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There is another article on this web site about how the Giants win over the Patriots was the game that saved sports. I saw this article on the main page now for several days. Each time, I chose to ignore it...

A Giant Hole in the Feel Good Story of Super Bowl XLII

by Stew Winkel (Columnist)

38

3,004 reads

Sports

March 07, 2008


There is another article on this web site about how the Giants win over the Patriots was the game that saved sports.

I saw this article on the main page now for several days. Each time, I chose to ignore it. I knew what it was about, obviously, and figured why subject myself to the pain I would have to feel all over again reading about how my favorite football team lost its chance at immortality to the Giants.

But finally, today, I decided to read it. Very well written and even a Patriot fan must admit, a lot of it was very true.

There is one part, however, of the Giants story that maybe isn't so storybook and maybe it detracts from this great feeling everyone outside of New England has.

That is Eli Manning.

I'm not talking about whether or not Eli deserved the MVP or that in the Giants final drive he made about five plays that easily could have lost his team the game. I really am not because all that doesn't matter.

Eli made the plays when they had to be made and his team won. One thing I learned from watching the Patriots from 2001-2004 is that it doesn't matter how you win, just that you win.

No, I am talking about Eli Manning, the man who in 2004 was possibly going to be the No. 1 draft pick by the San Diego Chargers.  Eli was unhappy though. With a lot of help from his father, Eli made it known he did not want to go to San Diego.

By now we all know that Eli got his way.  After having their hands tied by the Mannings' public demands, San Diego acquiesced to Eli's wishes and traded him to New York.

I never really understood why Eli was against going to San Diego. Yes, the team had gone 4-12 the previous season, (after going 8-8 in 2002) but this wasn't a franchise in disarray. They had a great young running back who in his first three years in the league rushed for over 4500 yards and 37 touchdowns.

Surely that had to be attractive to a quarterback entering the league.

Yes the Chargers had Drew Brees and maybe Eli didn't want the competition. He may have preferred a situation where upon being drafted he would be anointed their quarterback.

Did Eli want to be in the big market to maximize his exposure? That never made sense to me. 

If anything can be learned from Peyton Manning it is that if you perform well in the NFL the marketing aspect takes care of itself. Indianapolis isn't exactly a huge market. Even if Eli wasn't spectacular in San Diego, with his last name, the marketing opportunities would have been there for him.

My theory is that one of the reasons Archie Manning pulled the strings to get Eli to New York is that he has hopes of one day seeing a Manning bowl—Peyton and the Colts against Eli and Giants in the Super Bowl. Even if true, is that terrible?

No, I can understand a little, but is it enough of a reason to disrespect the game the way Eli did by refusing to go to a team if they had the audacity to make him the number one pick in the draft?

Regardless of the reason, it happened and Eli wound up getting what he wanted which was a trade to New York. Prior to the 2007 postseason things never really went well for Eli with the Giants. He had his moments, but even this season his team went 3-5 at home compared with 7-1 on the road.

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38 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment

  1. andy miller about 1 year ago

    Where did you lear to use a big word like "acquiesced"?

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  2. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Do you really think Smith wanted Eli? A question nobody wants to ask. It went down just like the mastermind at San Diego wanted it to and Archie took the fall for it.

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  3. glenn warciski about 1 year ago

    I think you are carping here. Yes, Eli with the help of his Dad (Archie) lobbied for a trade. Archie did not want his son playing for a franchise which was in disarray. Look back at Charger history, from 1983 up until 2003, the Chargers had 12 losing seasons, 5 seasons at 8-8, and 4 winning seasons.
    Interestingly, the Chargers improved once they traded Manning for Rivers and draft picks. The picks turned out to be Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding. I think both teams benefited from their swap.

    I think Manning deserved the MVP. He outplayed the best quarterback in the league Tom Brady. He led his team to two fourth quarter touchdown drives.

    18 wins and ONE GIANT LOSS, maybe next year, New England.

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  4. Dan Siegel about 1 year ago

    Don't forget that Peyton stayed in college an extra year to avoid being drafted by the Jets on his father's advice that the Jets were not a quality organization.

