The GOAT?

HUNTER JAMESON
SPORTS EDITOR
@HJamo

Heading into Super Bowl XLIX, there was a controversy regarding deflated footballs used by the New England Patriots in the American Football Conference Championship game. The media tried to figure out who was to blame, whether it was the equipment manager, head coach Bill Belichick or star quarterback Tom Brady.

In my opinion, this was blown way out of proportion due to the fact that the Patriots’ 42-7 victory was one of the most dominating AFC Championship game performances in history. Another part of the deflategate scandal frustrated me even more. There was so much focus on the deflated footballs that Brady’s legacy was not getting the credit it deserves.

Thankfully, all of the drama was put aside on Super Bowl Sunday and the focus turned to what Brady would accomplish if he could defeat the Seattle Seahawks and earn his fourth Super Bowl Championship. When the Patriots were losing 14-24 in the third quarter, I knew that the next hour and a half would decide whether Brady was the best of all time or not.

Hall of Famers Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers and Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only other quarterbacks to have won four Super Bowls.

As a 49er fan, I have always considered Montana to be the best quarterback in history, but after what Brady was able to accomplish on Sunday night, I have to pass the nod to the Patriot. His 13th career Super Bowl touchdown pass, with just two minutes remaining, sealed the deal, in my mind.

Brady is the king of clutch and deserves the credit, but he definitely owes rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler a nice steak dinner after he intercepted a pass at the goal line as the Seahawks were closing in on a game-winning drive. I have no idea why the Seahawks didn’t give the ball to their star running back, Marshawn Lynch, but that is a whole different discussion. When a player has earned the nickname Beast Mode you would expect him to get the ball with a championship on the line.

Brady finished the game 37 of 50 for 328 yards and four touchdown passes, breaking the record for most completions in a Super Bowl. This performance earned him his third Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award, of which only Montana can say the same. After it’s all said and done, the sixth round pick out of the University of Michigan, Tom Brady, is the greatest of all time.