Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Tom Brady has been crucial in helping the New England Patriots continue to play at a Super Bowl level. According to a poll conducted by AskMen.com, that’s helped the quarterback become one of the 49 most influential men in the world.

In the sixth addition of the annual Top 49, Brady is the only NFL player who makes the cut, at No. 42, sandwiched right between director Christopher Nolan and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. It’s a big drop from last year’s top NFL ranking. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was No. 6 on the list in 2010.

A few spots below Brady is golfer Rory McIlroy (No. 45), but trumping the Patriots star are the two most notable figures from the reigning NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki (No. 39) edges Brady by three spots while Mavs owner Mark Cuban (No. 32)— current league lockout and all—is a few notches better.

Considering the list has an international feel overall, it makes sense that Nowitzki, a native of Germany, is above Brady. It’s also clear that Cuban’s business acumen wields more power than Brady’s acclaimed sense of fashion.

The two highest-ranking athletes in any sport were cyclist Cadel Evans (No. 11), the Australian winner of the Tour De France, and soccer forward Lionel Messi (No. 10), star for Argentina and FC Barcelona.

No. 1 on the list? It’s Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died Oct. 5.

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