Eeyore was a character on the beloved children’s show Winnie the Pooh. He walked around at a lethargic pace with his head hung low. He said things like “Oh bother” and “It doesn’t even really matter” in a glum tone.This is what the world sees from Eli Manning.
Over the past three weeks Eli has been getting some props from national media. The long overdue congratulations are finally being bestowed upon one of the league's most scrutinized players.
In recent years, when he wasn’t being blasted for interceptions by the New York media, he was being slammed by former teammates turned sports anchors for not being a leader. As if playing under the microscope in New York wasn’t enough, Eli also has that pesky last name to live up to.
Eli Manning is one of the most disliked players in the NFL and it can all be traced back to a single day: Draft Day 2004.
Manning was selected with the first pick in the draft by the San Diego Chargers. Phillip Rivers is chosen number four by The New York Giants.
We all remember the look on Eli’s face as he threw on that fake smile for photos with the Chargers jersey held in front of him: He looked like a little kid that got the wrong Power Ranger for Christmas. The trade to New York soon followed and Eli never stood a chance.
It wasn’t enough that he turned his nose up at everyone in the country and threw a tantrum because San Diego drafted him; now, he would need to please the ever-hungry appetites of the New York fans. This is no small task. The next Manning would be on the biggest stage in the NFL.
What could go wrong?
Unfortunately for Eli, plenty would go awry in the next three years.
Over Eli’s first three years in the NFL he completed just 52.6 percent of his passes and had a QB rating of 69.4. His second and third year also included second half collapses by the Giants; Manning bore much of the blame. He was deemed extremely unimpressive for an age where quarterbacks are given only two or three years to develop before a replacement is brought in.
There is a flip side to that coin, though. He had only been a full time starter in the league for two years. Both of those years were coached by Tom Coughlin, who was not a player favorite.
Perhaps we placed too many expectations upon young Manning. Though he has failed to impress the iron fisted media in the Big Apple, he hasn’t been that bad.
In three years starting in the NFL, Eli has thrown 71 touchdown passes. In only his third full year as the starter he has beaten what looked like another late-season Giants collapse and willed his team to the playoffs.
And now, Manning has his team one win away from only their second Super Bowl appearance in 17 years. Yet he is still chopped down by fans and media alike.
If a player makes mistakes early in his career to tarnish his public image, can he not be forgiven?
What if he had extremely successful family members who came before him in the same occupation? Can he not be judged based solely upon his own accomplishments?
For all that seems wrong with Eli there is ten times more that is right. He is always well-spoken and does not shy away from talking to media. Even in the pressure cooker that is New York, he stays out of trouble off of the field. The kid is twenty-seven years old and we judge him like he is a seasoned vet who has failed us all.
In our eyes, he should have three Super Bowl rings and set passing records because his birth certificate has the same surname as Peyton and Archie.
The fact of the matter is that Eli is not Peyton. He is not his father.
He is a solid starting quarterback in the NFL who has an upside. This is an extremely valuable commodity in a league where sixty-four different players have started at quarterback this season.
And Eli has accomplished everything he has done thus far with an below-average offensive line and no downfield threat at receiver. Plaxico Burress is his only real weapon deep but he hasn’t practiced with his quarterback most of this year due to injury.
The cards are stacked against Eli.
If the Giants lose this week against the Packers, it will be because of him. If they win, it will be because of the defense, or the special teams, or the run game.
If he succeeds in his career, then he was supposed to because he’s a Manning. If he is just solid or mediocre then he has failed for the same reason.
Though the compliments are slowly trickling in, it’s only a matter of time before the rug of confidence is pulled right out from underneath him.
Thus is the life of a little brother.
If you must judge Eli by what is on the back of this jersey, do so by the number ten instead of the last name. Only then can the criticism truly be on Eli and not on an inherited burden passed down by family members before him.
comments (4) write a comment »
write a new comment
8 months ago
Being a Giant fan, I agree with you partially, but only partially.
Giant fans do not compare Eli to Peyton. Only the rest of the league does, because they do not know what it takes to be the QB of the NY Giants. We compare him to guys like Phil Simms, Jeff Hostletler and Kerry Collins - guys who have succeeded before him in the same shoes.
We don't care how many TDs he throws for or how many yards he piles up.
We care about his ability in leading the team to the playoffs and championships.
That is what counts in New York City.
Individual statistics mean very little here. You are judged by how you helped us WIN.
Ask ARod how well his individual stats and MVP awards have helped his status here in NY. They haven't meant a damned thing because he hasn't gotten the Yankees to a WS
In closing, Eli needs to play better at home. The only way that will happen is if he takes the advice of his father, Phil Simms and Troy Aikman: throw tighter spirals at the windy Meadowlands. That will increase your accuracy and cut down on the mistakes and 3-and outs.
If he does that, he'll no longer be referred to as Peyton's little brother. He'll be a Giant legend....
from 8 months ago
I could not have said it better myself. Help them WIN and he will be a legend, for sure. I never expected him to get this far, I haven't been disappointed. Yes, I grit my teeth when he is sacked, or gets picked off, but he seems strongest when he is needed the most. Many QB's cave under pressure, he seems to shine under pressure.
8 months ago
If there's another football player under a bigger microscope, I don't know who he is.
Eli has gotten crushed time and time again, not only by the media, but by Giants fans. As a Giants fan, I've been frustrated by him at times, but overall I like what I see out of him. Could he be better? Sure. Could he make less mistakes on the field? Sure.
But he's made the playoffs all three years that he's been a starter. He's put up decent enough numbers, although his INTs are a concern. But with the notable exception of Simms, there hasn't been a more talented QB in a Giant uniform in my lifetime.
Now that Eli has had some post-season success, I hope the media and fans can cut him a little slack.
I'm excited less about the Giants possibility of going to the Super Bowl (because I think it's Green Bay's year) and more excited about the future of the Giants. Now that they've got a couple playoff wins under their belt, the young nucleus of this team should have them in potision to comepete for a playoff spot every season.
8 months ago
I agree Sunday will probably be the end for us....but if we play a close game that would go a long way
This may be just the beginning of a golden era of Giant football. With Eli as the cornerstone, and Jerry Reese drafting (he has one good draft under his belt already) this team is on the way up.. also...
This years' success will be a lure for free agents that might have signed somewhere else under other circumstances ..
write a new comment