Big Bucks In Sports

SAFETY

PUNTER/KICKER

TIGHT END

Philip Rivers $10.5 million

FREE AGENTS AREN'T FREE
Signees from the 2007 off-season CB Nate Clements ($11.1 million) and S Michael Lewis ($4.2 million) provided little boost to a defense that still ranked 25th in the league.

OUT OF ACTION
QB Marc Bulger ($9.1 million) played hurt, and OL Orlando Pace ($7 million) barely played.

BALANCING ACT
Super Bowl foes—the Giants and the Pats—rank in the middle of the league in how they split cash between offense and defense.
[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

*Rank in Total Offense
?Rank in Total Defense

Hockey

The champion Red Wings spent less money per victory than all but two NHL teams, but they still took the Stanley Cup back to Detroit