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NCTREND Pro sports PoPularity contest

WHO ARE THE STATE’S MOST SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES? DEPENDS ON HOW YOU MEASURE IT.

BY SPENCER CAMPBELL

enny Hamlin caused a bit of a stir in October when he opined that “NASCAR drivers should be making NBA, NFL money.” Hey Hamlin, you already are: The driver of the DNo. 11 Toyota Camry for Huntersville-based Joe Gibbs Racing Inc. took in $13.1 million in salary and winnings in 2016, according to a review of professional athlete salaries. That’s more than Carolina Panther Luke Kuechly and Charlotte Hornet Kemba Walker earned — and both are All-Stars. It’s difficult to make sense of pro sports salaries because more than just performance factors into contracts. Marketability, for instance. We asked Manhasset, N.Y.-based Marketing Evaluations Inc. to calculate the Q Scores — percentage of fans who feel positively about a player — of some of our state’s highest-earning athletes. The following chart compares Q Scores and salaries (excluding endorsements). NASCAR drivers are, on average, the most recognizable. Point: Hamlin. Counterpoint: Hamlin was one of the least popular athletes on our list. DWIGHT HOWARD

SALARY Q SCORE (MILLION) DALE EARNHARDT JR. Not only was he NASCAR’s most popular driver, Earnhardt is popular, period. The average positive Q Score is NASCAR 30 $13.1 16 — Junior’s is double that. He retired at the end of last season at the tender age of 43. KEMBA WALKER The Hornets' best player might be an All-Star, but his salary lags behind other NBA ballers of his stature. Charlotte Hornets 25 12.0 Will that change after the 2018-19 season, when Walker becomes an unrestricted free agent? JIMMIE JOHNSON Johnson surpassed Earnhardt as the top-earning driver in 2016 — though Junior sitting out the final 18 races NASCAR 24 16.4 of the year due to concussion symptoms definitely helped Johnson's cause. LUKE KUECHLY A five-time Pro Bowler, Panthers Kuechly has scored endorsement deals with Campbell's 24 12.8 Soup and Geico. He has decent dibs on recognizability but not always for a good reason. Will Newton's Q Score take a ding Carolina Panthers 23 20.2 from some of the recent things he's said? Despite being a popular player, the 37-year-old saw his earnings drop from $8 million in 2016-17 to Carolina Panthers 21 3.8 $3.75 million this season, even though his sack production has remained steady. The probable Hall of Famer got the boot from Joe Gibbs Racing after last season, even after finishing seventh MATT KENSETH 19 10.5 in the season standings. That might be due to the fact that, though a former NASCAR champ and 39-time race NASCAR winner, Kenseth still doesn't stand out in a crowd. WEBB SIMPSON The Wake Forest University alumnus has put together a fine PGA Tour career, amassing more than 19 3.2 PGA Tour $25 million in earnings. DENNY HAMLIN Some believe that Hamlin's feud with Chase Elliott, an up-and-coming driver and son of 16-time most NASCAR 18 13.1 popular driver Bill Elliott, might cost him. KYLE BUSCH You might recognize Busch from his cameo as a state trooper in the 2017 filmLogan Lucky. More likely, you still NASCAR 16 13.3 only think of Busch as a NASCAR villain. KEVIN HARVICK Not only one of the most successful drivers on the track, Harvick also hosts his own radio show, Happy Hours, NASCAR 16 12.0 on Sirius XM Radio. KASEY KAHNE The baby-faced driver was with Charlotte's Hendrick Motorsports for six years, but so-so results cost him his ride. NASCAR 16 10.3 This year, he'll drive for Concord-based Leavine Family Racing. DWIGHT HOWARD His performance has deteriorated over the years, but he’s started strong this year. Once sponsored by Charlotte Hornets 14 23.5 McDonald’s and Gatorade, Howard now reps only Peak, a Chinese sportswear company.

NASCAR salaries are for 2016. Other salaries are for 2017 or the current sports season, sources: Spotrac, Forbes, PGA Tour STIERCH SARAH

10 BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA