Tournaments Statistics

Top 10 Professional Football Dynasties

February 10, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Professional Football Dynasties

American Football was first played back in the year 1869. At that time, it had 25 players in each team. Over the years, the game has changed immensely from what it used to be in the 19^th century. Several prestigious tournaments have emerged, and these tournaments recognize the teams that work hard to emerge as the most skillful. Some of these teams have been formed decades ago. But, what makes these teams reach the position where they can be honored as dynasties is a combination of when they were formed, how many of the most honorable cups in the best tournaments they have lifted, and how many times they have been able to do so. Let us take a look at the Top 10 Professional Football Dynasties.

Bonus: Top 10 Highest Paying Sports

Top 10 Professional Football Dynasties

1. Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are an American football team which is based in Green Bay of Wisconsin and are the members of the North division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League. The team began playing in the year 1919, after being founded by Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun, with its lineage linked to other teams in Green Bay which were are old as 1896, and is the third oldest professional football franchise in the NFL, having joined the American Professional Football Association in 1921. It has won 13 league championships, including 11 NFL Championships in the years 1929-1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962 and 1965-1967, as well as two AFL-NFL Super Bowl Championships in 1966 and 1967. It has 2 Super Bowl Championships in 1996 and 2010. It also has many conference and division championships under its belt.

Also Read: Highest Paid Football Players

2. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are an American football team which is based in Chicago of Illinois and are the members of the NFC North division of the National Football League. The team was founded as Decatur, Illinois in 1919, by George Halas, and later moved to Chicago in 1921. It is in fact one of the two surviving franchises from the founding of NFL. It holds the record for having the highest number of enshrines in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as well as retired jerseys. It has won 9 league championships, including 8 NFL Championships in the years 1921, 1932, 1933, 1941, 1943, 1946 and 1963, as well as 1 Super Bowl Championship in 1985. With 26 playoff experiences in 96 years, it has also achieved victory in several Division and Conference championships.

3. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are an American football team which is based in Cleveland of Ohio and are the members of the North division of the American Football Conference of the National Football League. The team was founded in 1945, by Arthur B. “Mickey” McBride and Paul Brown, and started playing since the following year. It was a dominating force in the All-American Football Conference, winning four championships from 1946 to 1949. It joined NFL when AAFC folded after the 1949 season. Apart from its successful AAFC track record, it has won 4 NFL Championships including its inaugural year 1950, as well as in the years 1954, 1955, and 1964. Since then during 28 playoff appearances, it has not been able to win any other big tournament, including the Super Bowls, but have had several Conference and Division championships.

4. Houston Oilers

The Houston Oilers, now known as Tennessee Titans, are an American football team which is based in Houston of Texas and competed in the East Division of the American Football League before the merger, and then joined the AFC Central. The team began playing in the year 1960, and ended 1996, when owner Bud Adams moved the team to Tennessee to form Tennessee Oilers and then Tennessee Titans in 1999. The Oilers were the first champions of the American Football League. It has won a total of 2 league championships, both of which are AFL Championships in the years 1960 and 1961. However, the Oilers have not won any other league championship, or conference championship, in 15 playoff appearances. The ’62 championship game against Dallas Texans brought them surprisingly close to the win, but in the longest championship game in the history of pro football, they were beaten.

5. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are an American football team which is based in the Miami metropolitan area, and are the members of the East division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League. The team began playing in the year 1966, after being founded by Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas. In 1972, it became the first team to achieve the only perfect season of NFL, having won the Super Bowl, with all 14 of the regular season games, the Super Bowl VIII and the NFL playoff games. It has won 2 league championships, including 2 Super Bowl Championships in 1972 and 1973. It also has many other conference and division championships under its belt.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are an American football team which is based in Pittsburgh of Pennsylvania and are the members of the North division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League. The team was founded in the year 1933 as the Pittsburgh Pirates by Art Rooney and is the oldest professional football franchise in the AFC, as well as the holder of the highest number of AFC championships. It is one of the most successful NFL franchises, with the highest number of Super Bowl appearances and wins, and has hosted the highest number of conference championship games. It has won 6 league championships, all of which are Super Bowl championships, in the years 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1995, 2005, 2008 and 2010. It also has also won several Conference and Division championships.

