Your theme reminded me of why I don’t like Payton Manning, QB of the Colts. Not that he lacks character – strictly speaking – but that he strikes me as a Drama Queen and doesn’t seem to have ever had to work for things other than by showcasing his talents and his value to the franchise.

History: I watched Manning’s Tennessee Volunteers play Nebraska in November 1997. At the time, the Vols were the only team considered able to knock Nebraska out of contention for a “shared”national championship with Michigan. Naturally, I was rooting for Tennessee in that game.

But, early in the game, Manning received a bruising. He was pulled from the game and spent the rest of it ostentatiously pacing the sidelines with “some kind of look” on his face – probably meant to show his regret and frustration. He could have played – but the coach wanted to “protect” this precious NFL-bound commodity. With Payton Pacing, the Vols just stopped playing. I watched their defensive line just stand there while Nebraska’s running backs ran right through and around them. Nebraska’s passes went overhead – the Vols seemed to regard each of those to be some kind of UFO phenomenon.

Politics: I wondered what motive there might be for such a performance. I soon realized that:
1. Tennessee considers itself a rival of Michigan, they’d be tempted to give Michigan its comeuppance, albeit indirectly.
2. Michigan was hogging all the attention from ALL of the sports writers who cover NCAA football. I had read the Knoxville press coverage and they were fawning over Manning. Stories abounded about his “generosity” (buying ice cream cones for everyone in line at a Dairy Queen).
So it made sense that Manning would take one last dramatic role on the football field. But no one expected it to be that of “disappointed loser.”

This NFL season has provided a very similar picture of Manning – he’s in ads showing off his “sense of humor,” he’s on the sports networks and sports pages – featured as “the Best Quarterback in the Universe” – etceteras. And of course, there’s that famous incident where the Colts coach pulled him out of the game (possibly because his makeup got smeared) to “save him” and the Colts lost.

In direct contrast – we watched 40 year-old Brett Favre get hit over 15 times and still play (limping) through to the end in the Vikings – Saints playoff game.

So I’m ignoring all of the pre-Super Bowl hoopla. Instead, I’m praying for the N.O. Saints to lay a record number of sacks on Payton Manning in the first half. That way, Mr. Manning will be seen only on the sidelines during the second half. I really doubt that he can handle that much adversity.

I hope there are more (sports) stories like this in the Ann Arbor Chronicle. I think AAC should be credible competition to the come-lately outfit who “borrowed” AAC’s mission (coverage of Ann Arbor). Competition is good!! (and I could use a break from that other outfit).