Who is the G.O.A.T.?
I asked ChatGPT who is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time. ChatGpt gave me this answer: “The greatest NFL quarterback of all time is a topic of much debate and is subjective, as different people may have different criteria and opinions. Some of the quarterbacks often mentioned as the greatest of all time include Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre, and Dan Marino. Each of these quarterbacks had their own unique strengths and accomplishments, and it ultimately comes down to individual preferences and criteria when deciding who is the greatest of all time.”
I would also consider Aaron Rodgers to be one of the greatest NFL QBs so I asked why Aaron Rodgers is not on that list. Here is the answer I received: “Aaron Rodgers is definitely a talented quarterback and is widely regarded as one of the best of his generation. He has won numerous accolades and awards, including two MVP awards, and has led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl victory. However, when it comes to the discussion of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, it is a highly subjective topic and there are many factors to consider, such as statistics, awards, team success, and impact on the game. While Rodgers certainly has a strong case for consideration in this conversation, many fans and analysts believe that the other quarterbacks mentioned have a more impressive body of work and legacy in the NFL, which is why they are often regarded as the greatest quarterbacks of all time.”
I then asked why people consider Tom Brady the greatest quarterback of all time. Here is the answer I received: “There are several reasons why Tom Brady is considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all time:
- Winning Record: Tom Brady has won seven Super Bowl championships, more than any other player in NFL history. He has also led his team to 10 Super Bowl appearances, an incredible achievement.
- Consistency: Brady has been consistently successful throughout his career, with numerous records to his name, such as the most career touchdown passes and the most career passing yards.
- Leadership: Brady is widely regarded as a great leader both on and off the field. He is known for his work ethic, dedication, and ability to motivate his teammates to perform at their best.
- Adaptability: Brady has demonstrated his ability to adapt to different situations, including playing with different coaches, different systems, and different teammates throughout his career.
- Clutch Performances: Brady has a reputation for performing well in critical moments, including fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives.
Overall, Tom Brady’s winning record, consistency, leadership, adaptability, and clutch performances have all contributed to his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.”
I started to play devil’s advocate and asked why adaptability is a reason because Brady only played for two teams to see what kind of response I would get. Here is the answer I received: “That’s a fair point. While Tom Brady has only played for two teams (the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), his ability to adapt can still be seen in his career. For example, during his time with the Patriots, Brady had to adapt to playing under different offensive coordinators and head coaches. He also had to adapt to playing with different personnel, as the Patriots frequently made changes to their roster. Additionally, as he aged, Brady had to adjust his playing style to compensate for his physical limitations. Furthermore, after spending his entire career with the Patriots, Brady made a bold move by joining the Buccaneers in 2020. Despite the challenges posed by joining a new team during a pandemic and without a traditional offseason, Brady adapted quickly to his new environment and led the team to a Super Bowl championship in his first season with them. This demonstrated his ability to adjust to a new team, new system, and new teammates at a late stage in his career. So while Brady’s adaptability may not be as apparent as it is for other quarterbacks who have played for multiple teams, it is still a factor that has contributed to his success and legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.”
Some other questions I asked were how many game-winning drives does Tom Brady have and what Super Bowls did Tom Brady win? Here are the answers I received:
One thing ChatGPT does well is eliminating bias. When I asked who the greatest QB of all time is, it told me that topic is up for debate and it is subjective and gave me a couple of names. Another thing it does well is format the responses like a mini-essay. When I asked why Aaron Rodgers is not on its list, it gave me the introduction saying he is talented and has won numerous awards. Then the body of the essay starts with “However” and then the conclusion restating why his name was not listed. Another thing ChatGPT does well is talking like a human. When talking about Brady's adaptability, it starts its response with “That’s a fair point.” I never imagined AI to talk back so intelligently like that. In simpler terms, The AI is saying I bring up a good point, but my point is wrong, and proceeds to prove why my point is wrong. It does this in a very sophisticated way. Another thing ChatGpt does well provides “side notes”. Under the Super Bowls question, it says — oh side note “it’s worth noting that Brady…”. I appreciate this because it provides more insight into why Brady is considered one of the greatest NFL QBs of all time.
One thing ChatGPT does not do well is it gives me an outdated response. Aaron Rodgers currently has four MVPs. He won MVP in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, meaning ChatGPT's response is behind for a couple of years. Another thing ChatGPT does not do well is it lacks giving specific answers. When I asked why Brady is considered one of the greatest QBs of all time, I got a well-thought-out response but no specifics. For example, under the consistency category, it tells me records that Brady has the most career passing touchdowns or the most career passing yards. I was hoping it would give me specific numbers for those records. Another example of ChatGPT lacking specifics is I had to ask follow-up questions to get the specifics I was looking for. Under the clutch performances reasoning it said Brady is known for his game-winning drives. I had to ask a follow-up question about how many game-winning drives he has.
One way I can see ChapGPT used is by asking it “how to do something”. I imagine ChatGPT responding with step-by-step instructions similar to the question of why people consider Tom Brady the greatest QB of all time. “Follow steps one through five or however many steps to complete your task.” One way I can see ChatGPT misused is the user provides it with an English or History prompt, the user copies the response and uses it as the paper or essay. Since AI is responding more like humans, a teacher may not be able to tell the difference between who wrote it. I can imagine this aspect of ChatGPT really being taken advantage of.
