Billboard Melo

Cause if rap was a house, you'd be evicted,
and dismissed from the microphone, chokin on a bone,
cuz Daddy's home...

SI released their Top 50 earning athletes (giving the talking heads all over radio-land something else to fill their Dog Days... "well, Blaine, I would think CC Sabathia would make more in endorsements, especially with McDonalds or Burger King...ha ha ha." I'm pretty sure there's no broadcaster by the name of Blaine, but maybe if there was he'd probably be on some local radio show like 'Blaine and The Walrus or something.) and looky looky who's smack dab in the middle. Mr La La checked in at #25, with a pretty nice number with endorsements and actual salary.

I get tired of people (like Blaine) saying mid and smaller market stars could reap the benefits of larger markets because of endorsements. Check Melo making the endorsement coin he's making based in Our Cowtown. If Melo makes the leap to NYC, will the endorsement deals suddenly open up for him? Will Crazy Eddie be beating down his door to sell some new Melo Limited Edition Walkmans? Sal's Fur Emporium in Brooklyn gonna give Melo some extra scratch? Teaming up with Mardy Collins for Sensei Master Tao's School of Self Defense (How quickly fans in NYC forget about that incident. Signed, Terrell Owens stomping on the Cowboys star) Guys like Melo are beyond the local ads (leave those to dudes like Ryan Spilbourghs, who's Greeley Ford commercials are more cheesy than a dairy farmer mowing down a bucket of Cheetoes) and rely on the big hitters like Nike to bring in the bucks.

Guaranteed cash is on the table, no reliance on commercial shoots, from the Nuggets in the form of an actual paycheck from the team. If that doesn't work? Slushy Gutter print ad campaign featuring Melo.

RELATED: Jay-Z - "99 Problems" - ("So advertisers can give 'em more cash for ads")