7. San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are an American football team which is based in San Francisco Bay Area, and are the members of the West division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League. The team was founded in the year 1946 as a member of the All-America Football Conference by Tony Morabito, and became a part of the NFL in the year 1949. It is the oldest major professional sports team of California. It is one of the greatest NFL dynasties, with 5 Super Bowl wins within a span of just 14 years from 1981 to 1994. It has won 5 league championships, all of which are Super Bowl championships, in the years 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, and 1994. It also has several conference and division championships under its belt, in 26 playoff appearances within 69 years ago.

8. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are an American football team which is headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving of Texas, and are the members of the East division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League. The team was founded in the year 1960 by Clint Murchison Jr. They joined the NFL as a 1960 expansion team. It has the record for the highest number of Super Bowl appearances, which it shares with New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the record for the most NFC championships. It has won 5 league championships, all in Super Bowl Championships in the years 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993 and 1995. It also has also achieved victories in several Conference and Division championships.

9. New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are an American football team which is based in the Greater Boston Area, and are the members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League. The team was founded by Billy Sullivan in the year 1959, and is an original member of the American Football League. It has emerged as one of the most successful teams of the NFL history since the 2000s, and holds the record for the highest number of Super Bowl appearances. It has the longest winning streak in NFL, with a 21-game streak from 2003 to 2004. Its rivalry with New York Jets is considered one of the bitterest in NFL. It has won 4 league championships, all of which are Super Bowl Championships in the years 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2014. In 22 playoff appearances, it has won several Division and Conference championships.

10. New York Giants

The New York Giants are an American football team which is based in the New York metropolitan area, and are the members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League. The team was founded in the year 1925 by Tim Mara, and is one of the five teams to have joined the NFL in 1925, the only one among them to have still survived. It is also the longest-established team of the league in the Northeastern United States. It ranks third among all NFL franchises. The team’s rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest NFC East rivalries. It has won 8 league championships, including 4 NFL Championships in the years 1927, 1934, 1938 and 2007, as well as 4 Super Bowl Championships in 1986, 1990, 2007 and 2011. It also has several conference and division championships under its belt.

Thus, with excellent performances, several championships and unending rivalries, these teams have established themselves in the history of professional football as invincible and recognized names. Each of these teams is a force to be reckoned with in its own rights, and is nothing short of a dynasty. While many of the teams are well past their days of glory, their names are still written in gold.

Top 10 Extreme Sports

January 21, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Extreme Sports

When we think of extreme sports, the first thing that comes to our mind is danger. Indeed, extreme sports include activities that have high levels of inherent peril that can become take a lethal form, because, just a single slip or hands can land a participant straight in the arms of death, or at least severe injury, since the extreme sports may involve speed and height. Hence, the participants need highly specialized gear, and are required to put high levels of physical exertion. Not many people have the courage to try out these highly risky sports. Let us take a look at the Top 10 Extreme Sports.

Some Of Other Interesting Lists:

Top 10 Extreme Sports

1. Free solo climbing

Free solo climbing, commonly known as the free soloing, is a form of climbing where the climber or the free soloist does not use any safety gear such as ropes, harnesses and other protective gears while ascending. Because of the enormous height of the ascent, fall always means serious injury or death. There are several achievements already made in free solo climbing, such as the two hour and fifty minute ascent of the 2,224-foot Northwest Face route on Yosemite’s Half Dome by Alex Honnold. Many great solo climbers met with tragic accidents and died such as John Bachar, Derek Hersey, Vik Hendrickson, Jimmy Ray Forrester, Jimmy Jewell, Tony Wilmott, Robert Steele, Dwight Bishop and John Taylor. Two of the great soloists are Alain Robert nicknamed “The French Spider-Man” and Dan Goodwin nicknamed the “Skyscraperman”, also scaled several skyscrapers around the world.

