10. British Open - For the serious golfer, a trip to St. Andrews is a pilgrimage to where golf began. Many of golf’s greatest moments have occurred at the British Open, including last year’s near-win by Tom Watson.

9. Red Sox vs. Yankees – You can argue about the greatest rivalry in sports, but I don’t think anyone can argue that the Yankees vs. Red Sox is at or near the top. The fans hate each other and the atmosphere is electric, especially late in the season if the games mean something.

8. Army vs. Navy – Maybe this isn’t the BCS title game, but the pageantry surrounded this classic rivalry and the emotions it stirs is something very unique.

7. World Cup – In almost every country except the U.S., soccer is the most popular sport and the World Cup is the culminating event. This summer’s World Cup in South Africa promises to be the most watched event in tv sports history.

6. World Series - The World Series is special given its history. Be lucky enough to catch a game at either Fenway Park or Yankees Stadium and you’ll be treated to a very special experience.

5. Kentucky Derby – Even if you’re not a horse racing fan, the Kentucky Derby is a fun event to attend. It’s a spectacle, from women wearing the big hats to the Mint Juleps (which, by the way, I think taste horrible).

4. Final Four – The NCAA basketball tournament is the best tournament in American sports. And the excitement level reaches a fever-pitch at the Final Four with teams vying for a spot in the Monday finals. And if you’re team happens to be one of the remaining four, it’s an experience you’ll never forget.

3. Stanley Cup Game 7 – Even though I’m not much of a hockey fan, I’m hard pressed to find a more exciting sporting event than a game 7 Stanley Cup final. The excitement and intensity level is unrivaled.

2. Super Bowl - Nothing compares to the Super Bowl in terms of the hype. It’s almost become a national holiday with tens of millions of viewers tuning in. Add in all the events and the chance to rub shoulders with greats such as John Elway and Joe Montana, and everyone should attend at least one.

1. Masters – This is my favorite event. You have to pinch yourself the first time you enter the hallowed grounds of Augusta National. It’s more beautiful in person than you can ever see on tv. And there’s nothing like following the leaders through Amen Corner on Sunday.

Tiger Woods earns $1B becoming highest paid athlete

Forbes reported last week that Tiger Woods became the first athlete to earn $1 billion in career earnings from endorsements, prize winnings, golf course design and appearance fees. Woods reportedly earns $30 million a year from Nike and receives $10 million per project for his golf design work. He also just won $10 million last week for winning the FedEx Cup title.

The crazy part is that Woods in only 33 years old and has many years of competitive golf, endorsements and golf course design ahead of him. It’s not a stretch to say that he’ll likely make well in excess of $2 billion by the time his career ends. It’s estimated that he has now earned more than NBA great Michael Jordan ($800 million) and retired Formula One driver Michal Shumacher ($700 million).

Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan compete at San Francisco Golf Tournament

I thought it would be interesting to look at the list of highest paid endorsers…

1. Tiger Woods ($110 million)…Even though he missed the second half of 2008 and the first part of this year with a knee injury, Woods is still the king of earnings.

2T. Kobe Bryant ($45 million)…The NBA’s most popular player on a global basis, Bryant is more popular in China than he is in the United States.

2T. Michael Jordan ($45 million)…Jordan is still Nike’s highest paid endorser, reportedly earning more than $40 million per year from his Jordan brand.

2T. Kimi Raikkonen ($45 million)…Formula One’s highest paid driver.

5. David Beckam ($42 million)…Although Beckham’s on the downside of his career, he’s still the most visible soccer player in the world and has endorsements with Adidas and Motorola among others.

6T. Manny Pacquiao ($40 million)…His last two fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton generated more than $100 million in revenue from pay-per-view.

6T. LeBron James ($40 million)…The Michael Jordan of this era, James is the face of the NBA along with Bryant.

6T. Phil Mickelson ($40 million)…Mickelson has earned more than $54 million in prize money during his career, trailing only Woods and Vijay Singh in money earned over a career.

9. Valentino Rossi ($35 million)…The most popular motorcycle racer in the world. Rossi earns $16 million per year just from Yamaha.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ($34 million)…Earnhardt Jr. was voted NASCAR’s most popular driver for the sixth straight year in 2008.

Next Ten…11T. Roger Federer ($34 million); 11T. Shaquille O’Neal ($33 million); 13T. Oscar De La Hoya ($32 million); 13T. Lewis Hamilton ($32 million); 13T. Alex Rodriguez ($32 million); 16. Vijay Singh ($31 million); 17T. Kevin Garnett ($30 million); 17T. Jeff Gordon ($30 million) and 17T. Ronaldinho ($30 million)

The most glaring absence from this list is the lack of representation from the NFL. One would think the most popular sport in the U.S. would be well represented, but NFL salaries aren’t as high as other sports and only a handful of players earn large endorsement income. Even though they’re not on the list, among the top earning NFL players are Payton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.

Another interesting fact is that the only retired player on the list is Jordan. Among the top earning retired athletes who didn’t make the list are Cal Ripken Jr, John Elway, Muhammad Ali, Magic Johnson and John McEnroe.

PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency is a top booking agent for sports stars, athlete appearances, endorsements and celebrities. If you would like to hire a sports star for an  endorsement,  appearance or speaking engagement, contact us or call 800 966-1380.

San Francisco 49ers vs Buffalo Bills

Josh McDaniels Broncos coach

The most surprising team in my opinion is the Denver Broncos. No one predicted the Broncos would start 4-0. With the departure of Jay Cutler, the hiring of a new head coach in Josh McDaniels and the pouting of talented wide receiver Brandon Marshall, many people predicted the Broncos would have a hard time winning more than just a couple of games this season.

So why are they playing so well?

The main reason is the defense. The Broncos defense has been dismal in recent years, one of the worst in the league. This year’s defense is completely rebuilt. Defensive end Elvis Dumervil leads the league with 8 sacks through four games and is likely headed to his first Pro Bowl, veteran Brian Dawkins is playing like a future Hall of Famer and Champ Bailey continues to be one of the top cornerbacks in the league. As a team, the Broncos are ranked third in the league in overall defense and are in the top five in most major defensive categories. Last season, the Broncos gave up an average of 28 points per game. This season, they’ve given up just 26 points in four games. The team has also produced 10 turnovers, three shy of what they did all of last season.

Offensively, the team is enjoying a balanced attack. No one will mistake quarterback Kyle Orton for John Elway, but he’s not making many mistakes and is doing enough to put points on the board. Rookie running back Knowshon Moreno leads all rookie running backs in rushing while a talented wide receiver corps led by Eddie Royal, Brandon Marshall and Brandon Stokley gives Orton numerous weapons.

Up this week: New England Patriots

Mike Singletary 49er's coach

The next most surprising team is the San Francisco 49ers, who are 3-1 and would be 4-0 if it weren’t for a Brett Favre desperation touchdown pass in the closing seconds two weeks ago. It looks as though the team has bought into the philosophy of coach Mike Singletary, a very fiery and intense coach who commands respect from his players. The defense, led by Takeo Spikes, Nate Clements and Patrick Willis, has played stellar and is ranked 5th in the league in rushing defense and 8th overall. The offense has been productive as well with running back Frank Gore and tight end Vernon Davis giving the team a legitimate air and ground threat.

Up this week: Atlanta

PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency is a speakers bureau and top booking agent for football speakers, athlete appearances and endorsements. For more information call 800.966.1380

Tony Romo, QB for Dallas Cowboys and Kurt Warner, QB for AZ Cardinals

• How will the Denver Broncos fare? The Broncos have never had an offseason filled with such turmoil as this one. It began when Josh McDaniels was named to succeed Mike Shanahan as head coach. Soon after, All-Pro quarterback Jay Cutler was traded to the Chicago Bears. And most recently, Brandon Marshall was suspended for the last couple weeks of the pre-season for conduct detrimental to the team. It will be interesting to see how the team reacts to all the adversity. Will Kyle Orton perform at a high level and become a local hero like John Elway? Will Marshall settle down and play like he’s capable? There are a few bright spots. Eddie Royal is one of the best young wide receivers in the league. Veteran Brian Dawkins joins future Hall of Famer Champ Bailey in the secondary. And Ryan Clady is as good a left tackle as there is.

• How will Terrell Owens do in Buffalo? The Bills are desperate to improve a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 1999 and picked up TO during the offseason for what I believe will prove to be a bad move. The season has barely started and TO is already complaining about the offense. He proved at his last two stops – Dallas and Philly – that he’s not a team player. If it’s not about TO all the time, he’s not happy. And the Bills quarterback, Trent Edwards, isn’t nearly as talented as TO’s previous two quarterbacks – Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb.

• Will the Arizona Cardinals reach the Super Bowl again?  The Cardinals had an amazing run last year, one that no one could have predicted. Thanks to the leadership of Kurt Warner, the Cardinals won the NFL West with a 9-7  record and got red-hot in the playoffs. They became only the second team with a 9-7 regular season record to reach the Super Bowl. Most of their team remains intact this year. Besides Warner, they return the best wide receiver tandem in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldon.

• Has the New England Patriots dominance come to an end? A lot of people think so. Quarterback Tom Brady returns from a season-ending injury and the Patriots lost a couple of team-leaders…Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi and Richard Seymour. The Patriots also lost quarterback Matt Cassell, who played exceptionally well in Brady’s absence last season. The addition of veterans Joey Galloway and Fred Taylor will help but the team’s success will fall squarely on the shoulders of Brady.

• How will the Dallas Cowboys fare? Last year was a major disappointment for Cowboys fans. Too many distractions and inconsistent play resulted in a 8-8 season. Terrell Owens and Pacman Jones, two of the major distractions a year ago, are gone. The team enjoys arguably the deepest running back corps in the league with Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.  Besides Romo’s performance, which is always scrutinized, the biggest question mark this year will be the defense. They lost veteran Greg Ellis and almost the entire secondary, so a return to the glory eras of Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman isn’t going to happen this season.

PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency is a speakers bureau and top booking agent for football speakers, athlete appearances and endorsements. For more information call 800.966.1380