If Tom Brady were a tennis player....

PA-PLAYA

... he would be Roger Federer.

Three weeks shy of 36.... 8 Wimbledon titles, 19 grand-slam victories overall... Just remarkable. And the guy never looks like he's tired, or sweats....

Watched him back in 2008 at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, the year he won. I remember telling my wife that evening, "just look at how effortlessly and eloquently he moves on the court - he anticipates every shot better and more precise than any player ever." It really was a great experience. I've watched Sampras, saw Agassi, and their footwork and poise, as great as they were, never came close to this guy.

I'd love to find tickets for the US Open this fall. He's gotta be the favorite.

This guy is just awesome.

ZWExton

Excellent comparison.

It's impossible that a 39 year old quarterback could come back from 19 points down in the third quarter of a superbowl after his team got its ass handed to it for the duration of the game. Impossible. (Well, it was technically about a 1% chance right?)

Likewise, it's impossible that a 35 year old tennis player who'd been looking old for years and supplanted by a number of younger players could come back and win two out of two majors he competed in this year. Impossible.

I think it's easier to hide age as a quarterback than as tennis player - you can't develop a scheme to compensate for a lack of quickness or mobility in tennis. I think Brady is the GOAT, but I'd argue that Federer at 35 is "older" in his sport than Brady at 39.

It's a privilege to see these guys compete.

Sneakylong

ZWExton

It was actually better than that. They were down 22 points in the 3rd quarter (25-3). Hard to compare individual sports with team sports. A Federer / Tiger comparison would be a good comparison.

YafflDaffl

just remember it was James White who sparked the offense in that come back and should have been MVP (not to mention some really bad play calling in the end by Atlanta).

ode

YafflDaffl

White was phenomenal in that game.

Kudos to Roger for persevering. I get the Brady comparison, as they have both played at a high level for a long time....but I see Roger as a much better athlete than Brady and would compare him to a Jerry Rice, tons of talent but there are always going to be guys more athletic than them, but not with more drive, and work ethic mixed in with that talent.

mikeintopeka

If Tom Brady were a tennis player....every match he played in would be at the speed of thick grass courts regardless of the actual surface. The officials would discover the balls had a little air missing.

puttnfool

mikeintopeka can you deflate a tennis ball?

braveheart

Thread started off nice. Good comparison, both tremendous competitors and winners. We have been lucky to have been able to see these two great players.

SVonhof

Regarding the Patriots win:

mikeintopeka

puttnfool - I've heard using needles can lead to some weird dung.