Road To Indianapolis: Eli Manning And Giants V. Tom Brady And Patriots
by Brad Wells on Jan 23, 2012 10:42 AM EST
in NFL General
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In many ways, this Super Bowl is a story about Peyton Manning, not necessarily the New York Giants or the New England Patriots.
Super Bowl XLVI will feature the little brother of Peyton Manning v. Peyton's ultimate nemesis. The game will be played in the house Peyton built, and it's outcome will, fairly or not, help to define Peyton's legacy should he never play another down of football again.
Should the Patriots and Tom Brady prevail, Brady will be lauded by everyone as being the greatest quarterback of all-time. Better than Joe Montana. Better than Peyton. Doesn't matter if it's "true" or not. It will be said, and it will have merit on several levels.
Should Eli prevail, the question of Eli possibly being better than Peyton will be raised. Heck, it's already getting asked, no matter how silly and unsupported the suggestion is.
What this all plays to, boys and girls, is the what players do in the regular season means nothing. Absolutely nothing. Eli Manning has never been a serious MVP candidate. Yet, his amazing performances in virtually all his post-season games have people actually suggesting he is a better quarterback than his four-time MVP-winning brother.
In the end, I think it's safe to say we will all be rooting for Eli and the Giants. I know I will. We all want to see the Mannings stick it, once again, to Bill Belichick. I am happy for the Kraft family though, as odd as it feels to write that. The season began with Colts center and NFLPA representative Jeff Saturday hugging Patriots owner Bob Kraft outside a law firm in Washington DC, announcing the end of the 2011 labor lockout. During the long negotiating process, Kraft lost his wife to illness. Six months later, the team he owns is back in the Super Bowl.
So much loss. So much anguish. When you think of all that Kraft did to get football back on the field, it's fitting his team is playing for another championship.
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Like that matters you’re only remembered for what you do in the postseason.
Brad is right regular season means nothing.
That’s why Montana is more revered than Marino ever will even though Marino was the better QB.
yes
Right now, Eli is the best quarterback in the league, but Peyton has been consistently dominant for 13 years. It’s not like Montana was horrible in the regular season, he was also consistently great in addition to his playoff wins.
No but he had a great supporting cast which tends to be overlooked. They just remember all the great postseason wins he had.
Marino? All those records and not much else(and even those records are fading)
damn you Lee Evans and Billy Cundiff!!!
damn you!!!
by bigpony on Jan 23, 2012 10:53 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
only the Pats would get a break like that
makes me sick
by bigpony on Jan 23, 2012 10:54 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Brady did everything in his power to give the game to the Ravens but...
was once again saved by his defense and Belichick schemes. Must be nice to actually have TEAM support. F U Polian.
by SoCalHoosier on Jan 23, 2012 11:04 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
sooooo true
Now brady gets credit for being ‘clutch’ in the postseason while he beat the 8-8 broncos and threw 2 picks against one of the only good teams the pats have played.
arguing who the best QB of all time is like fighting about who the best band ever is
Whenever you get stressed, always remember: RDWHAHB
Record sales?
Quantity of sick rifts? Guitar Hero statistics?
by Richard Hill on Jan 23, 2012 11:27 AM EST up reply actions
everything has stats
Whenever you get stressed, always remember: RDWHAHB
by danorocks17 on Jan 23, 2012 11:32 AM EST up reply actions
exactly
football is a team game last time I checked
by OBGYNOSUPREME on Jan 23, 2012 11:55 AM EST up reply actions
This is the best match-up possible
for the Indianapolis economy. All that Northeastern money and influence spread all over the city for a week definitely will not be a bad thing for us Naptowners. When the Colts aren’t playing, I could care less who wins.
What could have been worse for Indy’s revenue than 75,000 grudge-holding stingy’s from Baltimore? Bring your cash my dear Bostonians and New Yorkers…and bring it to my town!!!
university hotel at IUPUI
I hope Colts fans are noisy during early morning hours on Superbowl Sunday
by SmallMarketBigPlays on Jan 23, 2012 11:21 AM EST reply actions
IUPUI will be shut down...
…and you have to fork out some outrageous sum for parking even if you are a student.
If Brady loses....
his legacy should be tainted even more since the two Superbowls since spygate will be losses.
by VERNON HOWELL on Jan 23, 2012 11:28 AM EST via Android app reply actions
go ELY and G- Men !!!
any true Colts fan could not want the Pats to win it in our house,, and should root for little brother,,, Pats are VERY lucky to be here- Balt should have won that game !!!!! Pats D hasn’t faced as good a QB as Ely in the post season- do not feel they can handle their receivers Cundiff and can now join the Vandersahnk club, if I was Balt. I would make sure he is not back next year they played way too hard not to get an overtime and Evans- what a bad play cChris Carter was all over his ass on the radio today he has to make that catch
If I were Cundiff...
I’d be watching my back as I got out of Balt as fast as possible.
