In Defense of Peyton Manning

I should say at the onset of this post, I'm almost entirely indifferent towards Peyton Manning. I don't love him. I don't hate him.

However, I will admit that I was cheering for the Broncos to win the Super Bowl. I had two reason for this. First, I have two friends that love the Broncos. Second, and more importantly, I am so sick of hearing untalented sports columnists/personalities offer their "invaluable" insight on Peyton's legacy. Not to name names but...

Earlier this evening my friend sent me the following tweet:

	Jayson Stark (@jaysonst)
2/3/14, 3:09 PM This oughta make Peyton feel better, huh? RT @FTatis23: 8 points in the superbowl...i had 8 rbi in one inning

Many of you are asking, "Who the heck is Fernando Tatis?"  My point exactly.  Making fun of Peyton  is tired and unoriginal. I'm not asking you for new material (especially from you Mr. Reilly. I know you gave up on that ten years ago). But I would much rather the sports world focus on just about anything else. Unfortunately, I know "Peyton's Place in History" will be the headline for the next seventeen weeks on ESPN.com (until Johnny Football does...well just about anything).

So, in attempt to diversify the sports "water cooler talk", allow me to present the following eight reasons why we should stop blaming Peyton Manning for this Super Bowl loss, stop focusing on his apparent inability to win "the big game" (unless he's playing the Bears, of course) and turn our attention elsewhere. 

Click "read more" below to keep reading.

#8. Peyton Manning did this once.

#7. He has never tried to hide, or explain, that weird mark on his forehead

#6. Cut that meat! Cut that meat!

#5. He's had like 56 neck surgeries. At this point, isn't he kind of playing with house money?  I became a washed up D3 basketball player after two minor knee surgeries.

#4. Most college jocks celebrate wins by...well....you know what most college jocks do. During his senior year at Tennessee, Manning lead the band in his school's fight song.

#3. The Seahawks might have cheated.

