Woods leads list of most marketable in ’08

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Barely in his 30s, the son of legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr., is already a veteran of ads played during the Super Bowl, the commercial extravaganza of the year. Back in 2004, he told USA Today he made more in endorsements (estimated at $5 million then) than driving. That is truer than ever now, especially since his race team inked an estimated $25 million deal last year with the National Guard and Amp energy drink. Companies know that linking their products to stars of NASCAR, with their passionate fans, guarantees a sales boost, and no one can jumpstart sales like Earnhardt.

6. Alex Rodriguez
With 80-plus names — many still active — seeing their endorsement value plummet with the release of the Mitchell Report, Rodriguez sits in an enviable spot. Untainted by steroid accusations, he plays in the nation's biggest market and on baseball's most storied franchise, the New York Yankees. He survived the bird-brained strategy of upstaging the World Series with a free agency announcement and will now finish his career with the Yankees, possessing a good chance of breaking Barry Bonds' home-run record. Rodriguez's endorsements may be pocket change compared to his MLB-record salary, but with the high cost of living in NYC, he won't be complaining.

7. Dwyane Wade
Teammate Shaquille O’Neal’s endorsement value is fading, but Wade’s is getting stronger. He recently signed with the William Morris Agency, which will work to snag endorsements for Wade around the Olympics this summer, when the charismatic guard will represent the U.S. team in Beijing. He plays in a big market and boasts dazzling on-court moves. If Miami can win the title — as it did in 2006 — Wade will enjoy more endorsement pitches.

8. David Beckham
This may be the biggest wild card of 2008. He brought priceless publicity to himself and to Major League Soccer last year with his move to America, but his endorsement appeal going forward will really depend upon his play, which was inconsistent last season because of injury. If he can't make the headlines and highlight shows with jaw-dropping moves and assists and take the Los Angeles Galaxy to the title game, one of the world's best-known soccer players — who's aging quickly — may find the American endorsement market weak indeed.

Last, but not least …
No matter whether Ohio State or LSU captures the national championship Jan. 7, their respective conferences — the Big 10 and the SEC — have already won big.

The maximum number of Big 10 teams and SEC teams possible (two per conference) has filled four of the 10 BCS bowl slots (Illinois and Georgia are the others). Both conferences will receive $21.5 million from those games ($17 million for the conference champion, $4.5 million for the other entrants). In addition, the biggest payout in a non-BCS Bowl — $4.25 million per team for the Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl — featured the Big Ten’s Michigan against Florida of the SEC.

Don’t feel too badly for the Big 12, which gets $21.5 million thanks to Oklahoma and Kansas’ appearances in BCS bowls, and another $3 million for Missouri’s Cotton Bowl visit. Of course, expenses to play in any of these games (lodging, travel, salaries and the like) can top $1 million per team, so it’s not pure profit.

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