Despite the fact that he will drop out of the top 10 in golf’s world ranking next week, Tiger Woods is still the sporting world’s biggest superstar, remaining as the world’s most influential athlete, besides being its highest earning one, coming in sixth in Forbes‘ latest annual ‘Celebrity 100 List’, which ranks the most powerful people in the entertainment business.

‘The Celebrity 100’ is a measure of entertainment-related earnings and media visibility (exposure in print, television, radio and online). Forbes also measures social media power by looking at each celebrity’s presence on Facebook and Twitter. The earnings consist of pretax income between May 1, 2010, and May 1, 2011.

At US$75m, Woods is down $30m from last year’s $105m earnings which placed him 5th on Forbes’ list in 2010. Despite taking major endorsement hits following the scandal that ended his marriage, Woods still made $22m more than basketball all-star Kobe Bryant in the past year, Forbes said.

The second highest sports star, a long way behind Woods, is National Basketball Association (NBA) and Miami Heat’s LeBron James with $48m, up $5 million from last year and ahead of Bryant in the power stakes. 

Tennis star Roger Federer was 25th on the list, placing him fourth among athletes, while other sports figures on the list included David Beckham and Phil Mickelson (tied at No. 35), Cristiano Ronaldo (No. 43), Rafael Nadal (No. 46), Tom Brady (No. 55), Dwight Howard (No. 59), Lionel Messi (No. 62), Peyton Manning (No. 72), Maria Sharapova (No. 80) and Serena (No. 84) and Venus Williams (No. 86).

All told, Forbes said the 19 athletes on the list this year earned a combined $647m. Among those from the sports world who were ranked in 2010 but fell off the most recent Forbes celebrity list were Michael Jordan (20th in 2010), Floyd Mayweather (31st), Shaquille O’Neal (52nd), Manny Pacquiao (55th) and Lance Armstrong (65th).

According to tournament organiser Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 Ltd., allergy this year’s Rugby World Cup held in the nation may attract as many as 95, sale 000 foreign visitors following strong ticket sales to overseas markets.

RNZ 2011 Chief Executive Officer Martin Snedden said at a tournament briefing in Sydney today: “At the moment, ampoule we’re picking about 85 to 95,000 visitors. We started out thinking it might be around 60 or 70,000, based on the Sydney Olympics and Rugby World Cup in 2003, but the offshore sales have been incredibly strong.”

Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard said, January 28, that hosting the seventh edition of rugby’s quadrennial world championship will add about US$545m, or 0.33 per cent, to gross domestic product. Staging the event can boost the local economy by as much as $1.9bn, according to a Deloitte LLP study.

The 20-nation World Cup starts in 150 days, when New Zealand’s top-ranked All Blacks face Tonga in the first of 48 matches. The final is scheduled Oct. 23 in Auckland.

Snedden said that the tournament offers New Zealand a rare chance to showcase itself globally as a tourist destination, adding: “This is our Olympics, this is our soccer World Cup.

“This is by far the biggest event that our country has ever hosted and in the foreseeable future will host. It is really, really important that we host it in the right way.”

Hero Honda, the Indian two-wheeler giant, has reportedly signed on as the lead sponsor of the Nita Ambani owned Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket franchise the Mumbai Indians, replacing consumer electronics major Videocon.

The deal which will last for three-years, involves sponsorship money of around US$15.5m, The Economic Times quotes an executive with a media buying firm as having said. Videocon had signed a three-year deal with Mumbai Indians for an estimated figure of just over half that amount last year.

However, a source close to the developments told SportzPower that nothing has been “finalised” as yet since the talks were still on.

Hero Honda was the lead sponsor of Delhi Daredevils for the past three years and had decided against continuing its association with them, which prompted the Daredevils to sign up Muthoot Group as their lead sponsor.

Tokyo-based co-director Yasuaki Kagami of English League One soccer club Plymouth Argyle is believed to have made an injection of funds to help the cash-strapped club.

The club, which is believed to have debts of around £10m (US$16.2m), were docked 10 points last week after issuing a notice of intention to appoint an administrator.

American director at Argyle George Synan described the funds as “survival money” and added that he was determined “to get the mess sorted”.

