Driving to school yesterday I heard the following statements on the radio; "Joe Montana went 3-0, Brady is now 3-2, so there is no question Montana was the greater quarterback." "Brady is turning into Jim Kelly." "Brady can't perform under pressure." You get the point.
Every sports talking head, journalist, commentator, analyst and even Gisele have their opinion as to what yet another Patriots loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl ("SB") will do to Brady's legend and where it puts him in the history of great quarterbacks.
There is no single game in professional sports that makes or breaks a legend like the Super Bowl does. That being true, it takes a hell of a lot to get to a single SB . Take that single Super Bowl and multiply it by 5 and you have the amount of SBs Brady has been to. Just ask Dan Marino how tough it is to return there. Marino lost in the SB his rookie season and never made it back. The idea that the 3 Brady SB wins have been tarnished by losing twice in the SB to the same team is perplexing. Shouldn't he get kudos for just getting there at all? Montana may not have lost a SB but he did lose to the Giants in the NFC championship game. Did that change his legend? No.
It's amusing to me as someone who isn't a Patriots fan that Brady's success subsequent to his 3rd SB has actually produced his downfall. Had he and Belichick taken bows after beating the Panthers in 2005 and run off into the limelight they would have been lauded forever as invincible. But they were greedy. They wanted more. Going 18-1 actually hurt Brady more than going 0-16 would have. The legend of Brady would be stronger if Lee Evans had held onto the ball in the endzone or if Billy Cundiff had made the field goal in the AFC Championship and the Ravens had won in OT.
It obviously is unrealistic and idiotic to suggest Brady and Belicheck should have stopped while they were ahead. It is also idiotic to suggest that losing a SB should change the status of a 3 time SB winner. Looking at the history of pro sports is the best way to get a handle on understanding this and to tell whether this is a unique situation or not.
It obviously is unrealistic and idiotic to suggest Brady and Belicheck should have stopped while they were ahead. It is also idiotic to suggest that losing a SB should change the status of a 3 time SB winner. Looking at the history of pro sports is the best way to get a handle on understanding this and to tell whether this is a unique situation or not.
In looking to find the greatest players in professional sports who had the same kind of downfall, I struggled to come up with anyone in the same kind of circumstance. Wayne Gretzky won 4 Stanley Cups with the Oilers and lost his 5th shot at the Cup when the Canadiens defeated the Kings in the 93' final. Gretzky's numbers were so far superior to the rest of the sport that it had no effect on his greatness or place in history. Michael Jordan won all the finals he went to. No single position in baseball comes close to the importance of a quarterback.
The answer cannot be found in team sports. I reached the conclusion that in professional sports there is one situation analogous to Brady v. Eli or Brady v. The Giants; Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal.
Roger Federer is a legend in Tennis. He is arguably the greatest male tennis player ever. But Rafael Nadal has put a dent if not a hole in that legend. Federer had over 10 major wins before Nadal won a major tournament outside the French Open. During the height of his career, Federer beat everyone, every time, except Nadal. At first, Federer would only lose to Nadal on clay at the French Open. More recently, Nadal has moved that dominance onto other surfaces. Looking closer at the Brady v. Eli/Giants comparison to Federer v. Nadal, there are some crazy similarities.
Though one plays in a team sport and the other does not, Brady IS the Patriots. He plays by far the most important position and 9 out of 10 times a QB will be a Super Bowl MVP. Federer obviously plays for himself.
Federer was in the process of becoming a legend before Nadal, a highly touted young player, became a contender on the tennis scene. Brady had already won two Super Bowls when Eli came into the league as a highly touted draft pick.
Federer and Brady beat everyone. They did not lose; except to Eli and Nadal. Nadal and Eli have not yet eclipsed Federer and Brady, but they are sure getting close. Despite his injuries and the new presence of Novak Jokavic, Nadal is racking up major titles. At 31, Eli should have 5 or 6 top years ahead of him and with the Giants management as good as it gets, the idea Eli could tie or surpass Brady's 3 SB wins is a distinct possibility.
While Federer holds the major title record, his aura has dissipated recently and his legendary status has come into question. If he can't beat Nadal then how is he the best of all time, or even the best of his generation no matter how many times he wins? If Brady can't beat Eli and the Giants how can he be the best of his generation no matter how many times he wins?
