Music Monday Victory – “We Are The Champions (Live)” By Queen

Congratulations go to the New York Football Giants, the 2012 world champions of football.

Question:  Eli Manning has won two Super Bowls in the last five years.  Is he an elite quarterback yet? People made fun of Manning when he said last summer that he was on a par with the great playcallers in the NFL.  Well, the funny thing is that not too many quarterbacks playing right now have two Super Bowl rings.  Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and now Eli Manning; that’s it.

Doesn’t this win put Eli Manning in the elite of current NFL quarterbacks?  If it doesn’t, what the hell does?  Does homeboy have to win another championship?  Does he have to get another Super Bowl MVP?

I realize that before this season Eli didn’t have ultra-gaudy regular season numbers.  Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and–yes–Tom Brady all have more impressive regular season statistics.  There have been times during his career when Eli has looked very average.  While Manning has done well to cut down on his mistakes this season, it’s not like he never threw an interception or missed a receiver.

The thing is, when Manning has to get the job done in a pressure-filled moment in the game, he responds far more often than he doesn’t.  He only threw about a thousand fourth quarter touchdowns this year.  More importantly, both of his Super Bowl appearances have been marked by spectacular plays that facilitated a victory.

By any measure, Eli Manning is an elite quarterback.  The way you know it is simple.  If Eli retired right now with no other additions to his resume, he’d almost assuredly go into the NFL Hall of Fame.  There’s a chance he’d get into the Hall on the first ballot.  That’s how great Manning has been over the course of his career.

Ehhh, just some food for thought.  In the end, the most important thing is that the G-Men came away with the victory.  Congratulations to the world champion New York Giants.