Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

The increasingly weird story of Peyton Manning

Winners never quit, unfortunately

Mr. San Diego, Johnny Unitas, lasted five games with the Chargers after 17 years with the Baltimore Colts.
Mr. San Diego, Johnny Unitas, lasted five games with the Chargers after 17 years with the Baltimore Colts.

The abiding question: Can a first-round NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, a legitimate superstar, who is now, according to many, in his football dotage, play one more beautiful game?

The answer is no. The hope is yes.

Everybody stays too long. Joe Namath wanted to play that elusive one more year. After 12 years with the Jets, he signed with the L.A. Rams in 1977. Lasted four games.

Mr. San Diego, Johnny Unitas, was traded to the Chargers in 1973 after 17 years with the Baltimore Colts. He lasted five games.

Ken Stabler played his last three seasons with the New Orleans Saints. Sporting News says, “He was third-string at the end...” And then there’s Jim McMahon, Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre, Y.A. Tittle...great quarterbacks who hung around too long.

Sponsored
Sponsored

There is an exception. John Elway. At the age of 37 and 38 he led Denver to back-to-back Super Bowl victories and was voted MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII, the last game he played.

Which brings us to the increasingly weird story of Peyton Manning, who turns 40 next month. He dodged a bullet shot from the Al Jazeera steroids documentary The Dark Side: Secrets of the Sports Dopers. Manning was a patient at the Grey Institute during 2011, the year he was rehabbing from neck surgery. His wife was also a patient. Al Jazeera reported that a pharmacy intern told them he shipped HGH to Manning’s wife, “all the time, everywhere, Florida.” The mailing-steroids-to-wife being a dodge other athletes have used. Juicy stuff except, oops, the pharmacy clerk recanted his story.

The documentary was a puff of wind for a few days and then everything settled down, helped along by the news that Al Jazeera was going out of business. The problem is Manning’s stats look like old-guy-playing-like-young-guy steroid stats. Manning completed rehab, returned to the Broncos and had “...two out of the three best seasons in his career in 2012 and 2013.”

After a brilliant 2013 regular season Manning took his team to Super Bowl XLVIII and collapsed. Seattle routed Denver 43 to 8; Manning threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

It went downhill from there.

At the start of the 2015 season, according to USA Today, “Peyton Manning’s QB rating is lower than Blake Bortles, Josh McCown, Jameis Winston, Matt McGloin, Johnny Manziel, Tyrod Taylor, and Ryan Fitzpatrick, among many, many others. He’s 29th of 34 quarterbacks who qualify.”

November 16 was the day Manning hit rock bottom. USA Today reported, “...Manning got benched. The moment came with 6:34 remaining in the third quarter, after Manning threw his fourth interception of the game, as the Broncos trailed the Kansas City Chiefs 22-0 in a game they would ultimately lose 29-13. He had been booed off the field after nearly every previous possession, and the crowd at Sports Authority Field roared as backup Brock Osweiler jogged to the huddle.... He [Manning] completed just five of his 20 attempts, for 35 yards, and was benched with a passer rating of 0.0.” Manning, the NFL’s only five-time MVP, had never been pulled from a game in his 17-year career.

Then, comes a twist only seen in Hollywood sports movies. Fast-forward to the last game of the regular season. If Denver beats San Diego the Broncos have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Deep into the third quarter, after the Broncos had five turnovers, two interceptions, a fumble, and a sack, Manning enters the game. It had to get that bad before he was tapped.

Super Bowl 50: Santa Clara, California (home team in caps)

He wasn’t brilliant, throwing nine passes for a humble 69 yards. Still, he managed his team to two touchdowns and two field goals by running a conservative offense and relying on defense for the win.

Next, Denver beat the Steelers in the AFC divisional round. After the game, Boston.com journalist Sam Benson Smith wrote, “Peyton Manning is having a career year, and not in the good sense (lowest passer rating in his career, lowest completion percentage, worst touchdown/interception ratio since his rookie season).”

Then, a win over the Patriots and another humble performance by Manning, which brings us to Super Bowl 50. Carolina is a six-point favorite. Six points for a team with a 17-1 record, a young, mobile quarterback with a strong arm, and great defense versus a team with a 14-4 record, great defense, an immobile quarterback with a weak arm, and a reputation for choking in big games.

I’m like everybody else, I want Manning to have that last great game. I wanted Muhammad Ali to beat Larry Holmes. I wanted the Padres to acquire Rickey Henderson from the San Diego Surf Dawgs. I wanted Tiger Woods to win the 2015 Masters.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Didja know I did the first American feature on Jimi Hendrix?