2. Creeking

Creeking is a type of canoeing and kayaking which involves descending very steep low-volume whitewater. This sport is usually performed in specialized canoes and kayaks which can withstand the extreme whitewater environment. The specially designed kayaks give the paddler improved performance and extreme maneuverability needed for river obstacles. Creeking involves the descent of waterfalls and slides or any steep low-volume river. The route characteristic of Creeking can vary from very smooth granite like Cherry Creek in California to boulder gardens such as the Stein River in British Columbia. The Creeking route usually includes sieves, step drops, holes, and undercuts. This type of kayaking is regarded as the most dangerous and extreme in comparison to other varieties of kayaking.

3. Bungee jumping

Bungee jumping is an adventure sport that involves jumping from a tall structure while harnessed by a large elastic cord. The elevated structure from which Bungee jumping takes place can be a building, bridge or crane, and can also be a hot-air-balloon or helicopter. The adrenaline rush from this sport comes from free-falling and the rebound. The Bungee cord stretches, and the jumper flies upwards again as the cord recoils when a person attempts Bungee jumping, and continues to oscillate up and down till all the kinetic energy dissolves. The first modern Bungee jumps were done by two members of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club, David Kirke and Simon Keeling, from the 250-foot Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol on 1 April 1979. Commercial bungee jumping was first organized by A J Hackett who made his first attempt from Auckland’s Greenhithe Bridge in 1986.

4. Volcano boarding

Volcano boarding or Volcano surfing, or more commonly, the ash boarding, is a type of adventure sport that involves descending on the slopes of Cerro Negro near Leon in western Nicaragua. The Volcano Surfers climb up the volcano and then slide down on a thin plywood or metal board while sitting or standing. The Volcano surfing boards made by plywood are reinforced by steel, metal or Formica to provide required strength. This sport involves the danger of falling off and getting cut by the rough volcanic rocks. Cerro Negro is also an active volcano and had its last eruption in 1999. Safety gears such as jumpsuits and goggles are often used by the surfers. This adventure sport was invented by an Australian living in Nicaragua, Darryn Webb in 2005 according to the Sabotage Times.

5. Cave Diving

Cave diving is adventure underwater diving in caves which are typically partially filled with water. The cave diving is done usually using the scuba equipment but often in a specialized configurations. This form of adventure sports is a form of penetration diving which means a cave diver cannot swim vertically to the surface in an emergency due to the cave’s ceilings. Divers usually have to retreat the entire way back out. The five main contributing factors of the cave diving were popularized by the book called “Basic Cave Diving: A Blueprint for Survival” published by Sheck Exley in 1977. Jacques-Yves Cousteau is widely regarded as the first scuba cave diver who is also the co-inventor of the first commercially successful open circuit scuba equipment. In the United Kingdom, Jack Sheppard made the first cave dive on 4 October 1936 in the Mendip Hills of Somerset.

6. Slacklining

Slacklining is a type of extreme sport that involves practice in balance on nylon or polyester webbing tensioned between two anchor points. The participants of this extreme sport are often referred as the “slackers”. Highlining is the toughest form of Slacklining which takes place above the ground or water. Highlines are commonly set up in places which are used for Tyrolean traverse. The first ever Slacklining attempt was made by two of the Evergreen State College student in Olympia, Washington, Adam Grosowsky and Jeff Ellington, in 1979. Ivy Baldwind of Eldorado Springs first crossed the Eldorado Canyon on a high wire in 1948 and made his final successful attempt on his 82nd birthday. Philippe Petit crossed a high wire between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York on August 7, 1974.

7. Wingsuit Flying

Wingsuit Flying is a type of extreme sport that involves flying through the air using a wingsuit. The wingsuit adds surface area to the flyers body which significantly increases the lift. The modern variation of Wingsuit was first developed in the late 1990s which created a surface area between the legs and under the arms with fabric. The Wingsuits are also referred as the “birdman suits”. 33-year old Franz Reichelt made the first attempt of wingsuit flying from the Eiffel Tower on 4 February 1912. He failed on that attempt and hit the ground with his head. On a contrary, his autopsy showed that he died of a heart attack before hitting the ground. The first successful wingsuit was first used by Rex Finney, a 19-year-old American from Los Angeles, California, in 1930. French adventurist Patrick de Gayardon first created the modern wingsuit in the mid-1990s.

