mikey

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news...=aU1_RApWE8Xg#

Colts' Manning Shows Us Why He's No Tom Brady:
Scott Soshnick is a Bloomberg News columnist.

Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- On the narrow confines of the playing field, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has mastered the art of the audible.

That's the football term for when a quarterback steps behind the center, surveys the defensive alignment, and has the smarts to change the play without input from the coaching staff.

Manning could have used some of that poise after his team's 21-18 loss playoff to the Pittsburgh Steelers two days ago.

Instead, the record-setting quarterback committed one of the ultimate team-sport sins: He assigned blame to someone other than himself. He pointed fingers. If athletic no-no's were inscribed on stone tablets, ``Thou Shalt Not Blast Your Teammates Publicly'' would be high on the list of commandments.

Reporters queried Manning about the Steelers' defensive blitzkrieg, which produced five sacks, countless knockdowns and a number of uncharacteristically wobbly tosses from the former National Football League Most Valuable Player.

``I'm trying to be a good teammate here,'' Manning told the assembled media horde.

At that moment ears perked up, pens steadied, tape recorders rolled.
Here was Manning, the son of an NFL quarterback, a straight-A student of the game, the consummate team player, making a conscious decision to depart from his cliché comfort zone.

``Let's just say we had some problems in protection,'' said Manning, whose postseason record stands at 3-6. ``I'll give Pittsburgh credit for their blitzes and their rush, but we did have some problems.''

`We,' Not Me

Translation: I couldn't do my job because the offensive linemen didn't do theirs. Not smart. Manning would have been wise to let the assembled pundits point out the deficiencies of his teammates.

Let's compare Manning's post-game autopsy with that of his New England Patriots counterpart, Tom Brady, who is perhaps the best on- and off-field leader in sports.

Like Manning, Brady had just suffered a crushing defeat -- 27-13 to the Denver Broncos -- a drubbing that halted the Patriots' pursuit of their third consecutive Super Bowl championship.

Brady spoke in terms of ``we'' and not me. Brady, who threw a costly interception, never singled anyone out for blame or praise. He could have said something about the usually reliable Adam Vinatieri missing a field goal or Troy Brown's muffing a fourth-quarter punt. But he knew better.

``It's disappointing when you look back at the game and you realize how many points we just laid up on a silver platter,'' Brady said. There's that ``we'' word again.

United We Stand

Brady recognizes that his success is directly related to the effectiveness of his linemen, a beer-belly bunch committed to knocking the bejesus out of the opponent so that the model- dating quarterback doesn't get pulverized.

Brady is so appreciative of his 300-pound life preservers that he even told Visa International Inc. he would only participate in a credit-card commercial if the company included his offensive line. Visa agreed, giving the usually overlooked linemen speaking parts in an ad that played off their roles as Brady's protectors.

Manning, by contrast, appears in an NFL promotion all alone, mocking the fans' obsession with superstar athletes like quarterbacks.

Learn From Junior

Manning might also learn from his younger brother, Eli, whose New York Giants were shellacked by the Carolina Panthers in their Jan. 8 playoff game. In that 23-0 drubbing, Eli Manning threw for just 113 yards while tossing three interceptions. He was also sacked four times.

``I didn't play well. I didn't make enough plays. I made too many mistakes for us to win,'' Eli Manning said.

The Giants' offensive line didn't play well, either. Neither did running back Tiki Barber. Eli Manning, a second-year pro, already knows what his big brother should have learned long ago -- that frustration is no excuse for loose lips.

Rare is the athlete who can publicly disparage a teammate without some sort of retribution. One who comes to mind is former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, who frequently chastised teammates for not elevating their performances.

``It depends on who the guys are,'' said New York Knicks coach Larry Brown, a Hall of Fame member who trumpets a play- the-right-way mantra. ``I've heard Michael do it. Because everybody knew he tried to do everything the right way all the time I think they could handle it.''

Until Peyton Manning has a championship ring, let alone six like Jordan, perhaps he should save the audible for the field. Facing incensed teammates in the locker room is a lot worse than staring down a Steelers' blitz on the field.

To contact the writer of this column:
Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: January 17, 2006 00:08 EST
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mtbykr

I didn't need him to tell me that---but still a good read. This part was very telling:

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Box_O_Rocks

Good one Mikey!

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Bella*chick

Hmm, we recently talked about this in another thread on this board. Great to see someone else noticed this rather large contrast.

What's also humorous, though to be expected, is how many media members changed their tune on Peyton Manning after last week's game. I've noticed more mocking asides referencing Manning's inability to win more times in the past few days than over the entirety of his career. I guess everyone finally got the memo.

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CheerforTom

Wow, I didn't know that. (I've only been going to this board for about a month). When I made a remark not long ago to my dad about Manning getting so much more money than Brady, he told me about the whole Brady taking a pay cut to help out the team, and it blew me away. I already thought the guy was the best quarterback in the league, but apparently he's also just a really nice guy... wow

dante828

Peter King has written about it before, and has given Brady credit for including his teammates in ads (remember the Sirius ad last year with the receivers), plus kudos for his reasonable contract. To tell you the truth, I did not know how much influence Brady had on getting his lineman in the commercial, if its true, it make me admire him even more.

mikey

If you want to compare the locker room atmosphere between the Patriots and the Colts, read what Edgerring James said about the Colts before the season started:

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache...nctional&hl=en

"Man, we're like The Jackson 5," James said. "To everyone on the outside, it looks like we're tight as hell. We're out there, on the playing field, making it all look so effortless, and all the [expletive] running perfectly. Then we go home and it's Jermaine's in this room, Tito's in another and Randy ain't talking to no one. When you get up close, it's all dysfunctional."


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mikey

You can clearly see the difference between the Mannings and Brady.

When the season ended, Eli packed up his bag and went home to Mississippi/New Orleans. I am not sure if Eli brought a home here in NJ/NY, but I know he rented a place in Hoboken. But the guy is never here in the offseason. The only time he comes back is for publicity shots with his brother. The Mannings never hang out with any teammates. After 9 years in the league, I am not sure if Payton has any friends in the league. In fact, I believe his only friend outside the team is Brady.

In contrast, Brady not only work but he also lives in Boston. He moved his sisters from CA to NE. He does charity works in the area. He is best friends of every one in the team. He was Izzo's best man. He went to the Kentucky derby with teammates and stayed in Redman's home. He still keep in touch with Antowain and Woody. He is just a great guy who appreciates his teammates.


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Drewwho

Mikey, I agree...two different senarios.
I think what makes Brady relate to his teammates or his teammates relate to him is that he was not groomed to be an NFL star like the Mannings. Eli and Peyton were given this as their birthright. Brady, a 6th round draft pick, worked and still works his butt off for every inch he has gained in his success.

I knew Brady was in Izzo's wedding, but I didn't know he was the Best Man. He was Jay Feely's Best Man last summer - I read that in the NY Post.

One other interested thing that people may or may not know about what kind of friend/teammate is. When Richard Seymour's Dad died a couple of years ago, Brady one of of the few Richard called in the days following. Brady was in Europe when Seymour called him. He cut his trip short and jumped a plane to Seymour's home in North Carolina (I believe that is where he lives in the off season) and stayed with Richard for a few days and helped him out (along with Willie McGuinnest) in getting through the tragedy and also with arrangements etc...

My point is, this is a VERY close team and it usually starts from the top down and Brady sets a great example to all around him.

patsfaninpa

I thought that commercial was about Russ Hochstein. Tell me he
didn't steal the show! "Why can't I be the director?"