Last month Jimmie Johnson became the first person to win four NASCAR championships in a row with a 5th-place finish at the Ford 400. Today the Associated Press named him its 2009 Male Athlete of the Year. He is the first racecar driver ever to receive this award in its 78-year history.
The award is voted on by AP-member newspaper editors from across the country. Johnson is received 42 votes. The next highest vote-getter was tennis star Roger Federer with 30 votes. Olympic gold-medal sprinter Usain Bolt received 29.
Tiger Woods, the AP's Athlete of the Decade, received 9 votes, tying with the LA Lakers' Kobe Bryant and the St. Louis Cardinals' MVP first baseman Albert Pujols.
Photo source: JimmieJohnson.com
inlinesix says:
02:53 PM, 12/21/09
Tiger Woods get the "player" of the decade award alright.
f1ndler says:
05:33 PM, 12/21/09
I guess it's the same BS as the car of the year award.
f1ndler says:
05:48 PM, 12/21/09
I guess it's the same BS as the car of the year award.
estreka says:
07:25 PM, 12/21/09
Seriously? You're going to give Athlete of the Year to a NASCAR driver? Those dudes have pot bellies!
dougtheeng says:
06:18 AM, 12/22/09
NASCAR is terrible.
How does Usain Bolt get so many votes? He has only been around in public eye for 2.5 years. I'm not putting down his incredible achievements, but shouldn't it be someone who has made an impact all across the decade?
mrryte says:
07:02 AM, 12/22/09
Is there an actual set of criteria for selecting athlete of the year or is it just based on opinion?
felonious says:
09:25 AM, 12/22/09
You guys who are complaining or questioning this pick have obviously never been on a track, and especially not in real competition. It is very physically demanding, not to mention mentally! Jimmie is also an obsessed fitness buff. He says he can run five miles faster than most NFL players. Google around, it's not hard to find the article.