In all the years most of us have been sports fans, even very casual ones have seen on Social Media, or heard in a bar who is better, LeBron James or Michael Jordan. Great arguments on both sides, but in the end most people say, "Well it's a different era, and the game is different, and you can't compare." And that's accurate, so it can't really be fairly done. But it just was - and we all saw it.
You just saw it on TV Sunday night, when Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes laced 'em up and squared off on the worlds biggest stage. Two completely different kind of players, two completely different kinds of guy, from two very different eras trying to settle who is the greatest. What happened Sunday will never happen again. Never again will a 43 year old GOAT QB, face off with another young phenom QB who was about 5 when Brady won his first professional championship. The only way it will, is if Brady goes back again at 44 and Mahomes at about 25. It was sports history, and that's not hype.
What Brady is doing is no longer subjective. He is the GREATEST QB ever. His records and accomplishments are simply staggering. If you honestly think he's not, that's a decision being made with the wrong part of the body. With all due respect to Manning(s) Montana, Favre, Brees, Bradshaw, Rodgers, Aikman, I mean take your pick, Brady is so far out in front, he's Secretariat. A man, playing QB at this level, at this age in the NFL. He's not a kicker, he's playing the sports most demanding position. The aforementioned, all really great, all done for the most part by their late 30's. Brady has 4 titles after 37. We will never see this again. He even passed the Browns immortal QB Otto Graham from a way different era in statistical greatness that many dismiss out of had citing, "that was a long time ago....blah, blah."
With Mahomes, he's certainly a dynamic player that does things no one has ever done on the field, and he is absolutely positioned to go on a huge run and make history. But will he? He does things no one can right now, and things so different, he could change the position. But so could RG3, and Michael Vick, and many others like them that had incredible skills back in the recent day, and we all know those didn't work out. For those who say he's the greatest ever, I say pump the brakes and let's talk about this in 10 years or so, and I think that's fair. We can talk about that then, after about 7 more title game appearances and 5 championships or so. Time takes its toll and tells all. Mahomes is gonna get his chance at immortality as there is no doubt with his skill set. But immortality is reserved for the chosen ones. In sports, you're not born immortal, you make yourself immortal.
It was fun to see this. Both players on even footing, and both on top of their games. On this day, it was Brady, and he continues to climb a mountain so high no one may ever reach his rare air. And Mahomes will have to wait for another day ascend another rung on that same ladder. And it may come, in fact it propably will come. But there is much more to do for Mahomes. What we forget is the journey there. What you have to do to even GET to Brady again. We have a tendancy to forget that part of Brady. It's not just the titles, it's getting the chance. Simply stunning.
Does this settle the LeBron / Jordan thing? Officially, of course not because Jordan retired at 40 when Lebron was about 17 or so. And the two could never really face off as in Brady / Mahomes. And being fair, Jordan was not Brady-like at 40, so it would not have been close to fair. But if I had to pick, I would say this. To have on my team and win as many games as possible? Lebron. To win titles and win the game that matter? Jordan. So I'm not sure we can get a defintive answer there. But in football? To win any game - any time - anywhere? Brady by a mile.
And when you think about that, it makes Sunday even more incredible. I'm glad it happened, and no matter who would have won it, I'm glad we got to see it.
