We as people love comparisons. It forms the fabric of being a person. Who sells the best pint of Guiness? Who sang better this Saturday on X-Factor? Do we want to stay in the EU or not? We love comparing everything, it allows us to process things and ultimately make choices.
Usually we compare things that are in the same domain, like two opposing politicians or opposing 90s Brit Pop groups, but the really fun comparisons come when we combine two worlds and cross a plain that ordinarily wouldn't be crossed.
Comparing NFL players with football players is no easy task. To widen my chances of success I'm going to only use current NFL players but when searching for football counterparts I'm going to bring in historical options. They won't be perfect but hopefully with some shrewd research and gut instinct I'll find some comparables. This is harder than it sounds, bear with me and I'll hope you agree with me in places.
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Rob Gronkowski = Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Gronk is Gronk. A party animal sub-brand of the NFL. He's the one man fun show of the New England Patriots. He's cocky, clown-like at times but no doubt a game winner and red zone monster in the NFL. They say that Vegas can, where deserving attribute certain point values to certain players. Usually it only applies to QBs. Tom Brady would be perhaps valued at a 5 points. JJ Watt perhaps ½ a point. Gronk is one of the few offensive players on that list. His absence can shift betting lines set in Vegas. He's that good. A tall, gangly Tight End who is borderline impervious to coverage. Zlatan is football's version of Gronk. Ok, perhaps he's a little more grown up with regards the partying but no doubt Ibrahimovic has created his own mega-brand. Half the reason Man United acquired him. Their personalities and egos strike me as similar and physically there are comparisons too. Zlatan at times can be difficult to mark and Man U at least will be hoping he can be half the match winner that Gronk is.
Cam Newton = Neymar
Two players who looked primed to perhaps take over the mantles of their sports torch bearers. Last year Cam Newton burst through the promise to deliver a sit-up and take notice season. Coming close to leading the Panthers to the greatest prize of all, Newton is another genuine dual-threat QB. We've seen these come and go in the past and names like Kaepernick and Vick spring to mind. Newton could go the same way but that's why we'll watch. 'SuperCam' though looks physically different; he's built like a Linebacker and looks to have the top rungs of the NFL's QB inner circle in his sights. Neymar at Barcelona looks set to take up a similar role. Flamboyant, fun and a box-office watch his skills look irresistible at times. Perhaps more manoeuvred by the Catalonians into a position of magisterial succession he seems the carefully selected heir-apparent to Lionel Messi's crown. Eyes of the world are on them both, will both or either live up to the billing is now the question.
Tom Brady = Alfredo Di Stefano
Ok, this one may seem odd as they're literally fifty years apart but the parallels are there. Tom Brady has led the New England Patriots since pretty much the turn of the millennium. He and Bill Belichick ARE the New England Patriots. In their era they have visited the Super Bowl six times winning four rings. That's a dynasty. Di Stefano was Real Madrid. Snatched from the clutches of Barcelona by Madrid representatives, Di Stefano went on to lead Real Madrid to post-war dominance and establishing the games first modern day football dynasty. They won the first five European Cups and Di Stefano was pivotal in all of them. Both anatomically are fairly unimpressive, Brady looked physically average at the 2000 combine whereas Di Stefano was balding in his 30s, average height and not lightning quick. Even the age comparisons are similar, Brady still looking as good as ever into his late thirties whereas Di Stefano scored a hat-trick in a European Cup Final at the age of thirty four. It can be summed up this way, because partly of both men when you say NFL Dynasty, I say Patriots and when I say Football Dynasty, you could easily say Real Madrid.
Odell Beckham Jnr = Paul Pogba
I'm keen on this one. Odell Beckham is arguably the face of the NFL. Wide Receivers' are sometimes like the sports cars of American Football. Theatrical, ostentatious, costly to maintain, yet pleasing on the eye. They make the catches, provide all the best photo ops and usually grab the best headlines. But there they are, loud, brash and in your face. Odell Beckham Jnr encapsulates that synopsis perfectly. He's even on the cover of Madden 16, which says it all. He does have the numbers to back in up though and at twenty three it looks like he has the chance to maybe one day be in the pantheon of greats alongside such figures as Jerry Rice. Pogba is the corresponding star. Also only twenty three and recently signed by Man U for the world's most ludicrous fee, Pogba too perhaps has the world in his hands. With Messi and Ronaldo entering the final chapters of their careers can Pogba step up and be the one, is it inevitable he ends up on the cover of FIFA 17 (prediction)? Also predictably both are pretty fun to follow on Social Media.
