So a couple of weeks ago, I was creating my first editorial for the Demopolis Times. Oh my goodness what a struggle it was. One reason is because I couldn’t figure out a stupid name for my hopefully weekly editorial. Imagine that. Being a writer for a living and unable to come up with a creative title. It’s sad.
With that in mind, my first draft of an editorial started with me quoting “Romeo and Juliet” about names. It was cool. The draft showed that I had some creative gumption in overused literature.
I was highly pleased with my work, but I made one mistake that lead to another mistake. My first mistake happened because I still hated the editorial name. As a result of trying to love something I hated, I didn’t save my work on my Mac and everything I typed just floated away into digital purgatory.
Did I cry? No I didn’t. Did I want to? Not even a little.
We have to understand even though my work was decent I hated it so much. That editorial would have been so pretentious, so arrogant. It screamed, “Hey look at me. I’m the new guy. I gots me a college degree and I knows a thang or two.” Grammatical errors intentional there by the way.
Back to the subject at hand here, I had to start over. I wasn’t necessarily looking for something better, but I was searching for a voice that was truly mine. I needed to be true to myself.
If you read last Saturday’s issue then you already know my background information, so there is no need to rehash that and if you didn’t then shame on you for being mean.
What you should know is that I plan to be primarily focused on sports in my space. In a past life, I would sometimes get a little off the sports path even though I was the sports editor. I’m going to do my best to avoid those kinds of rants because they always had dome sort of personal agenda.
With all of that being stated, let’s talk about some sports.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Eli Manning wanted to be the highest paid player in the NFL.
I am a New York Giants fan and I found that to be the most hilarious thing I’ve ever heard.
Then I listed to the national media beat down the notion while heaping praise on more talented quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Just slow your role for a second.
Eli Manning may not be the best quarterback in the NFL and that’s fine. I can agree with that.
What I can’t agree with however is some myth that he is so much more less of a talent than Tom Brady and doesn’t deserve to be paid. Yes it is a myth.
How can I say that? Brady has won four Super Bowls while Manning has only collected two.
It’s a simple deconstruction for me and I hope that at this point as a reader instead of tuning me out at this point, just read. You might learn something.
I’m just going to say it plainly; Tom Brady is not the reason the Patriots have won all of those four championships. There it is right there. It’s in the open.
Do we forget how those titles were won? Let me remind you. It was in this order, game winning field goal, game winning field goal, game winning field goal, and game saving interception.
Not a game winning touchdown pass amongst the group. I will concede that the later win included two fourth quarter touchdown passes. However, this was also the first win with Brady as the focal point as opposed as the defense led teams of the early 2000s.
Even with that, West Alabama’s own Malcolm Butler had to save the day in winning that game.
I’d say at best, Brady was just simply the quarterback of a team good enough to win a championship.
Just like every other quarterback, because championships are a team accomplishment.
He’s a cog in the machine, a big cog but still just a cog.
Eli Manning is a cog too.
Since Super Bowl XLVI, won by the Giants, Manning has played behind what one would consider one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.
Until last year, Brady had at least one All-Pro lineman. He had some Pro-Bowl linemen last year, but that’s not really the measuring stick in the NFL in my humble opinion.
Poor Eli on the other hand has been beat up behind a horrid offensive line these past few years and the Giants know that.
But what does Eli do? Start every game since earned the position and force passes that he shouldn’t even be throwing, but is forced to because of the lack of a running game.
Without Eli, the Giants wouldn’t even be competitive. Without Brady, the Patriots went 11-5 and this year may start 3-1 at worst assuming he serves his full suspension.
It’s important when evaluating these guys to realize that both the team and quarterback are vital to success. Just this year, the Dallas Cowboys discovered what an improved offensive line would do for your quarterback and running game.
Finally, the most important thing about worth and Eli Manning is that he’s honestly worth what the Giants are any team is willing to pay him. I have yet to decide as a fan if that’s something I can live with in the future.
That’s all I have to say, I hope you hear it.