There’s always room for one more at the top. At least, that’s what Tiger Woods learned yesterday. Woods, whose star power has been in decline following confessions of rampant infidelity, is tied with Lakers star Kobe Bryant as America’s favorite sports star.
Atop the popularity heap since 2006, Woods should be thankful that he’s still ranked this high when considering his drama-laden life. As far as Bryant goes, life couldn’t be better. Ranked fourth last year, Bryant has enjoyed the spoils of back-to-back championships, and is now riding a surging wave of popularity.
The survey, released by Harris Interactive, polled 2,227 adults online from June 14–21.
An interesting development with the list is the position of LeBron James, who fell from third to sixth in popularity this year. The fact that the survey was conducted before LeBron’s infamous and unpopular decision, could speak to a more severe plummet when next year’s poll rolls around.
Retired star Michael Jordan also suffered a drop, losing his stranglehold on the second position to come in seventh. The only other African American to make the list was Yankees captain Derek Jeter who moved up one spot to third.
Among female athletes, Serena and Venus Williams finished 1-2, while basketball star Candace Parker fell out of the top 10.
–dewayne rogers