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  5. Rich Tandler about 1 year ago

    John Elway did the exact same thing, threatening to play baseball rather than play for the then-Baltimore Colts and forcing a trade to Denver.

    No biggie, IMO. If the club acquiesces then it's two parties agreeing on a deal.

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  6. John Fennelly about 1 year ago

    A Manning Super Bowl? Far fetched..

    If Archie is that good at predicting the future, I'm taking him to Saratoga with me this year...

    In 2004, the Giants did not have the 4th overall pick because they were thisclose to a championship.

    And the Colts were decent, but not quite there yet...

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  7. John Fennelly about 1 year ago

    Another thing....isn't it 'common knowledge' that the Giants were fleeced by San Diego in that deal?
    or
    Was I just imagining that 'cat that ate the canary' smile on A.J. Smith' face that day?

    The only thing 'full of holes" is this article. As a matter of fact its full of s@#$

    JF

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  8. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    2003 colts lost in the afc championship, in a game where essentially everyone picked them to win. a manning super bowl far fetched - i agree with the writer - it very well could have been something archie wanted to see, a dream of something he might see at some point, not that it was going to happen in 2004.

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  9. Stew Winkel about 1 year ago

    You know, all you Giants fans, who I am sure have all been behind Eli all the way, are none too bright. The point of the article isn't who got the better of the deal - who cares about that, it has nothing to do with Eli's temper tantrum. and it isn't that other players have done the same thing - again, who cares. and if you wouldnt take big ben over eli, something is clearly wrong with you. would you be saying the same thing if one of the 3 passes manning threw up for grabs was intercepted?

    the Giants won the Super Bowl, they outplayed and outcoached the Patriots and deserved to win. no question about it. the point of the article is that before we start writing articles about how the Giants saved the sports world from the big bad patriots because this giants team is such a great story filled with great guys who made great plays, and kids around the world now have a team they can look up to, let's not forget that your super bowl mvp is on the team for one - because he pulled a d*ck move and got his way.

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    • S3pper B about 1 year ago

      18*-1 B*TCH!! How does it feel?! Before you start saying stuff about our quarterback at least the giants are not cheaters. But hey, that's karma for ya.

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    • Secor77 about 1 year ago

      The "three throws up for grabs" is a myth. If you watch the game again and pause it, you see their all just out of the reach of the defenders. Don't forget, Eli threw only one interception in the entire playoffs, and that one wasn't his fault. You Boston fans just refuse to see that it was Eli who beat you. You can't stomach it, so you say it was the defense, despite the fact the defense (which was great) lost the lead in the fourth quarter. It was the same way with the Green Bay fans. How the hell does Plax get all the credit for embarrassing a Pro Bowl corner? Wasn't it Eli putting the ball on his outside shoulder over and over and over again. I'm not taking anything from Plax, but Eli deserves some of that credit.

      There's this myth that Eli isn't accurate, mainly because he doesn't throw a tight spiral all the time. Most interceptions this year were in bad weather or playing from behind when he had to take chances. The Giants defense, though awesome at the end of the year, was weak in the first half of games the entire season. The Giants were constantly playing from behind.

      I know Boston fans. You're a bunch of disingenuous self-righteous hypocrites. There isn't even a word to describe how good it felt watching Eli Manning rip your hearts out. I've watch the dvd about 20 times now and it keeps getting better.

      As for the myth every Giant fan hated Eli, that's not true either. There was a lot of us who remember watching Kent Graham and Dave Brown in the 90's. Believe me, if we could talk ourselves into Kerry Collins (and we did), we had no trouble backing the guy who made Ole Miss a factor in the SEC.

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  10. John Fennelly about 1 year ago

    I said from day one that I wanted Ben...

    I know more than anyone that the Giants stole that Super Bowl. I don't really care how well Eli played before or how he plays after. He took the Giants down the field twice for TDs in the 4th quarter of a Super Bowl and won the game.

    Nothing gonna change that. Regardless of how it was done and what anyone says.

