Super Bowl Weekend!!! Who ya Rootin For?!

[Bret Ripley]

As a resident of Washington state It is difficult to consider rooting for Brady. That is petty of course but it is still there. It should be a good game.

I'm right there with you with the latent Brady-hate, but I have a wonderful excuse to root for the Chiefs while trying to convince myself that Brady is a non-issue.

Long before we had the Seahawks, my favorite team was the Chiefs. As a child I had one of those horrid electric football games -- you know, the type with a vibrating metal playing field on which the little plastic players all behaved as if they were on bad acid trips and the chances of completing a forward pass were slightly worse than the odds of accidentally inventing cold fusion -- and the teams were the Baltimore Colts and the KC Chiefs. This set came with number decals you could put on the players, and you can bet the KC QB was #16 (Len Dawson) and the one receiver that could go in a straight line (well, more or less) was #80 (Otis Taylor). (Note: the Baltimore QB was of course #19, and if you have to ask who that was I will respectfully ask that you close the door quietly behind you.)

Of course, there was a period of time when the 'Hawks and Chiefs were AFC West rivals during which I was obliged to set aside my childhood fondness for the Chiefs, but that's now in the past. So obviously Brady and my better angels can suck it go Mahomes.

[Some Schmo]

I just can't agree that Brady's the GOAT. It's undeniable he's the GNOAT (greatest numbers of all time), and I totally understand why people think he's the greatest, but I just don't think it's true. He's in the top 5, I'd say. He kind of reminds me of U2 or the Rolling Stones: he benefits largely from longevity, and is a little overrated because of it. I do give Brady credit for staying healthy and fit for so long.

This experiment in Tampa Bay is an awesome illustration of how much a team's success is mental. They all believe they have the GOAT at QB, and they're all playing better because of it. Tampa Bay was pretty stacked last year too, and they didn't make the playoffs. Brady has definitely raised their game. Nobody can deny the guy knows what it takes to win.

But... just in raw talent alone, I think Mahomes is a better QB. He plays a more athletic game than Brady ever could, rolling out and throwing on the run, not to mention his easy rushing yards, and his arm is outrageous in terms of both strength and accuracy. He rarely throws picks, which is amazing for a young QB. He already won a championship in his third season, and he can still get better.

I definitely like KC's chances of being the first team to repeat since the Pats. This game has the feel, however, that it will come down to whoever has the ball last.

[Some Schmo]

As a resident of Washington state It is difficult to consider rooting for Brady. That is petty of course but it is still there. It should be a good game.

I'm right there with you with the latent Brady-hate, but I have a wonderful excuse to root for the Chiefs while trying to convince myself that Brady is a non-issue.

Brady is definitely a polarizing sports figure, but I have to say that I've always just sort of admired him without being a real fan. Sometimes I rooted for the Pats and other times not. Just depended who they were playing and what the game was.

I was just thinking about who else I think has/had more raw talent than Brady, and I can't help thinking of Dan Marino. That guy was awesome. What an arm, and damned smart. He was a passer before football was a passing game. I can't imagine the kind of numbers he'd have in today's receiver-friendly game, especially if he had a Gronkowski for a chunk of his career, or a Randy Moss. Dan Marino was the GOAT never to win a championship.

It occurs to me that what people seem to really admire is competence under pressure (definitely important for winning championships). Thing is, you need teammates and a solid system just to get there.

[Lem]

As a child I had one of those horrid electric football games -- you know, the type with a vibrating metal playing field on which the little plastic players all behaved as if they were on bad acid trips and the chances of completing a forward pass were slightly worse than the odds of accidentally inventing cold fusion --

(Note: the Baltimore QB was of course #19, and if you have to ask who that was I will respectfully ask that you close the door quietly behind you.)

amen, brother. A-MEN!! (may he RIP, although Lamar Jackson is no slouch. If I can respectfully add that.)

Of course, there was a period of time when the 'Hawks and Chiefs were AFC West rivals during which I was obliged to set aside my childhood fondness for the Chiefs, but that's now in the past. So obviously Brady and my better angels can suck it go Mahomes.

That's kind of where I am too. For slightly different reasons, of course, but still-"go Mahomes."

Although, if timing and audibles are any sort of an issue, Brady will win. Hands down. He is just too smart.

