BusinessWeek is conducting a poll to find the 100 most powerful people in sports for its second annual Power 100 list. The top 3 in the 2007 Power 100 list were NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, golf champion Tiger Woods, and NBA commissioner David Stern. Don't get too excited about casting your vote though, BusinessWeek has a group of 35 experts who have compiled their own list. The public's votes will be included in the Power 100, but it's not entirely clear on the BusinessWeek website how.
The Power 100 list is interesting for two reasons. First, it includes people in various roles - not just athletes. While someone like Tiger Woods has more endorsements than anyone, is an athlete like Woods truly the most powerful person in sports? Last year, the top honor when to Roger Goodell.
Second, it will be interesting to see if the 2008 Power 100 gives any athletes or other people who make the list a brand boost. Will their endorsement offers grow? Will the list give them positive publicity? Since it's the second year for the Power 100, it might create more of a buzz this year.
We'll have to wait and see, but many of the "lists" created by magazines and news organizations such as BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, etc. do generate a buzz and press. What do you think? Are these lists valuable or just a PR trick?
By the way, the 2008 Power 100 will be available on October 2, 2008.
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