Why do the Mannings sound like they have a Different accent ??

Pete, I am sorry you found the post offensive. It was not my intent to offend or even be provocative. If my wording offended you, then my post may have been carelessly worded, and I apologize.

Let me make a few more comments.

First, those who know me on the board, particularly on the EE forum, know that I write often about politics and culture, politics in the sense that people are tribal and often vote their tribal identities, and culture in the sense that ideas and attitudes shape political and economic systems. I read 35 years ago Kevin Phillips' The Emerging Republican Majority and found fascinating his breakdown of ethnic and regional loyalties. And I am a huge fan of the recent books by Lawrence Harrison on culture. I mention this, as I mentioned in the original post my bias and limitations based on life experience, only to underscore that I was not playing provocateur in the first post and to offer some idea about how I approached the accent issue.

Second, it was not my intent to say that people from Uptown are not authentic Orleanians. They clearly are. Uptown is doubtless part of the metropolitan area's cultural mosaic, but is a highly unique part that is different from other parts or areas of the city (that is, the metropolitan area). And Uptown is more than a geographical area. There obviously is much diversity in the area west of the CBD. I am using the term "Uptown" to describe a sense of geography and class, and to a lesser extent a mindset, that are very distinctive.

Third, there are many accents in New Orleans, but the Manning boys don't quite have any of the city's dialects. If you heard Eli or Peyton on TV and didn't know who they were, I suspect that few on this board would guess that they are from New Orleans and that a good number would guess that are certainly not from New Orleans.

Fourth, with some of us, there is a certain ambivalence about the Manning sons. I tried to articulate, obviously with difficulty, some of the reasons for the ambivalence. Also, it seems--and if I am wrong, somebody please correct me--that certainly for Peyton New Orleans and Louisiana are a place to return to see family or a parade, but that he identifies more with Tennessee than Louisiana. Again, there seems some displeasure over my comments, but try explaining the ambivalence.

Fifth, I in no way was trying to suggest that one regional culture was superior to another and certainly did not intend to say that there is something inferior about a Southern accent.