The Associated Press released its list of top 10 sports stories of the year on Thursday and, appropriately, it included Jimmie Johnson winning his fifth straight NASCAR championship.
Five-Time? Associated Press Drops NASCAR Champ Jimmie Johnson Five Spots On Top Stories List
↵But Johnson was only No. 7 on the list, below even the ongoing story of NFL concussions (No. 6).
↵That’s puzzling because on last year’s top 10 list, Johnson’s fourth consecutive title was enough to merit the No. 2 spot (second only to the baseball steroid scandal). Johnson then went on to win the AP’s Male Athlete of the Year award.
↵For some reason, Johnson’s drive for five didn’t grab the same amount of respect – at least on the top stories list (the AP hasn’t announced its Male Athlete of the Year yet).
↵Look, we get Tiger Woods (No. 1), LeBron James to the Miami Heat (No. 3) and the World Cup (No. 4) on this year’s list.
↵But to put Johnson’s historic NASCAR run below NFL concussions doesn’t seem to do it justice. NFL concussions aren’t anything new, while Johnson is continuing to extend a streak of championships that no one has ever matched.
↵Let’s hope this isn’t a bad sign for Johnson’s chances of winning Male Athlete of the Year for a second straight year. That would seem like a slap in the face to all of NASCAR.
↵UPDATE: The AP announced Friday that Drew Brees is the 2010 Male Athlete of the Year. Johnson was second.
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