When Being The GOAT Isn't Enough

Okay. Another Super Bowl win tallied for Tom Terrific. This seems to have put the discussion to rest for just about everyone as to who is the greatest quarterback ever (although I think that debate should have ended about 2 bowl wins ago). However, that doesn’t end the comparisons. Of course not.

Since it’s pretty hard to argue against 7 Super Bowl wins (believe me, some would like to try), that debate is done and buried. Cue the follow-up arguments: ‘Is Tom Brady the best FOOTBALL PLAYER ever?’ was one that was out there almost immediately. When that didn’t seem to take hold, because most people equate quarterback with football player anyway, the conversation changed to Tom Brady as the GOAT of all athletes.

Sportswriters were bored with limiting the GOAT talk to the NFL, since the argument was all but done, so it was time to move it along to bigger and broader things. Never mind they’re now comparing apples to automobiles to living room sofas. Different sports are so dissimilar, it’s pretty much pointless to start comparing an athlete’s accomplishments with those of someone playing a different game. Never mind a superstar’s influence on the result differs from sport to sport. A guy like Michael Jordan might have been out there for 40 of 48 minutes and is 1 of only 10 players on the court. A baseball player is one of 9 guys playing defense and might not make a play on the ball for innings. When it comes to offense, he likely comes to bat only 3 or 4 times over the course of 9 innings. Much less impact on what happens over the course of a few hours. Somewhere in-between is the control Tom Brady has when it comes to the final score. Brady touches the ball every offensive play, but seldom finishes any of them and the offense will be on the gridiron for anywhere from 25 to 35 of the 60 minute game.

Once we’ve arrived at the place we’re comparing TB12 to Air Jordan or Babe Ruth, it’s become just downright silly. Comparing players within the same sport but different eras was difficult enough, then add to it entirely different sports and it becomes ludicrous. I get listing your top 5 whatever of all time or debating who is better can be enjoyable, but you kind of need to shelve it at some point, especially since there isn’t a definitive answer to the question anyway. What happens once we decide he’s the greatest athlete of all time? Will everyone be satisfied with that? Probably not. It would be just a matter of time until some were debating if he was the greatest American, greatest person of the 21st century or the greatest human being of all time.

Can’t we just appreciate Brady’s accomplishments as significant within the realm of the NFL, and professional sports, and leave it there? All that needs to be said about his accomplishments on the football field is that he was a great competitor, gave it his all and won 7 Super Bowls, the most ever. That should speak loud and clear enough for everyone.