#2. This guy is still some much more annoying

#1. I would rather have Peyton Manning than any of the following quarterbacks

Season(s)	Quarterback (Games)	References
2013	Jay Cutler (11) / Josh McCown (5)
2012	Jay Cutler (15) / Jason Campbell (1)	[1]
2011	Jay Cutler (10) / Caleb Hanie (4) / Josh McCown (2)	[2]
2010	Jay Cutler (15) / Todd Collins (1)	[3]
2009	Jay Cutler (16)	[4]
2008	Kyle Orton (15) / Rex Grossman (1)	[5]
2007	Rex Grossman (7) / Brian Griese (6) / Kyle Orton (3)	[6]
2006	Rex Grossman (16)	[7]
2005	Kyle Orton (15) / Rex Grossman (1)	[8]
2004	Craig Krenzel (5) / Chad Hutchinson (5)/ Jonathan Quinn (3) / Rex Grossman (3)	[9]
2003	Kordell Stewart (7) / Chris Chandler (6)/ Rex Grossman (3)	[10]
2002	Jim Miller (8) / Chris Chandler (7) / Henry Burris (1)	[11]
2001	Jim Miller (13) / Shane Matthews (3)	[12]
2000	Cade McNown (9) / Shane Matthews (5) / Jim Miller (2)	[13]
1999	Shane Matthews (7) / Cade McNown (6) / Jim Miller (3)	[14]
1998	Erik Kramer (8) / Steve Stenstrom (7) / Moses Moreno (1)	[15]
1997	Erik Kramer (13) / Rick Mirer (3)	[16]
1996	Dave Krieg (12) / Erik Kramer (4)	[17]
1995	Erik Kramer (16)	[18]
1994	Steve Walsh (11) / Erik Kramer (5)	[19]
1993	Jim Harbaugh (15) / Peter Tom Willis (1)	[20]
1992	Jim Harbaugh (13) / Peter Tom Willis (2) / Will Furrer (1)	[21]
1991	Jim Harbaugh (16)	[22]
1990	Jim Harbaugh (14) / Mike Tomczak (2)	[23]
1989	Mike Tomczak (11) / Jim Harbaugh (5)	[24]
1988	Jim McMahon (9) / Mike Tomczak (5) / Jim Harbaugh (2)	[25]
1987	Jim McMahon (6) / Mike Tomczak (6) / Mike Hohensee (2) / Steve Bradley (1)	[26]
1986	Mike Tomczak (7) / Jim McMahon (6) / Steve Fuller (2) / Doug Flutie (1)	[27]
1985	Jim McMahon (11) / Steve Fuller (5)	[28]
1984	Jim McMahon (9) / Steve Fuller (4) / Rusty Lisch (1) / Bob Avellini (1) / Greg Landry (1)	[29]
1983	Jim McMahon (13) / Vince Evans (3)	[30]
1982	Jim McMahon (7) / Bob Avellini (2)	[31]
1981	Vince Evans (16)	[32]
1980	Vince Evans (10) / Mike Phipps (6)	[33]
1979	Mike Phipps (10) / Vince Evans (3) / Bob Avellini (3)	[34]
1978	Bob Avellini (12) / Mike Phipps (4)	[35]
1977	Bob Avellini (14)	[36]
1976	Bob Avellini (14)	[37]
1975	Gary Huff (9) / Bob Avellini (4) / Bobby Douglass (1)	[38]
1974	Gary Huff (11) / Bobby Douglass (3)	[39]
1973	Bobby Douglass (12) / Gary Huff (2)	[40]
1972	Bobby Douglass (14)	[41]
1971	Bobby Douglass (7) / Kent Nix (4) / Jack Concannon (3)	[42]
1970	Jack Concannon (13) / Bobby Douglass (1)	[43]
1969	Jack Concannon (5) / Bobby Douglass (7) / Virgil Carter (2)	[44]
1968	Bobby Douglass (7) / Virgil Carter (5) / Larry Rakestraw (2)	[45]
1967	Jack Concannon (12) / Larry Rakestraw (2)	[46]
1966	Rudy Bukich (14)	[47]
1965	Rudy Bukich (12) / Billy Wade (2)	[48]
1964	Billy Wade (10) / Rudy Bukich (4)	[49]
1963	Billy Wade (14)	[50]
1962	Billy Wade (14)	[51]
1961	Billy Wade (9) / Ed Brown (5)	[52]
1960	Ed Brown (11) / Zeke Bratkowski (1)	[53]
1959	Ed Brown (10) / Zeke Bratkowski (2)	[54]
1958	Ed Brown (11) / Zeke Bratkowski (1)	[55]
1957	Ed Brown (8) / Zeke Bratkowski (4)	[56]
1956	Ed Brown (12)	[57]
1955	Ed Brown (12)	[58]
1954	George Blanda (7) / Zeke Bratkowski (5)	[59]
1953	George Blanda (12)	[60]
1952	Bob Williams (7) / George Blanda (3) / Steve Romanik (2)	[61]
1951	Johnny Lujack (7) / Steve Romanik (5)	[62]
1950	Johnny Lujack (12)	[63]
1949	Johnny Lujack (7) / Sid Luckman (2) / George Blanda (2) / Bob Perina (1)	[64]
1948	Sid Luckman (8) / Ed Sprinkle (2) / Dick Flanagan (1) / Noah Mullins (1)	[65]
1947	Sid Luckman (7) / Mike Jarmoluk (3) / Mike Holovak (2)	[66]
1946	Sid Luckman (5) / Tom Farris (3) / Noah Mullins (3)	[67]
1945 *	Sid Luckman / Gene Ronzani / Al Grygo	[68]
1944 *	Sid Luckman / Gene Ronzani / Johnny Long	[69]
1943 *	Sid Luckman / Bob Snyder	[70]
1942 *	Sid Luckman / Charlie O'Rourke	[71]
1941	Sid Luckman (11)	[72]
1940 *	Sid Luckman / Bernie Masterson	[73]
1939 *	Sid Luckman / Bernie Masterson	[74]
1938 *	Bernie Masterson / Ray Buivid	[75]
1937 *	Bernie Masterson / Ray Buivid / Gene Ronzani	[76]
1936 *	Bernie Masterson / Keith Molesworth / Carl Brumbaugh	[77]
1935 *	Bernie Masterson / Carl Brumbaugh	[78]
1934 *	Carl Brumbaugh / Keith Molesworth	[79]
1933 *	Carl Brumbaugh / Keith Molesworth	[80]
1932 *	Carl Brumbaugh / Keith Molesworth	[81]
1931 *	Carl Brumbaugh	[82]
1930 *	Carl Brumbaugh	[83]
1929 *	Joey Sternaman / Paddy Driscoll	[84]
1928 *	Joey Sternaman / Paddy Driscoll	[85]
1927 *	Edward Sternaman / Paddy Driscoll	[86]
1926 *	Milton Romney / Paddy Driscoll	[87]
1925 *	Joey Sternaman	[88]
1924 *	Joey Sternaman	[89]
1923 *	Johnny Bryan	[90]
1922 *	Joey Sternaman	[91]
1921 *	Pard Pearce	[92]
1920 *	Pard Pearce / Chuck Dressen / Jimmy Conzelman	[93]

So there you have it. Stop blaming Peyton Manning. There has to be someone else we can spend an asinine amount of time talking about...