Dubbed a genius by Lord Coe, award-winning decathlon coach Harry Marra assisted midfielder with technique and calls Ruben Amorim a ???tremendous teacher???
In it, Marra raves about how athletic the United players are and talks about Tom Brady
Harry Marra said:
“Everybody says Tommy Brady is a great athlete. Tommy Brady is not a great athlete. “ He’s not fast. He’s not very strong. He’s not very agile. But, boy, does he have phenomenal competitive skills and hand-eye coordination. That guy can thread the needle with that football. And he’s cool as a cucumber.
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I don't think that's a controversial take, if "not a great athlete" is simply being defined as not having great athleticism. It's obvious Brady wasn't the most physically gifted quarterback. Brady himself says in this video that the things that made him great were his meticulous preparation and his ability to read the opposing team's defense.
"It wasn't how fast I could run. It was how fast I could diagnose what they were doing."
His stats/numbers tell us he was plenty talented. His stats/numbers tell us he was THE most successful, his game tape shows us he is not the most gifted/talented. Doesn't matter, he's the GOAT where it counts.
In it, Marra raves about how athletic the United players are and talks about Tom Brady
Harry Marra said:
“Everybody says Tommy Brady is a great athlete. Tommy Brady is not a great athlete. “ He’s not fast. He’s not very strong. He’s not very agile. But, boy, does he have phenomenal competitive skills and hand-eye coordination. That guy can thread the needle with that football. And he’s cool as a cucumber.
You know that ManU sucks, right? They may all be as athletic as Mike Vick but they cannot play together to win worth a damn. So athleticism is great but not exactly the main or only key asset. What Brady was to winning, ManU, at least as presently constructed, is absolutely not. Neither Harry Marra nor Ashton Eaton could help them.
Brady not being a good athlete is the stupidest possible thing to say or think.
he was among the top QB in those silly speed running pilon drills, among the longest throwers, and say no more on the actual abilities that count in the sport.
Google this and watch to the end and you will not see an "unagile" nor slow athlete. Did someone say Tom Brady 2003 Pro Bowl highlights? #shorts
totally underrated. due to NFL combine out of university, after which he put some effort into these parlor trick type athletic exhibitions.
Harry Marra is a used car salesman. He'll tell anyone anything to make the sale...especially if the sale is for the very expensive "Harry Marra is a genius" option on that used vehicle.
If you ever meet him, hang on to your wallet tightly.
I think this is an interesting debate. But like most things in life, it comes down to how you define your terms.
If an athlete is just judged but the four physical traits that people usually think of (strength, speed, agility, and size) then Marra is not wrong.
No rational person would include "size" as an important athletic trait. If it were, there would be no weight classes in combat sports or weightlifting. Bigger athletes would be simply considered "better athletes" and will be glorified for beating smaller opponents.
On the other hand, Kipchoge is 5-7, 115, and probably has below average strength. We don't know about his agility, but he has decent speed. What's exceptional about him is endurance, which must be a very important physical trait for a great athlete. I am surprised you did not include endurance, given this is a running forum.
Another 5-7 guy is one of the greatest athletes of this century, in the world's most popular sport. Lionel Messi has great speed and agility, but I don't think he has a lot of strength. He cannot hold a candle to Ronaldo if it is a contest of traits you listed. Ronaldo is far bigger and stronger, and yet Messi is the better of two players.
Greg Maddux has exceptionally flexible fingers that created all the crazy movement on his pitches. Roger Federer has exceptionally flexible wrist that allowed him to hit angles no one else thought was possible. Bob Cousy could tell the color of a vase behind him without turning his head. Those are all innate physical traits that made them all-time greats. Those people are as "gifted" as people born with superior power or speed.
In it, Marra raves about how athletic the United players are and talks about Tom Brady
Harry Marra said:
“Everybody says Tommy Brady is a great athlete. Tommy Brady is not a great athlete. “ He’s not fast. He’s not very strong. He’s not very agile. But, boy, does he have phenomenal competitive skills and hand-eye coordination. That guy can thread the needle with that football. And he’s cool as a cucumber.
Let's think about the things that matter to playing QB. Number one: arm strength. Brady was drafted into Major League Baseball as a catcher, a position for which the main requirement is having a rocket arm. He was still throwing a football 60mph past age 40, which is right there with the very strongest (and much younger) arms in the league. He obviously has incredible perceptual and leadership skills, but all this talk about how he's not a good athlete because he sucks at the 40 lacks a focus on the actual attributes of a quarterback. He's 6'4" with a cannon arm. If he'd been drafted to play running back (or centerfield) he'd have been in trouble.
In it, Marra raves about how athletic the United players are and talks about Tom Brady
Let's think about the things that matter to playing QB. Number one: arm strength. Brady was drafted into Major League Baseball as a catcher, a position for which the main requirement is having a rocket arm. He was still throwing a football 60mph past age 40, which is right there with the very strongest (and much younger) arms in the league. He obviously has incredible perceptual and leadership skills, but all this talk about how he's not a good athlete because he sucks at the 40 lacks a focus on the actual attributes of a quarterback. He's 6'4" with a cannon arm. If he'd been drafted to play running back (or centerfield) he'd have been in trouble.
No one has brought up accuracy and that’s a skill that is mostly genetic. Guys like Falco and Tebow could practice for hours a day and not be accurate. I’ve read that Tebo would actually bounce passes during practice. A quick release also comes from genetics.
The same people who tell you Tom Brady is a great athlete because spatial IQ blah blah blah will tell you darts isn't a sport.
If darts isn't a sport because it doesn't involve athletic activity then Tom Brady isn't a great athlete.
I'm sure Tom isnt too bothered about whether he is a great athlete or not. And similarly Luke Littler ain't too bothered about being called an athlete as he keeps raking the coin in.
In it, Marra raves about how athletic the United players are and talks about Tom Brady
Harry Marra said:
“Everybody says Tommy Brady is a great athlete. Tommy Brady is not a great athlete. “ He’s not fast. He’s not very strong. He’s not very agile. But, boy, does he have phenomenal competitive skills and hand-eye coordination. That guy can thread the needle with that football. And he’s cool as a cucumber.
Football is more of a team sport than any other sport that I know of. There’s more coaches and coordinators than there is starters on a basketball team. I’d say Tom Brady is an all time great leader, and the greatest of all time quarterback, but you can’t really put him next to MJ or Rinaldo when we’re talking raw athletic ability.
In it, Marra raves about how athletic the United players are and talks about Tom Brady
Let's think about the things that matter to playing QB. Number one: arm strength. Brady was drafted into Major League Baseball as a catcher, a position for which the main requirement is having a rocket arm. He was still throwing a football 60mph past age 40, which is right there with the very strongest (and much younger) arms in the league. He obviously has incredible perceptual and leadership skills, but all this talk about how he's not a good athlete because he sucks at the 40 lacks a focus on the actual attributes of a quarterback. He's 6'4" with a cannon arm. If he'd been drafted to play running back (or centerfield) he'd have been in trouble.
I would push back that the most important trait is arm strength. I bet over Brady's career close to 100 guys had "stronger" arms than Brady. In something as dynamic as QB, I am not sure what the most important attribute would be. Processing speed would be high up there for sure.
Also, more to being a catcher than having a strong arm, but certainly something that scouts would evaluate.
