There’s a simple reason why Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is spilling his guts
to Sports Illustrated and ESPN this week about his knee injury and rehabilitation process earlier this year, and not the local
media. That’s because Peyton, for however great a quarterback he is, is not a local guy. He never has been, and he never will
be.
Yes, he helps a number of local charities, and sure, he owns a house here and collects a paycheck from a company domiciled here. But his interests are better served by staking his claims on a national platform. The SI and ESPN exposure will be consumed by almost every person with a vote for the NFL MVP. Make no mistake, Peyton is stumping. He understands well that his sponsors expect his voice to be heard far beyond the 317.
Peyton’s actions—every one of them—are a part of a calculated business plan to maximize his value. And no, Archie isn’t pulling the strings like he was when he got Eli on the first plane from San Diego to New York. Peyton learned his lessons from the master a long time ago.
This isn’t the first time Manning has eschewed local media outlets camped out at the Colts complex almost daily for national megaphones. It won’t be the last. As a journalist, it doesn’t bother me. After all, I’m a business writer, and I don’t need an exclusive from Peyton Manning to do my job.
But the fans here, that’s a different story. They’ve cheered Manning’s every move since he first donned a horseshoe. Even when he allegedly couldn't win the big one. They’ve bought his jerseys and paid for the overpriced sodas, beers and hot dogs that help pay his enormous salary. Those fans deserve at least a little exclusivity. When Colts' sales and marketing executives are asking fans to bleed blue, it bothers me that Peyton bleeds only green.
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Peyton went to King--yes, to get more exposure--but also because he is the best in the business. Your article assumes that local beat writers could handle the story as well as the national media. That's ridiculous. King's treatment of the story was A+ sports journalism. To not even acknowledge that is offensive to those of us that care about the quality of sports reporting. No one in Indy could have handled the story better. Period.
He wants to stay in the national spotlight because he is that good... and if you were that good, would you want to stay out of the national spotlight? So, to say that he owes local media exclusivity is just plain jealousy on any local media person who agrees with Anthony's statement.
After all, what local sports writer is in the same league as Peyton?
The exclusivity angle doesn't resonate with me and sounds more like local media sour grapes. Get over it.
And quite honestly... do you expect him to not calculate the business decisions he makes? Trying to make him out to be evil for that is crazy... when he actually does something wrong, like shoot himself with his own illegal gun while wearing sweat pants to a club... hehe, Plaxico... or when he chooses to retire, but then changes his mind at the last minute and goes off to the New York Jets (old man Brett)... then we can make him out to be evil. Until then, I'm fine with him making sound business decisions... because if he was playing for any other city, he would do the same... it's not a bash against Indianapolis. It's just that his image is much bigger than our city right now... some people may not like to hear that, but it's the truth.
You don't take out an ad in the local paper telling the folks who already love you what you've done for them. You take it national.
The Star has great beat writers, but it's theirs and their bosses fault for not getting the story. Simple as that. I mean have the story appear in the Star and USAToday in the same day. They're owned by the same sinking ship.
If Peyton does an interview with an international newspaper, has he betrayed America? He surely must be a communist.