Marketplace Roundup

Earnhardt Jr. Ranks As Forbes' 10th-Highest Paid Athlete

In DC, Liz Clarke noted driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will likely "end the season with the worst points finish of his career," but he still "leaves his rivals a distant second ... in terms of popularity, earnings and endorsements." Forbes ranked Earnhardt as the 10th-highest paid athlete in the world, as he "dusts the field in souvenir sales, accounting for roughly 25[%] of sales on NASCAR.com Superstore." But Clarke wondered, "How long can Earnhardt Jr. sustain this wild popularity and command top-dollar sponsorships without performance that justifies the hype?" Octagon Racing Exec VP Mark Coughlin: "The power of personality -- the inherited legend, to a certain extent -- will continue to carry him. But if another full season goes by without substantial performance, I think that doubt will start to creep into some of the Junior Nation fans that maybe he can't get it done" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/12).

POPULARITY CONTEST: In Boston, Jessica Fargen noted Patriots QB Tom Brady is "one of the most recognizable professional sports figures in the nation" according to Marketing Evaluations, which computes Q rankings that analyze the popularity of celebrities. Marketing Evaluations indicated that 81% of sports fans "recognize Brady's name," and he has a likability score of 24 among sports fans, compared to an average score of 14 for sports figures (BOSTON HERALD, 9/13). Meanwhile, Smartwater, which sponsors Brady, is "donating $5,000 for every sack-free game" he has this season to the Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/13).

BACK IN THE GAME: GOLF.com's Woody Hochswender reported Callaway Golf has relaunched its golf apparel business "using Perry Ellis International as its licensed maker of golf clothing." Callaway was "forced to look for an apparel partner when its supplier, Ashworth Golf, was acquired by TaylorMade-adidas last year, putting it in the hands of a direct competitor." The new Callaway collection "centers on classic golf shirts and trousers with performance-driven technical features." There are a "lot of plain-front and single-pleated classic golf trousers as well as cargo shorts with a discreet zippered pocket for scorecards" (GOLF.com, 9/11).

SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY: Visa recently filmed a commercial outside Fenway Park in which comedian Jimmy Dunn and actor Lance Norris "dress up like" Patriots coach Bill Belichick (BOSTON HERALD, 9/14).