Damned If He Does, Damned If He Doesn't: The Eli Manning Story

Will Burge — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:16:56 -0500

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.

Ohio State Buckeyes: Doormats or Dynasty?

Will Burge — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:33:28 -0500

Turn on any national talk show in America and you will hear the jokes and slights.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are being disrespected by just about anyone outside the state of Ohio. Maybe this verbal berating is justified.

After all, the Buckeyes have been outscored in the past two BCS National Championship games by a combined total of 41 points.

It’s easy to point and laugh at the team that almost wins it all including such teams at the Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Braves or even the Cleveland Indians. To take shots at them is elementary. No brains needed for that.

Obviously, the Buckeyes did not belong on the same field as Florida or LSU. Yet, another perspective can be taken on this whole scenario that paints the Jim Tressel era at Ohio State as a legit dynasty not a runner-up.

Many things have changed since Jim Tressel took over the program in 2001. Ohio State has become a recognized power in the college football world. Besides this year, the Buckeyes schedule a major out of conference opponent every year.

Out of conference games in recent memory have included matchups with Texas, Notre Dame and Washington. Ohio State does not just schedule these opponents, they beat them. The Buckeyes have a 29-8 record against ranked teams and an 8-4 record against Top-10 teams under the Tressel.

The recreational football fan would point out that they have been shellacked in the past two national title games, but the Buckeyes have been to five BCS bowls in seven years and have a 3-2 record over that span.

Ohio State has made a bowl game every season under Tressel, recording a 4-3 record in those contests. Ohio State has notched an overall record of 73-16 under Tressel.

It is amazing to me that “The Sweatervest”, as he is so lovingly referred to, is having his big game coaching put under fire. The man is 4-1 in overtime games and 20-10 in games decided by a touchdown or less.

In the Michigan, games which matter the most to any Ohio State fan, he is 6-1. Four of those wins coming in years the Buckeyes won the Big Ten title.

Five ten win seasons, five top five finishes, a BCS National Championship, and a Heisman Trophy award winner are just enough accolades to have your coaching questioned and your program called weak.

Ohio State has engineered 34 current NFL players and annually lead the Big Ten in Academic All Conference picks.

These accomplishments get you scrutinized by the national media? Who said being a head coach is a thankless job?

When it’s all said and done people will form any opinions they feel. I do believe that most of the negative connotations that are put upon Ohio State are because of fans, not football itself. You would be hard pressed to find any bad statistics from the Scarlet and Grey.

The fans, on the other hand, carry a stigma that 90 percent of the country dislikes. This must be most of the reason Ohio State is regarded the way that it is. When vibes from this most recent loss wear off and you step back and look at the whole picture, it's tough to find a program that’s had a better seven years.

So hosts can belittle Jim Tressel and they can use Ohio State’s name in jest. They can even question whether or not they really are “The” Ohio State University, but the numbers do not lie.

In 50 years, when all this is just stat sheets and box scores, the picture that will be drawn will look a lot more like a dynasty than a doormat.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Will Burge

Damned If He Does, Damned If He Doesn't: The Eli Manning Story

Ohio State Buckeyes: Doormats or Dynasty?