As sports fans, we always have that one team that got us to fall in love with the game, or that one player who made us go "I want to be like him someday!" That one player who we couldn't stop watching for the longest time. Then there are some of us who kind of took a different path to being a sports fan. I am one of those people, and my story starts with Peyton Manning.
This Super Bowl was more significant to me than the other Super Bowls that I have watched over the years. The man that I have been watching play football since 8th grade may be possibly have played his last game ever.
One day, back before the 2008 NFC wildcard game between the Giants and Buccaneers (even though his brother was playing in that game), I decided to go on Youtube and type in "Peyton Manning commercials." For some strange reason, I remember this one commercial and the jingle said "It's Peyton Manning; your very own action toy Personal Quarterback. He's all yours!". Thus began my obsession with all things Peyton and Eli (but mostly Peyton) related.
I was devastated watching the AFC divisional playoff after the Colts lost to the Chargers. This was the man who had won the Superbowl the year before! He wasn't supposed to lose (boy, was I wrong about that one, his playoff record is NOW even wins and even losses) he was supposed to carry his team to victory... and he choked yet again. I ended up watching the rest of the playoffs, and the Giants-Patriots game that year was one of the best Super Bowl's that I have ever watched.
But this is not about the Giants or the Patriots. Nope, not even about the ridiculous amount of commercials Peyton has made over the years. To be honest, I don't know if I would have liked sports if it wasn't for Peyton. There's always talk about the bad guys in the NFL, like Johnny Manizel or Greg Hardy, and Adam Jones. Peyton is the opposite of that. He has his own foundation called the Peyback foundation, which helps kids who exist in bad financial situations, and gives them a feeling of purpose. He also is probably one of the nicest guys you will ever meet (no, I have not met him ... yet, but he gives out extremely generous tips). Every summer before training camp, he and his family hold the Manning passing academy; which is an academy dedicated to helping out high school football players who want to play in college and even beyond college. Despite the fact that he's had some scandals of his own (such as mooning the athletic trainer back in college), he's a role model.
So, thank you Peyton, for not only being the great role model that you are, but for also being one of the best quarterbacks of all time. Thank you for giving me and millions of other people have someone to look up to, and for helping me fall in love with the sport. Also thank you for inspiring me to find a future job working in sports.
