Individual Performers

ESPN must be running some contest about who was the best male athelete, best female, best game, best hot dog, etc. etc. from last year.

On the Mike & Mike in the Morning program on ESPN Radio the question was - between Roger Federer and Tiger Woods who was the best athelete? Other athletes from team sports were on the list - LaBron James and the like - but when you have outstanding performances from players in an individual sport like tennis or golf, they have to get the nod.

The futher nod, it seems to me, is to give extra weight to a professional golfer over a professional tennis player - all else being equal. The reason? A golfer has to go out and beat the entire field, every time. Tiger Woods did that six straight times last year.

A professional tennis player - because of the bracketing system - has to beat only half the field and it is not unusual for the best player(s) from the other bracket to get knocked out before they get to the semis or the finals.

Thus, Tiger Woods is my guy.

Also, Tiger Woods is my guy because, according to Forbes (see the richest people in today's MULLINGS, Tiger earned $87 million last year.

Here's the list from Forbes via MSNBC.com:


MSNBC.com

Forbes Best-paid athletes

Athlete Age Earnings • Andre Agassi 35 $26.2 million • Lance Armstrong 34 $28 million • David Beckham 30 $32.5 million • Kobe Bryant 27 $28.8 million • Lindsay Davenport 29 $6 million • Oscar De La Hoya 33 $38 million • Jeff Gordon 34 $23.4 million • Matt Hasselbeck 30 $22.8 million • LeBron James 21 $22.9 million • Derek Jeter 31 $25.5 million • Walter Jones 32 $23.2 million • Michael Jordan 43 $33 million • Phil Mickelson 35 $26.8 million • Shaquille O'Neal 34 $33.4 million • Manny Ramirez 35 $24.2 million • Alex Rodriguez 30 $27.5 million • Ronaldo 29 $23 million • Valentino Rossi 27 $28 million • Michael Schumacher 37 $60 million • Maria Sharapova 18 $18.2 million • Annika Sorenstam 35 $7.3 million • Michael Vick 25 $37.5 million • Serena Williams 24 $12.7 million • Venus Williams 25 $6.5 million • Tiger Woods 30 $87 million

Source: Forbes.com

Updated: 2:16 p.m. ET Mar. 22, 2006

© 2007 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11961246/