Manning Moments

Well, as some of you know, the NFL playoffs are going on right now. This morning I was listening to an Atlanta sports talk radio show and they were talking about the Indianapolis Colts, who were 14-2 going into the game last weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I personally wanted the Colts to win, because I like Peyton Manning and I actually think he is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever put on a helmet. For those of you who don't know anything about football or the NFL, I will try to bring you up to speed. The Colts at one point in the season were 13-0 and they were talking about this team in comparison to the 1972 Miami Dolphins that finished with a perfect season and went on to win the Super Bowl. No other team had ever done it, and with this quarterback and receiver corp and offensive line and defense, this seemed like the year. But it didn't happen. Not only did they not finish the season with a perfect record; they lost 2 out of their last 3 games. Well, that is still o.k., because the main thing is winning the Super Bowl. They still won their division and wrapped up home field advantage easily and sat at home with a bye during the first week of playoff action. Therefore, they had an extra week of rest to get ready for the opposing team. Well, to make a long story even longer, they lost. They bit the dust. They got pummeled. They did make a game out of it at the end, but the end result still came out to be a big, fat L.

I couldn't believe it. Here sportscasters were salivating all over themselves this season about the possibility and even probability that this was the next great football dynasty. And the 9 and 1/2 point underdog Steelers did exactly that- they stold it from them before the Colts ever got to the Super Bowl, or even the AFC Championship game.

What is interesting, though, is that I was listening to these radio talk guys replay the press conference of Peyton Manning, and these news reporters were asking a bunch of questions that basically all said the same thing, "Peyton, what happened?" As you may or may not know, he finally made a comment which implicated his offensive line not protecting him against the agressive Steeler front. Everyone has been talking about whether he should have said that, because he was "dissing" his team. The bigger thought is how many of us have been in "big game" situations and have just caved into the pressure (not to mention his situation in front of the entire American media) and not only failed people's expectations, but played the blame game as well. I am not defending Manning. I think he should have taken full responsibility for the defeat of his team, but I also think he was being honest as well. He is only one man. In order to accomplish great things a lot of times it takes great teamwork as well as a great leader. Certainly Manning, as immortal as his reputation might become, can't be expected to block, protect, and throw the ball. But, nonetheless, Manning said that all he could do was just work hard and hope for better results next year. He also added that he had been in the league for about 8 or 9 years, and he had gotten tired of saying that over and over again. The cold, hard fact is that Manning may never win his elusive Super Bowl, because most never do. For those who have followed football for many years, think of Dan Marino. He got there once and got beat like a drum. Yet, he is still one of the greats who this year was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame.

I don't really have a punch line or moral for this. I guess if I was going to say anything, it would be to remember that we can't all win the Super Bowl, but we can still leave our mark in life by the way that we live and who we influence.