Even though Michael Jordan has played his last NBA All Star game and is no longer one of the NBA’s star performers, he is still, by a wide margin, the nation’s favorite sports star. He is enormously popular both on and off the court. The next four places in our “top-ten” list of favorites are Tiger Woods (#2), Brett Favre (#3), Jerry Rice (#4) and Shaquille ONeal (#5). Michael Jordan has topped this list every time since we first asked the question since 1993.
Other sports stars with a large popular following are Emmitt Smith (#6), Kobe Bryant (#7), Michelle Kwan (#8), Terry Bradshaw, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi and John Elway (all equal #9). The last time we asked this question was in 1999. Since then, only four sports stars have remained in the top-ten list: Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Brett Favre and Jerry Rice.
These are the results of a Harris Poll based on 2,201 interviews conducted online with a nationwide cross section of adults surveyed between January 21 and 27, 2003.
This year’s “top-ten” list includes twelve people, because four of them are tied for ninth place. This year’s list includes two former stars who no longer play their sports: One (Terry Bradshaw), who is now a popular commentator, and another (John Elway), who is just a memory. Michael Jordan surely is rated number one for his record rather than for his current performance.
This year’s top twelve includes five football players, three basketball players, two tennis players, one golfer and one skater, but not even one baseball player. In 1999 the top ten included both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. This year’s list also includes two women (Michele Kwan and Serena Williams). In 1999 the list only included men.
Those who were on the list in 1999, but who are not in the top ten now, are (with their ranking four years ago): Joe Montana (#2), Troy Aikman (#3), Mark McGwire (#5), Dale Earnhardt (#8), Sammy Sosa (#9) and Steve Young (#10).
TABLE 1
FAVORITE SPORTS STAR
"Who is your favorite sports star?"
Base: All adults Now
Rank 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2003
1 Michael Jordan 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 Tiger Woods * * * * * * 7 2
3 Brett Favre * * * =8 3 4 4 3
4 Jerry Rice * * * * * * * 4
5 Shaquille ONeal * * 7 5 * * * 5
6 Emmitt Smith * 4 3 =5 =7 6 * 6
7 Kobe Bryant * * * * * * * 7
8 Michelle Kwan * * * * * * * 8
=9 John Elway * 10 * 3 4 5 6 =9
=9 Terry Bradshaw * * * * * * * =9
=9 Serena Williams * * * * * * * =9
=9 Andre Agassi * * * * * * * =9
* Not listed in that year
Those on the 1999 List Who Have Dropped Out of the Top Ten This Year Joe Montana (was #2), Troy Aikman (#3), Mark McGwire (#5), Dale Earnhardt (#8), Sammy Sosa (#9) and Steve Young (#2).
Methodology
The Harris Poll(R) was conducted online within the United States between January 21and 27, 2003 among a nationwide cross section of 2,201 adults. Figures for age, sex, race, education and number of adults in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. “Propensity score” weighting was also used to adjust for respondents propensity to be online.
In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus two percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. And this online survey is not a probability sample.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
