Let the Peyton Manning sweepstakes begin

[BSmack]

What's the difference? The team to whom Denver trades Tebow will have to eat that $5 million, regardless. Is Jacksonville saying they're willing to do so? Unless that's the case, Denver will have to eat the money regardless of where they send him.

Of all the teams in the NFL that would eat 5 mil to get Tebow, J-Ville has got to be at the top of the list. Of course now that this self induced poison pill is public knowledge, I'm guessing the asking price for Tebow went from a 4th and a 7th to a bag of used jockstraps. So that might bring some other teams back. IMO, Elway is messing with Tebow as payback for all his little Tebowmaniacs by trying to trade him as far away from Florida as he can.

[Van]

How stupid do the Jets look now? Seriously? Making the announcement before you even know the terms of the guy's contract?

Which would be worse now, biting the financial/public relations bullet and paying Denver the $5 mill, or simply walking away, explaining, "Sorry, we really screwed the pooch on that one."

[Felix]

Just as a point of fact, Tebow is still under contract. He's not a free agent.

yep.....I guess he's now the 5 million dollar "albatross"

I honestly hope things work out for him....nice kid, great attitude, a leader regardless of whether he's a starter or not....

qualities that the NFL is sorely lacking.....

[Paul]

Watching the Chiefs' pass rush light up Manning twice a year should be rather enjoyable.

[Van]

I guess, as long as you don't mind losing. See, Manning doesn't exactly take a lot of sacks.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

Which is why Denver was able to trade him to New York, seemingly one of the last places he would ever want to be. Had he been a free agent, he would've already signed with Jacksonville.

According to Adam Schefter, Tebow was told he could be traded to one of two places; NY or Jack. He chose NY.

[Van]

Yep, I saw the same story. Guess he wants to bring Jesus to Gomorrah.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

Of couse, another ESPN honk (Wendy Nix) tweeted that Tebow wanted to be traded to JACK and Elway told him to fuck off. So who really knows what happened. Either way, I am sorta surprised he ended up in NY. As are most Jest fans. Unless Sparano really wanted him there to run the wildcat?

Who the fuck knows....

[Shoalzie]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutd ... 35112.html

Really?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Really?

What? That's par for the course for that nutjob.

[Mace]

Should Manning be injured again, Tebow would have an opportunity to show his true Christian spirit by healing him.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

If he was anywhere near 100%, he'd still be a Colt. He's damaged goods. I could see some desperate and/or stupid organization (s'up, KC) signing him only to watch him flop around for a few games looking like Chad Pennington at his gimpiest, noodle armed worst before going on IR.

It's ovah.

Bump.

All Manning did was lead his team to the best record in the AFC (tied for best in the NFL) and possibly the MVP as well. Not too shabby for "damaged goods."

[Felix]

If he was anywhere near 100%, he'd still be a Colt. He's damaged goods. I could see some desperate and/or stupid organization (s'up, KC) signing him only to watch him flop around for a few games looking like Chad Pennington at his gimpiest, noodle armed worst before going on IR.

It's ovah.

Bump.

All Manning did was lead his team to the best record in the AFC (tied for best in the NFL) and possibly the MVP as well. Not too shabby for "damaged goods."

Yeah I think a reevaluation of the "he's washed up" analysis is in order

[smackaholic]

Yeah I think a reevaluation of the "he's washed up" analysis is in order

Yeah, that was kinda stupid. Peyton may have a broken back and be one good whack away from a wheel chair, but the part of him that matters, what's between the ears was never questionable. As for Indy unloading him, it is understandable. He is a risk and they had a window to pick up a quality replacement. Another team in their shoes might do the same. Denver wasn't in their shoes and rolled the dice on a no brainer HOF QB who very well could have something left in the tank.

It was somewhat of a risk, but, not the hail mary that mvscal made it out to be.

[mvscal]

If he was anywhere near 100%, he'd still be a Colt. He's damaged goods. I could see some desperate and/or stupid organization (s'up, KC) signing him only to watch him flop around for a few games looking like Chad Pennington at his gimpiest, noodle armed worst before going on IR.

It's ovah.

Bump.

All Manning did was lead his team to the best record in the AFC (tied for best in the NFL) and possibly the MVP as well. Not too shabby for "damaged goods."

Odd how you didn't also bump this:

Hell, I'd take a flyer on him if I was a desperate and/or stupid organization. If he gets blown up, then just play the shitbag you were going to start anyway.

I can see why. You couldn't "take a flyer" on Manning at his asking price. You had to go all in. Elway did that and crushed it. If he isn't Executive of the Year, the award is a joke. Peyton Manning looks like he never missed a snap and the Jets, for some inexplicable reason, traded for a quarterback Denver didn't need to obtain a quarterback they would never use.

Brilliant.

It sucks for the rest of the AFC West, though. The next four to five years aren't looking good right about now.

[smackaholic]

I'm not sure if going with one of the best QBs in the history of the game gets you exec. of the year. Maybe it does, if there is no one else out there that does something noteworthy.

What Elway did was a bit risky and it has paid off, but, nothing that took any sort of mensa.

Assuming Peyton does get another ring, what does this do for Archie's stud fees? I mean, dude sires 2 2 time SB winning QBs?

Rack the hell out of Archie's ballsack!

[Biggie]

Elway needed to take a flyer.

If Manning didn't come to Denver, he was stuck with the option of (a) starting Tim Tebow for another year (or dealing with the circus if Tebow wasn't named the starter), or (b) unloading him without a solid Plan B after an 8-5 starting campaign - including a dramatic playoff win - which would have been extremely unpopular with a large portion of the fan base. Elway hated the way the offense was structured around Tebow, as did most intelligent Broncos' fans.

