The folks at Bloomberg Businessweek have released their 2012 Power 100, a listing of the people that they feel are the most powerful athletes in sports. . .not just in terms of on-field performance, but their value off of the field as well. The Minnesota Vikings managed to put two players onto the list. . .and, yes, they're exactly the players that you would expect them to be.
First up, at number 27, is running back Adrian Peterson. He was number 33 on the list last year, so he moved up a few notches despite things being pretty rough for him in 2011. The slideshow here. . .and, yes, slideshows are awful, which is why I just linked straight to AP's page here. . .expresses doubt about his ability to stay on the list after his recent injury. Here's hoping that he can prove them (and everybody else) wrong and move up the list again next season.
The other Viking, coming in at number 61 after not being on the list at all last season, is Jared Allen. Again, we've gone over Allen's superb season a lot on the site here already, so there's not really a lot more that can be said. Granted, if he manages to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, we'll find something.
Overall, of the 100 players on the list, the NFL accounts for 26 spots, including all of the top three. Just goes to show what a force the league is in the American sports scene.