Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, Coke vs. Pepsi, Tom and Jerry.
Rivalries, even friendly ones, are necessary for achievements because it elicits the best out of someone. Success is best quantified when it is measured against someone else's. Famous duos who jockeyed against one another for status and acclaim normally achieved great things. Jobs and Gates helped create an entirely digital world, Coke and Pepsi are two of the largest companies in the world and Tom and Jerry have been trading blows for over seventy years.
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning - or is it Peyton Manning and Tom Brady? - have such a rivalry. Both quarterbacks continue to square off in a never-ending battle against history. Which of the two is the greatest quarterback of our generation? Where do they rank all-time? You can make strong cases that both are the greatest quarterbacks who ever lived after the pair reached separate milestones in their illustrious careers this weekend.
Brady passed 50,000 career passing yards, while Manning crossed 500 touchdowns. Only five other quarterbacks have passed for more yards than Brady. Only one other quarterback has more touchdowns than Manning.
"It's awesome," Brady said of the accomplishment.
"Throwing touchdowns is a part of playing football," Manning said.
Through the roster overhauls, injuries and team changes, the one constant in the narratives for these two quarterbacks is each other. Their competition is always ongoing, whether their teams are playing one another or not. Brady and Manning are linked to each other, constantly being compared and contrasted. While this has made for a competitive relationship, each future Hall of Famer recognizes greatness in the other.
"To me, he's the greatest of all-time," Brady said of Manning in 2011. "What he's accomplished and the way that he studies, the way he prepares. He's really got a killer instinct too. I've been fortunate to be around him on a lot of occasions and we always hit it off; we have a great relationship and he's a friend of mine and someone that I always watch and admire because he always wants to improve, he always wants to get better and he doesn't settle for anything less than the best. So when you watch the best and you're able to learn from the best, hopefully that helps me get better."
"Tom Brady has just been an outstanding quarterback," Manning said last season during the playoffs.
Brady is 10-5 against Manning-lead teams. He has three Super Bowl rings to Manning's one. But Manning has the records on his side. He has the most single season passing touchdowns and career game-winning drives in NFL history, along with the best career sack percentage. Manning ranks second all-time in pass attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and rating.
At 37 and 38 years old, respectively, Brady and Manning's careers are coming to a close. But that doesn't mean either signal caller will give an inch in their competition to be the best QB. They've brought out the best in each other, and football fans are much better off because of it.
A rivalry rooted in mutual respect helped these two begin historic careers early on. I can't wait to see how it helps them finish.