Richard Meltzer goes through the Germs, Blue Oyster Cult, Ray Charles, Elvis, Lavender Hill Mob
Next Article

2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches
Mr. San Diego, Johnny Unitas, lasted five games with the Chargers after 17 years with the Baltimore Colts.
Mr. San Diego, Johnny Unitas, lasted five games with the Chargers after 17 years with the Baltimore Colts.

The abiding question: Can a first-round NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, a legitimate superstar, who is now, according to many, in his football dotage, play one more beautiful game?

The answer is no. The hope is yes.

Everybody stays too long. Joe Namath wanted to play that elusive one more year. After 12 years with the Jets, he signed with the L.A. Rams in 1977. Lasted four games.

Mr. San Diego, Johnny Unitas, was traded to the Chargers in 1973 after 17 years with the Baltimore Colts. He lasted five games.

Ken Stabler played his last three seasons with the New Orleans Saints. Sporting News says, “He was third-string at the end...” And then there’s Jim McMahon, Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre, Y.A. Tittle...great quarterbacks who hung around too long.

Sponsored
Sponsored

There is an exception. John Elway. At the age of 37 and 38 he led Denver to back-to-back Super Bowl victories and was voted MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII, the last game he played.

Which brings us to the increasingly weird story of Peyton Manning, who turns 40 next month. He dodged a bullet shot from the Al Jazeera steroids documentary The Dark Side: Secrets of the Sports Dopers. Manning was a patient at the Grey Institute during 2011, the year he was rehabbing from neck surgery. His wife was also a patient. Al Jazeera reported that a pharmacy intern told them he shipped HGH to Manning’s wife, “all the time, everywhere, Florida.” The mailing-steroids-to-wife being a dodge other athletes have used. Juicy stuff except, oops, the pharmacy clerk recanted his story.

The documentary was a puff of wind for a few days and then everything settled down, helped along by the news that Al Jazeera was going out of business. The problem is Manning’s stats look like old-guy-playing-like-young-guy steroid stats. Manning completed rehab, returned to the Broncos and had “...two out of the three best seasons in his career in 2012 and 2013.”

After a brilliant 2013 regular season Manning took his team to Super Bowl XLVIII and collapsed. Seattle routed Denver 43 to 8; Manning threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

It went downhill from there.

At the start of the 2015 season, according to USA Today, “Peyton Manning’s QB rating is lower than Blake Bortles, Josh McCown, Jameis Winston, Matt McGloin, Johnny Manziel, Tyrod Taylor, and Ryan Fitzpatrick, among many, many others. He’s 29th of 34 quarterbacks who qualify.”

November 16 was the day Manning hit rock bottom. USA Today reported, “...Manning got benched. The moment came with 6:34 remaining in the third quarter, after Manning threw his fourth interception of the game, as the Broncos trailed the Kansas City Chiefs 22-0 in a game they would ultimately lose 29-13. He had been booed off the field after nearly every previous possession, and the crowd at Sports Authority Field roared as backup Brock Osweiler jogged to the huddle.... He [Manning] completed just five of his 20 attempts, for 35 yards, and was benched with a passer rating of 0.0.” Manning, the NFL’s only five-time MVP, had never been pulled from a game in his 17-year career.

Then, comes a twist only seen in Hollywood sports movies. Fast-forward to the last game of the regular season. If Denver beats San Diego the Broncos have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Deep into the third quarter, after the Broncos had five turnovers, two interceptions, a fumble, and a sack, Manning enters the game. It had to get that bad before he was tapped.

Super Bowl 50: Santa Clara, California (home team in caps)

He wasn’t brilliant, throwing nine passes for a humble 69 yards. Still, he managed his team to two touchdowns and two field goals by running a conservative offense and relying on defense for the win.

Next, Denver beat the Steelers in the AFC divisional round. After the game, Boston.com journalist Sam Benson Smith wrote, “Peyton Manning is having a career year, and not in the good sense (lowest passer rating in his career, lowest completion percentage, worst touchdown/interception ratio since his rookie season).”

Then, a win over the Patriots and another humble performance by Manning, which brings us to Super Bowl 50. Carolina is a six-point favorite. Six points for a team with a 17-1 record, a young, mobile quarterback with a strong arm, and great defense versus a team with a 14-4 record, great defense, an immobile quarterback with a weak arm, and a reputation for choking in big games.

I’m like everybody else, I want Manning to have that last great game. I wanted Muhammad Ali to beat Larry Holmes. I wanted the Padres to acquire Rickey Henderson from the San Diego Surf Dawgs. I wanted Tiger Woods to win the 2015 Masters.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Reader 1st place writing contest winner gets kudos

2nd place winner not so much
Next Article

San Diego's Uptown Planners challenged by renters from Vibrant Uptown

Two La Jolla planning groups fight for predominance
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.