So it wasn't risky to bring in Manning. In fact, his availability was a godsend for Elway, as it created the political cover needed to rebuild the franchise the right way if it didn't work out.

Regardless, it's one of the greatest moves in franchise history.

God Bless John Elway.

[mvscal]

So it wasn't risky to bring in Manning.

On what planet is a $96 million dollar deal not considered risky? $58 million of those dollars are now guaranteed assuming Manning isn't cut before the Superbowl.

"Taking a flyer" involves no risk. Signing Manning and paying him a league MVP salary was a huge fucking risk and, credit to Mr. Ed, it paid off.

BODE John Elway...

[smackaholic]

Assuming someone doesn't unfuse a vertebrate for him any time soon, how long do you think he can go? I could see him be pretty fukking good for another 3 years or so. Could he go fav-ruh a few years down the road and cause trouble?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Odd how you didn't also bump this:

I said I would take a flyer on him even though there was real uncertainty as to his health. That was the thing, nobody really knew. You were the one definitively saying he was done, that it was "ovah." Turns out, it wasn't so clear was it? If you're going to take such a firm stance, then be prepared to admit if/when you're wrong. I don't know why that's so hard.

[smackaholic]

mvscal say he was wrong?



did you ever see that episode of happy days somebody tried to get the fonz to say he was wrrrrr....wrrrrr....

yeah, it would be about like that.

[mvscal]

I said I would take a flyer on him

That was never an option. He's Peyton Fucking Manning and that means you're going to have pay him at least $95 million just to grease your crack. You don't "take flyers" on players who can crash your plane. I would hope that point is clear by now.

...even though there was real uncertainty as to his health. That was the thing, nobody really knew.

Was there? Nobody knew? The Colts' medical staff were standing about in dazed bewonderment? Nary a clue on the nature of their $100 million dollar man's injuries, the surgeries necessary to repair them, the success of those operations, the actuarial prognosis from players with similar injuries and the pace of his individual rehabilitation? They were completely in the dark?!?

...yet they released him. Knowing what we all know now, was that really the right call? It's not that you were actually right, so who gives a fuck if I was wrong?

Let's look at the real bottom line. Peyton Manning is fully healthy, turned in an MVP level season and doesn't look to be done anytime in the near future. Elway's $96 million, five year deal looks right on the fucking money. Manning looks good for at least another four years at an elite level and I don't think that is stretching things.

Knowing all that, did the Colts fuck up? As fast as windows open and close in the NFL, five years is a career. Luck was good enough to stun the world and take the Colts to the playoffs. What would Peyton Manning have done? It would have been a triumphal bukkake shot through the heart of the NFL with Houston taking the worst hosing. Indy would have gone apeshit.

I understand there would have been a huge cap hit, but that's what accountants and lawyers are for. I also understand the need for a future QB, but is Luck really all that or is he just another one of an increasing number of QBs coming out of college and ready to start in the pros. Did it have to be Luck? Fuck, they could have kept Manning and drafted Russell Wilson.

It looks like the Colts are the big losers in this deal right about now. On the other hand, Joe Montana managed to get the Queefs to the AFC Championship Game before crapping out and Mr. Ed wouldn't have forgotten that lesson. Maybe Elway has a little better gut instinct on how fast windows can open and close in the NFL. Props to him for going for it.

[mvscal]

Manning is 36 - next season will probably be his last

Based on what? Diminishing performance?

[Van]

KC, his neck is absolutely not an issue. He's no more at risk of paralysis than you are. He now has a bridge of solid bone secured by titanium plates. His spinal cord is fully protected. In fact, that portion of his cervical spine is more protected than the rest of his spinal column.

And yeah, I had the exact same surgery Peyton had, including the identical vertebrae. He's fine. Whatever nerve issues he had pre- and post-surgery, that's the extent of it. It's not going to get any worse now. As he's gone through the healing process, it's only continued to get better. His lone lingering issue will be a slightly diminished range of motion, which he was already dealing with before the surgery. In terms of playing the QB position, it's a nonissue.

Bottom line, he's completely fine.

[mvscal]

next season will probably still be his last for the other factors cited

Bullshit. He's already won a Superbowl. He already has a first ballot hall of fame career. He has already made a metric ass ton of cash. He has nothing left to prove or to earn. He plays because he likes it. It's what he does. Football is the first thing he thinks of in the morning and the last thing at night. As long as he can play at a high level, he will continue.

[Van]

It's what he does. Football is the first thing he thinks of in the morning and the last thing at night.

Kind of like the relationship you and the Vogels share, huh?

[mvscal]

Barring catastrophic injury, there is no way in hell next year will be his last. Even if he loses a bit off his fastball, he's the type of player who can build around what he has left and take advantage of his experience. He's one of the highest football IQ players to ever suit up. He will be one of the top five QBs in the league on smarts alone until his body completely fails.

[smackaholic]

No fukking way Peyton walks away after next year barring injury. Dude has a fukking super computer for a brain which won't lose much processing power in the next year.

As mvscal said, it ain't about freakish physical skills with him. Not being able to throw the ball back across his body 40 yards hitting some fukker in the chest is not neccessary. He's Peyton Manning, not Dan Marino. Put his brain in 'sprays body and he still goes 23 of 27 with 3 TDs next week. Hell, he could prolly suit up in TiVO's body if he just wore some platform shoes to see over the line.

[mvscal]

Young, Aikman and Warner were all forced to retire prematurely due to concussions. They were still capable of playing the position at a high level. I don't see any reason why Manning couldn't play till he's forty. Farve had one his best seasons ever at what? 40?