio
5. Tom Brady
6. Aaron Rodgers
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Drew Brees
9. Eli Manning
10. Jeremy Lin