In mulling over today's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, won by one Jimmie Johnson as crew chiefed by Chad Knaus, it's well nigh impossible to not have another sports duo come to mind, namely Tom Brady and Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots.

Consider the similarities.  First, Brady and Johnson:

• The ability to perform in whatever manner the situation dictates, be it domination from start to finish or at their best when under pressure.  Need a six touchdowns in the first half blowout or a last minute desperation drive for a score?  Brady.  Need someone to lap the field before the pace car gets off the track or a closing lap did-you-see-that maneuver for the win?  Johnson.  In any of the above, as close to automatic as it gets.
  
• The ability to thoroughly annoy opponents with a "not my fault I'm that much better than you" attitude.
  
• A personality that depending on whether you're a fan or not is either refreshingly unpretentious and down to earth, or voted most likely to be mistaken for stale oatmeal.

Now, Belichick and Knaus:

• Complete knowledge of their own team's strengths and weaknesses, along with those of their opponents, which when combined with unquestioned genius-level comprehension into their chosen field allows full exploitation of any shortcomings by others while minimizing any potential damage from their own.
  
• The ability to adjust on the fly to any given scenario as the game or race develops.
  
• Having the words "I'm sorry" surgically removed from their being.
  
• Pushing the envelope of what is legal as far as it will go, then acting surprised when caught going beyond accepted boundaries.

Oh, one other thing all four have in common...

... near-universal enmity because they're currently impossible to defeat.

Right now, the championship is Johnson's to lose after yet another superior team performance over Gordon's.  For whatever reason, Gordon's crew chief Steve Letarte is incapable of getting it right until near the end of a race, at which point Gordon has to make a mad chase toward the front while Johnson pretty much lives there from the drop of the green flag.  When you don't have to expend the majority of your energy playing catch-up, you have the resources to pull off dramatic race-ending passes for the win such as was the case today.

It's not a matter of who is the better driver.  Gordon is better by far than Johnson.  That duly noted, when you're being forced in race after race to mount a comeback after keeping your car in contention through sheer will and skill as in the hands of any lesser a talent said car would be in the "oh are they in the race today" category ten laps into the event, how can you realistically be expected to accomplish any more than you are?

So yes, with the penultimate event of the season this coming weekend at Phoenix, nothing stands between Johnson and back to back titles except random fate -- a tire or part failure, being at the wrong place on the track at the wrong time.  Hardly something to pin any hopes on.  The only thing at this point more certain than another trophy for the #48 is his completion of the process none-too affectionately labeled replacing Gordon as the driver the greatest number of fans love to hate.  Until somebody comes along to beat him, it'll stay that way.  And expect it to stay that way for a good long while.  Johnson is NASCAR's new dynasty.  And dynasties all have one thing in common: they last far longer than those who despise them care to contemplate.