Why Archie Manning Should Shut Up and Be Dad, Not Spokesman for Peyton Manning

Archie Manning has produced two sons who are Pro Bowl quarterbacks and apparently he thinks that gives him the ability to speak for both of those guys, and be incredibly annoying in the process.

Today, good old Archie told Yahoo! Sports Radio host Craig Shemon that he wasn't sure if his son Peyton would be able to play in the NFL next season, insisting, "we'll just have to wait and see."

How much would I have to pay Manning the Elder to go away and stop talking publicly about his sons? At this point, I'm willing to shell out some big bucks to make it happen.

Earlier this year, Archie garnered a lot of attention for discussing whether or not Peyton and Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck could coexist on the same roster. At that point, I wrote that the patriarch of the Manning dynasty should just shut up and worry about being a father to his sons, not their spokesperson.

It's now time to dust off that take and put it out there again.

Seriously, Archie. Shut up. Talking about your sons publicly can only be bad for them. If they have something to say, let them say it. Better still, allow their representatives (agents, managers) to craft a statement and release it. Going into a public forum and popping off makes you look like a meddlesome father who is looking for attention, not a caring dad.

Archie's public image took a major hit back in 2004 when his younger son Eli was the presumed No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. The San Diego Chargers held that pick, but Archie and Eli publicly blasted the franchise and stated that the Ole Miss quarterback would rather sit out and re-enter the draft the next year than play there. 

To many, that move looked to be a manipulation to land Eli in New York with the Giants, where marketing and endorsement opportunities would be far more lucrative and accessible. The attempt to manipulate the draft process was seen as petty for such a respected football family. 

Since that time, Archie has inserted himself into the public eye, speaking for and about his sons at various times.