Kieran Shannon: It’s hard to think of anyone who has defied the odds like evergreen Tom Brady

Tom Brady's doing it for his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, much to the same level as he did for the New England Patriots for almost two full decades. AP Photo/Matt Ludtke

It’s one of the quirks and quandaries of US team sport that any argument over the greatness of any of its protagonists has inherent limitations for Americans and everyone else alike.

Too often Stateside commentators hail the achievement or ability of a player, coach, team or owner as “the best in all sport”. As if there is nothing else outside of the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB or the USA itself and something like European soccer is non-existent or merely trivial, although there is an increasing awareness of the merits of Messi and indeed their own Mia Hamm since the turn of the millennium.