What we all hate to admit about Tom Brady

When I was a kid it was popular to say that someone was the “Babe Ruth” of something if you were trying to say they were exceptional.

Don’s the Babe Ruth of indoor cycling. Look up “Ruthian” in the dictionary and it reads prodigiously accomplished.

RELATED: The Raiders are like a girlfriend who keeps breaking up with you

Then along came Michael Jeffery Jordan, and popular culture dropped Ruth for Jordan. You would hear that “Susan is the Michael Jordan of accounting.” When Tiger Woods was dominating golf, people would invoke his name to connote singular excellence. Then Tiger started having one night stands with waitresses at Shoney’s and, well, you know the rest of that story.

You know who’s name you don’t hear in this way? Tom Brady.

I bet there were people that cringed when they heard me speak his name. He’s the real life version of Voldemort from the Harry Potter books. Do not say Tom Brady! Especially if you’re a Seahawks fan, or a Falcons fan, or a Rams fan. You get the picture. For whatever reason, people outside of New England just love to despise Tom Brady.

I hate to break it to you, but the Golden Boy is going back to play in his 8th Super Bowl after the Patriots mounted another come-from-behind victory yesterday over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Oh, and it turns out that Tom had to have stitches on this throwing thumb last week to add to his legend.

Tom Brady: Love/hate relationship

So what is it about Tom Brady that people hate so much? He already has the most Super Bowl wins in the history of the NFL at five. Most Super Bowl appearances with eight including this year. So what’s the deal with the almost universal hatred of number 12?

O’Neil: Tom Brady has become objectively insufferable

Are we all collectively just jealous? Like Taylor Swift said, “Haters gonna hate.” Do people hate him because he’s a good-looking guy who married one of the most beautiful supermodels of all time? But isn’t that supposed to be the ultimate American stereotype? The good-looking quarterback who gets the girl?

Maybe it’s because Brady is so obsessive about staying young and sustaining his career. You know with all the avocado smoothies, and his own line of healthy candy and so forth. That logic seems hollow to me as well. Looking young and staying fit are second only to being obese in the good old U.S. of A.

Surely it can’t be his performance? This one guy has started in 15 percent of all the Super Bowls that have ever been played. Come on, that’s unreal.

Now, I’m not trying to convert anyone to Brady worship. I find myself hating him and respecting him at the same time. But from a purely athletic accomplishment point of view, it’s hard to not say that he’s the “Babe Ruth” and “Michael Jordan” of quarterbacks.

Remember how dominant the Seahawks were during their back-to-back Super Bowl appearances? And how quickly they faded into a middle of the pack team? Just think about this sustained run that the Patriots have been on. It’s crazy. It defies everything we assume to know about the sport of professional football.

Babe Ruth won four World Series rings. He helped the Yankees make it to the series seven times.

Michael Jordan won six World Championships. He never lost in the finals, and famously won three in a row, took time off to play minor league baseball, then came back and won three in a row again.

Tiger Woods has 14 majors. That puts him second behind Jack Nicklaus.

In two weeks, Tom Brady will play in his 8th Super Bowl. He’s going for ring number six.

Maybe I should try an avocado smoothie.

You can hear “What are we talking about here?” everyday at 4:45 p.m. on 97.3 FM.

More from Ron Upshaw