[Bret Ripley]

Brady is definitely a polarizing sports figure, but I have to say that I've always just sort of admired him ...

Ooh! Ooh! But he's such a ... and he ... and that other time he ... but ...

... yeah (sigh).

[MeDotOrg]

This experiment in Tampa Bay is an awesome illustration of how much a team's success is mental. They all believe they have the GOAT at QB, and they're all playing better because of it. Tampa Bay was pretty stacked last year too, and they didn't make the playoffs. Brady has definitely raised their game. Nobody can deny the guy knows what it takes to win.

But... just in raw talent alone, I think Mahomes is a better QB. He plays a more athletic game than Brady ever could, rolling out and throwing on the run, not to mention his easy rushing yards, and his arm is outrageous in terms of both strength and accuracy. He rarely throws picks, which is amazing for a young QB. He already won a championship in his third season, and he can still get better.

I definitely like KC's chances of being the first team to repeat since the Pats. This game has the feel, however, that it will come down to whoever has the ball last.

One of the things that will be endlessly debated is whether Belichick helped Brady more than Brady helped Belichick. What some people do at that point in the evaluation is to treat it like a zero-sum game, that if Belichick's system helped Brady, we need to discount that in our evaluation of the QB.

I think there have been some great Quarterbacks who never got to shine under the right system. Archie Manning is the most notable. Brady's numbers are a little like Jerry Rice, another guy who was not the most physically talented, but whose career was spent in the epicenter of the West Coast Offense.

Belichick's system made Brady a better quarterback. Did it make Cam Newton a better quarterback? Is Jimmy Garoppolo as good as Brady, having been the recipient of many years in 'The Patriot Way'? Does anyone think Jameis Winston wasn't well coached?

Having said all that, it does seem cosmically fortuitous that the door in Tampa opened as the door in New England swing shut. Tom Brady does seem to be blessed as the Golden Child.

In terms of raw talent, I agree that Mahomes has more. He could be the better QB on Sunday. And when he's 43 years old, starting in his 10th Superbowl, I'll call him the GOAT.

[Some Schmo]

One of the things that will be endlessly debated is whether Belichick helped Brady more than Brady helped Belichick. What some people do at that point in the evaluation is to treat it like a zero-sum game, that if Belichick's system helped Brady, we need to discount that in our evaluation of the QB.

Yeah, that's true. I think it's fair to say they had a synergy together that made both of them look better.

I guess part of the reason I'm hard on Brady is that I find him a little boring to watch. Snap, three steps back, throw. He's not flashy at all, just competent. It's just occurring to me now that part of my own evaluation for who's a good QB is how much they entertain me.

[Some Schmo]

In terms of raw talent, I agree that Mahomes has more. He could be the better QB on Sunday. And when he's 43 years old, starting in his 10th Superbowl, I'll call him the GOAT.

Yeah, fair enough.

[Lem]

I guess part of the reason I'm hard on Brady is that I find him a little boring to watch. Snap, three steps back, throw. He's not flashy at all, just competent. It's just occurring to me now that part of my own evaluation for who's a good QB is how much they entertain me.

Maybe not flashy but I find his ability to control the timing of a game to be fascinating. Having the smart guy on the field taking advantage of seconds far outweighs the impact of a smart guy off the field telling the QB what to do.

On the other hand, nothing is more thrilling than watching Mahomes side-arm a pass while on a dead run. He throws like Jeter from short stop. It's a work of art! It's going to be a great game.

[Gunnar]

I guess part of the reason I'm hard on Brady is that I find him a little boring to watch. Snap, three steps back, throw. He's not flashy at all, just competent. It's just occurring to me now that part of my own evaluation for who's a good QB is how much they entertain me.

Maybe not flashy but I find his ability to control the timing of a game to be fascinating. Having the smart guy on the field taking advantage of seconds far outweighs the impact of a smart guy off the field telling the QB what to do.

On the other hand, nothing is more thrilling than watching Mahomes side-arm a pass while on a dead run. He throws like Jeter from short stop. It's a work of art! It's going to be a great game.

These descriptions of the capabilities of the two contending quarterbacks piqued my interest in watching the game. If I can't get my wife interested in watching, I may decide to record it on our DVR and watch it later when alone, or nothing else is on that she would rather watch. I'm not interested in getting a second TV, just so I can watch the Superbowl. We probably already watch too much TV, even with only the one we already have.