COLUMN: Peyton is the new Marino
It is incredibly seldom that I block out an hour of my day to watch a televised press conference.
In fact, if I think hard enough I can only think of three — Barry Bonds’ “this record is not tainted” plea, just after breaking Babe Ruth’s career homeruns record, Shaquille O’Neal’s retirement announcement, and Wednesday, when the now-free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning fought through tears to give his last statements as a member of the Indianapolis Colts before being formally released. Those three moments imbue for me the three things that sports reporting revolves around: scandal, celebrating success and what in every way is a truly gripping story in sports history.
Now, if you have been paying attention, you’ll notice I left a glaring, famous press conference from that small list.
Remember “The Decision?”
Of course you do. Who can forget the hourlong propaganda debacle that centered completely on the most telling question society has given us since, “Who shot JR?” That being, “Where will LeBron James play basketball?” Long before James became known as the All-Star who couldn’t finish games, or the member of a squad who had all talent and no class — even to mocking opponents for playing games when sick — and just minutes before the phrase “take my talents to…” became a household mainstay, there was the long-awaited mystery of what team he would play for that next season. It was quite a story.
But, if I could be bold, Manning’s story is bigger — much bigger.
In my mind there are several reasons. I’ll give just three.
First and foremost, Manning is considered a winner. We wanted to see where James would land because we simply wanted to know who he would play with. James is a one-man show, he can do things on a basketball court more people can’t do in video game, and basketball fans enjoy that.
Football breathes a little differently. Plays don’t matter and highlights mean nothing unless a win on the board is involved. That is what Manning is known for — being the guy who generates wins. Just look at the Colts’ success with Manning, or lack thereof by simply taking Manning out of the equation.
We are trained to feel wherever Manning goes he will make any team championship caliber, which can’t quite be said for the hardwood All-Star whose biggest reputation is only playing for three quarters.
Next, the Manning situation was a bit more sudden. This had nothing to do with Manning having team issues and refusing to sign. He very well could have stayed a Colt and he didn’t, and it threw us all into a state of flux.
Looking back on it, nobody can deny that the last thing James was going to do was re-sign with Cleveland. It was cute to pretend, but he had the urge to take matters elsewhere and it got step No. 1 right out of our excitement pool. With James we knew the divorce was coming, with Manning we still had a great amount of hope for the marriage, and now we are left in shock ready to see what is next.
Most of all, we will like Manning no matter where he goes. This is the storybook comparison of the humble, folksy smalltown quarterback and the arrogant, Kanye-esque freestyle basketball star. Manning cried, and sincerely so, when he left Indianapolis. James partied on live television when he left Cleveland. It’s the mobile hero and the fleeting villain, the WCW and the NWO, the can’t-help-but-hope-things-work-out-for-the-kid against the someday-karma-is-going-toss-him-one type of stories. Sports stories work like comic books, sometimes, and in these scenarios the characters are finely laid out.
I hope you understand where I am coming from. James’ special announcement truly did shake the basketball world; there is no sense in denying that. But at the end of the day, no story is bigger than a one-time football powerhouse losing its favorite son and him begging the league abound to adopt him and make him its own. Only time will tell who collects the birthright.
And since this is generally a prediction-founded column, I might as well guess where. I’m going with Manning going to the Miami Dolphins and doing what James and Dan Marino couldn’t — and won’t — and Ivan Rodriguez surprisingly could: bring a title to South Beach.
Dig it.
– Steve Schwartzman is a junior studying communication studies. He has had just about every job in sports writing, including blogs, analysis, statistics and fantasy football tips, but especially loves making bold picks. Think you can out-pick Steve? Let him know: steve.schwartzman@aggiemail.usu.edu.