The issue isn't Archie's choice of his sons over the Saints. That's a no brainer.
It's Eli saying he thinks the punishment was just. You'd think being a New Orleans boy we'd get some kind of evasive answer or something. You don't hear Ed Reed saying that ****.
The issue isn't Archie's choice of his sons over the Saints. That's a no brainer.
It's Eli saying he thinks the punishment was just. You'd think being a New Orleans boy we'd get some kind of evasive answer or something. You don't hear Ed Reed saying that ****.
Exactly, even if he feels this way, why offer it up to the media? Be a little diplomatic Eli. And agreed with the above posters on Archie...I feel like the Mannings need a lesson in public relations. This all might have something to do with why Mannings Restaurant is currently failing. I think the owners of that place seriously over estimated the popularity of the Manning family in this town.
The issue isn't Archie's choice of his sons over the Saints. That's a no brainer.
It's Eli saying he thinks the punishment was just. You'd think being a New Orleans boy we'd get some kind of evasive answer or something. You don't hear Ed Reed saying that ****.
Well said in all respects. And I'll add that sometimes I think Eli isn't the brightest bulb in that family...
Twenty years from now, I would think Brees cares more about his sons than the Saints. His feelings and expectations as a father over his feelings for an old job.
It's not either/or.
Eli should just shut up. This city has done a ton for him and his family. He should show a little respect, especially on commenting on stuff he doesn't know crap about. No one is saying they have to root for the Saints.
There is nothing slow about Eli, whom I have always liked more than I have liked Peyton. Though I question how accurately the Wonderlic, a 12 minute test, gauges intelligence, Eli scored a 39 on the test compared to Peyton's 28 or Brady's 33.
But Eli's comment--and for several reasons he should not have said what he said--raises the broader issue of the Manning family's relationship with New Orleans and south Louisiana.
To his credit, Archie Manning chose to stay in New Orleans after he finished playing football, though his popularity as a Saint unquestionably opened doors financially and socially for Archie and his family. And I readily acknowledge my relative ignorance of the folkways of Uptown New Orleans, which can be very traditional and, by south Louisiana standards, very Southern.
However, I get the sense that the bonds between the sons, growing up in one of the most culturally unique and parochial cities in the country, and New Orleans are tenuous; that the sons culturally are much more the products of the Mississippi Delta than south Louisiana; and that, if one did not know what city they grew up in, one would readily guess that Peyton and Eli were natives of Memphis rather than New Orleans.
A lot of people grow up in New Orleans and, often for financial reasons, leave. After leaving, they may well never long to return home to live given the city's social problems. But culturally they are stamped, at least to some extent, by the city and never lose certain cultural connections with New Orleans. With the Mannings, I don't see the cultural connections--hence, the increasing ambiguity that some of us have with pulling and rooting for the Manning brothers.
Regarding Archie's Super Bowl comment, all recognize and respect that he was pulling for his son Peyton. But there seemed to be no public recognition by Archie, who played for the Saints, who did the radio broadcasts for the Saints, and who made a great living because he played for the Saints, of the game's importance to the city and state, no sense that his decision to pull for the Colts was, if never in doubt, at least a tad awkward.
The family is admirable. This is not a criticism of any member of the family. But it is an explanation of why I don't really root for the Mannings (particularly Peyton) when I watch them on television.
Regarding Archie's Super Bowl comment, all recognize and respect that he was pulling for his son Peyton. But there seemed to be no public recognition by Archie, who played for the Saints, who did the radio broadcasts for the Saints, and who made a great living because he played for the Saints, of the game's importance to the city and state, no sense that his decision to pull for the Colts was, if never in doubt, at least a tad awkward.
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I agree with all of your post, it was insightful. But portion above really stands out. Archie normally always says the "right thing." In this instance it almost seemed like he went out of his way to refrain for making positive comments about the Saints finally making the SB. It seems he could have easily addressed this, or how frustrating it was for him personally to have the team make the SB but for it to be against the one team he could not pull against.
IDK, maybe he addressed ot more fully than I remember, but I do recall being a little surprised at the time.
You know, it's a strange situation -- everything Archie has really resulted from playing for the Saints. And yet, I have to wonder if he feels like his selection by the Saints cheated him of a Hall of Fame career. I don't know that deep down he resents the team, but it certainly would make some sense if he did.
Yea, two Super Bowls, Eli is ****** off!!! Y'all come with anything to ***** and whine!!!
Eli wouldn't have won two super bowls if we hadn't lost all our running backs again in our game against SF. Had they had to play us they wouldn't even have made it to the super bowl. Hope we get to play them in the playoffs this year so we can set that straight.
The thing that diminished my affections toward the Manning family was that after Katrina you never heard much from the Mannings. Peyton at the time was the face of the NFL. He could have taken a much larger role in the recovery of his home city through public appeals for aid. Also after we won the Super Bowl I think it would have been a real class act for all of the Mannings publicly congratulate the city and it's people on finally attaining the ultimate goal of any franchise. If that happened I missed it. I know they play for other teams but they grew up here, they know how important the Saints are to this community. It just seems as if they've completely forsaken their ties to the city. Even Archie.
Look Eli hasn't won a game yet in New Orleans, he needs to try and get the edge somehow, sure won't be with his play, oh yeah he won a superbowl, lucky he didn't play Drew in the playoffs and he knows it.
Others on this forum can better attest to the efforts of the family members with regard to Katrina. Surely they provided assistance. But the point made is an interesting one: though the football season was about to begin, the perception is that they were not as visible or vocal in support of the city as others such as Anne Rice, Harry Connick, Jr., or Ellen DeGeneres (and, for the Newman people, I better quickly add Walter Isaacson).
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