Kraft is class
hate to have to root against him, but have to
Peyton doesn't care
No one will be happier that Eli has two Super Bowls than his big brother. Peyton’s legacy use to mean a lot to me but it doesn’t much anymore. I know how great he is. Football greatness that’s measured in a vaccum is silly and misguided. QB’s are almost always judged in a vaccum. The Colts have had some great players around since 98 but as we saw last night it’s the no-name, role players that so often make the difference in the big games. The Colts were always thin outside of their stars. Remember the HUGE catch Brandon Fletcher had in the 06 AFCCG? Those things didn’t happen in other years for Indy. You need them to happen to win the VLT.
Peyton Manning has been under a microscope since he was in high school. Nobody else has had to fill outrageous expectations his entire career and has succeeded like PM. Many Colts fans may lose sleep over the upcoming SB and how it is the “worst case scenario” but I guarantee PM isn’t. He’s just pulling for his little brother.
Totally agree
Haha, his name wasn’t Brandon Fletcher though, it was Bryan Fletcher, which I guess proves your poit.
And all the points you make are incredibly valid, but how do Brady’s 4 Super Bowls match up to Peyton’s 1? I just wish the Colts had placed Peyton in a situation similar to Brady’s..where he wouldn’t have to carry the entire load. Which is entirely true for ANY successful QB. It’s a team game
That's right Bryan!
I knew Brandon looked wrong but I was too lazy to look it up! As to your question about Brady’s 3 (hasn’t won this one yet!) vs Manning’s 1? I stopped looking at it this way for the reasons I mentioned above. The Patriots have 4 and the Colts have 1. The Patriots are the better team top to bottom in this current era.
Mannings link our two NFL teams
As far as the who is better we all know Peyton is the man, his legacy is complete no matter if he plays again or not. Giant fans have come to appreciate Peyton, for being one of the best big brothers a guy can have. Peyton always has Eli’s back and roots so hard for him, we like to consider him a closet Giant fan. If Anything Eli stepping out from Peyton’s shadow and standing on his own two feet makes Peyton Manning’s story that much better.
When the Giants aren’t playing I always root for Peyton and the Colts because I am on Team Manning!
by Late for Dinner on Jan 23, 2012 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
call me THE hater
but fuck kraft and all the owners. people’s wives/mothers/sisters die everyday and they usually don’t get to do that in the assumed comfort of 80 billion dollars.
i don't give autographs
Can't agree with this
Sorry but this is uncalled for
by ColtRock on Jan 23, 2012 1:13 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
She died of cancer.
You, Sir, are an vial disgusting douchebag.
by Revenge of the Fallen on Jan 24, 2012 12:00 AM EST up reply actions
Hypocrisy
This comment was a bit over the top
Off on a slight tangent – the NFL is run by a bunch of hypocritical morons
Manning wanted to wear high tops for one friggin game to commemorate Unitas’ passing and the NFL wouldn’t let him
But Kraft being the popular owner that he is, is allowed to have his whole team’s jerseys kitted with a ‘MHK’ patch for the entire season?
Such fucking BS
by manningtoharrison on Jan 24, 2012 5:26 PM EST up reply actions
Eli Vs Peyton
Eli is Derek Jeter & Peyton is A-Rod. At the end of the day it comes down to rings and Eli will win in 2 weeks and has the chance to win in the future.
Peyton used steroids?
This is news to me.
by Coltsfan1345 on Jan 23, 2012 3:14 PM EST up reply actions
An * should be put next to any NFC teams Super Bowls
so much easier to come out of the NFC than the AFC
Untrue
The Pats had to beat an inconsistent Broncos team and a fairly impressive Ravens team.
The Giants had to take on a not-so-great Falcons team, yes, but had to take on the Packers in Lambeau, and the 49ers in Candlestick Park.
I don’t know who will win (hopeuflly Giants) but there is no way you can say the Pats had a harder road to the Super Bowl
by ColtRock on Jan 23, 2012 2:22 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I agree with you
A few years back it was the opposite, with the NFC the weaker side by far, and the ‘real’ games being battled out on the way to the AFC Championship game. This year was different, most notably without the Colts’ participation.
Keep the faith!
Umm
It’s the other way around.
Saints, Packers, Giants, 49ers, etc.
vs
Patriots (beat 1 team over .500 all year), Ravens, Steelers (I guess), Texans
- AFC was a joke this year. NFC is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>. the AFC this year
by Coltsfan1345 on Jan 23, 2012 3:16 PM EST up reply actions
QB's and Super Bowls
If a QB’s greatness is measured by Super Bowls shouldn’t it follow that the better they are the more Super Bowls they win? If that’s the case would anyone make the argument that Brady was a better QB from 2001-2004 than he is from 2005 to present?
Almost don't want to watch the SB
The Patriots being in it makes me sick. They don’t deserve to be in it at all. They absolutely sucked it up against the only 3 elite teams they played all year (Giants, Steelers, Ravens) and they lucked the fuck out against the Ravens. The Ravens handed them the game.
Definitely not very excited for this SB at all.
I'm interested to see how Indy
is showcased to the world, as a host city. And, it’s true, I wish the Patriots weren’t playing. But, even though they’re rivals, I still have a respect for them and what they’ve accomplished the past decade.
Possibly the silliest statement I've read today:
his amazing performances in virtually all his post-season games
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