    Do you remember the Steelers of the 70's? Swann and Stallworth stood on their heads to make catches and Franco Harris made the 'Immaculate Reception" ..but who won four Super Bowls?

    Terry Bradshaw.

    Also

    I cannot see Eli throwing 'a temper tantrum'

    his blood pressure is like 100/60...he doesn't do that

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  11. Terry Robinson about 1 year ago

    Well said, Stew. I couldn't agree more. I have felt from the start that baby bro is nothing more than a prima donna and a cry baby. It's a joke to suggest that giants fans have been behind him all the way. In my opinion, he is a one hit wonder whose 'fans' will turn on him in a NY minute. Tom Brady will win another SB long before Archie's entitled baby boy will even play in one.

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  12. Ivahn Lachowsky about 1 year ago

    Good article the NY fans didn't really seem to be behind Eli the first three or four years because he sucked or were they even behind Coughlin for that matter. Everyone knows it was the defense and the rookies that carried that team.I"ve always felt the league pushed for both Manning brothers to win their championships, although I'd have to say the Manning Brady battles have been great.

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  13. donna kyin about 1 year ago

    wow, talk about bitter patriot fans...

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  14. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Another idiot writing for Bleacher ... hey dumbass, research something before you write. San Diego DID NOT want Manning - Marty wanted Philip after the Senior Bowl. They wanted to trade and get the draft picks. Washington even objected when AJ Smith lied about a phone conversation - implying that the Redskins were going to bid for the #1.

    Washington cautioned San Diego not to use Washington to "up the bidding war" on Manning. So when SD called Gallery's agent and Manning's agent to open negotiations, Tom Condon basically asked the Chargers to draft someone they wanted - and stay away from Eli.

    Learn the facts before you write.

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  15. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    learn to read before you comment - it doesn't matter that san diego was smart enough to know they didn't really want to draft manning first. manning thought they did, he thought it was at the very least possible he could be the #1 pick in the entire draft. and this is without dispute - he let it be known that he absolutely did not want to go to san diego. that is the point - that instead of just going into the draft, and being picked, manning in a very public way, let it be known that he wasn't satisfied that he was going to be drafted in the NFL, but that he would only be satisfied if he got his way. he handpicked the giants, and by his actions, ensured he would wind up where he wanted. this from a young kid right out of college who had never proven a thing yet on an nfl field, yet he had no problems making demands

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  1. Frank Wrench about 1 year ago

    learn to read before you comment - it doesn't matter that san diego was smart enough to know they didn't really want to draft manning first. manning thought they did, he thought it was at the very least possible he could be the #1 pick in the entire draft. and this is without dispute - he let it be known that he absolutely did not want to go to san diego. that is the point - that instead of just going into the draft, and being picked, manning in a very public way, let it be known that he wasn't satisfied that he was going to be drafted in the NFL, but that he would only be satisfied if he got his way. he handpicked the giants, and by his actions, ensured he would wind up where he wanted. this from a young kid right out of college who had never proven a thing yet on an nfl field, yet he had no problems making demands

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  2. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Wrong Andrew - SD fan, right??? Mannning never said he did not want to go to the Chargers .... Smith leaked the conversation with Condon (just like he leaked false info from the Redskins conversation) to the media ... so he could explain to SD fans why they would not wind up with Eli.

    Eli NEVER said he would not go to SD until the media was in his face asking direct questions. Ever the class act, Eli did not blame SD ... he just answered every "why don't you want to play for SD?" question with his usual reluctance to answer and refusal to place blame elsewhere.

    So YOU learn to read Andrew ... then comment accordingly. (But research it first, so you at least know the subject about which you are speaking).

    And if you want to know why I am so sure, it's simple ... I was a huge Manning fan coming out of college ... so I watched the draft closely. I wanted him to go to SD to play with Tomlinson ... until they made it clear they didn't want him! Then I wanted him to go anywhere but SD ... he did not pull an Elway; he simply had his agent refuse to open pre-draft negotiations with a club which had no interest in him.

