The Sports Truth

The Sportstruth’s senior editor, Lucas Dwyer, provides his observations and thoughts from the weekend that was.

The weekend started and ended with Sunday’s Championship games. Maybe it was just because I live in Boston, but the lead-up to the day felt like a Super Bowl Sunday, but even better. Everyone adjusted their schedules to be able to catch the games and most people gathered at their favorite football-watching spot to enjoy the games. The best was that while everything felt like a Super Bowl Sunday and a Super Bowl party, we were treated two games, not one game and an absurd amount of pre-game analysis and build-up. The games turned out to be competitive and exciting as well, which can’t be said for many super bowls.

We’ve covered time and again that I’m a Patriots fan, but I was LIVID at Norv Turner for punting on 4th and 10 at the Patriots 36 yard line with nine minutes and change left in the game down by two scores. The punt was fair caught at the 11 yard line for a tremendous 25 yard punt. What did Norv think was going to happen? The Chargers would stop the Patriots, forcing them to go 3 and out (the Patriots had the fewest 3 and outs in the league this year) get the ball back and score twice in under eight minutes? Or that giving the Patriots the ball on the 36 yard line mattered at all? The Patriots were as likely to run out the clock from either 36 as the 11 over scoring a touchdown and if the Patriots ended up with a 4th down and time still left on the clock, a field goal still meant it was two-score game. Even if converting 4th and 10 is unlikely, try the 53 yard field goal! Why not? Nate Keading is a good kicker! Turner should have been fired before the game was over.

If Luke owned the Chargers, he would have made an announcement on the Gillette Stadium PA system letting the public know that Norv Turner had been fired immediately after his decision to punt.

Chalk it up to “that’s why the play the games,” but who would have imagined that the reason the Giants won and the Packers lost was Eli Manning and Brett Favre, respectively? Manning didn’t look bothered by the cold at all, electing to go with just a helmet to cover his head, while Favre was holding hand-warmers to his face repeatedly during the game. There was little noticeable effect on Manning, but Favre’s throws obvious lacked any zip, along with accuracy.

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Overkill.

That sums up week one of the NFL season. Thankfully, with the Manning Bowl in the books, we can all return to our lives. As much as NBC would like you to believe that the meeting of Eli and Peyton Manning was a heart-wrenching experience for the family, and a landmark moment in sports history, it was merely a sloppy football game.

Let me tell you who doesn’t care one bit about the Manning family: Colts and Giants fans.

As a Giants fan, I adore Eli and have no problem with his big brother. But I was ticked off when I saw Colts-Giants on the opening day slate. I knew the spectacle surrounding this lovefest/sob story would be incalculable, but primarily, I dreaded the game because the Colts are good.

Peyton is a perennial MVP candidate leading a team considered to be Super Bowl-bound. That’s the extent to which I care. Giants fans are some of the NFL’s best, and I am confident speaking for most of New Jersey in saying it shared my sentiment. We’re coming off a division title and have high expectations. Eli Manning has to play well this year. Aside from our NFC East rivals, we really don’t care who the opposition is.

Colts fans feel similarly, I’m certain. Coming off another blown chance at an NFL crown last winter, anything less than a trip to Super Bowl XLI will be a bust for Tony Dungy & Co. These two teams squaring off is compelling enough without the bogus family drama. Come on, NBC. Do you think people really feel sorry for Olivia Manning watching her sons compete?

Given that Eli and Peyton both have mammoth contracts, and appeared on 95 percent of commercials aired Sunday night (not to mention those in print, such as the milk ad shown above), they will earn many U.S. dollars this year. They are good guys, to be sure, but they’re cashing in on the supposed “Manning Bowl” every step of the way. Both have an opportunity to own championships and private planes alike before their careers end. There is nothing to get all weepy about.

As near-royalty in the South, the Manning parents realize this. The media, however, does not. I actually feared for Eli’s physical well-being Sunday, and not because of Dwight Freeney’s pass-rushing ability. The throng of photographers enveloping him after the final gun was staggering. Images of the bulls running in Pamplona raced through my decaying brain. Luckily for the Giants, he was not trampled and will likely start this week against the Eagles.

NOTE TO MAJOR MEDIA OUTLETS: There are football games being played this week. Cover them. Enough with the overblown human interest crap. If you’re desperate for real news, or parents with real concerns, profile parents of our servicemen and women in Iraq. Or even the families of the two patients on Grey’s Anatomy who were impaled on that metal pole! The doctors had to choose which one survived! Now that’s drama.

P.S. Eli played well and Big Blue had its chances, but Peyton (above) ultimately led the Colts to a tough 26-21 victory.