I sat in my living room on Sunday afternoon watching the second half of the Giants/ Dolphins game. I had just finished up taking my son to his swim meet early Sunday morning and rushed home to catch the game. The Giants record stood at 2-11 and the Dolphins weren’t much better at 3-10. Any sane person would have deemed it ok just to miss the game and move on with their Sunday but not on this particular Sunday. Most people including myself had the feeling this could be Eli’s last home start. Manning threw a touchdown pass to surprise rookie star receiver Darius Slayton. This TD pass would turn out to be the game winner and last one he would throw at Giants stadium. After the Giants put the game out of reach with a rare laugher these days, I began to think about all the great Eli moments that are etched in my brain.
People who aren’t fans of Manning sometimes don’t get why Giants fans are so enamored with a guys who has a .500 career record as a starter, will sometime sack himself, or has some of the worse facial expression of all time. It’s because Eli produced moments for us as fans that will stick with you forever. What usually elevates those moments are the people your with to share them. Those “haters” of Eli, my brother John always says, “if he gave their favorite team what he has given ours they would have the same reverence as we do. I narrowed these moments down to 5.
#1 Drafted & Debuted:
April 24th 2004 my brother John and I headed out to Giants Stadium. It was one of the first draft parties they had at the stadium. We didn’t know what to expect but it was a 20 dollar ticket and a big day for the Giants. They held the fourth pick and the trade rumors had swirled leading up to draft day of the Giants moving up. Three QBs were the headliners for the day. The mid major college guy in Ben Roethlisberger, the tough gun slinger in Phillip Rivers, and the guy with the pedigree in Eli Manning.
The crowd of people filed in the practice bubble. Inside were a bunch of TVs, food, and former player signing autographs. We both sat there in front of the big screens with different hopes in mind. John wanted Manning no matter what it took and me in turn being obsessed with Defense wanted Sean Taylor. The picks were made and the trade went down. Eli Manning was a Giant. All I can think at the time was “he better be good”.
We made our way outside the bubble and much to our surprise the tunnel was opened up for fans to go inside the stadium. We walked slowly like we weren’t exactly sure if we were allowed to go that way. We stepped on the Giants stadium turf and it was awesome. Although football fields are 100 yards everywhere else, being on a NFL field where your idols battled made it different. All the time we spent watching games from the stands we were on the other end. The rest of the first round of the draft we walked around the stadium in awe. Then very unexpectedly to us Eli Manning and his family showed up and did a Q & A. Number 10 was a Giant now for better or for worse. Later that year I got to attended his first start against the Atlanta Falcons. Me and Michelle sat in the upper deck and watched Manning throw his first TD pass, a six yard pass over the middle to Jeremy Shockey. Although the game was a loss the future was definitely bright.
Love him: Eli wanted to be a Giant. He and his family wanted to be a part of a historic franchise and not the constantly in flux Chargers or an unstable Raiders Organization. He wanted New York and everything that comes with that and having the last name Manning.
Haters: The picture of miserable Eli holding up a Chargers jersey before eventually being traded wasn’t real fan friendly. He was Peyton’s brother and Archie’s son. A lot of people looked at that as he was a silver spoon kid who got to where he is because of this name.
#2 2007 Eli in Lambeau
Going into the 2007 season, Eli had some great moments and some playoff failures. This was his 4th season. Usually the season that you either turn the corner or you are what you are. I went to a couple of games that year with my brothers and dad. One that stood out was the Vikings game where Manning threw 4 touchdown passes; unfortunately 3 of them were to Vikings defenders. I remember the car ride home saying “I don’t think he’s the guy” Then that playoff run happened. The Giants were in the NFC Championship game against Green Bay at Lambeau Field. It was -21 degrees out and everybody said Brett Favre was going to lead his team to a super bowl. Sitting in my parent’s basement that day with my family on my 27th birthday was awesome. Every throw, run, block, and tackle meant something. Eli looked unfazed by the weather and the moment. The game went into overtime and the giants won on a Lawrence Tynes 47 yard FG. We sat there in disbelief and knew that big blue was going to the Super Bowl. What a birthday gift that was.
Love him: Eli’s playoffs run that year was awesome and he answered all the adversity in front of him. He won 3 road games (Tampa, Dallas, and Green Bay) and led the Giants to the Super Bowl.
Haters: They said he beat an over the hill Brett Favre who had a flair for throwing big game interceptions in recent years. He has no shot at winning the Super Bowl.