    Did some of you Eli-haters EVER stop to notice the irony of such a stunt being pulled by the most polite, "aw-shucks" pro athlete since who knows when? Geez, think before spewing your garbage

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  3. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    "I'm not talking about whether or not Eli deserved the MVP, or that if you review the game, he really didn't play all that well, or that in the Giants final drive he made about five plays that easily could have lost his team the game."

    Tom Brady was SB MVP against the Rams after going 16/27 for 145 yards. He deserved that MVP award less than Eli. Eli also played better than the vaunted Tom Brady, who every New Englander says is the best and most clutch QB ever.

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  4. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    I never liked the way that draft worked out either, but his demeanor and the four years of beatings he took in NY (as well as how assholic Rivers and Merriman turned out to) rendered it practically moot. And as for "not playing well" in the Super Bowl, think about that final drive and how, until that Sunday, the two touchdowns the Patriots gave up in the last quarters of all of the Super Bowls in their reign this decade came courtesy of Manning.

    There's a reason only 2 quarterbacks in 42 Super Bowls have thrown 2 touchdowns in the final quarter: it is, apparently, very, very hard.

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  5. Silas Beyman about 1 year ago

    Phillip Rivers would never have succeeded in the Giants System.

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  6. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    You're an idiot little Stewie. The whining is frankly comical.

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  7. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    No one ever seems to mention it?!! It was mentioned PLENTY in 2004. But it's ancient history, and most people are over it. Why aren't you? Are you still losing sleep about the way Denver got Elway too?

    Eli is a Giant. Get over it, and get over yourself. Numbnuts.

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  8. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    WOW!!!! patriot fans still crying????? well i guess cheating and spying on teams during their walk-through isn't a slap in the face to the game.....please don't try and be a sports writer if you don't even know what really happened. anyone in New England can never ever talk about what is right or wrong in football, YOU CHEATED THE GAME

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  9. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    WHAT A WASTE OF 5 MINTUES....YOU'RE FIRED YOU SUCK AT SPORTS WRITING

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  10. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Geez, a Pats fan grasping at straws and whining because his holier-than-thou Pats and their golden-boy QB shit the bed on national TV. That's a new one. Keep it up with the non-stories, we're all forgetting you team's massive failure to win for their cheating dickbag coach...

    Just won't stop hurting, will it Stewie? HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!

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  11. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    I think the whole idea of the NFL Draft is garbage. If I was a football player why should anybody tell me where I have to work.

    I couldn't play for another team with the same intensity as I would for my favorite team. I am surprised no one has filed suit against the NFL draft as a restraint of free trade.

    If there was a common Rookie money cap for each team, each player could bargain his best, play where he wanted to or where he could make the most money and each team would have a fair chance at getting who they want and at the same time be limited to what they could spend by virtue of the Cap.

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  12. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    What temper tantrum? This is where you lose credibility and it sounds like sour grapes. Eli didn't throw a hissy fit. He made his feelings clear, and not only did the Chargers actually like Rivers better anyways, but they agreed to the deal. If they drafted and kepty Eli, he coulda sat out a year and the Chargers woulda had Drew Brees to get them to the next draft or two where whoever took Eli would forfgeit picks to the Chargers. Plkus Eli would lose a year of football.

    This is quite possibly the poorest example of pissing and moaning ove3r losing I have ever read.

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  13. john oakman about 1 year ago

    winkle you are a jealous idiot,but with your name it is to be expected.

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  14. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    The complexity of the situation and realities of every rookie coming into the NFL are such that no one will ever fully understand or appreciate what went on that specific Draft Day all those years ago. However, if anything has been proven since that time, it's that AJ Smith is an individual who willingly takes matters that have traditionally been private and held between an organization and an individual alone into the public (Brees, Gates, etc.) to gain leverage. While Eli will forever be associated with the draft day fiasco by those looking to bring him down, the reality is that it likely happens more often than not and, had Accorsi not so willingly shown his lust for Manning, the chips may not have fallen into place as they did for the Chargers, at least not enough to air their dirty laundry in public. Accorsi should know all too well what the other end feels like, as everyone's favorite QB John Elway pulled the same stunt, threatening to enjoy a life of a minor leage baseball player to prove he didn't want to play for the Colts and (eventually) strong-arming his way to Denver.

