The Best of Neil's Watchdog

Fergie in a bikini? Bet on it!

It's a sports tradition unlike any other. Yup, Super Bowl prop bets are back. Here are some of my favorites from our friends at Bodog.com:

What will Fergie of Black Eyed Peas wear when she first appears during the halftime show? Skirt/dress: 1/1; pants (below knees): 1/1; shorts (above knees): 7/2; thong/G-string/bikini bottom: 10/1.

How long will Christina Aguilera hold the note on "Brave" at the end of the national anthem? Over / under: six seconds.

How many times will Fox show Jerry Jones during the game? Over / under: 3.

How many times will Fox mention "Brett Favre'' during the game? Over / under: 2.5.

What color will the Gatorade be that is dumped on the winning head coach? Yellow: 3/2; clear/water: 2/1; orange: 5/2, lime green: 5/1; red: 15/2; blue: 10/1.

Who will the MVP thank first? God: 3/2; no one: 2/1; teammates: 5/2; family: 4/1; coach: 10/1.

Bradshaw rates with Nielsen

Nielsen's sports year in review included its new "N-Score,'' an attempt to measure brand impact of sports figures for endorsement purposes.

No. 1 overall: Shaun White. Tops among female athletes: Venus Williams.

Among announcers the leader was Fox NFL analyst Terry Bradshaw, followed by Mike Ditka, Dan Marino, Chris Berman and Bob Costas.

When I broke this news to Bradshaw and asked what he makes of it, he said this:

"That's easy. Everybody sees me do the show and says, 'I can do that. What's he got? I'm smarter than him.'

"It's very flattering, but I don't have any endorsements, so I'm upset to hear that. I'm kind of a simple guy. I'm a friend-maker. I'm a people person.''

America is Football Nation

The most recent Harris Interactive poll on America's favorite sports reveals . . . well, nothing we didn't know. Football rules.

In 1985, 24 percent of people who follow at least one sport identified pro football as their favorite, with 23 percent naming baseball. In 2010, the figures were 31 percent for pro football, 17 for baseball.

Among African-Americans, 45 percent named pro football compared with only six (!) for baseball. Football even beat baseball among Hispanics, 26 percent to 20.

Messier, not cool? Say it ain't so!

GQ did a pretty cool job in its most recent issue of naming the 25 coolest athletes of all time.

There are some choices that are inspired, led by my favorite soccer player, George Best. And others that are questionable: Bjorn Borg, Derek Sanderson, Tim Lincecum.

Perhaps the most glaring absence is Mark Messier.

Then there's Tom Brady. I get the stuff about the good looks and Super Bowl rings and supermodel wife, but . . . Tom Brady?

No. I cannot accept that. Not with that hair. I'd rather have Justin Bieber on the list.

Jocks get a journalism lesson

Last Sunday's Twitter assault on the Bears' Jay Cutler by former and - shockingly - current players was so misguided the backlash made his critics look foolish and turned Cutler into a sympathetic figure.

The good thing about the incident is that it (should have) taught jocks, now armed with the same means to express opinions in real time as journalists and fans, that a direct outlet to the public is a privilege that comes with responsibilities.

Reporters sometimes misuse social media, too, but most of us have the sense (and training) to seek facts before shooting off our mouths or laptops.

In the 21st century, players must do the same, or keep their half-baked opinions to themselves.

Fighting Oscar chance for 'The Fighter?'

"The Fighter" is a long shot to win the Oscar for Best Picture, but it's always nice to see a sports movie nominated.

Part of the point of expanding the field from five to 10 last year - other than forcing Oscar suckers such as myself to pay to see every flick - was to give underserved genres more nods.

Only three films primarily focused on sports - "Rocky,'' "Chariots of Fire" and "Million Dollar Baby" - have won the big prize. (Unless you count "Gladiator," which pertained to athletic contests that probably would have been banned in New York State along with MMA.)

But "The Fighter'' has more than a fighting chance to win supporting actor awards for Christian Bale and/or Amy Adams or Melissa Leo.

Previous supporting actor winners in sports films include memorable characters played by Cuba Gooding Jr. in "Jerry Maguire" and Morgan Freeman in "Million Dollar Baby.''

Bale is a good bet to join them.

Sir Charles studies colleges

With six weeks until Selection Sunday, it is time for TNT's NBA announcers to study up on the college game as they prepare for Turner's joint coverage with CBS.

Actually, studio analyst Charles Barkley has been working on it for a while now. He said following the collegians is more complicated than the NBA.

"There are so many more teams you have to learn about,'' he said. "The top 25 or 30 teams are easy, but they're going to announce all the teams on a Sunday, and I have to talk about them on a Tuesday.''