Manning's daddy to the rescue

[sportscurmudgeon]

Let's try to be anaylitical here and not emotional for a moment.

1. The Giants want to trade up with the Chargers - purportedly to get Eli Manning. SUPPOSE the Chargers want to put pressure on the Giants to sweeten the deal. If this story just happens to get out and just happens to "get legs", the Giants might have to worry that the Chargers would go and shop that pick elsewhere. If the chargers panic, they will have to get a good deal for that pick of their fans will go nuts. Hence the Giants might be motivated to toss in a "pot sweetner". The Giants initial offer - in Florida - was the #4 pick this year and next year's first round pick. (That was the rumor.) Today's paper says the offer is now the #4 pick this year and a first next year and either a second next year or Ike Hilliard.


2. When Peyton Manning was drafted #1 by the Colts and signed with the Colts they were a disaster as a team. They had gone 3-13 and just plain stunk. Archie didn't pitch a fit then...


3. John Elway used the threat of playing baseball as the lever to get the Colts to trade him. Eli Manning is not a baseball player.


4. The only two players I can think of who actually carried out a threat to sit out a year were Sean Gilbert (he said that he did it because God told him to do it) and John Riggins (when he was with the Jets). Without making any determination regarding the communication between Gilbert and God, I can only say that would be taking direction from the Highest Authority. Riggins was just a flake at that juncture of his life! Other players have sat out a year as a matter of league suspension; but if another player actually held out for an entire year when healthy and eligible to play, I can't remember it. So the odds that Eli Manning will actually do it are slim.


5. But the threat of a hold-out really gives him a hammer if the Chargers do take him. The price of poker just went up!


Remember folks, this time of year is best described as "lying time". That applies to owners, GMs, coaches, agents, players, players' parents, used car salesmen and guys trying to pick up women in bars...