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Eli Manning Deserves More Praise From New York Giants Fans

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By @AnthonyBeers

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning still faces criticism from fans every single day. Yet, across the Hudson River, Derek Jeter faded off into the sunset to complete his storybook-like career with the New York Yankees. And throughout Jeter’s career, there rarely has ever been a murmur of criticism in the media or amongst fans. For Manning, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, that has not been the case. Why are both metropolitan stars treated so differently?

Manning’s path to the NFL came with even more pressure than most. As the youngest member of his family, Manning followed in the footsteps of his brothers Peyton Manning and Cooper Manning at Isidore Newman High School. Manning’s numbers for the Greenies were of family caliber, earning him a scholarship to his father’s alma mater, Ole Miss University.

When Peyton Manning elected to attend Tennessee University, many fans of the Mississippi area were astounded and blamed father Archie Manning for Peyton’s decision. Peyton had an incredible run at Tennessee – he was a Heisman finalist and a first overall draft pick in the 1998 NFL draft. While Peyton was at training camp for the Indianapolis Colts, Eli was at two-a-days for Isidore Newman. No pressure, though.

Fast forward through a prestigious collegiate career, a Cotton Bowl Victory, and a run at the Heisman, Eli was controversially traded by the San Diego Chargers to the Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft. The decision by Eli, a family-based choice, gave him a poor first impression by mainstream media. When he had early season struggles, as most young players do, it made them all the more dramatic .

Playing for the Giants provided more pressure for Eli than any of his other football experiences. New York is one of the most difficult places to succeed. Yet, through all the agony from the media and the fans, he proved to be a vital component for two historic Super Bowl runs. Despite those feats, many Giants fans heavily criticized Eli at the first sign of declination in the 2013 season; it was his first season with a below .500 record as a starter since 2004.

Yet, when Jeter showed signs of declination, he was always just as cherished as he was as a youngster. Even when Jeter held out for a three-year, $60 million contract extension at age 37, there were very few critiques despite him being well past his prime. Yankee fans should never have a bad thing to say about Jeter, but if Eli showed similar actions, he would receive some heat. Jeter was a part of five World Series Championships. Eli was a part of two Super Bowl runs. Jeter’s accolades have Eli’s beat, but in the realm of football, two Super Bowls is a lot. Keep in mind the Pittsburgh Steelers lead the entire NFL with just six, so it’s difficult to compare World Series and Super Bowl accomplishments.

Yankees and Giants fans are very often the same people. Jeter has broken numerous Yankees records and will be universally loved for it. Eli has done the same and is well on his way to breaking more, yet he is still disliked by actual individuals that claim to be Giants fans. Jeter was pardoned for declining numbers for numerous reasons, his class, leadership, integrity and past accolades. However, when it comes to Eli, the very same thing about him can be said and he isn’t worshiped nearly as significantly.

For two individuals who were the catalysts for the resurgence of their franchises, they are treated remarkably different by fans and New York media. Neither of them have spoken negatively about any teammates or said anything offensive to the press. Quite simply, Eli should be just as worshiped among New York fans as Jeter at this exact moment in time. However, for reasons foreign to logic, he is not. If a Giants fan’s logic for not liking Eli is that they don’t like the faces he makes or his haircut, they really need to go back to the first grade where that argument belongs.

Hopefully one day the fans of Giants football will praise Eli’s accomplishments as highly as Yankee fans did throughout Jeter’s departure.

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