In Super Bowl 58 Overtime, the San Francisco 49ers led the Kansas City Chiefs 23–20. Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes lined up in shotgun formation from about the 10-yard line. Patrick rolled out to his right. He threw a touchdown pass to wider receiver Mecole Hardman in the end zone. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl 26–23.
28-year-old Patrick Mahomes won his second straight Super Bowl. His 3rd Super Bowl Championship in the last 4 years. Patrick also won his 3rd Super Bowl MVP. At 28-years-old years old, the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) NFL Quarterback Tom Brady had won 3 Super Bowls and 2 Super Bowl MVPs. After 23 NFL seasons, 46-year-old Tom is now retired.
Is Patrick Mahomes the next GOAT? If he’s not the GOAT, now? After winning Super Bowl 58, when asked about next season, Patrick said, “I’m gonna do whatever I can do to be here next year and go for that three-peat.” The three-peat is winning 3 straight Championships. Patrick has moved on to what’s next?
The GOAT Tom Brady won 7 Super Bowl Championships. Does Patrick Mahomes have to win 7 Super Bowls to be considered the GOAT? I’m 61 years old. I’ve seen Joe Montana, who was the GOAT before Tom, and Tom Brady play his career with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That being said, I think Patrick Mahomes is the Best NFL Quarterback I’ve ever seen play the game. Say Patrick wins 5 Super Bowls, then he’s in the GOAT conversation. I’m just saying.
Time is undefeated. There will always be the next GOAT who replaces the reigning GOAT. That’s the human design. That’s just life.
Patrick has been to 6 straight AFC Championships, 4 Super Bowls, and won 3 Super Bowls. After his AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots in his first season as starting Quarterback, Tom Brady spoke to Patrick after the game. He said, “Hey Man, I want you to know that you’re doing it the right way.” Patrick gratefully told Kansas Chiefs Tight-end Travis Kelce and his brother Philadelphia Eagles Center Jason Kelce on their New Heights Podcast, “The GOAT is literally saying you’re doing it the right way… That’s helped me become who I am.”
Perhaps Patrick is the next GOAT, because like his hero Tom Brady, he continually works on himself. Patrick and Tom work on being the best that they can be. Whether their best is the GOAT or not, I believe they really don’t care. They just train.
After 35 years in Aikido, I’m Godan (5th degree black belt). Aikido is the great love of my life. I’m never more alive or more self-expressed than when I train in Aikido. The late Mizukami Sensei taught me for 25 years before he passed away. Sensei was a father to me. He taught me what it is to be a good man. Sensei said, “Just train. It’s not like you have to get somewhere.”
Now, Ishibashi Sensei is my Sensei. Mizukami Sensei had taught both of us. I get my life and have the most fun training with Ishibashi Sensei. Sensei said, “The purpose of Aikido is to release your fear.” I get under the attack, in the danger, and let go my fear inside. Although my fear inside never completely disappears, I let go more of my fear inside when I train.
I’m who I am, the man I’m proud to be, is because of Mizukami Sensei and Ishibashi Sensei. I have only mad love and respect for them. I’m not the GOAT of anything unlike Tom and Patrick. Still, I become the best version of myself by doing what I have to and giving up what I need to. I practice Aikido technique over, and over, and over, and over again. Practice makes the unnatural natural. I let go my fear inside that I’m not good enough over, and over, and over again, too. Just train.
We have promotion tests at the Aikido Dojo. Ishibashi Sensei said that everyone’s got their concerns and fears whether that’s “I’m not good enough.” or “I can’t do it.” Sensei said, “Everyone does their best. That’s all they can do.” Everyone should have fun doing their best. too. After all, why do anything unless it’s fun? Just asking.
My best will never be the GOAT. Maybe, yours could be. I have as much fun for as long as I can. I do what I love for as long as I can, too. Whether my best is better or not than someone else’s best really doesn’t matter. I do the best I can. I invent the best version of myself. I work on myself, not on others. That’s all I can do. I’m quiet inside. I have fun, too.
On the journey, I love myself for who I am and forgive myself for who I’m not. I do my best to leave the world a better place than when I can into it. My profound wish. I give everything away. I give all of me. My best.
