Top 10 Earning Models of 2008

1. Gisele Bundchen - $33 million

The highest-paid model in the world had two high-profile breakups last year: First she split with boyfriend Leonardo DiCaprio and then with longtime client Victoria’s Secret. But shed no tears for the Brazilian bombshell: The 26-year-old still commands more money and more contracts than any other model on the planet, gracing ads for Apple, Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli. Her line of sandals, Ipanema by Gisele, is expanding into the U.S. and Europe. Her latest paramour is New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

2. Kate Moss - $9 million

The 33-year-old superwaif continued her comeback from last year’s cocaine scandal: She’s the new face of Stella McCartney and Italian sportswear company Belstaff. She also recently launched a clothing line for British retailer Topshop (carried in the U.S. at Barneys New York). Moss has also managed to hang onto modeling gigs with Rimmel, Burberry and Dior. Her relationship with drug-addled British rocker Pete Doherty keeps her in the tabloids.

3. Heidi Klum - $8 million

The 34-year-old model and mother of three (hubby is singer Seal) renewed her Victoria’s Secret contract and still helms the hit Bravo reality show Project Runway. She also hosted Germany’s version of America’s Next Top Model. In her “spare” time, she designs and markets a line of jewelry through Mouawad.

4. Adriana Lima - $6 million

The 26-year-old Victoria’s Secret model is probably the most famous Brazilian babe since Gisele Bundchen. She’s also the face of Maybelline and Italian phone company Telecom Italia. Her April 2006 GQ cover was the highest-selling issue of the year.

5. Alessandra Ambrosio - $6 million

This olive-skinned beauty, 26, confidently stakes her turf among the Victoria’s Secret Brazilian trinity, which is rounded out by former roommate Gisele Bundchen and Adriana Lima. She also models for Armani Exchange and Next U.K.

6. Carolyn Murphy - $5 million

This native Floridian, 31, is ubiquitous. As the main face of Estée Lauder (a title she took over from Elizabeth Hurley in 2001), she peers down at beauty counters all over the world. She can also be seen in campaigns for Jantzen swimwear, Missoni, Versace, Anne Klein and Tiffany and Co.

7. Natalia Vodianova - $4.5 million

The Russia-born Vodianova, 25, has been a Calvin Klein muse for longer than any other model, including Kate Moss. She also poses for David Yurman jewelry (as does Moss). Vodianova, active in speaking out against eating disorders within the modeling industry, just gave birth to her third child with husband the Honorable Justin Portman, a British real estate heir. So far this year, she’s the only model to have the cover of Vogue to herself.

8. Karolina Kurkova - $3.5 million

The 23-year-old Czech model reigns next to Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio as one of the highest-ranking angels in the Victoria’s Secret roster. At 16, Kurkova appeared on the February 2001 cover of American Vogue, making her one of the youngest models ever to do so. She can be seen in the upcoming movie My Sexiest Year, starring Harvey Keitel and Frankie Muniz, in which she plays–what else?–a supermodel.

9. Daria Werbowy - $3.5 million

Werbowy’s name may not be familiar, but unless you’ve been living underground, you’ve seen this 22-year-old Canadian, who is the face of Lancome. She also models for Louis Vuitton, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Valentino, H&M, Missoni and David Yurman.

10. Gemma Ward - $3 million

The Australian model doesn’t yet have an American multiyear cosmetic contract, but give her time. The 19-year-old models for Valentino, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Karl Lagerfeld, Swarovski and Louis Vuitton. Her Kewpie-doll look inspired a new rage in the industry and makes her especially popular in Japan, where she’s the face of the enormous Kose cosmetics and skincare line.

How TOM BRADY's Injury cost Fantasy Footballers $150 million ?

Tom Brady's injury is a bad thing for many people on a number of levels. Bad for the Patriots in the AFC East. Bad for Brady because his knee is kind of funked. And bad for fantasy owners, because according to Darren Rovell, if Brady is out for the season, his collective ownership will lose $150 million.

Here's how the math is done.

Brady's incredible year last year, which included a record 50 touchdown passes, meant that about 50 percent of the people who drafted Brady last year won their leagues, Thomas said. With the Brady hype not bought by all, Thomas said that it was believed that about 30 percent of leagues this year would be won because of Brady.

With about $500 million in fantasy prizes on the line, that's a $150 million shift in dollars. And some think that's at the low end of the spectrum since the total value of office pools is tough to ascertain.

See, I would have had it pegged for more -- there are TONS of fantasy football leagues in which none of the prizes are monitored by any website or agency of any kind. Hell, I'm in at least ... um, zero of them. Yes, zero.

GIANTS REIGN ON PATRIOTS PARADE ! ! !

One of the great upsets and great dramas in sports history produced more than just one winner – the New York Giants – and one loser – the New England Patriots. The game within a game (not to mention the television broadcast), a week of Super Bowl excess and the crushed shot at history for the Patriots produced all of the following:

WINNER: The Giants' defensive front

Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, Jay Alford, et al. dominated this football game, pressuring Tom Brady like no other opponent all season.

It wasn't just the five sacks. It wasn't just the rushes that threw off Brady's timing and derailed the usually high-octane Patriots offense. It was how Brady was edged even when he wasn't pressured, how he overthrew wide-open receivers and made too-quick decisions. It was the false starts by the overwhelmed Patriots line.