By continuing to beat everyone on the way to semifinals and finals at majors, Federer put himself in a position to be beaten by Nadal on the biggest stage many times. Had Federer begun to lose in earlier rounds to lesser opponents, his legend would not have taken near the hit. He could have had numerous excuses. Getting older, injuries, you name it. But by continuing to beat everyone except for Nadal, Federer showed he still "had it" but just couldn't keep up with Nadal. He put himself and his legendary place in tennis history in question.
The same holds true with Brady. He didn't do it like John Elway. Elway spent the majority of his career coming up short and losing in big games. He managed to pull it together and win SBs in his last two seasons and he is now a "winner."
I disagree with everyone who says that the 2 Brady SB losses should change the way he is perceived and analyzed. If anything, Brady should be lauded for making it back to the Super Bowl so many times. He has made 5 SBs in 11 years. Off the top of my head, in recent memory only the Atlanta Braves of the 90s, the Yankees of the late 90s and early 00's and the recent Lakers teams can make that claim. (Unfortunately, we all know how that turned out for the Braves).
The problem with success is that it puts a target on your back. Rather than being the predator, you become the prey and that is never a good look for a legend. That is the new unfair reality for Brady. Wrong as it is, public perception says that losing in the SB is worse for your reputation than not making the playoffs at all. It's losing on the biggest stage. The SB gave Brady his legendary status by enabling hundreds of millions of people to watch him succeed. And now it has taken away much of what it gave him. After those 3 championships, those hundreds of millions have now watched him fail, twice, against the same opponent. Ultimately, as backwards and irrational as it is, Brady's success has actually casued his legend to fall and turned a football "god" into merely great player.
Though one plays in a team sport and the other does not, Brady IS the Patriots. He plays by far the most important position and 9 out of 10 times a QB will be a Super Bowl MVP. Federer obviously plays for himself.
Federer was in the process of becoming a legend before Nadal, a highly touted young player, became a contender on the tennis scene. Brady had already won two Super Bowls when Eli came into the league as a highly touted draft pick.
Federer and Brady beat everyone. They did not lose; except to Eli and Nadal. Nadal and Eli have not yet eclipsed Federer and Brady, but they are sure getting close. Despite his injuries and the new presence of Novak Jokavic, Nadal is racking up major titles. At 31, Eli should have 5 or 6 top years ahead of him and with the Giants management as good as it gets, the idea Eli could tie or surpass Brady's 3 SB wins is a distinct possibility.
While Federer holds the major title record, his aura has dissipated recently and his legendary status has come into question. If he can't beat Nadal then how is he the best of all time, or even the best of his generation no matter how many times he wins? If Brady can't beat Eli and the Giants how can he be the best of his generation no matter how many times he wins?
By continuing to beat everyone on the way to semifinals and finals at majors, Federer put himself in a position to be beaten by Nadal on the biggest stage many times. Had Federer begun to lose in earlier rounds to lesser opponents, his legend would not have taken near the hit. He could have had numerous excuses. Getting older, injuries, you name it. But by continuing to beat everyone except for Nadal, Federer showed he still "had it" but just couldn't keep up with Nadal. He put himself and his legendary place in tennis history in question.
The same holds true with Brady. He didn't do it like John Elway. Elway spent the majority of his career coming up short and losing in big games. He managed to pull it together and win SBs in his last two seasons and he is now a "winner."
I disagree with everyone who says that the 2 Brady SB losses should change the way he is perceived and analyzed. If anything, Brady should be lauded for making it back to the Super Bowl so many times. He has made 5 SBs in 11 years. Off the top of my head, in recent memory only the Atlanta Braves of the 90s, the Yankees of the late 90s and early 00's and the recent Lakers teams can make that claim. (Unfortunately, we all know how that turned out for the Braves).
The problem with success is that it puts a target on your back. Rather than being the predator, you become the prey and that is never a good look for a legend. That is the new unfair reality for Brady. Wrong as it is, public perception says that losing in the SB is worse for your reputation than not making the playoffs at all. It's losing on the biggest stage. The SB gave Brady his legendary status by enabling hundreds of millions of people to watch him succeed. And now it has taken away much of what it gave him. After those 3 championships, those hundreds of millions have now watched him fail, twice, against the same opponent. Ultimately, as backwards and irrational as it is, Brady's success has actually casued his legend to fall and turned a football "god" into merely great player.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete