Is Tom Brady or was Larry Bird more popular during their runs?

[StockingAnarchyNumber12]

Hi! I wasn't alive during the amazing run of Larry Bird and his Celtics, but am aware how popular he was among Boston fans and likely shown on the news a ton like Brady currently. Brady right now is almost Jesus level around here.

So I ask people who might know - Is Brady or was Larry Bird more talked about and respected around NE?

 

[fnordcircle]

I wasn't alive during the amazing run of Larry Bird and his Celtics

 

[FCB02062]

Bird... By a good margin...not saying it's justified, but no one ever questioned anything Bird did...Bird was the best player in the league in his prime...no one argued that Magic Johnson was better, Julius Erving was better, etc, like people/media did w Manning... There was never anyone in the local media clamoring for the Celtics to trade Bird in favor of starting Rick Robey...sports radio at the time was more cheer leading for the local teams and it was a Bird love in every show

 

[fnordcircle]

In New England? Pretty even, imo. I think you'd be hard pressed to make the case one was clearly loved more than the other.

In the nation, though, Bird and it's not even close. Honestly the internet echo chamber effect has given way to fans radicalizing each other to levels that would have been unheard of in the 80s.

"I hate that Larry Bird. He's good, I'll give him that, but he seems like a smug sonuva*****." -80s Laker/6ers fan.

"**** Tom Brady I hope they press charges against him because he clearly was paying the ball boys to deflate balls by giving them autographed jerseys. Then I hope he's raped and his wife dies." -2000s Jets fan.

 

[bormio]

I dunno - I lived in NE when Bird was in his prime, but out of NE during Brady's run. Brady makes a lot of off the field news compared to Bird. Also Bird was great - but the Celtics were most always great then anyways. Brady is more like Orr - who was also loved. They were the saviors of teams that had not had a lot of success. When all is said and done, Brady will be the greatest Boston athlete ever.

 

[Bruins29]

When all is said and done, Brady will be the greatest Boston athlete ever.

I dont think that will ever happen.

Also, Regarding Bird/Brady it is difficult to compare because they played in such different eras. Brady has the advantage of playing in social media times and message board forums and 24/7 sports coverage while Bird has the advantage of getting 5 times more exposure a year than TB. Plus with basketball with no helmets I think fans got to see more of Bird.

Overall TB is more successful than Bird as Bird will never crack the top 4 Boston Athletes of all time.

 

[bormio]

I dont think that will ever happen.

Also, Regarding Bird/Brady it is difficult to compare because they played in such different eras. Brady has the advantage of playing in social media times and message board forums and 24/7 sports coverage while Bird has the advantage of getting 5 times more exposure a year than TB. Plus with basketball with no helmets I think fans got to see more of Bird.

Overall TB is more successful than Bird as Bird will never crack the top 4 Boston Athletes of all time.

Not sure I understand the first part of your response. Just curious, if Brady is not the greatest Boston athlete of all time, who is? I would put Williams #2.

 

[Deus Irae]

It's sort of a loaded question because the internet and ubiquitous media have changed things. Bird, along with Magic, took a sport that was having it's title series on tape delay and made it must-see TV. Brady took a sport that was already riding high and pushed it higher.

Russell
Orr
Brady
Bird
Ortiz

Put the names in a hat and pull one out. In terms of greatness combined with fame/popularity, those are your 5 greatest living "Boston" sports names.

 

[Bruins29]

Not sure I understand the first part of your response. Just curious, if Brady is not the greatest Boston athlete of all time, who is? I would put Williams #2.

If you dont know this you really should avoid the subject.

 

[bormio]

Brady took a team that was nowhere on the pecking order and made Boston a football town - unthinkable from the time when I was young. Bird and Magic was great TV though. Williams was a no doubter Hall of Famer - Ortiz has a borderline/better than borderline case.

 

[Geezer Butler]

Can't really compare the two. Even if we could, Brady still isn't done.

TV was God then (Bird days), it was all the media you saw/heard other than the newspaper and radio. Everything else was REAL LIFE! Gasp...........imagine!!!! I miss that Sh*t really. I remember watching Bird live once as a kid and thinking it was like a paranormal experience, and my foam finger was my magic wand.

As far as heart and passion for the game, I can't really separate the two honestly.

Brady has been way more durable already. He deals with way more scrutiny media wise than Bird ever did and still shrugs it off.

Apples and Oranges. I would hate to live in a world where I didn't get to taste both.

 

[bormio]

If you dont know this you really should avoid the subject.

I am going to assume you mean Russell, who I only remember from the very end of his career. Obviously 11/13 speaks loudly, but oddly there has always been debate about where he as an individual ranked among the NBA greats.

 

[Bruins29]

I am going to assume you mean Russell, who I only remember from the very end of his career. Obviously 11/13 speaks loudly, but oddly there has always been debate about where he as an individual ranked among the NBA greats.

There are debates about Brady as well....many of them although some of it is ending.

There is also a debate about Bill Russell being the greatest athlete in the history of team sports. Not anything you hear about any other Boston athlete. Now, if TB won in 2007, 11 and 2006 which he would have had they not choked away a huge lead to the Colts TB would have 7 rings and perhaps could have entered that discussion.

 

[deroc5050]

Well I was born in 1980, I think that was the year Bird was drafted. I was a huge Celtics fan as a kid and remember the Celtics being the most popular. But thats coming from a 5-10 year olds perception of the times. Its a good question, Football being the most popular sport in American history and Tom Brady already considered the best QB of all time..(well 2nd to Joe Montana according to the latest NFL top 10 QB's of all time) but Brady is still playing and at a high level.

 

[Bruins29]

(well 2nd to Joe Montana according to the latest NFL top 10 QB's of all time)

which is such ********. Forget homerism they both have 4 rings. One did it in the salary cap era. and we have proof Montanna's team was cheating.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

which is such ********. Forget homerism they both have 4 rings. One did it in the salary cap era. and we have proof Montanna's team was cheating.

Don't forget Elway and the Broncos. His team cheated the salary cap - and I believe they lost draft picks too

 

[jmt57]

Not going far enough back.

Nobody (in my opinion) was ever a more popular sports icon in the Boston area than Bobby Orr. It is so unfortunate he played prior to modern day medical science on knee injuries.

Brady and Bird battle for second place.

Russell led his team to more championships but the question is about popularity.

 

[captain insano]

it was larry bird. he played 80 plus games a year and all those playoff games. more games meant more great clutch plays. there was nothing like the nba in the 80s.

 

[SilverSeven]

Orr belongs in this conversation.

 

[wolverinejoe80]

Bird... By a good margin...not saying it's justified, but no one ever questioned anything Bird did...Bird was the best player in the league in his prime...no one argued that Magic Johnson was better, Julius Erving was better, etc, like people/media did w Manning... There was never anyone in the local media clamoring for the Celtics to trade Bird in favor of starting Rick Robey...sports radio at the time was more cheer leading for the local teams and it was a Bird love in every show

not sure where you've been in the 80's but bird had his equal in magic. and many including myself had magic ahead of bird simply because magic won more. as much as i love bird, magic was overall the best player in the 80's IMO. bird had a better peak value, but can't argue with 5 rings and 9 championship appearances.

IMO greatest basketball players are

1. MJ
2. magic
3. bird
4. kareem
5. russell

that's my top 5. IMO bird > russell.



anyway to answer to the question. my answer is brady by slight margin solely because we are in a day and age where we follow athletes much more closely than ever before. we know more about brady then we know about ourselves. back then it was much simply era. no internet, no social media, no patsfans, and etc. also football appeals to wider audience. even though 80's basketball was at its peak, today's NFL is far more popular. brady's 16 year career is also longer and pats been relevant longer.

and you said no one ever questioned bird. do we ever questioned brady? we are definition of fanatical fan when it comes to loving our superstar.