    Which brings us to this article, which is loosely strung together by popular beliefs and hearsay that resulted from the 2004 Draft Day Fallout and little concrete, material facts. Describing Eli Manning as a pouter, foot stomper, or what have you is a somewhat short-sighted and unfair criticism of the man. Tom Brady could be described as a dead-beat dad by his actions in one particular instance or a below average talent based on his draft day results. No one's stupid enough to do that, yet the criticism of Eli for an isolated move that has been pulled by many before and specifically for an issue he likely wasn't alone in creating continues years after the fact, even after San Diego has gone on to enjoy success and Eli has proven himself a respectable individual.

    Also, I'd like to bring up there's been a few isolated of cases where NFL coaches have thrown "pouts" and "stomped their feet" to get out of a coaching job. The only thing that's different from that instance of Eli Manning is that this coach had willingly signed a contract that obligated him to the organization on his own free will. I'm sure a Patriots fan doesn't forget how Bill Belichick came to coach the team.....

    Some reflection as to why the Patriots are reviled as of late may be in order, however. Even if we leave out the ridiculous "Spygate" happenings, the Patriots are coached by a very unlikeable individual who shares the same actions that this article calls upon us to revile. Are we to cheer that Randy Moss finally decided to play instead of "pout" for a team he didn't want to play for, despite signing a contract just the same (again, on his own free will)? Maybe Rodney Harrison and his abuse of PEDs is the reason we are to cheer? Or perhaps we are to ignore sportsmanship and try to enjoy a team making a full effort to embarass everyone they play.

    In the end, its clear why this article was written, but history and reality, unfortunately, aren't on its side. While the rest of the sports world seems to be ready to move on, making pathetic efforts to sully a victory to comfort a loss is very unbecoming, especially when the article written provides more than enough ammunation to carry over to a team like the Patriots. Maybe its not the sports world that is chosing to ignore the obvious, but the fans of a specific team.

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  15. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Go take a tinkle Winkel

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  1. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Two words: John Elway

    Is he reviled the way Eli Manning is, or has time put everything into perspective? Furthermore, number one picks leverage their position every year with their salary demands and very often place teams into the de facto position of passing on one talent to select another, perhaps more pliable, player.

    Besides, it's karma. Gary Zimmerman did this to the Giants back in 1984, refusing to play for them despite being drafted in the supplemental draft. Are we still taking pot shots at him or did he just not play a glamorous enough position for anyone to care?

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  2. donna kyin about 1 year ago

    this article is simply a waste of time and bandwidth from another bitter pats fan.

    did anyone forget, eli manning's older brother, peyton? he made it very clear that he wanted to be the colt's #1 draft pick and the colts were VERY MUCH a LOSING team! archie manning supported his decision all the way.

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  3. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    "did anyone forget, eli manning's older brother, peyton? he made it very clear that he wanted to be the colt's #1 draft pick and the colts were VERY MUCH a LOSING team! archie manning supported his decision all the way." - i don't really know what this has to do with anything. because peyton wanted to be #1 has anything to do with what eli wanted, and what eli did.

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  4. Frank Wrench about 1 year ago

    "did anyone forget, eli manning's older brother, peyton? he made it very clear that he wanted to be the colt's #1 draft pick and the colts were VERY MUCH a LOSING team! archie manning supported his decision all the way." - i don't really know what this has to do with anything. because peyton wanted to be #1 has anything to do with what eli wanted, and what eli did.

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  5. Luis Alberto about 1 year ago

    The NFL tries to force you to play where they put you - through the draft. If a company had 32 offices and wanted an employee bad enough, he would get to choose his office. Not sure why a player should be criticized for not wanting to play in a random city. Eli had earned the right to take a stand through his play at ole miss.
    If Brady did the same thing, Pats fans would find a reason to defend him.

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