8. Bobsleigh

Bobsleigh or bobsled is a type of extreme winter sport in which groups of two or four participants make timed runs down narrow, twisted and banked iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled. The Bobsleighs can usually attain speed of 150 km per hour and the world record was reported at 201km per hour. The owners of the historic Kulm Hotel and the Palace Hotel, the Badrutt family, first allowed Emil Thoma to organize the construction of a ‘half-pipe’ track in the Kulm Hotel Park, ending in the village of Cresta, in the winter of 1903. That venue hosted this extreme sport during two Olympics. The international competition of Bobsleigh is governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation which is also known as the French Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing. Four-man men’s bobsleigh was first introduced in the Winter Olympic Games in 1924.

9. Kite Skiing

Kite skiing is a type of extreme sport which is a relatively recent development of skiing. The pull of the ski in this sport comes from a kite and can be performed on water, snow, land or ice. It is quite similar to the cross-country skiing but the pulling force comes from the kite rather than stocks or gravity. Kite skiing on ice has little in common with downhill skiing. The kites used in this sport are very similar to the kites used in paragliding but smaller in size. Team N2i first reached the Antarctic pole during the Antarctic summer using kite skiing as their primary means of propulsion on 20 January 2007. Canadian Eric McNair-Landry and American Sebastian Copeland crossed 595 km in 24 hours while kite skiing on 5 June 2010, which created the world record of the highest distance in the shortest time.

10. Ice Climbing

Ice Climbing is a type of extreme sport that involves the ascending of inclined ice formations. This sport typically involves roped and protected climbing of various ice obstacles such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice. The most common modern protection for ice climbing is the ice screw which is a hollow tube with sharp teeth on the front end and has a hanger eye at the back to clip. The ice screws can provide very strong protection while inserted properly in solid ice. A device called the cramp-on used in Ice Climbing was first invented by the British in the early 20th century which allows fastening of toothed claw to the climbing boots. The aim of this extreme sport is to speed up the climbing time and minimize the chance of getting frost bitten because of the chilling weather.

The extreme sports athletes put their lives at risk by participating in these extreme sports. That is why, the competitions offer huge monetary rewards. But more than the monetary gain, it is the love and respect that the athletes get from people. Extreme sports not only offer great excitement for the athletes but also the viewers.

Top 10 Sporting Events with Greatest Television Audience

January 17, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Sporting Events with Greatest Television Audience

Sports are a great source of entertainment. Millions and millions of people all over the world are sports fans, and are in fact more than just fans. They are absolutely dedicated to their sports, their favorite teams and players, and try to be present at the events to witness the action life. However, many of the people cannot afford to watch the games up close, sitting by the side of the court of field. Sometimes, it is the financial problem, and sometimes, it is the distance. For such people, the best option to be a witness of the games is through the television. Some events have huge television audiences. So, let us take a look at the Top 10 Sporting Events with Greatest Television Audience.

Top 10 Sporting Events with Greatest Television Audience

1. National Football League

American Football is one of popular sports in the world today. From college level games to professional level, this sport is followed by thousands. The greatest event of American Football is the National Football League or NFL, founded on August 20, 1920, in Canton, Ohio, in the United States, and the event has a limited 16-game regular season, because there are 32 teams in it, divided equally between the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference. However, it is has the greatest audience in terms of average attendance. The sport has an average television audience of more than 68,000 in each game, and it is covered by almost all the major networks.

2. National Collegiate Athletic Association

Football at the college level is a huge thing. In fact, most of the major players in football are either a part of College Football, or they begin their careers in College Football, where their talent is exposed, and they get hired by major clubs or the national teams. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA was founded on March 31, 1906. The unique thing about the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision is that the champion is not determined by the matches, but is declared by the selectors or organizations, like the USA Today with coaches as selectors, and the Associated Press with sports writers as selectors. It has a television viewership of more than 46,000 in each game.

3. Bundesliga

Soccer is among the most popular sports in the world, followed by millions of people, with a major part of its audience being in the European countries. The soccer league of Germany, the Bundesliga, is one of the top watched events in the world, especially on the television, and the Bundesliga has an average audience of more than 42,000 per game. Founded in the year 1963, this association is composed of 18 teams. The bottom teams get demoted to the second division of the league, while the top teams from the second division get promoted to the higher division in the next season. In comparison to the English, Italian and Spanish, the Bundesliga gets a higher live attendance.

