During a recent interview with Barbara Walters, Archie Manning revealed that despite having fathered two of the best quarterbacks in recent history, he only really loves the son that wins the Super Bowl that year.
“Looking back, 2007 was a great year for Peyton” Manning recalled. “He won the Super Bowl, and I agreed to talk to him again.”
“You’ve got to understand,” Manning continued. “It’s not easy for a man to watch his flesh and blood lose so many playoff games. I felt like a failure. What had I done to deserve such a loser of a son? Could it be his mother’s fault? Was Tom Brady’s dad a better man than me?”
“But when Peyton finally won that ring,” said Manning, smiling at the memory, “I knew he had a little bit of me in him, a little bit of winner. Of course, the following season he let it slip away. Thankfully, Eli was there to pick it up.”
“Peyton lost yet another playoff game with his pansy-ass techniques, and Eli charged right on in to fill the hole in my heart,” Manning said. “Eli kicked that Brady boy’s ass up and down the field. I was so proud, I damn near forgot Peyton even existed. Sure, he called, whining at me like I was the damn line judge. I really didn’t have time for that crap. I was focused on Eli. My good son. My winner son.”
When Walters pointed out that neither Manning son had won a Super Bowl since 2008, Archie Manning took it as an accusation.
“Are you trying to bait me?” Manning growled. “Do you think I feel good about having losers for sons? I’m not talking to either of them right now. They can cry to their mama. When they win another ring, they can come talk to me. In 2010, I went back to my team, my Saints. If we’re honest with each other, we both know the Saints won thanks to my influence. I talked with Drew Brees all the time, even tried adopt the boy, but he let me down in January. I feel so alone in this world. No one will ever truly understand the shame and disappointment that plagues me.”
By Scott Keiner
