You know, once in a while you see a news item that makes you shake your head. Eli Manning and the Giants have agreed to a six-year, $97 million deal. I don’t care if you are a die hard Giants fan, you know damn well he’s not that good. He’s been to 1 pro-bowl in his career so far. I won’t say he sucks, although my best friend who happens to be a Giants fan quickly would say yes, he does. No, this isn’t a biased argument from a self-proclaimed Eagle’s fan either, it’s the truth.
I’ve watched the media and some fans suck up to him for years of mediocrity with flashes of potential and once in a while brilliance. Manning has had the benefit of an oft dominant defense and a consistent running game with guys like Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs to take the heat off of him. The acquisition of Plaxico Burress was one of the best things to happen to his career, and if you doubt that then go look at the game films after Burress shot himself and couldn’t play anymore. He covered up a lot of errant throws by Manning. A great receiver makes a good quarterback better. His completion percentage so far is only 56. He’s a turnover machine when the pressure is on, and quite frankly, in my opinion, he doesn’t seem to have a passion for the game. No matter what I think of Peyton Manning, he has a clear love for football and a clear love for winning. I can’t say the same about Eli. He started off on the stupid foot by refusing to be drafted by the Chargers, publicly, and earned his reputation as a whiner. Every time I see that stupid lost grin on his face I just want to pick up the phone and call a waaambulance for him. Seriously, doesn’t he always look like he wants to cry?
I guess by now you want to hear the reasons I don’t think he deserves this. Well, for one thing he proved that he still isn’t near his brother’s level at the end of last season when he couldn’t find a way to get the ball to his receivers without Burress being there bailing him out. Second, his defense and running game took him through the playoffs in the Superbowl run. Third, he’s only been to 1 single pro-bowl. He does have one thing in common with Peyton in that both received the Superbowl MVP that a dominant run game and defense rightfully earned. Who else thinks Justin Tuck should have been the Superbowl MVP? He had Tom Brady’s attention the whole game. Even the look on Eli’s face as he received the trophy showed he knew he didn’t deserve it.
Quite frankly, I don’t know how he was able to get this kind of deal. I know franchise quarterbacks are few and far between. Hell, very far between but I’ll be damned if he’s a better quarterback than Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Phillip Rivers, Donovan McNabb, or Ben Roethlisberger. When I think of the New York Giants right now, it’s Brandon Jacobs who I would worry about the most. Without Burress, I don’t worry about Manning. Unless one of his rookies can step up and fill half of Burress shoes at receiver, Manning is not going to have a good year and this contract will be talked about by media members each time he has a bad game. There will be more pressure on Eli this year to produce, and produce big. The running game got a little weaker with Ward leaving, there is no Burress, and no Amani Toomer. I hope he’s spending 24 hours cuffed to Hakeem Nicks on one side and Ramses Barden on the other side. He’s going to have to rely on one of these guys to help him live up to this new contract.
Okay, enough venting about this. It’s not meant to be an anti-Giants rant, I just can’t figure the logic behind making Eli Manning, a 1 time pro-bowler, the highest paid player on a team that is successful because of a defense that refuses to be beaten, and has only gotten better and healthier for he upcoming year. And any reader who thinks that I’m just hating on Manning because I’m an Eagles fan, come back next week for my article about Donovan McNabb, and the rest of the NFC East quarterbacks.
