Tom Brady - Best Ever??
Superbowl 51 (LI) had barely ended and already the question was being asked, is Tom Brady the greatest QB ever? My first thought was, oh please, not again with this greatest ever debate.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with anyone saying Tom Brady is the best QB of his era. He’s proven it time and again and I can’t take that away from him, but best ever?
I think anyone who has studied football history even just a little bit could tell you that it’s not really possible to say who was the best QB ever. The game, the equipment, the players, the rules, and so many other variables have changed so drastically over the years.
The era that Sammy Baugh played in was so much different than the era Johnny Unitas played in. The era that Johnny Unitas played in was so much different than the era Joe Montana played in, and the era Joe Montana played in was so much different than the era Tom Brady played in.
I’m not sure why it’s so hard for some people to understand this.
I suppose it can be fun to imagine the “what ifs” What if Unitas were playing today, under today’s liberal passing rules. How much more impressive would his stats be? What if Tom Brady had played in the 1960’s & 1970’s when the rules were not designed to favor high scoring offensive affairs, against defenses like the steel curtain, the doomsday defense, the fearsome foursome, the purple people eaters? Would he have been able to accomplish as much?
Sure it’s fun to imagine and debate over, but it’s not real. It’s all make believe, opinion and speculation.
I think most football historians would agree that Sammy Baugh, or perhaps Sid Luckman were the best of their era, Otto Graham was the best of his era, Unitas the best of his, Montana the best of his, Brady or maybe Peyton Manning the best of their era.
So why isn’t this good enough for some people? Is it because some sports fans just love a good debate, or is it something more? Something in our culture? We’ve all been led to believe that there is no room for second place. There has to be a # 1. Ties are unacceptable and second or third place just isn’t good enough.
So how do we judge who was the best QB ever? Do we go merely by statistics? Do we go by career wins and losses, or do we just go by how many Superbowl rings he has?
Some will make the argument that Brady is the best ever because he has more superbowl rings than anyone else. This to me is the silliest argument of all. Are we just going to dismiss the years 1920-1965, when there was no superbowl?
There is a guy by the name of Bart Starr who also has five rings. Only two of them are superbowl rings. Why? Because the other three were won before there was a superbowl. If given the opportunity, Starr would likely have five superbowl rings, the same as Tom Brady, not to mention he’d have three in a row, something Brady nor any other QB has ever done.
The Packers won the NFL Championship in 1961, 1962, and 1965. They won the superbowl in 1966 when they easily defeated the AFL Champion KC Chiefs. They won again the following season when they easily defeated the Oakland Raiders. So it’s not a stretch to say they would have likely defeated the 1961 AFL champion Houston Oilers, the 1962 AFL champion Dallas Texans (who later became the KC Chiefs) and the 1965 AFL Champion Buffalo Bills with similar ease.
Now let’s take a look at the accomplishments of Otto Graham, of the original Cleveland Browns. Graham played just ten seasons, and led his team to the Championship game in every one of those ten seasons. They won seven out of the ten, including five in a row. With Graham at QB, the Browns won the NFL title in 1950, 1954 & 1955. They won the AAFC title in 1946,1947,1948,1949. Think the AAFC titles don’t count? Think again! The Browns defeated the defending NFL Champion LA Rams in 1950, their very first year in the league. There’s no telling how many Superbowl rings Graham would have if there had been a Superbowl back then.
So am I saying that Bart Starr and Otto Graham were better than Tom Brady? No, that’s not my point. My point is that it’s silly to say Tom Brady is the best ever simply because he has the most Superbowl rings. I think few would deny that Brady is a great QB, probably the best of his era, but let’s not forget football is a team game. No one man can do it by himself. Brady has a great Coach and great teammates. The same can be said for other great QB’s. Bart Starr had Vince Lombardi, Otto Graham had Paul Brown, and Joe Montana had Bill Walsh. Roger Staubach had Tom Landry, etc. etc.
So if you want to say Tom Brady is the best ever, you’re entitled to your opinion, but you might want to check your football history, understand how drastically the game has changed over the years, and look at what some other great QB’s have accomplished before making such a bold statement.
