Live from New York, it's... Eli Manning?

Of all the quarterbacks they could have selected, Saturday Night Live went with Eli Manning?

Seriously?

I know, I know, Giants fans will tell you he has more personality than he generally shows in interviews or press conferences. And I understand the cultural relevance of having the two-time Super Bowl winner host the show.

But c'mon, Eli Manning? There's no way he'll be as funny as his brother Peyton Manning. This can't end well.

Anyway, here's some info from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:

Eli will host the show on May 5, according to ESPNNewYork.com.

He’ll be the third active NFL quarterback to host, joining Peyton and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The timing is a bit surprising, given that Eli will likely miss a week of the team’s offseason program as he prepares for the show. On-field work isn’t expected to begin, however, until the middle of May.

If there was an SNL Scouting Combine run by Lorne Michaels to identify humorous athletes worthy of hosting the show, I'm not sure that Eli Manning would even be worthy of an invitation. This is the Christian Ponder of SNL reaches.

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Which doesn't mean I won't be watching. Oh no, I wouldn't miss this. I want to see if SNL can turn Eli's "Aw, shucks" Southern charm into a straight man role in skits they can riff off of. Maybe they'll have a bit of fun with Eli's baby face.

Maybe he could play his brother Peyton in a skit making fun of his crazy offseason. Then again, maybe Eli would like the spotlight without having his brother mentioned for once.

One way or another, I think the May 5th show could be a bit awkward and sort of painful. And that's why I'll be watching.

 

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