The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
JEFF JACOBS
Eli Manning retires as a Hall of Fame player and person
There are few things more compelling, more attractive, more intimidating than a humble, sometimes goofy-faced man comfortable in his skin.
Even on the day when he bid goodbye from the NFL and the New York Giants, the major national storyline surrounding Eli Manning was his worthiness for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In typical Eli fashion he had this answer at his retirement press conference: “Not a concern. My focus is now on reliving the great moments and great memories with my teammates and my family. Let everything work out from there.”
There is no single road to greatness, just as there should be no single road to Canton. Sure, the numbers count and there seem to be just as many in the analytics argument against Manning’s induction as there are for him.
Yet in the acclamation of Eli’s goodness as a man and the criticism of his failure to dominate or redefine his position, there is a missing piece of tribute to the greatness of his 16-year Giants career. It is the stability he brought to the field by never missing a start because of injury. It is the stability he brought to a sometime chaotic locker room in a fierce New York media landscape. Serenity, resilience, decency is a powerful weapon.
Moreover, amid too many interceptions and, later, too many losses, Manning was uniquely qualified to engineer two brilliant Super Bowl takedowns against the great NFL dynasty. One was against a Patriots team within seconds of being crowned the greatest in the history of the sport. Serenity, resilience and a clutch gene embedded in the Manning DNA changed the narrative of the NFL.
Eli to David Tyree. The Helmet Catch.
Eli to Mario Manningham. He did it again.
They need no explanation.
“I always thought in those moments, a two-minute drive, people have different reactions,” Manning said. “Some people in that moment are scared of mak
ing a mistake or worried about the bad things that could happen. I only think about how awesome it’s going to be when we go down the field and score this touchdown. I think that mindset is contagious.”
On this day, Tom Brady tweeted, “Congratulations on your retirement and a great career, Eli! Not going to lie though, I wish you hadn’t won any Super Bowls.”
“I’ve been around Tom a number of times and see how competitive he is,” said Manning, the two-time Super Bowl MVP. “We joke around a little bit, but it’s not real funny to him.”
Tom Brady would have eight Super Bowl rings if not for Eli Manning. That’s why.
Quarterback ratings are one thing. They matter.
Making yourself an indispensable part of NFL history is another thing. That matters even more. You don’t tell the NFL’s story without telling Eli Manning’s story. He belongs in the Hall of Fame. Of course, he does.
Sure, we can go back and forth. Eli is in the top seven in career yards, touchdown passes and completions. He is one of only nine quarterbacks since 1970 to lead 37 fourth-quarter or overtime victories. The only two-time Super Bowl quarterback not to get into the Hall of Fame is Jim Plunkett, whose numbers pale next to Manning. He beat Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo, Brett Favre, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith in the postseason. He won on the road.
On the other hand, Eli never was an All-Pro, only four times in the Pro Bowl, only once in Top 10 passing rating in a season. Never led in passing yards, TDs or completion percentage while three times leading in interceptions. The losing seasons mounted at the end and made him a .500 career (117-117) quarterback.
Yet through it all, the winning, the losing, the Canton argument that undoubtedly that will rage for years, Manning remains a great, placid force. It always has been that way. The New York sports hurricane goes on around him. He sits in its eye, with that Opie grin, classy, always classy, genuine.
He joked about trying to figure which writer didn’t vote for Derek Jeter for the Hall of Fame, yet he also spoke how Jeter called to encourage him during his rookie year and how they developed a good relationship over the years. He studied Jeter.
“It was someone I watched closely,” Manning said. “How he conducted himself, how he dealt with the media and fans, how he worked hard and stayed humble after so many championships and was on top of the world. I took a lot of notes on how he handled New York. He has been a great role model for me.”
On Friday, he also insisted he did it his way. He said he couldn’t be someone other than himself, even if the fans, the media, and the front office would rather he be a more rah-rah guy.
“Good times, bad times, if you start changing your ways, having the outside world affect the way you conduct yourself around your family, your friends, your teammates, I don’t see any positives in that,” he said later. “If I try to be rah-rah or yell at people, it wouldn’t be natural. It would be awkward. It would be fake. That would be sniffed out and come back to haunt you. I think people came to appreciate that about me.”
He insists he is without regret.
“I won’t look in the rearview mirror,” he said. “Would we have liked to have won more games or championships? Of course, we would. But I choose to leave this game with positive memories. Why harp on the not-so proud moments? Where’s the value in that? If there are going to be endless echoes, chose the good ones.”
Eli relied on his big brother Peyton in mulling his decision to retire. Peyton moved from the Colts to the Broncos at the end of his career and won a Super Bowl in Denver. He wanted to cover all his angles. Maybe Eli had enough left in the tank for another year or two. Maybe not. Yet it was important for him to go out as a Giant and it meant everything to him to lead the franchise he loved. That wasn’t going to happen elsewhere or as Daniel Jones’ backup.
“This is the right decision,” Manning said. “I’m at
a peace with it. I know 100 percent I’m not going to regret this.”
The chance to start and beat the Dolphins that Sunday in December at MetLife Stadium, the heartfelt ovation he received from the fans, hugging his family in the tunnel, clearly meant the world to him. Football is different than baseball and basketball, he said, where there are farewell tours.
“That was my farewell,” Manning said. “I think it does give you some closure, with one great positive memory. It did make this process easier.”
Giants owner John Mara grew emotional as he spoke about the last game of the 2004 season when Manning, a rookie, led the Giants over the Cowboys in the closing seconds. It was the last game his dad, Wellington, saw in person.
“I think we found our guy,” Wellington told John on the way to the locker room.
Mara announced no Giants player will ever again wear No. 10.
Manning said he is open to a position down the road with the Giants. For now, he’s happy being the assistant coach for his daughter Ava’s third grade basketball team.
This is a guy who talked about the organization’s film people, equipment managers and cafeteria workers alongside his coaches and players. He called them his family.
“Eli is the ultimate Giant,” Mara said.
“No one has loved wearing and appreciated the Giant uniform more than I have,” said Manning, turning his attention to Giant fans. “You are definitely unique. I love you for that.
“For most of my life people have called me Easy. Believe me, nothing is easy about today. Wellington Mara always said, ‘Once a Giant always a Giant.’ For me, it’s only a Giant.”
And a Hall of Famer.