Miami Dolphins: Why Media, Paparazzi Could Scare Away Peyton Manning

While the Miami Dolphins may be the best fit for free agent quarterback Peyton Manning on the field, Miami's culture doesn't appear to be what the four-time MVP is looking for and that could scare him off.

A perfect example came when after a long, emotional press conference and a flight returning home to Miami the press followed his car then essentially forced him to hold an impromptu news conference. Manning has never been the kind of guy to like that kind of attention, which is why playing in Indianapolis was a perfect fit for his personality. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter has claimed that the Dolphins may actually already be losing steam in the chance for the 11-time Pro Bowler because of the helicopter chase and press conference. 

If you look at what happened when Miami chased head coaches Jeff Fisher and Jim Harbaugh, the Manning sweepstakes could be following a a similar pattern. In each of those situations the Dolphins appeared to have their man locked down and suddenly things went badly.

Manning doesn't want to be a celebrity, he wants to play football. He won't be walking on a stage in front of a laser-light show when he signs his contract like LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. He just isn't that kind of guy.

If I were a member of the Dolphins front office I'd keep whatever dealings I had with Manning secret. Turning his free agency into a big media event is the last thing he wants.

While the press in Miami probably won't just leave him be, if news outlets want to be able to report on Manning over the next few years, they would be wise to back off until he makes a decision.