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It's unlikely even Tom Coughlin thought his team could win 17-14, more likely thinking his team needed to get at least 28 points. But the line did it. The Giants thoroughly outplayed the Patriots in this game, and this was where it started.

WINNER: Eli Manning

He long has been doubted and often has been hammered by fans and in the media. In truth, he often has deserved it. But he matured in this postseason, and his fourth-quarter drive will cement his legend in New York forever.

The numbers – 19-of-34 passing, 255 yards – never will tell the story of a guy who kept the mistakes to the minimum and, when needed, played like an all-time great.

"Eli Manning Super Bowl MVP" was a phrase that probably no one – not even Archie Manning (by the way, can we have some new sons?) – would have believed just a month ago. But here we are, Eli looking on that final drive like Brady did in his first Super Bowl triumph over the St. Louis Rams.

LOSER: Bill Belichick

His third-quarter decision to go for it on fourth-and-13 rather than kick a 49-yard field goal will be analyzed forever. His kicker, Stephen Gostkowski, was at the end but certainly within his range. A successful kick would have made the game 10-3 and, eventually, 17-17.

Even if he missed, the field position loss wasn't that bad (Giants' 31-yard line). Fourth-and-13 is about as low percentage as it gets, and for Belichick to make such a confused tactical decision seemed to help build confidence in the Giants.

MorrisWINNER: 1972 Dolphins

They remain the only perfect team in the NFL's Super Bowl era, their spot in history secure for, who knows, maybe another 35 years. If this Patriots team couldn't navigate the salary cap era's first 19-0 season, then who can?

LOSER: The rest of us

Who have to continue hearing Mercury Morris and his fellow grumpy old men crow about it.

WINNER: Plaxico Burress

Not so much for his winning TD catch – he was all alone and should have made it – but his prediction of 23-17. It was an overblown story, but it is worth noting Brady's reaction.

"We're only going to score 17 points?" Brady said with a laugh. "OK. Is Plax playing defense?"

Turns out New England wished it could have scored 17.

TyreeWINNER: Eli Manning to David Tyree

Perhaps no play epitomized the Giants' heart in this game more than their last hookup. First, Manning was all but sacked three different times, somehow fought it all off, scrambled free and made a desperation throw for an against-the-helmet, test of wills 32-yard catch by Tyree.

That was the stuff of legend.

All over Phoenix this week hung signs that read "Who Wants It More?" Turns out it was a former sixth-round pick.

LOSER: Tom Brady

The guy was harassed all night and did deliver a late-game touchdown drive, but his body language and facial expressions throughout were anything but his old cool self. When the going got really tough in this game (aside from the aforementioned series), he couldn't find a way to make this offense move the football. For someone who always had been so great in the most tense of moments, this was an unexpected stumble.

WINNER: "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"

The Fox show not only looks somewhat promising but also its in-game advertisements where the terminators arrived to beat up the Fox robot were something football fans have been waiting for all season. Since when does a robot need high knees to "warm up"? Plus, it has been trash talking all season. The beat down was long overdue. Of course, the robot returned, indestructible like a terminator, apparently.

PettyWINNER: Tom Petty

Petty never seemed like a real flashy act, and he served himself well by keeping the Super Bowl pyrotechnics to a minimum and just playing four of his classics. It may not go down as the most memorable Super Bowl halftime show, but it was a definite crowd pleaser and certainly loved by his fans.

Super Bowl acts usually fail when they try to do too much – or in the infamous Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson encounter, reveal too much. There's nothing wrong with keeping it simple.

LOSER: Bill Belichick fashion

BelichickWhy mess with the championship karma of the gray hoodie and go with that strange new red hoodie? Was it a play to the team's old colors and Pat the Patriot logo? Or an effort to push more merchandise? There weren't any Patriots fans watching who didn't get worried when they first saw the red hoodie, which, predictably, didn't even look good.

His postgame interview was priceless, though – forever the epitome of the devastated coach.

WINNER: New York-Boston rivalry

It just gets more intense from here on out, with New York delivering its answer for the Red Sox's historic 2004 American League Championship Series victory over the Yankees after trailing 3-0.

WelkerWINNER: Wes Welker

Along with Kevin Faulk, Welker was the Patriot who showed up and delivered like it was a Super Bowl. His 11 catches for 103 yards weren't just impressive; they often were back-breaking numbers on crucial third downs.

LOSER: Phoenix as a host city

It's far too spread out and the downtown lacks life, which means you wouldn't even know the Super Bowl was really happening. The stadium is nice, but it is one of the strangest architectural works you'll see, plopped down in the middle of a suburb that still is a lot of desert. The NFL's decision to stage its fan "NFL Experience" out in a parking lot there didn't help. Oh, and it's not even warm there this time of year.

WINNER: Troy Aikman

He was insightful but not noisy, entertaining but not overbearing – a fine effort from a guy who has moved seamlessly from Super Bowl field to broadcast booth in short time. Maybe best of all, he so recently won three championships but in remembering why everyone is watching didn't relate every story back to him.

WINNER: The "7" and "3" squares

A double winner after the second and third quarters; a payout oddity that almost was even better – it was within seconds of being the first-quarter winner also.

CoughlinWINNER: Tom Coughlin

The man was best known for never smiling. Then came this year when he buddied up with the players, tried to enjoy life a little bit and let everyone in the franchise breathe a bit.

Maybe this is the Tony Dungy effect on the NFL.