4. Australian Football League

The Australian rules football is a unique sport played in a modified cricket ground between teams of 18 players. Its highest level professional competition is the Australian Football League or the AFL, which was founded back in the year 1897 as the Victorian Football League as a breakaway from the Victorian Football Association. It is the most prominent sporting event in Australia, and has an average television viewership of more than 38,000 in each day. This league has Seven Network and Fox Footy as the television partners. This league has 18 teams participating in it. These teams are spread over five states in Australia, but 10 of the teams, i.e. more than half, are based in Victoria.

5. Major League Baseball

The sport of baseball has a huge popularity, and the people absolutely hooked to the sport. Major League Baseball, or MLB, is one of the biggest leagues in the world. It was founded in the year 1869 in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the United States. The league is considered the sport with the highest total attendance, with more than 73 million per year, and the average television viewership of more than 30,000 per game. Divided into two leagues, i.e. the National League and the American League, with 15 teams, each subdivided into 3 divisions, MLB has 162 games for each team in its regular season. Of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, the MLB is the oldest league.

6. Canadian Football League

As it might be evident from the name itself, Canadian football is played in Canada, and is a form of gridiron football, closely related to American Football, with 12 players in each team. The highest level of competition in this sport is the Canadian Football League, or CFL, which is a prominent sporting event in Canada. It was founded on January 19, 1958 in Montreal in Canada. There are nine teams that are featured in the league, and these eight teams are divided into two divisions, the East Division and the West Division. While the former has four teams, the latter has five. The second-oldest gridiron football league, it has an average television audience of almost 28,000 per game.

7. Super Rugby

Developed at Rugby School and played initially at English public schools during the 19^th century, rugby football is a popular style of football, with mainly two types, i.e. rugby union and rugby league, played with different rules. Super Rugby is the largest form of professional rugby union football competition in the Southern Hemisphere. It began in 1996, when it was called the Super 12, because at that time, it had 12 teams. Then, it got expanded to Super 14 in 2006. Now it is also colloquially known as Super 15. There are 15 teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa which are featured in this tournament. It has an average television audience of more than 21,000 per game.

8. National Hockey League

Ice Hockey, referred to as simply Hockey in some regions, is a sports that has among the largest audience in the world. The biggest Ice Hockey tournament in the world is the National Hockey Tournament, or NHL. It was founded on November 26, 191, in Montreal in Canada. The NHL has 30 member clubs, of which, 23 are from the United States and the remaining seven are from Canada. The Canadians once used to dominate the lineups in this sport, but since the expansion of the league from the original six clubs to include even European players, the face of the game has largely changed. The NHL has an average television viewership of more than 17,000 in each game.

9. National Rugby League

Rugby league being one of the most popular sports in the world, the National Rugby League, or the NRL, is considered the elite rugby league championship. Formed in 1998 as a merger between the Super League and the Australian Rugby League, it is run by the Australian Rugby League Competition. It features 16 teams, 15 of which are from Australia, and one from New Zealand. Considered the top club rugby league tournament Australasia, its main competition is the Telstra Premiership. Based on each season, the tournament has the highest viewership and attendance among rugby football club competitions, with over 17,000 television viewership per game.

10. National Basketball Association

Basketball is definitely one of the biggest sports in the world, with millions of people who follow the games on court as well as on the television, with over 17,000 viewership per game. The greatest sporting event in this sport is the National Basketball Association, or the NBA, which was founded on June 6, 1946, in New York City, New York in the United States, as the Basketball Association of America, or the BAA. NBA players are some of the highest paid athletes in the world, with excellent performances displayed in the NBA, such that the players from the NBA are selected to perform in the Olympics. There are 30 teams in the NBA, of which 29 are from the USA and 1 from Canada.

The sports being watched on television help to increase the TRP of the channels that broadcast the games. Accordingly, the top sports companies try to rope in the players of these popular sports to endorse their brand names, and the advertisements appear on the television, making the viewers even more excited to watch their favorite players off the field or court.

