Peyton Manning: Crybaby

Let me say right off the bat that I like Peyton Manning. The funniest commercials on television are Peyton acting like a crazed fan for everyday people. The best is when he is cheering on the waitress in a diner and chanting "D-Caf, D-Caf". They crack me up every time. Peyton went to the other UT, in Knoxville, Tennessee. I had a guy that worked for me at the airport there, and right before the draft, Peyton was flying in and out of the little hanger we were using. My understanding is that he was always a down to earth, humble guy. Everyone there said when he had to wait, he would spend time doing your regular guy chit chat with anyone that happened to be standing near. I suppose that's why I was so disappointed at his post game mini-meltdown. He basically threw his offensive line under the bus. I am not a Colts fan. They don't appear to be a very physical team, and that's a big part of football. They execute about as perfect as you could ever want, but beat up on them a little bit and you win the game. If Peyton has a dirty jersey, he lost. I thought he was going to cry at that news conference. He was rattled for most of the game because the Steelers went after him, hard. Maybe he's just used to not having to deal with being knocked around, I don't know. But if he is ever going to win big post season games, he's going to have to do what every other NFL quarterback does, get up, shake it off, and run the next play. His O-line might have had a mediocre day (it certainly wasn't bad), but he's the one that fell apart that day. And his team, the ones that look to him for calm and leadership when facing adversity, saw him fall apart mentally. And that may have been what sealed the deal. It's time for Peyton Manning to grow up and play like a big boy. Or as N likes to say, "Shut up, put on your big girl panties, and deal."