In an interview with BBC Spotlight, Synan stated: “It is not the full amount but it is the first piece of the money that we have said we will invest.

“We are working with the directors on how the cash situation can be resolved.”

Mr Synan, who has not been seen in Plymouth since November, added: “I am trying to arrange a schedule and I hope to be in Plymouth on Wednesday or Thursday.

“This is from Mr Kagami’s personal funds. We are in real estate and we have to let go of assets.”

The co-owner stated that he and Mr Kagami were still keen to play their part in the League One club, adding: “We have a pretty substantial sum invested and we want to get the mess sorted.”

Coverage of the 2011 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club will expand with 10 hours of programming in 3D, medical it was announced by host broadcaster ESPN with content going out via their 3D network, find including two hours from all four rounds of Tournament action.

ESPN 3D’s live five-day Masters telecasts begin with the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, online April 6. Last April, the Masters became the first major sporting event produced and broadcast in 3D live internationally on television and the Internet.

ESPN 3D was launched in June of 2010 and expanded to a 24-hour network in January of this year. ESPN has televised the Par 3 Contest and first and second rounds of The Masters since 2008.

In addition to coverage on ESPN 3D, ESPN’s multiplatform coverage of the Masters will include 4.5 hours per day of first and second-round play on ESPN, ESPN HD and ESPN Deportes on Thursday and Friday, SportsCenter at the Masters and live coverage of the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, extensive coverage on ESPN.com and a special 43-hour Masters tribute on ESPN Classic.

Performance sporting apparel brand Asics has announced the appointment of Pitch, a sports and sponsorship communications consultancy, as its retained UK PR agency following a competitive selection process.

The brand have made the appointment as it significantly steps up its marketing investment in the run-up to London 2012 Olympic Games after releasing the global advertising campaign “Running releases more than just sweat” at the start of the year.

Asics began 2011 supported by the brand’s largest ever media spend which has increased tenfold from 2010 and includes Asics’ first UK television spots through the new ad campaign, supplemented with increased advertising investment in the sports sections of national press, specialist vertical press and large scale activity in national premium gym chains.

Pitch’s communications strategy will aim to help bring the “Sound Mind, Sound Body” brand ethos of Asics to life for consumers as well as developing PR campaigns to educate consumers about Asics’ expertise in the popular running market and as a sport performance brand that represents innovation, science and true sport.

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission found that the National Football League (NFL) side, clinic Minnesota Vikings lost more than US$10m in gate receipts as a result of the roof collapse at the Metrodome arena in which they play their home matches.

The caving in of a portion of the roof was caused by excessive weight and pressure from the prolonged period of snowfall at the end of lat year and forced the game against the Giants to be moved to Detroit and the one against the Bears to move to TCF Bank Stadium.

The team also took in $789,000 in concession sales in 2010, down from $1.15m in the previous year, a total that again reflected 11 Metrodome dates in 2009 compared with eight in 2010.

Adidas, cough in their role as official sportswear provider for London 2012, have launched a new initiative offering the UK public the opportunity to name the official soccer ball that will be used at the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

The design of the ball remains unknown and will continue to do so until the official launch in the spring of 2012, when the lucky winner will become part of Olympic Games history by having their suggested name printed on the ball. 

Not only will the winner become part of the Olympic legacy, they will also be presented with an official tournament soccer ball and, as a little extra, two tickets to the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley, a welcome add-on with the high ticket prices announced yesterday, February 17. 

Everton and England U21 player Jack Rodwell said: “The Games capture the whole world’s attention and it’ll be amazing to have the finest sportsmen and women competing in Britain. I would be proud to be involved and represent Team GB as competing in an Olympics on home soil is without a doubt, a once in lifetime opportunity”.

An expert panel will then narrow down the entries to a shortlist of 10 and, from this top 10, one winner will be picked. 

Chairman of the 2012 Games, Sebastian Coe, added: “The Olympic Football tournament will see some of the world’s best young players competing in this country and millions of people can be part of it when tickets go on sale from March 15.  However one lucky person will make a real mark on the tournament by naming the ball – what an opportunity to be part of Olympic history”.