Fortunate 50: Sports Elite in the Green

... to a measly $70 million

(NEWSER) - Tiger Woods remains the nation's top-paid athlete in the Sports Illustrated rankings, even though USA Today notes his endorsements fell by $22 million and sales of his video game are sluggish . The top 5:

1. Tiger Woods: $90.5 million (including $70 million in endorsements).
2. Phil Mickelson: $61.7 million ($52 million)
3. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: $60.3 million ($250,000)
4. LeBron James: $45.8 million ($30 million)
5. Alex Rodriguez: $37 million ($4 million)

Graeme McDowell takes top honors

(AP) - When Phil Mickelson made his birdie attempt from off the green on the opening hole yesterday, the gallery roared its approval. The fans were prepared to see Lefty charge. They did the same every time Ernie Els or Tiger Woods made a move, creating a rumble of energy through Pebble Beach at the US Open. By the end, those roars were reserved for unknown Graeme McDowell on the 18th green as the new US Open champ. Lefty, Ernie, and Tiger were nowhere to be found. Key bogeys had dropped the big names out of the running. More»

Golfer blogs about Masters, thanks spectators

(NEWSER) - One little sex scandal seems to have turned Tiger Woods into a man of the people. Tiger thanked his fans profusely today, in his first blog post since October, for the warm reception they gave him at the Masters. “I honestly didn't know what to expect from the fans, but they were absolutely incredible,” he wrote. “To get that type of warmth is something I did not expect and will never forget.” More»

Crowd lifts Lefty as Woods slumps in return to competition

(AP) - Phil Mickelson, already a fan favorite and now the sentimental pick with his wife and mother battling breast cancer, won his third Masters today, shooting a 5-under 67 to pull away for a 3-stroke win over Lee Westwood. Tiger Woods, the week's sideshow in his return to competition, had an uneven day that ended with a 3-under 69 and a tie for fourth with KJ Choi at 11-under 277, 4 strokes behind Mickelson. Anthony Kim finished third. More»

Pacman Jones' strip club behavior typifies the sad new culture

(NEWSER) - American sports culture descended into sheer decadence this decade, and no single incident sums it better than Pacman Jones' "making it rain" with cash in a Vegas strip club in 2007, writes Clay Travis for Fanhouse. The chaos that ensued after he tossed around the money—reportedly about $100,000—left a bouncer shot outside the club. Click here for Travis' full list of the decade's 10 worst examples of athletes' excess. More»