ESPN’s ranking of the 20 most dominant athletes of the last 20 years:
1. Tiger Woods (PGA)
2. LeBron James (NBA)
3. Peyton Manning (NFL)
4. Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)
5. Roger Federer (ATP)
6. Annika Sorenstam (LPGA)
7. Michael Schumacher (Formula One)
8. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Boxing)
9. Marta (Women’s Soccer)
10. Usain Bolt (Men’s Track & Field)
11. Lionel Messi (Men’s Soccer)
12. Serena Williams (WTA)
13. Lauren Jackson (WNBA)
14. Christiano Ronaldo (Men’s Soccer)
15. Novak Djokovic (ATP)
16. Allyson Felix (Women’s Track & Field)
17. Barry Bonds (MLB)
18. Mike Trout (MLB)
19. Manny Pacquiao (Boxing)
20. Tom Brady (NFL)
No Michael Phelps? No Anderson Silva? No hockey players? Let the debating begin.
At the end of the day, is it crazy to say that Manning dominated the NFL at a higher level than Brady over the last 20 years? Probably not, as Brady’s numbers didn’t start rivaling those of “the greatest regular-season quarterback” until the Patriots’ ill-fated 2007 season.
But if you ask us, Brady’s 196 regular-season wins, 25 playoff wins, eight Super Bowl appearances, five Super Bowl wins and four Super Bowl MVPs (all NFL records) speak for themselves.