Is Brady truly “The GOAT”?
After last night, there’s a ton of talk about Brady being the GOAT, and undisputed at that. While I certainly have no problems putting him in the discussion (though I’m pretty sure if you swapped Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson they would also have won last night given TB’s defensive performance) I cannot put him there without the spector of cheating.
“But wait! The cheating happened with Belicheck! Not with Brady, and certainly not about the ball deflation.”
That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m referring to the TB12 Method. Consider:
1. Why is Brady “dominating” at 43? None of his peers are. Rivers and both Mannings retired, Ben and Brees look past their prime — and all 4 are/were younger than Brady. Is Brady just more dedicated? Even more so than Peyton Manning? Bit of a stretch.
Almost as hard to believe as Bonds and Clemens dominating in THEIR 40s.
2. How is it that Brady wound up playing even better AFTER tearing his knee up in 2008? His ACL injury was the same as Carson Palmer, who was never the same afterwards.
3. Outside of his catastrophic knee injury Brady hasn’t missed a game due to injury. Think about that. The QBs I listed above had to miss games due to torn elbows, knees, ankles, etc. Peyton had his neck fused and his career almost ended. Plus, Brady played outdoors in New England for the bulk of his career, not exactly a warm weather environment (let alone a Dome). Remember, as Jose Canseco said, the biggest advantage to PEDS isn’t additional strength, it’s recovery.
4. The most telling thing — Belicheck (or “Belicheat”) BANNED Brady’s personal trainer Alex Guerrero from the Patriot facilities who worked with Brady to develop TB12, which includes a drink mix comprised of “electrolytes”. Think about that. Did Bill Walsh ban Montana’s personal trainer? Phil Jackson ban MJs? We know LeBron can do anything HE wants.
“…For reasons he has declined to explain, Belichick weeks ago stripped Guerrero of his special team privileges, restoring a measure of tradition to the team’s medical and training operation, according to several people familiar with the Patriots’ internal operations…” This from the Boston Globe back in 2017.
Is this circumstantial? Sure. Is it a stretch?
Back in 1988 Thomas Boswell said that Jose Canseco, who was in the midst of an MVP season, “is the most conspicuous example of a player who has made himself great with steroids.” He was ridiculed for it and PEDs in baseball was never mentioned for another 15 years — right through McGwire hitting 70 HRs and Bonds breaking Hank Aaron’s HR record (let alone setting career highs in HRs in his late 30s). Now, the same sportswriters who shunned Boswell in the late 80s are doing the same to Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, Sosa with the Hall of Fame.
