Keidel: It's Time To Admit Eli Manning Into The Privileged Circle Of New York Icons
By Jason Keidel
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While you read the montage of Thanksgiving homages, one local, humble star deserves a nod, a salute with your stuffing and gravy.
Eli Manning.
Despite the inconsistent play that has clouded the franchise over the last few years, Manning is on pace to eclipse career-highs in yardage and touchdowns. With only six interceptions, he's also being historically economic with the football.
In the mayhem of JPP, retirements and free-agent defections, Manning is the monolith who's never missed a game -- or even a play -- over his 12 years in the NFL. While quarterbacks collapse with mangled limbs and rattled skulls, Manning somehow stays upright in the storm of blitzes and endless limbs pawing at him every Sunday.
The Giants may be 5-5 -- and many argue they could be 8-2 if not for their epic gaffes with the game on the line -- but what would they be without him? You can blame him for the Cowboys game, for chucking that ball out of the end zone instead of taking the sack. But that's like letting DeAndre Hopkins define Darelle Revis' career.
The Giants wouldn't be in a position to win any game, to reach any playoffs, without Manning. They wouldn't have two of their four Lombardi Trophies without Manning. And unlike most of the league, the Giants always take comfort in having their singular signal-caller.
At least 20 NFL teams are flooding phone lines, brooding over draft boards, flying millions of miles and scouting games in the cold and rain to find their field general. Despite the unlimited cash and cachet that comes with being an NFL quarterback, there are only about a dozen men on Earth who can really run a franchise, who can bask in the Sunday glow without burning in its glare.
Cleveland is reduced to dealing with Johnny Manziel, while the 49ers have given up on the once-untouchable Colin Kaepernick. The Jets have to hang their hopes on NFL gypsy Ryan Fitzpatrick. Meanwhile, the Giants are most stable at the most important spot in sports.
Manning won't flaunt his greatness or flout the team ethic. His southern modesty and aw-shucks refrain has yet to be breached after 12 years in the NYC media fishbowl.
He's easily the greatest quarterback in Giants history, and perhaps second to Lawrence Taylor as the greatest player. He got some flack over his stance during recent contract negotiations. But if anyone has earned franchise money, it's this franchise player.
We can't stop fawning over the tandem of Brady and Belichick. Rightfully so. But Tom Coughlin and Manning is the only HC/QB duo to defeat them -- twice -- in the Super Bowl. And they came within a whisker of ending their undefeated run this year. And like Tom Brady, Manning's next stop after his career will be Canton.
He won't tell you he's great. So we do that for him. We lauded Derek Jeter for his selfless grace. And it's time to finally admit Eli Manning into that privileged circle of New York icons.
If you can't be thankful for Eli Manning, then you can't be a football fan.
Follow Jason on Twitter @JasonKeidel.