#3 2008 Manning’s Perfect Day
Being very superstitious when it came to the Giants it was back to the basement 2 weeks later for the super bowl. Manning and the Giants were 17 point underdogs to the undefeated Patriots. Nobody gave the Giants a chance. Eli again looked poised and made every throw. The defining play came on the game winning drive when Manning who was all but sacked, wiggled away from several defensive linemen. He then tossed a ball over the middle that was caught by David Tyree. He was clutch and in the biggest upset of all-time the Giants became the 1, in 18-1 and Super Bowl Champs. My brother John speared me so hard through the couch in celebration and my ribs hurt for a week. We went to the parade that Tuesday and celebrated the greatest victory in franchise history. One of the special memories of that super bowl was actually in 2011. My brother John was diagnosed with cancer and I needed to go with him for one of his chemo treatments. I asked him before we left if he wanted me to bring anything. He requested I bring the DVD of the full game of super bowl 42. We sat there at Sloan Kettering watching the game like it was the first time. In my brothers worst time that was the one thing that made him feel a little better.
Love him: He delivered a Super Bowl to the Giants for the first time in 17 years. He won Super Bowl MVP and had a legendary playoff run. The Manning to Tyree helmet catch will be a legendary Super Bowl play forever.
Haters: The heave to Tyree was lucky. The defense carried him and he shouldn’t have been the MVP. It was a fluke!
#4 2012 Eli Built Tough
This will always be the day that Eli becomes a beloved Giant. They weren’t the underdogs they were in 2007 but they were on the road and the weather was wet and rainy. My family tested fate with this game and we all met at my brother’s in-laws (The Hawley’s) house to watch it. My daughter Allison who was a month old was dressed in her pink Giants pajamas lying on the floor. I could swear she was signaling first down the whole time. Manning was sacked 6 times, and hit on what seemed like every time he threw the ball. There was even a moment were he gets up to call a time out and his shoulder pads are exposed and his helmet is twisted. The Giants pulled off a classic, another victory on the road against the 49ers 20-17 in overtime on another Lawrence Tynes FG. It’s the defining moment in Manning’s career where he showed how tough he was and led the G-men to their 2nd Super Bowl in 4 years.
Love Him: Eli’s even keel approach portrays that he doesn’t have passion or that he isn’t tough. On this day he erased all those perceptions. We was beaten up, wet, and muddy for 4 quarters and still got up. This was a true sign of a champion.
Haters: The haters will always say the two fumbles by punt returner Kyle Williams are the reasons the Giants won game. They will look at it as just another stroke of luck that went Manning’s way.
#5 2012 Manning take two
Super Bowl 46 we went back to the Mascolo Basement. I was holding my new born daughter in my arms and had my 4 year old son with me as well. Being surrounded by family during this time makes it a better event. At one point during the hard fought battle my wife took my daughter from me. I think she was slightly afraid Allison would end up in the ceiling tile during some of the big plays. I remember wanting them to win but beating Tom Brady twice was going to be tough. The signature play for Manning on this day was a 38 yard pass to Mario Manningham. The Giants were at their own 12 on 1st and 10. To start what would be the game winning drive Manning threw a deep ball that drop perfectly into Manningham’s outstretched arms. Eli won his 2nd super bowl 21-17 and his second Super Bowl MVP. Like all the other big games I was tackled by my family. My son Anthony was almost crushed but luckily we lifted him up and got him out of the scrum. I can only imagine the amount of Giants fans who were with friends and family that celebrated another Super bowl win with Eli Manning front and center of it all.
Love him: He brought a second Super Bowl to a city that at times gave up on him. This win eliminated the fluke label. He was in the company of legends now.
Haters: This win really tore up the hater’s argument. He had two historic playoff runs and won twice in Lambeau Field. He beat the Patriots twice, who arguably have the best Coach, Quarterback, and Team of all-time, in the biggest game. They will point to his teams having great pass rushers, he is not a great regular season QB, and he’s not a hall of famer.
Love him or hate him his accomplishment are undeniable. There will always be a Hall of Fame debate. We know he finished his career 117-117 as a starter, we know he would throw some bad interceptions, and of course we know he will always be compared to his brother Peyton. I always argue if his name was Eli Smith and he played in Kansas City with the same exact career he would be revered. He was a New York Giant and came from one of the first families of football with all that scrutiny and pressure that comes with that. He always handled it all with class. He will eventually get to Canton and not for his touchdown passes or yardage totals but because in the biggest moments Eli was always a Giant.
