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There’s been much discussion about Tom Brady being the GOAT. I have no problem declaring him the NFL GOAT, but is he the greatest athlete of all time across all sports? If not, then who is and why?
 
There’s been much discussion about Tom Brady being the GOAT. I have no problem declaring him the NFL GOAT, but is he the greatest athlete of all time across all sports? If not, then who is and why?
Bill Russell.
 
All time?

Jim Thorpe.
 
I know I’m cheating a little here, but I’ll throw out Nadal on clay.
 
You can't say Gretzky because the goalie were AWFUL and he you couldn't hit him.

I will say Tom Brady is the best. He has won with inferior rosters.
 
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Bill Russell.

I think you have to look at pre and post free agency. The Celtics were able to build a roster and maintain it for a long time. I think it is harder now. I would certainly say that Russell is very Goaty. I would add Gretzky to that conversation also.

The fact that Brady has now won Super Bowls with two different organizations is pretty damn impressive. I know that Montana didn't win when he left the 49ers. Manning is the only other quarterback that has done that and he only has two total.
 
All time?

Jim Thorpe.

Thorpe is the right answer for sure....but, I'd throw another Jim out there....Jim Brown.
 
I think it's so difficult to compare across sports. The difference in skill vs athleticism and the differing dynamics of each sport just make it really difficult. Is Brady a better football player than Michael Jordan was a basketball player? Jordan is a better athlete obviously, but is he a better player? With football it's even hard just to compare across the positions.

Brady is clearly the best QB ever to play. He doesn't have the best arm or athleticism, but he can flat play the position. He is so good at calling a game and knowing who will be open before the ball is snapped. His timing with his players is uncanny too. He syncs so well with pass catchers. He hardly ever makes a big mistake and that is even more true in big games.
 
I will throw Bo Jackson into the mix. He was an incredible two sport star, and he is a Tour Edge ambassador and a single digit handicap (at least used to be..lol).

:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
Greg Louganis would certainly qualify to be part of the discussion having swept the men’s singles diving events at back to back Olympic Games and possibly missing out on a three-peat with the US boycott of the 1980 games.
 
I think it's so difficult to compare across sports. The difference in skill vs athleticism and the differing dynamics of each sport just make it really difficult. Is Brady a better football player than Michael Jordan was a basketball player? Jordan is a better athlete obviously, but is he a better player? With football it's even hard just to compare across the positions.

Brady is clearly the best QB ever to play. He doesn't have the best arm or athleticism, but he can flat play the position. He is so good at calling a game and knowing who will be open before the ball is snapped. His timing with his players is uncanny too. He syncs so well with pass catchers. He hardly ever makes a big mistake and that is even more true in big games.
That’s the beauty of the GOAT discussion!
 
I think you have to look at pre and post free agency. The Celtics were able to build a roster and maintain it for a long time. I think it is harder now. I would certainly say that Russell is very Goaty. I would add Gretzky to that conversation also.

The fact that Brady has now won Super Bowls with two different organizations is pretty damn impressive. I know that Montana didn't win when he left the 49ers. Manning is the only other quarterback that has done that and he only has two total.

Harder now than when star players dictate and recruit where they are going? Pass.
11 titles in 13 years and arguably the most dominant defensive player in the history of the game? Ill take that.
 
I will throw Bo Jackson into the mix. He was an incredible two sport star, and he is a Tour Edge ambassador and a single digit handicap (at least used to be..lol).

:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

I still say Thorpe, but Bo would be near the top of my list.
 
I will throw Bo Jackson into the mix. He was an incredible two sport star, and he is a Tour Edge ambassador and a single digit handicap (at least used to be..lol).

:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:


It depends if the dialogue is best athlete or Greatest of all time in a sport. I don't think you can say Bo is the GOAT in either sport he played because his career wasn't long enough. Frankly Deion Sanders would be in the discussion your are making. Sanders was the best DB in the game and a very good baseball player also.
 
All time?

Jim Thorpe.


Thank you.. The only athelte that I can think that would compete is Dave Winfield. He was drafted out of college by 4 teams (two basketball with the NBA and ABA) in all three major pro sports. Football, basketball, and baseball. Chose to play baseball.

but greatest champion goes to Brady.. Truly amazing what he has done.
 
23 grand slam titles. Could throw in Serena Williams as well. Her dominance was crazy for awhile.
 
I have a hard time not saying Tom Brady.

Double his closest competition in a sport that just by the nature of how the cap is set up and the physical nature makes it nearly impossible to dominate. And to have the impact he has had at the most important position in sports. Just hard not to say him.
 
Most dominant in a sport is Michael Phelps. Does that make him the GGOAT? I don't know but he'd be on my GOAT Mt. Rushmore.

I think you also may have to split the discussion between individuals and teams.
 
Yes Brady covers it for football. So many great athletes out there who excelled in their sports.
To narrow it down to one if pretty hard, looking at achievements I'm gonna go with
Michael Phelps. You want Olympic Gold, he has a ton of it.
 
While I agree with Jim Thorpe being the GOAT, you gotta admit that Bugs Bunny had a heck of a run back in day.

From his feats on the baseball diamond (could anyone else have made that catch at the top of the Umpire State Building???) to him lumping up “The Crusher” in wrasslin’ (after Ravishing Ron-O failed miserably.....) And who can forget his epic victory on the links, as we followed him in the episode ‘My Bunny Lies over the Sea’

I’m not even mentioning details of his prowess on the football field or acrobatic flying skills...

Maybe he’s not the GOAT, but he’s he’s gotta be darn high up in the rankings...
 
It depends if the dialogue is best athlete or Greatest of all time in a sport. I don't think you can say Bo is the GOAT in either sport he played because his career wasn't long enough. Frankly Deion Sanders would be in the discussion your are making. Sanders was the best DB in the game and a very good baseball player also.
I agree, there will never be an answer to this question because it is so subjective. It is so hard to compare sport to sport and era to era. There are so many good answers to this question, but none of them correct. Really no way to correctly answer it.
 
Eli Manning. He consistently beat the listed goat and he did it with minimal oxygen getting to his brain as a result of not using his nose to breath.
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I agree, there will never be an answer to this question because it is so subjective. It is so hard to compare sport to sport and era to era. There are so many good answers to this question, but none of them correct. Really no way to correctly answer it.
Or there are many ways to correctly answer it!
 
I still say Thorpe, but Bo would be near the top of my list.
So many good ones to choose from. In my almost 50 years, I have had, as many of us have had, the incredible pleasure of collectively seeing the some greatest athletes play their respective sport in their prime at one point of another in our lives.
 
I may be a little biased being a Canadian, but Wayne Gretzky has to be in the conversation for the GOAT in all of sports. His records are ridiculous.
 
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