Johnson tops on Forbes' "Most Influential Athletes" list

[Bloodshot Scott]

With all due respect - and I am the biggest car freak around and love my car more than life itself - I do not consider NASCAR drivers "athletes." Like many probably don't consider golfers athletes, I don't consider NASCAR drivers athletes. They are a hybrid sort of category, IMO.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, for the second consecutive year, is ranked by Forbes as America's Most Influential Athlete. "It is just a huge honor," he said. "And not only is it very good for me and my career and what I do in the race car and my brand, I think it's very good for NASCAR as well."
Six of the 10 featured on this year's list are NFL quarterbacks, including Peyton and Eli Manning, as well as Tim Tebow, who debuted last year at No. 10, but is now ranked second. The rankings, released Tuesday, are based on public opinion polling.

Forbes used Nielsen and E-Poll, which surveyed more than 1,100 adults about dozens of well-known athletes to measure their likeability and whether they are considered influential to marketers. Those polled could choose from 40 different terms, including "influential," to describe athletes.
Johnson was described as influential by 25% of participants, and 40% said they liked the former Sprint Cup Series champion, whose run of five consecutive titles ended last year.
Johnson was joined on the list by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. But Earnhardt slipped from third to seventh, while teammate Jeff Gordon dropped off the list completely.
Also falling off the list were swimmer Michael Phelps, NFL safety Troy Polamalu, NBA forward LeBron James and former NBA center Shaquille O'Neal, who was no longer eligible because he's retired.
Also making the list this year were NBA guard Jeremy Lin, boxer Manny Pacquiao and NFL quarterbacks Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/moto...-tops-Forbes-list-Tim-Tebow-second/54511888/1

 

[Rey C.]

Yeah, some people don't consider racing drivers (NASCAR or otherwise) athletes. But I've seen how they train. And I'd say that ALL F1 drivers are athletes. Most NASCAR drivers (Sprint Cup, anyway) are athletes. And a few NHRA (Top Fuel and Pro Stock) drivers are athletes. You do have a few NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who don't look all that athletic. But just taking a tuned down stock car around a track in one of those "driving experience" sessions will take the wind out of you. People who haven't done at least that, maybe don't realize just how much stress that puts on the body. They think it's like driving their street car to work on the freeway. But 5 laps and you're pretty much ready to call it a day. I can't imagine being in an F1 car and having to race for two hours in 90 degree heat and dealing with 5g braking and 3g cornering. Think about that. Even a well tuned Corvette only pulls about 1.1g's of cornering. And that feels crazy when you do it once. If you ever see a formula car driver, notice how big their necks tend to be in relation to the rest of their body. And most of the top racers have crazy/weird heart rates... indicative of (true) athletes.

As for Jimmie Johnson, yeah, he's definitely an athlete. How NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson Stays Fit

 

[bahodeme]

There is no doubt that race care drivers are in great shape. If it is 90 degrees outside, it's probaly close to 120 on the track. As you also pointed out Rey, the pounding they take in the car is a lot. The question becomes if a person thinks that auto racing is a sport. One can argue it is because the car is equipment like a gun in the biathalon. Others can say no because Montoya and Junior are not actually running 500 miles around the track. The same goes with jockeys and horse racing.

 

[STDiva]

How is he the most influential?? When you say Johnson, I had no idea who you were talking about and I'd like to consider myself fairly knowledgeable in most sports. I obviously know who Jimmie Johnson is, but if you're not immediately recognized by your last name, you're not the most influential. Two NASCAR drivers in the top 10 and Lebron isn't on the list? Did they only poll people at Talladega?