Jimmie Johnson vs. Tom Brady.
Who you got?
The NASCAR driver was asked which professional athlete is more athletic, him or Brady. And he chose an answer which might prove controversial.
“A tie,” Johnson told the Boston Globe’s Stan Grossfeld. “I know that won’t play well in Boston.”
It’s not the first time 5-foot-10, 167-pounder caused a stir in the football world. Although last time, his comments weren’t the root of the issue. Instead, Donovan McNabb said he didn’t think drivers were truly dominant athletes. And so, the beef between quarterbacks and NASCAR drivers began, with Johnson defending himself and his competitors.
Johnson was named the AP’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2009. The 43-year-old has won seven NASCAR Cup Series titles, a tie for the record. Johnson is also a runner, and will take on the 2019 Boston Marathon. He’ll run it just two days after a NASCAR race.
“It challenges me on a different level, and I have to dig deep to make stuff happen,” Johnson told the Globe. “And that’s what you have to do in that racecar.”
Brady, meanwhile, has won five Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, and while his 40-yard dash is extremely slow, he has pinpoint accuracy and impressive power as a thrower. Brady was also once a MLB draft selection — the Montreal Expos picked him in the 18th round in 1995.
