...And We're Back

Sorry for the dry spell on the Blog. Things have been a bit hectic lately, but hopefully that has all been taken care of. Without further delay...my latest thoughts:

Things I learned from the Colts-Giants season opener (the game and the hype):

1. Olivia Manning’s childhood nickname for Peyton (which she still uses) is Peytey Pie. It’s really nice to know that you can make over $14 million dollars a year and your mom will still call you what she called you when you were 4 years old, no matter how much Peyton doth protest.

2. I don’t know if the game lived up the hype because by kickoff I was sick of hearing about it and just wanted the game over, but it was definitely a good game. I stayed through to the end and even watched the post game press conferences, which were as sweet and as funny as can be.
3. The refereeing has NOT improved from last season. There were more than a couple questionable calls in that game last night. I can’t say that reversing any of the calls would have changed the outcome of the game, but man…that was rough for the Giants.

4. The Colts have no running game (nor do they have a defense that is capable of stopping the run)…or if they do, they’re hiding it from all of us. Peyton and his receiving corp continue to amaze me when they catch passes that I can’t believe anyone would be able to. And, I think Adam Vinatieri and Terrence Wilkins should have shared the Sunday Night Football Rock Star (MVP) award. Adam for kicking with sprained ligaments and a bone chip and his 14 points and Terrence Wilkins for the awesome field position after kick offs (he averaged almost 28 yards per return). Perhaps he’d considered switching positions to running back.

5. Peyton really is just one big ole country boy who loves his family. He had a moment when he was out on the field for pre-game warm-ups and Eli walked out onto the field. Peyton looked up and realized what this all meant as he thought to himself, “that’s my brother.” He was just so darn proud of him and it melted my heart to hear him talk about it all.

6. Peyton’s commercials are still funny…EVERY TIME! (Except for the Direct TV one where he stops the game in progress.) I don’t care what you say Andy Pierce. And…yes…I do like 6’5”, 230 pound quarterbacks with laser-rocket arms.

7. I have officially changed my opinion of Eli. I used to love the guy just because he was Peyton’s brother until about his sophomore season in college. Then I spiraled into not liking him at all. Last night, the last 6 years were erased. What I learned most from Peyton and Eli was that you can approach the game in many different ways and be tremendously successful. I used to be angry with Eli because he didn’t use the resource he had in Peyton to improve his game, but last night, Eli showed me that he didn’t need to be little Peyton (by a 1/2 inch) to be an incredible quarterback. It was nearly like comparing apples to oranges. Peyton and Eli are similar in their focus and preparation for the game, but when it comes to game time, they each individually approach it differently, and are successful in their own ways. For the first time, I was actually very proud of Eli and the way he competed. He held his own and (bad ref calls aside) really did a fantastic job. But it took seeing them both play on the same field in the same 4 hour period to change my mind. Now, he obviously can’t replace Peyton for me, but I have finally come around and gotten off the Eli-hating bus. Eli…I really am sorry for the last 6 years. You are a really nice kid who handles pressure very well.

8. Olivia and Archie Manning need an Emmy (since it was on TV) for their portrayal of the two most bored people at the Meadowlands last night. Every time the camera panned to them, they were expressionless. Not even when one of their boys scored a touchdown did they cheer because that meant the other brother’s team didn’t score. I honestly don’t think I would have lasted as long as they did without expressing some kind of emotion. Well Done! I think Cooper was the only one actually smiling in that booth.

9. The season can officially begin now that we’ve gotten that crazy game out of the way. I no longer have finger nails after the stress of last night. I lost count the number of times, I moved from my recliner to in front of the TV to the couch, etc. But I did make it through the entire day without throwing up just thinking about the game despite my loss of appetite and upset stomach on Sunday morning. Bring on the Texans, we’ve got work to do!

P.S. Say a little prayer for Trent Green. That hit was rough! Anytime a person’s head bounces off the field like that, it’s not a good thing.