goat debate by state
Tom Brady (center) leads with 20 states, while Michael Jordan and LeBron James each secured 11 "GOAT" selections.
JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images/Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports/Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
  • Tom Brady’s 7th Super Bowl victory has reignited the debate over the greatest athlete of all time.
  • The team at betonline.ag used trends software and geotagged Twitter data to develop a map of each state’s GOAT pick.
  • Brady leads with 20 states, while Michael Jordan and LeBron James each secured 11 “GOAT” selections.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Tom Brady won his seventh career Vince Lombardi Trophy and fifth MVP award with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LV victory Sunday.

And now, the greatest athlete of all time – or GOAT – debate is back with a vengence.

tom brady bucs
Tom Brady is the GOAT of all GOATs, according to betonline.ag's Twitter analysis.
Kevin Sabitus/AP Images

Fans are debating which professional athlete across all sports deserves the crown as the best athlete ever. Among the top contenders are Brady, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.

But only one can hold the GOAT title, so the betonline.ag team set out to determine the athlete who reigns supreme. Using trends software and geotagged Twitter data from more than 130,000 tweets published in the past week, the team developed a map of the United States that reflects the most popular GOAT pick in each state.

serena williams
Serena Williams – a popular GOAT pick – is pursuing her record-tying 24th Grand Slam victory.
AP Photo/Rick Rycroft

Brady came out on top with 20 states picking the quarterback as their GOAT. The NBA duo of Jordan and James followed behind in a tie for second with  11 “GOAT” selections apiece, and Williams locked down four state nominations for the unofficial top prize in sports.

Hilariously, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Montana, and John Elway each earned regional nods as the GOAT, though none is typically considered a serious contender for the title. Meanwhile, some more legitimate candidates - such as Simone Biles, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Wayne Gretzky, and more - failed to earn a spot on the map.

Check out the full breakdown of GOATs by state below:

greatest goat map
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