Dear Crabby,
When it comes to sports, I’ll admit that I’m not the sharpest hockey stick in the bullpen. I do however know that Tom Brady fella is going to the Super Bowl … again. What I don’t understand is why everyone keeps saying he’s a goat. Can you help me out?
Thanks!
Frida Fumble
Dear Frida Fumble,
You are correct. Quarterback Tom Brady is going to another Super Bowl. In fact, Super Bowl LV will Brady’s 10th appearance. Going into Sunday’s game, he’s won the Vince Lombardi Trophy six times – all with his former team the New England Patriots. This time around he’s leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are conveniently playing in their home stadium. Stadium-gate, anyone?
Brady has also been the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) four times. All amazing accomplishments for an old man of 43. I say old because the quarterback of the other team in the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, is a spry 25-year-old. But back to Brady. For the successes I’ve mentioned and many others he’s racked up in his over 21-year playing career, the sports gods have bestowed upon him the title of ‘G.O.A.T.’ This acronym stands for ‘Greatest of All Time,’ not a barnyard animal. It makes a little more sense now, doesn’t it? Now, from what I can tell there are no set metrics for determining who gets G.O.A.T. status. However, what most of these athletes have in common are perseverance and pluck. Take for example, Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Oh. Did you think I was gonna talk about the other Babe? He’s G.O.A.T.-worthy too, but Zaharias was a standout in multiple sports: basketball, two-time Olympic gold medalist track athlete, and 10-time LPGA champion golfer. And she did all this during a time in our country when women were expected to stay at home. Of course, other widely accepted athletes with G.O.A.T. status are Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Michael Phelps, and Joe Montana. I’m not here to split hairs over who is or who isn’t on the list because it doesn’t affect me one way or another.
Back to the Super Bowl. It would be great if we were finally able to cheer on the Detroit Lions to a win, but who knows when that will happen. Maybe this new QB Jared Goff will be the answer to our prayers. I always find watching the game is more enjoyable if I pick a team so I have something specific to yell at the TV screen. Now, I know there are many of you out there who wouldn’t root for Brady if your life depended on it. Some don’t like him because he’s a former Wolverine, while others grew to hate him during his career with the Patriots. If that’s the case, you could always root for the Kansas City Chiefs and their offensive tackle Eric Fisher, who just happens to be from Rochester Hills, Michigan, and attended Stoney Creek High School. And it’s a bonus for any of you Central Michigan University folks out there since that’s where Fisher played college ball.
Well, I hope that answers your question. If you need me on Sunday, I’ll be in my La-Z-Boy just hoping for a good game.
Dear Crabby
Stuck in a rut? Need some biased advice from a crabby old baby-boomer? Then email me your question at dearcrabby@rochestermedia.com. You can also head on over to my Facebook page and tell me how wonderful I am.
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