Highest Paying Sports in the World

January 4, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Highest Paying Sports

The world of entertainment is that of glitz and glamour. It offers lucrative career options for all those who are talented and manage to establish themselves. In particular, sports offer a huge hugely profitable career option. The successful athletes are among the highest paid people in the world. This is proven by the lists that are published every year by organizations who evaluate the worth of the athletes. One of the most famous and reliable lists is published by none other than Forbes. It is quite clear that the athletes earn enough from just the games and tournaments in the form of salary or prize money, let alone the endorsement deals, to put them among the wealthiest celebrities of the world.

You May Also Like: Forbes Highest Paid Athletes 2015

Highest Paying Sports in the World

1. Basketball

Reputed basketball tournaments such as the NBA are widely known among the highest paying sports events of the world. From numerous of their endorsements, the participants earns in millions besides as they also earns huge amount of salary from their respected teams. Their own signature shoes and jerseys also boost their income on yearly basis. Michael Jordan, the legendary basketball player, topped the Forbes list of Richest Players with $35.9 million income in 1992, $36.0 million income in 1993, $30.01 million in 1994, $43.9 million in 1995, $78.3 million income in 1997 and with $69 million total income in 1998. Former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal secured the 6th place in 1993 in the Forbes list of Richest Players with $15.2 million and again secured the 2nd place in 1994 in the list with $16.7 million.

You May Also Like: Top 10 Highest Paid NBA Players

2. Boxing

One of the most dangerous sports of modern times, Boxing, is also reputed for being the best paying sporting event. Besides their earnings as tournament prize money, they also get good amount of profit from Pay-Per-View commissions, betting and endorsements. In 1991, legendary boxer Mike Tyson first topped the Forbes list of Richest Players with $28.6 million and again achieved the same in 1996 with a total income of $75 million. In 1992, legendary boxer Evander Holyfield topped the Forbes list of Richest Players with $60.5 million. After a little break in the Forbes list of Richest Players, Floyd Mayweather topped the list in 2012 with $85 million income and again achieved the first place in 2014 with $105 million income.

You May Also Like: Top 10 Most Difficult Sports to Play

3. Auto Racing

Various events of auto racing like the Grand Prix of Formula1 or Nascar are counted among the highest paying events in the sports universe. The involvement of risks gets compromised a bit with great winning amount as prize money besides several endorsements of reputed brands. One of the most successful F1 drivers Michael Schumacher secured the first place in 1999 in the Forbes list of Richest Players with a total income of $49 million and again achieved the same feat in 2000 with $59 million. Long before, in 1992, Auto Racing driver Ayrton Senna achieved the 3rd place of Forbes list of Richest Players with $22 million and the same year another driver Nigel Mansell also achieved the 4th place with a total income of $14.5 million.

You May Also Like: Top 10 Spots for Adventure Sports

4. Golf

One of the most successful golfer and legendary athlete, Tiger Woods, still holds the record of being in the first place in Forbes list of Richest Players a record eleven times. Woods topped the Forbes list in 2002 with $69 million income, in 2003 with $78 million income, in 2004 with $80.3 million, in 2005 with $87 million income, in 2006 with $90 million, in 2007 with $100 million total income, in 2008 with $115 million income, in 2009 with $110 million, in 2010 with $105 million, in 2011 with $75 million and again in 2013 with a total income of $78.1 million. Many years before the amazing achievement of Tiger Wood, Jack Nickalus secured the 3rd place in 1994 in the list of richest players by Forbes with $14.8 million income and Arnold Palmer with a total income of $13.6 million also achieved the 4th place the same year in the list.

You May Also Like: Top 10 Richest Golfers 2015

5. American Football

American Football is widely known for being one of the highest paying sports in the universe as the players’ frequently secured position in the Forbes list of Richest Players. In 1992, Joe Montana first achieved the 7th place in the Forbes list with a total income of $9.5 million. With a total income of $22.5 million, American Football star Deion Sanders achieved the 3rd place in the list in 1995. In 2004, Legendary NFL player Peyton Manning achieved the 3rd place in the Forbes list of Richest Players with $42 million income. In 2005 with $37.5 million income, Michael Vick achieved the 4th place in the list. Tom Brady, one of the greatest football players of all time, achieved the 9th place in the Forbes list of Richest Players in 2006 with a total income of $29 million.

