[Note: post originally ran Saturday on The Big Lead.  You can catch me playing in the TBL sandbox every other weekend.]   

In honor of St. Paddy's Day, we're celebrating the top active Irish sports personalities.  Feel free to scream at me and call me a "FILTHY BASTAHD" if I've ignorantly overlooked someone.

1. Brothers Manning - They've won the last 2 championships in the most popular sport in the country.  They also do well with endorsements and commercials - especially licking - and they're certainly not going anywhere any time soon.

2. Tom Brady- Had it not been for the Patriots' Super Bowl XLII loss, Brady would sit atop this pointless list.  Instead, he's relegated to 2nd place.  He's still ahead of everyone else on the list in the categories of on-field success, off-field success and shagging foreign super models(mildly nsfw). 

3. Boston Celtics- A big question entering the season, the additions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have done everything the Celtics family could have hoped for.  Now if only they could do that funky Irish River Dance. 

4. Tony Stewart - He's the closest thing to a pro wrestler in the sport closest to pro wrestling.  Win or lose, he speaks his mind and makes money and headlines.  He can also help repair your leaky faucet or paint your living room if need be. 



5. Shaquille O'Neal- I know what you're thinking: no way Shaq is Irish because no Irish person would be 7 feet, 300+ pounds.  Well, Shaq is the exception to the rule.  [cough]

6. Notre Dame Basketball- Anytime your team name is "Irish" you have to be incorporated in the category.  Since Charlie Weis and the football program have been an embarrassment by school standards the past year, we opt to the basketball team, who lost to Marquette in the Big East tourney, but still earned a 5th seed in the NCAA Tourney.

7. Brian McCann- In 2.5 seasons as a pro, McCann has put up some impressive offensive numbers - by any position's standards.  He's a career .296 hitter with 47 bombs and 208 RBI.  His 162 game average sets him at said .296 clip with 23 bombs and 103 RBI.

8. Mat McBriar -Sure he's a punter, but he's a full blown Irishman, lad.  Plus, he was a great punter in '07, averaging 47.1 yards per kick all while dealing with the world's most dramatic, ego-maniacal team and owner.  This picturemakes him look like Tony Romo after an 8 day bender. 

9. Padraig Harrington - He's the defending British Open champion (and the first Irishman to do it since 1947) and has the most Irish name on this list.  No way he was staying off. 

10. Owen Nolan - I was shocked (shocked, I tell you) to learn that Nolan is still playing, but he is indeed.  He's played 66 games this season for the Flames and has a +6 rating.  And much like Lucky of Lucky Charms fame, he was born in Belfast.  Forty-six years old and still playing. 

11. Finlay and Hornswoggle, WWE - Currently embroiled in a feud with evil millionaire JBL, Finlay is fighting for his midget-leprechaun son Hornswoggle.  Hornswoggle was originally revealed to be the bastard son of WWE chairman Vince McMahon, but it turns out that Father Finlay was just trying to protect his son.  (Don't ask.)

12. Sean O'Hair - He won the PODS Championship last week while John Daly was drinking and playing with Jon Gruden and he's already netted $1.2 million this year.  Sure he was born in Texas, but that doesn't mean anything to this list.

13. Mike Shanahan- He's the most overrated coach this side of Mike Holmgren and the most overtanned coach this side of, well, nobody.  Had no idea Irish people were so tan.  While he isn't an "athlete", he is freakishly scary.