Notes from the Sports Desk by Tyler Julson

 

Tom Brady will be playing in his ninth Super Bowl in a week and a half — his ninth Super Bowl! That’s more Super Bowls than any other team in history, let alone a single player. Death, taxes and Tom Brady in the Super Bowl — the three near guarantees in life.

I think it’s time we go ahead and put the greatest quarterback of all time argument to rest; it’s not a debate anymore. I don’t want to hear “it’s all Bill Belichick,” “he’s a system quarterback” or — most of all — “he’s a cheater,” anymore.

Does Belichick have a lot to do with it? Sure, he’s a brilliant football mind and the greatest football coach of all time. But even the greatest football coach of all time doesn’t get to nine Super Bowls with a system quarterback.

The Steelers, Cowboys and Broncos have gotten to the big game eight times each since the 1970s. Tom Brady has done it nine times since 2001. That is absolutely mind boggling. Here are some other great quarterbacks and how many times they’ve been to the Super Bowl: Terry Bradshaw, four times; Roger Staubach, four times; Joe Montana, three times; John Elway, three times; Peyton Manning, three times. None of them have even half the appearances as Brady, not to mention Brady’s won five of them so far.

The Patriots beat my Chiefs to go to the Super Bowl this year, and I picked the Rams to win it all before the season started. Everything is pointing to me cheering for the Patriots to lose, but I just can’t. I would love to see Brady win yet another championship.

I realize I’m being a bit contradictory after I spent the entire college season whining about seeing Alabama and Clemson in the national title game. I’m going to justify that by saying it’s more about the player than the team. If the Patriots were cycling through players as much as a college team, I think I would be a little sick of it by now. I’m a fan of Brady, why can’t we just sit back and admire his play? I think it’s great that one day I’ll be able to say that I saw the greatest football player ever.

I’ve also seen Lebron James play, the greatest basketball player to ever live, but you already know my feelings on that.

Tyler Julson is the Tribune sports reporter. Contact him at tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com.