You May Also Like: Top 10 Highest NFL Players 2015

6. Soccer

Legendary English footballer, David Beckham, first inducted in 2004 in the 8th place in the Forbes list with a total income of $28 million. He then secured the 7th place in 2005 in the list with a total income of $32.5 million and again achieved the 6th place in the Forbes list of Richest Players in 2007 with $33 million. In 2007, Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho achieved the 9th place in the Forbes list with $31million income. In 2008, David Beckham again secured the 2nd place in the Forbes list of Richest Players with a total income worth of $50 million. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese footballer, last year achieved the 2nd place in the Forbes 2014 list of richest players with a total income of $80 million. Last year, another great Argentine footballer Lionel Messi with a total income of $64.7 million also achieved the 4th place in the list.

You May Also Like: Top 10 Highest Paid Soccer Players

7. Tennis

Tennis is one of the most well-known of recreational sports and it is played by millions of people throughout the world. With WTA tours being among the highest paying tournaments of the world, the tennis players quite frequently secure their places in the Forbes list of Richest Players. In 1992, legendary tennis player Andre Agassi achieved the 6th position in the list, having $11 million worth of total income. Jim Courier, 1993, achieved the 9th place in the Forbes list of Richest Players with $12.6 million worth of total income. Recent days tennis star Roger Federer achieved the 6th place in the Forbes list of Richest Players in 2008, 2010 and 2013, having earned total income worth $35 million, $43 million and $71.5 million respectively.

You May Also Like: Top 10 Highest Paid Tennis Players

8. Ice Hockey

The physical sport of fast pace, Ice Hockey, is often nicknamed “The Fastest Game on Earth”. It is considered among the highest paying sports of the world, with its participants having secured decent places, quite frequently, in the list of Richest Players by Forbes. In 1994, famous ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky achieved the 5th place in the list with $13.5 million worth of total income. He then achieved the 10th place in the list in the following year, i.e. in 1995 with $14.5 million worth of total income. In 1997, Joe Sakic, the ice hockey player from Canada, achieved the 9th place in the Forbes list of Richest Players, with 17.9 million worth of total income. In 1998, Sergei Federov, the international ice hockey player from Russia, achieved the 3rd place in the list with a total income worth $29.8 million.

You May Also Like: Top 10 Highest Paid NHL Players

9. Baseball

Jayson Stark, a reputed sports columnist, once described baseball as “a unique paragon of American culture,” as it is still among the major sports of America. More than 2.1 million people from the US alone participate in the sport. These participants are among the highest paid sportspersons in the world, especially because of the huge viewership of MLB. Cecil Fielder, a famous American baseball player at first achieved the 8th position in the Forbes list of Richest Players in 1993 with a total income of $12.7 million, while Alex Rodriguez achieved the 7th place in the Forbes list of Richest Players in 2003 with a total income of $26 million. In 2004, he again achieved the 9th place with a total income of $26.2 million and in 2011 he secured his position with $35 million total income.

You May Also Like: Top 10 Highest Paid MLB Players

10. Cycling

Charles Minthorn Murphy, back in the year 1899, turned out to be the first cyclist to cover a mile’s distance in under a minute’s time, and thus earned himself the nickname of “Mile-a-Minute Murphy”. Cycling is looked upon as one of the most active sports in the world, ever since cycles and other human-powered vehicles have undergone innovations. There are many cycling tournaments that are counted among one of the highest paying event in the planet earth. Besides huge income from the tournament earning, the famous cyclists also gets good amount of money from their endorsers. Legendary cyclist and one of the most controversial athletes of modern days Lance Armstrong achieved the 9th place in the Forbes list of Richest Players in 2010 with a total income of $28 million.

Sports industry is indeed a place where an athlete can find great wealth and fame. That is why, many young people want to build a career in sports, in pursuit of this fame and money. However, what they forget is that it takes more than just the want for fame and wealth in sports. An athlete has to be dedicated to his sport and become really good at it first. Only then will the rest of the things follow as rewards. Sports may be lucrative, but before that, they are challenging.