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Antonio Brown = Cristiano Ronaldo
Antonio Brown is the best WR in the NFL. This can be debated and he is often closely compared with Juilo Jones. Still to me and most others, Brown looks, when teamed up with the Steelers holy trinity of Bell and Roethlisberger, the best in his position. He's flashy but makes tough catches and scores key touchdowns. He makes the Steelers win games. Cristiano Ronaldo is generally considered the best wing-forward in the world. The mantle of best player in the world is, as we generally two way, never-ending debate between him and Messi, much like Brown and Jones. Now he plays more centrally than ever but we'll forever (mostly) fondly look back on Ronaldo as a scrawny then Hollywood-esque winger. Again when it comes to stats Ronaldo also stands alone. Breaking Real Madrid's goalscoring record along with many others he's a numbers machine. Bottom line, both are talent leaders in their respective sports, stats monsters and talismanic for their teams.
Patrick Peterson = Paulo Maldini
Peterson is the widely considered the best Cornerback in the NFL. He's the defensive captain of the Cardinals. Think of a CB as similar to our full back's yet slightly more defensive compared to the modern day hybrid wing-backs. They cover opposing WRs and prevent offensive plays. At twenty six he's in his prime and is more than a match for any of the sport's top WRs. Maldini was the game greatest fullback. Like Peterson, he could line up on the left or right and for over a decade he was the captain of his beloved AC Milan. To be honest the similarities here are abundant. Even the way they act and acted professionally is similar, both with a reserved, steely persona. Sherman could have contended for this spot but he's brash and the polar opposite personality-wise of these two. Peterson and Maldini, each of them defensively magnificent, both leaders and both able to switch to opposite sides of the field. I've done my job here and shall say no more.
DeAndre Hopkins = Antoine Griezmann
Last season Hopkins pretty much announced himself as the new WR on the block. He's here to stay and compete with Brown, Jones, Beckham and Bryant for the mantle of the games top receiver. His numbers indicate it and watching him, your eyes will confirm it. He's an outrageous talent. Question is whether the Houston Texans can provide Hopkins with the stage he deserves to showcase his burgeoning talents at the age of twenty four. This summer after hinting at his impending arrival, Antoine Griezmann firmly announced his intentions to be at least discussed in the top 5 players in the world. After a fantastic two seasons whilst often isolated for Athletico Madrid the way he sauntered around the pitch and scored beautiful goals for France during the Euro's was, well as I said, beautiful. I'm sure you'd agree it was the highlight along with the Viking clap thing of a generally drab tournament. With him now being discussed as a Ballon D'or contender question is whether Athletico can provide this prodigy with the stage his talent deserves?
JJ Watt = Daniel Passerella Currently JJ Watt is a phenomenon in the NFL. A new breed of Defensive End. His job is all encompassing and he fits schematically into many shapes and sizes of a fearsome Houston Texans defense. His main role being a Defensive End is to rush the passer. This means getting after the opposing QB on every defensive play. To say he is efficient wouldn't really do him justice. He's borderline extraterrestrial in this function, leads the NFL in sacks and has won defensive player of the year three out of the last four years. If you don't know the name of Daniel Passerella firstly, shame on you. He was the leader of the stout Argentinean defence during their 70s heyday and was an all round tough guy. He also had an eye for goal. Both play defense, both lead their teams and both have an eye for a score.
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Kam Chancellor = Vincent Kompany
Both these men are critical schematically and culturally for their teams and both are currently on the injured list. Ouch. When pundits talk about a football teams 'Spine' it usually starts with a CB. In the NFL, the spine of a team usually permeates from a defensive member. Chancellor, at Strong Safety is essentially the defensive QB for the Seattle Seahawks and very much the Cervical Spine of the team. When he's on the field, he's huge in stature and in influence. The same phraseology could be used for Kompany over at Manchester City. When he's on the pitch, the whole team breathes a collective sigh of relief. Both even burst onto their respective scenes at roughly the same time and both have led their teams to success over that period. Kompany looks injury ravaged and frequently susceptible at thirty, the Seahawks and the city of Seattle will be hoping this summer's pre-season injury doesn't become a regular occurrence in Kam's career. The future success of both teams may lie in keeping their defensive lynchpins healthy.
Eric Berry = Eric Abidal
Most of you will know where I'm going with this but for those who don't, it has a two-way happy ending so do read on. Eric Berry is a defensive Strong Safety for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2014 he was diagnosed with lymphoma and his career looked over. A year later he was back playing for the Chiefs and playing pretty darn well. It was the quintessential fairytale comeback. He now should perhaps be getting paid but I digress. Switch to Barcelona and Eric Abidal a while back. Diagnosed with Liver Cancer his career also looked finished and his life was genuinely hanging in the balance. He underwent surgery, survived and made an emotional comeback for Barcelona before finishing his career in his native France. Two Eric's, two serious illnesses and two unbelievable comebacks against the odds. The sporting gods seemingly sprinkling their tear-inducing fairydust.