Peyton Manning

Issue: Why are so many "sportswriters" and "sports media" members (re: ESPN) up in arms about Peyton Manning's recent struggles?

Short Answer: Because most of them only understand sports from the outside looking in, as they never actually played the sport they cover.

Reasoning: Overheard on the December 9 edition of "Outside the Lines" on ESPN: "[there is] a crisis with the state-of-the-art quarterback," and "how has Peyton Manning morphed into Jeff George right before our eyes?"  Let us take a look at each of these quotes separately:

1. There is a crisis on hand with Peyton Manning - No.  There isn't.  "Crisis" is defined by dictionary.com as a "decisive stage or point (I looked this up on mobile site on my new Droid 2.  Could the Droid be the best/coolest phone ever?  Do I even need a computer anymore?  Do you think this thing has an app that can make me fly?  My phone is sweet - don't be jealous).  So, Peyton Manning has 3 bad games in a row, and we have reached a crisis?  Hogwash.  Let's take a look at some stats: Career (54,156 yards passing, 392 TD, 196 INT, 94.9 passer rating); this season (4,028 yards passing, 26 TD, 15 INT, 91.2 passer rating); and his last three games (@New England, vs. San Diego, vs. Dallas (1,046 yards passing, 8 TD, 11 INT, 77.2 passer rating)).  He has thrown a few too many interceptions in his last 3 games.  Period.  The only "crisis" Peyton Manning is facing right now is whether or not he can lead the Colts to the playoffs, AGAIN.  He could throw 100 more interceptions this year and he would still be one of the best (if not the best) quarterbacks ever.  Crisis averted.  Phew.
2. Peyton Manning has morphed into Jeff George - This is one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever heard.  Seriously.  Maybe this is ESPN's attempt at humor.  It is more likely ESPN's attempt at conjuring up drama where none exists.  Here is a short list of similarities between Manning and George: 1) Both were overall #1 draft picks by the Colts; 2) Both played the position of quarterback; 3) Both are white; and 4) Both are male.  And that's it.  One football statistics website has a section entitled "[p]layers whose career was of similar quality and shape."  Jeff George: Lynn Dickey, Bernie Kosar, Steve Bartkowski, Tommy Kramer, Bobby Hebert, Jeff Hostetler, Jon Kitna, Ed Brown, Richard Todd, Eddie LeBaron, and Peyton Manning: Johnny Unitas*, Joe Montana*, Dan Marino*, Ken Anderson, Steve Young*, Dan Fouts*, Brett Favre, John Elway*, Roger Staubach*, Jim Kelly*.  If you can't tell, the asterisk means that person is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Maybe ESPN is funnier than I thought.

So, how can Peyton Manning's recent 3-game stretch be explained?  It is simply a SLUMP.  Every athlete has them.  Montana, Marino, Tiger Woods, Ted Williams, Michael Jordan - the reason we love(d) watching these guys is because they are so good at what they do.  (Sidenote: Professional athletes are professional athletes because they make being a professional athlete look so easy.  I often lament Major League Baseball players because they make playing baseball at the highest level in the world look so easy.  It makes Joe Schmo think he can do it too.  It makes being a former professional baseball player, well, kind of suck.  Anytime I am in a conversation with someone that I just met or barely know, the conversation invariably turns to me having been a professional baseball player.  This is what I normally get: "I used to play baseball (when I was in high school, when I was in junior college, when I was 7, etc.), and then "if I hadn't (hurt my arm, had a jerk for a coach, played with dolls so much, been such a complete wuss, etc.) then I could have been pretty good."  So, are you telling me you could have played professional baseball too?  Guess what?  You wouldn't have.  And thank you for cheapening all the hard work I put in to become a professional baseball player.  Dick.)  So what happens when they have a bad game and the media talks about it every minute of every day?  They try harder, and that is never a good thing.  I play golf all the time, and when I go double-bogey, bogey, bogey, double-bogey, it doesn't make it easier for me to make it better.  Usually, I start trying even harder, and my game continues to get worse (if that is possible).  Peyton Manning is trying so hard to shut everyone up, that he is making throws he wouldn't normally make.  And his numbers have suffered for it.

Peyton Manning is in a slump.  Sort of.  He is not facing a crisis, and he is not morphing into Jeff George.  If this 3-game stretch turns into a 16-game stretch, then we can worry.  Until then, let ESPN drudge up all this negative press about nothing.  That is what they are good at anyway.