You know, the term GOAT (greatest of all time) has been thrown out quite a bit over the past 24 hours for Tom Brady.
I still have mixed feelings over whether I believe this to be true. Has he done some amazing things with some less than amazing talent surrounding him? Yes.
Does he have more Super Bowl appearances & rings than anyone else? Yes.
Does he have postseason records galore? Yes.
So what is it about Tom Brady that just will not let me give in and say, "he's the greatest to ever play the position."
I don't hate the guy. I respect his ability as a QB. But there's something about him that just gnaws at me. I can't put my finger on it....
You tell me then. Greatest of all time at the QB spot? Why or why not...
Thanks for reading (and hopefully commenting), Robert
I'm with you - I respect the accomplishments, but there is just something about Brady that is different than say a Joe Montana, Dan Marino, etc. I don't know if it is just how they carry themselves off the field that makes it different or easier to like and cheer for them compared to Brady, but it feels like something like that personally.
ReplyDeleteJohnny Unitas
ReplyDeleteI don't care for the NFL, but it is hard to argue against Brady. Of the quarterbacks I've seen he is the best of all time. At 39 he is still at the top of his game.
ReplyDeleteWell, I've said a few times whenever I see that GOAT thrown around..
ReplyDeleteI still remember when Goat was used to describe the person who blew the game..
That said, I think it's a combination of things that makes Tom Brady so.. Unliked??
The whining whenever someone comes within breathing range of him.. To me, he just gives off an air of smugness.. I'm sure if I gave myself more time I could think of more..
I have absolutely nothing against Brady, but I don't think he is the GOAT. He definitely deserves to be in the conversation, though. The kicker for me is the fact that when he missed the entire 2008 season, Matt Cassell led the team to an 11-5 record, while passing for nearly 3700 yards and 21 TDs. No, those are not Brady-like numbers, and, yes, Brady almost certainly would have outperformed him, but those are also not Cassell-like numbers. During Brady's suspension this year, the Pats stayed afloat with second and third string quarterbacks. Brady is one of the best ever, but his team's success in stints without him speaks to the fact that it truly is a team game and quarterbacks can't be judged solely by championships.
ReplyDeleteI would put Peyton Manning ahead of him, and maybe Marino, Montana, or Unitas, but it would be a short list of guys to top him.
Brady, Montana, Elway, Bradshaw, Farve, Young, Staubach, Manning, Marino, Rodgers, Unitas, Starr - Top 12.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I have no idea why this is even a question anymore. Yes, Matt Cassell had good numbers in 2008. But, that was still five wins, 1100 yards, and 29 TDs FEWER than Brady had the year before with basically the same team. Everyone keeps telling me that Derek Jeter is so great because of his rings and that he knows how to win. But, somehow that doesn't matter with Brady? Sure, football is a team game. But, a football QB has a LOT more control over a game than a MLB SS. And, unlike Jeter, Brady actually has the personal stats too.
ReplyDeleteBrady is a different sort of talented that makes him hard to appreciate. Sure, he can throw it deep if there's a guy there. Or zip the ball in a tight spot. But, his real skill is putting every ball exactly where it needs to be every time. It's not sexy. But, it sure does bring results.
Living in the Bay Area, the people are torn... because you have the Montana peeps who don't want to relinquish the GOAT title. Then you have the people who love Brady because he went to high school in the area.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up... I was a Marino guy. Then it was Favre and Manning. Now it's Aaron Rodgers. All of them are great. Legends to some. But none of these guys (in my opinion) are in Brady's league. Yeah... Brady has Belichick. But Marino had Shula. Montana had Walsh. Starr had Lombardi. Staubach had Landry. A lot of the QB greats had great coaches. It's unfair to hold that against him. And honestly... I had no problem saying it was debatable until Sunday. But after that performance and the 5th ring, it sealed the deal for me.
There's a good chance that I'll never see another starting QB win 5 rings and take their team to 7 Super Bowls. I can rest easy submitting my vote for Brady as GOAT. Although... I'd love to see Aaron Rodgers go on a run and win five rings over the next ten years, so we can revisit this debate.
Brady is accurate, and makes good decisions with the ball.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, I don't see it.
His team this year went 3-1 without him. Did he really put up supernatural stats in the remaining games? I haven't looked. What did he do that made his wins better than the first three?
He's not mobile, and doesn't have every single other tool that some of the greats have. He's good, but does he surpass every other legendary QB? I don't think so.
Put him on the Browns and see if he still wins championships. He's had the same coach and the same basic system his whole career.
Matson nailed it with the smugness and arrogance. And the constant gushing by almost every sportscaster no matter what he actually does. As I noted in my post (http://thecollectivemind.blogspot.com/2017/02/brady-is-greatest-because-nfl-media.html), Joe Buck praised Brady for saving the game - by throwing a pass in the flat for a three yard loss. Really??
Ask Maggie Gyllenhall about how great Brady is....