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Is Manning really this big of a jerk?

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by novelist_wannabe, Feb 8, 2007.

  1. DisembodiedOwlHead

    DisembodiedOwlHead Active Member

    And trying to mask the o-line bashing when he and his dad, in some sweet revisionist history, said it came after so many questions at the end of a press conference after a long game. Bullshit, it was the first question, and Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star asked something generic and Manning chose to dive into "let's just say we had problems with protection" on his own.
     
  2. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Novelist, that's him. I have to do this gingerly, because I don't want to say anything that could be thought of as badmouthing him while I am hiding behind an anonymous screen name. And I don't want to out myself over this, although lots of people here know who I am...

    I actually wouldn't badmouth him, even if I was doing this with my name attached to it. I understand why he is the way he is, and I see it as his right to be really guarded and anal. He doesn't owe me or anyone else anything. That said, I've also never met a pro athlete quite like him, and dealings can be odd and frustrating.

    I have dealt with him a couple of times on things that went beyond just a publication doing an interview. He is a very intense person, but in a very odd sort of way. He wants to know everything going on around him, at all times, so for example, if you are photrographing him for something in print, he wants to control every aspect of it, right down to interrogating the photographer about the equipment he is using. And when he gets like that, he can come off as really anal, almost a dick.

    Again, I don't fault him for this. It's his image, his name. But it comes off as really anal the way he does it, and its in such sharp contrast to most players who want to get in and out of there as quickly as possible, without any fuss.

    He grew up with a dad who was a professional athlete, so my theory is that he got jaded young. I am guessing he just gets tired of everyone wanting something from him and he's gotten extreme about how he handles it. It goes beyond that, though, and it's difficult for me to explain this without giving examples, which unfortunately I can't. But he strikes me as being suspicious of everyone, to an almost paranoid extreme. Again, without the specifics that would make this make sense, he once made me jump through hoops on something that we could have been done very easily. We did it in a backward-ass way that added a ton of work to what we were doing for BOTH of us, and the reason was that there was the potential for me to take advantage of him, if we did it the easy way. Mind you, it wasn't the kind of "taking advantage" that would have really harmed him in any way. It's more that if I did something unscrupulous, it would have benefited me. He wasn't able to just read me and make a snap judgment that I am not unscrupulous, the way dozens of other players have in nearly identical situations. If I had been a slimeball, the benefit to me wouldn't have hurt him, so to come up with a plan that was 10 times harder than the easy way, seemed like overkill. But at the same time, it isn't like he was sabotaging it completely. He not only insisted that I do it the hard way, HE was willing to do it the hard way too, which meant that it took more time on his part, as well. So how can I really badmouth him? He was generous to be doing it at all.

    That's why all of that said, it's his right, and I accept that. It just creates a really weird juxtoposition. He agrees to do some really cool things and you are thankful that he is willing to give you the time. But instead of doing it the easy way, he gets very anal over the details and comes off a little bit like a jerk to people who don't think about it and try to understand why he is that way.

    I'll throw this out there... I can just speak for myself. Maybe there is something about me that has brought out that side of him and others' dealings have been different. I'd love to hear about it if anyone can share different type of experience, easily. I wish I could give details, but I just can't. I hope what I typed made sense.
     
  3. RAMBO

    RAMBO Member

    When are guys goning to leave this guy alone. You say he couldn't get past the Patriots and he did and got that monkey off his back. Next you say that he needs to win the Super Bowl to dignify his career and he does that. Why don't you get off the guys back and leave him the fuck alone. Who cares if he said that about Dallas Clark.
     
  4. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    i've had breakfast with peyton at training camp a couple of times and found him nothing but relaxed and engaging. of course, once the season starts, he's well into his bunker mode. i've got no problem with that.

    in the s.i. this week, he didn't "call out" clark. he was sharing a very amusing anecdote about clark messing up the route after two weeks prepping for that exact first play. the anecdote silver wrote about peyton's "no kids runnin' the halls" to mess with his study time was a perfect example of his focus.

    i would suspect some teammates weren't pleased. so effin' what? none of them had nearly as much at stake -- rep wise -- as peyton. he's their maestro.

    the indianapolis peytons? you bet. that doesn't mean the rest of them were just standing around, doing nothing. but anyone who doesn't think peyton deserves every consideration he feels he needs to be at his best is foolish.

    does that make him anal? sure. so the eff what?
     
