by Mighty-Pen

Created on: June 12, 2008   Last Updated: December 08, 2010

Does the New York Giants' Super Bowl appearance enable Eli Manning out of Peyton's shadow?

The National Football League is rather unique than most professional sports. The real football season is 16 games long and more if you make the playoffs. That's not enough games to show dominance, unless you are that good. Making the Superbowl and winning it is equivalent to winning two NBA Rings, in my opinion. Once you are able to pass that threshold you have accomplished the highest feat in your sport. That's like being the the only world boxing champion, from the sports toughest division. You just don't get a free ride to the Superbowl. You have to earn it.

Eli, guiding his team to victory in last season's Superbowl, over the great vaunted rival New England Patriots, was David and Goliath like. I thought it was going to be "well Eli, better luck next season." So close, but not able to shake the monkey off of his back. No, instead he reached the pinnacle of the sport. He took his team(s) to the Superbowl earlier in his career this famous brother. He also won it earlier. That is something that Peyton did not accomplish. If you compared both of them side by side, you would have to give Eli the edge, just for that, at this point in his career.

No, Eli is not better than Peyton was at this same point in his career. Eli doesn't have all of the same attributes that Peyton has, and he may not ever rack up the statistics. He may not surpass his brother individually but, he can play the rest of his career, carefree and poised. This has to be a major boost for his state of mind. He has probably gained boat loads of confidence. He can be his own individual now. He can be his own man. No longer jogging in the shadow of his brother.

Whether Eli just got hot, and he has a mediocre season the next year, we can't "belittle" the significance of quarterbacking a team to the Superbowl trophy.

Winning a championship in any professional sport is no small feat, normally. The Giants were actually playing the most dominant team in modern day football. Who really thought that this NY team with its cosmopolitan drama and staunch head coach, would even go that far? However, the little Davidian team, ironically named "Giants", fought the mighty "giant" Goliath-like Patriots, tooth and nail. Eli held true to form, and things ended up their way.

Who knows how good Eli will ultimately become? He's still young so he's still putting it all together. Maybe he's benefitting a lot from Peyton trailblazing the way and giving him tips? Who knows?

Winning the biggest game on the "super stage" helped Eli write his own chapter. A chapter that says, "I may not be my brother, but I'm still one heck of a quarterback"!

Yes, Eli removed himself from Peyton's shadow with the Superbowl victory.

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