While this debate was pretty much settled when Aaron Rodgers was throwing touchdowns at Butte Community College, the Patriots and Packers are playing each other for the first time in 4 years, so it’s time to dredge this storyline up once again. Everyone loves debating the GOAT in anything. MJ vs Kobe in basketball, Biggie vs 2Pac in rap, Nicki Minaj vs Cardi B if you’re under the age of 25.
It is no longer up for debate in the NFL, but on Patriots Packers week Twitter be Twitter’ing. Most sports media has no other original ideas for programming so they have been forcing this down our throats.
I’m definitely not triggered by this debate, because I know Bleacher Report is aware of what they’re doing. What kind of content would it be to do videos and polls where everyone just unanimously agrees that Tom Brady is the best football player of all time and it’s not even close? No would would watch, no one would click and there would be no fighting in the comment section. And that’s not good for the internet. They know that. We need conflict in sports media opinions. There’s a reason Skip and Stephen A. work so well together.
Brady vs. Rodgers this Sunday đŸ‘€
Who’s really the GOAT? (via @simmsandlefkoe) pic.twitter.com/mBudF0dgRO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 30, 2018
This poll that Bleacher Report posted definitely doesn’t trigger me, but I present it here for your review.
I have low expectations for Twitter users normally, but these results are more disappointing than the 2016 election. I cannot fathom a universe where anyone, when faced with the specific question “ONE DRIVE TO WIN THE GAME, WHO YOU GOT?” any one person, let alone 59%, would go as far as to click the button to select Aaron Rodgers over Tom Brady.
I’m trying to think of this as an unbiased observer. Imagine I’m a Bucs fan and I see this Bleacher Report poll on Twitter. Hypothetically let’s say the Bucs made it all the way to the Super Bowl and are then miraculously trailing by 6 points with 1:43 left on the clock in the 4th quarter. Al Michaels comes over the loud speaker and announces that Bucs fans have a very unique opportunity. They can pick from either Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers to finish the game to try and win the Super Bowl. Actually, if you’re down 25 points in the second half of a Super Bowl and you pose the same question, the answer is still the same.
One of those guys has 43 fourth quarter comebacks, 54 game winning drives worth of game tape, the 2nd most all time. The other has 14 fourth quarter comebacks and 21 game winning drives, 84th all time. The drop-off from Tom Brady to Aaron Rodgers has Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco, Alex Smith and JAY CUTLER in between them. Smokin’ Jay Cutler  has 10 more fourth quarter comebacks than Aaron Rodgers.
I don’t have the stats on biggest point differential for all QBs in history but something tells me Tom Brady is higher than Aaron Rodgers on that list as well. On Monday he became the third winningest QB at the New Era Field…in Buffalo.
Chris Simms said championships don’t matter and that comparing rings to decide who’s better between Phil Simms/Dan Marino and Eli Manning/Brett Favre to Brady/Rodgers isn’t fair. That makes absolutely no sense. In 20 years people are generally never going to know the difference between Phil Simms and Dan Marino or Eli Manning and Brett Favre. The difference between 1 ring and 2 rings, or 1 ring and no rings is not the same with 5 rings. I’m pretty sure the point of playing football is to win and if we’re going on track record alone, even the haters would have to agree you pick Tom fucking Brady to win you one game.
If you still need convincing, these 2 plays from last weeks game against the Bills should do it.
WHATEVER IT TAKES.#NEvsBUF | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/CsJymSlPaw
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 30, 2018
GOOOOOOOOOOAT.#NEvsBUF | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/xLD0FVAlZ1
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 30, 2018
Maybe Aaron Rodgers is more ‘naturally talented’. Some people are just born with it, some of us need Maybelline. Tom Brady has given his life on and off the field to be the best quarterback of all time, and all Aaron Rodgers has given up is his family for no reason at all.
#ICYMI: Tom Brady takes #TB12 behind the scenes of his journey from high school QB contender to 5x Super Bowl Champion.
Watch now » https://t.co/qEodEbYprF pic.twitter.com/CNYwknZLvc
— TB12 (@TB12sports) October 30, 2018
I think the fact that these two do nothing but suck each others dicks makes the debate a little hollow so we need people like Max Kellerman to add some juice.
Tom Brady this week on Aaron Rodgers:
“I think it’s inspiring,” Brady said during his weekly appearance on WEEI in Boston. “Even for me, I watch his game and it makes me want to get out there and practice and improve, because I think he’s so phenomenal with how he manages himself in the pocket. His ability to throw the football is unlike anyone in probably the history of the league. So it’s just pretty awesome to watch.
If you need any more convincing that Tom Brady is the GOAT, ask the man who 59% of Bleacher Reports Twitter responders said they’d rather have on one drive to win a game.
“[Brady’s]Â got five championships, so that ends most discussions, I think,” Rodgers said Tuesday, according to ESPN.
Suck on that Chris Simms.
Follow me
@aliweitz
@barstoolbadgal