  5. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Why don't you master third grade before posting here?
     
  6. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    I liked the Big Ragu's description of him. He may be anal, but he's willing to pay the same price, which is more than most will do.
     
  7. Chuck~Taylor

    Chuck~Taylor Active Member

    Perfect example(the way he treated Bill Cartwright)
     
  8. Elliotte Friedman

    Elliotte Friedman Moderator Staff Member

    My (one) experience with Manning -- in the middle of an ugly situation -- was very impressive.

    In a previous life, I worked at the television station where Mike Vanderjagt lit up Manning and the Colts the day after Tampa Bay beat Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII. When the Colts decided to keep Vanderjagt for the next season, I went to Indianapolis for the opening of camp to see if Manning actually tolerated the kicker's existence. I'd had a strong professional relationship with Vanderjagt, having done numerous interviews with him during his CFL and NFL days.

    I called him the day before to see if he would talk. There was some initial reluctance, but he eventually agreed to do it.

    When I got there, he -- and the Colts themselves -- acted like babies. Vanderjagt hid. On the practice field, he kept his back to our camera the whole time, refusing to acknowledge our presence. I was more amused than angry. It was pure four-year-old behaviour. The Colts -- who had initally warned us not to bother coming -- did everything they could to make my life impossible. When I got there, they whined about how "this was not a story anymore."

    Right.

    The 45-minute player availability was a riot. "Just grab whoever you want," the pr staff said. So I spoke to Chad Bratzke and Edgerrin James. They were both outstanding. (James may get flamed sometimes, but he was terrific on that particular day. When I told him I was from the TV station involved, he said, "This really made your career, didn't it?" I said I didn't do the interview in question, and he said -- with a huge smile -- "Sucks to be you." It was hysterical, and he gave great answers.)

    About 30 minutes in, they let us know Manning was about to talk. I asked about Vanderjagt. I was told: “That’s not our job. If the player wants to come out, he will.” I had never heard that one before, nor have I since.

    So Manning comes out. I told the local media guys that I would wait until the end to ask the Vanderjagt questions, just in case he got mad. That way, it wouldn't ruin their stories. (It was a great deal for them, since it meant they wouldn't have to ask about it.)

    I waited for a few minutes, then asked about their relationship. He gave a 90-second answer full of great stuff. I followed up. He came back with two more minutes of more great stuff. That was enough. I said thanks.

    He said “You bet. Have a safe trip home.”

    Normally, I wouldn’t think twice about such a comment, but this stood out. We’d never met, never been introduced. It was clear the Colts media relations staff -- who were doing everything they could to ruin my day -- warned him I was there. Manning had every excuse to be rude and mumble useless answers. Instead, he chose to step up, be honest and deal with it like a man -- unlike others in his organization.

    To me, that was pretty impressive.
     
  9. leo1

    leo1 Active Member

    elliotte, that's a great story. says a lot about peyton and how in-control he is of everything.
     
  10. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    They come in all different personality types. Holy cow, was Norm Van Brocklin an asshole! But there's common bond.
    Inside every great quarterback there's a Felix Unger dusting his mental furniture.
     
  11. Oz

    Oz Well-Known Member

    Second that, awesome story, Elliotte.
     
  12. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Eliott, this is very consistent with my experiences with him. He is EXCEEDINGLY polite and courteous. Even when he is being anal. And the Colts PR staff are of the ilk who see it as their job to prevent access instead of making your job easier--they will actively try to sabotage you if you are a sheep. So I nearly always work with Peyton directly and cut the Colts out. The team isn't happy, but it's never cost me the access I needed and has gotten me more acces than I otherwise would have. In a weird way, I think it suits Peyton, because it's another way he can control what is going on, rather than leaving it to the team. It also plays into something about him I didn't include in my last post. I have been around him a number of times and my sense every time is that he wants people to like him. He wants you to walk away thinking he is the man of the year. So no, he will never lose his temper, or mumble or act ill-tempered with a media member. He knows where is bread is buttered. It's as if even early in his career he was already thinking, "Writers vote for the Hall of Fame," "How I am portrayed in the media can impact my endorsements," etc. My sense is that he is very aware of those types of things and that he's been coached. Some might call it calculating, even. But in my experiences, it always has struck me that he is trying to make me (and others) think that he is 1) wholesome (which I actually believe he is, with some exceptions), and 2) The man of the year (this part seems a bit more calculated to me).
     
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