Sports Rivalries
Kenny Ling '21 Staff Writer
Everyone thinks they’re right in an argument; it’s human nature. However, there is no right and wrong when discussing the greatest of all time in sports: It is an endless debate that ceases to yield to either side. Perhaps the most intriguing are Cristiano Ronaldo/Lionel Messi, Lebron James/Michael Jordan, and Tom Brady/Peyton Manning. But what makes an athlete the “GOAT”? What makes someone better than the rest?
Cristiano Ronaldo, debatably the most notable athlete in the world, boasts the most Instagram followers at 265 million. More importantly, he is a 5x Ballon D’or winner, 17x top scorer and 5x player of the year. Within his 1,026 appearances, Ronaldo has scored 748 goals and provided 226 assists. Ronaldo began his professional career at Sporting SP, later playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid C.F. and currently Juventus F.C. Lionel Messi, a magic man who stands at 5’7, is also regarded as the GOAT. Messi’s top accolades include 6x Ballon D’or winner, 20x top scorer and 10x player of the year. Although having less total goals than Ronaldo, Messi has scored 711 goals and 300 assists in 884 appearances, giving him a higher goal ratio at .8 compared to Ronaldo’s .73. Messi has been at F.C. Barcelona since the age of 13, having played only for the club his entire career. Ryan Kuehl, a senior soccer star at Howard, provides his insight on the GOAT debate: “I gotta go with Messi, he doesn’t cry when his teammates mess up, he creates chances for them and he’s a team player.” In the NBA, the only discussion that seems to resurface time and time again is Lebron and Jordan. Sitting down with Mrs. Allan, a science teacher at Howard who is also very knowledgeable about basketball, gave her thoughts between the two. “Yeah I think I remember seeing an underwear commercial with Michael Jordan in it. He’s also my age so I’ve seen him play more than Lebron.” Michael Jordan’s accolades and accomplishments include 6x NBA Finals MVP award, 10x scoring champion, 5x MVP award and 1x DPOY. Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points after fifteen seasons in the NBA. A fun fact about Jordan is that he played Minor League Baseball for a season in between his two three-peat championships from 1992-1994 and 1996-1998. On the other hand, Lebron James is still extremely prominent in the NBA. Currently in his 17th year in the NBA, Lebron is a 4x NBA Finals MVP, 1x scoring champion and 1x assists leader. What seems to be the most lopsided GOAT debate is between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Although considered the greatest individual NFL rivalry in history, Brady leads the all time head-to-head series 11-6 from 2001-2015. However, in their five playoff matchups, Manning leads Brady 3-2, having two wins in the AFC Championship. Brady has also appeared in ten Super Bowls, winning an all-time record 7 wins. Manning logged four Super Bowl appearances, winning one with the Colts and Broncos. Both players are the only QBs in NFL history to have won a Super Bowl with two separate teams, with Brady joining Manning last month after the Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Brandon Franco, a junior at Howard, provided an interesting take on the two Hall of Fame quarterbacks: “When I was younger I thought Manning was the best in the NFL. However, Brady has still kept going and is still winning, so it’s safe to say he’s the GOAT.” |
Columbia , MARYLAND, February 28th, 2021 - Peyton Manning bids farewell to the NFL after defeating the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl L. - denverpost.com/ LION’S TALE
Columbia , MARYLAND, February 28th, 2021 - Lebron’s well-known pre-game ritual in Cleveland. - ftw.usatoday.com/ LION’S TALE
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