New York Giants: Eli Manning is like LeBron James
By Zac Wassink
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning may be more like Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James than you’d like to think.
The sun rising in the east and setting in the west, water being wet and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning being the most unappreciated player in NFL history: You can set your watch to all three. Manning’s legacy is a topic that arises literally every year, and yet it is continuously debated as if there are new and undiscovered points to determine where he sits in a list of all-time great NFL quarterbacks.
On Monday, Giants defensive tackle Damon Harrison appeared on the NFL Network show Good Morning Football to discuss several topics, including the station’s annual Top 100 list, which did not include Manning. Per Conor Orr of NFL.com, Harrison dared to compare Manning to Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James:
"“Eli, when you look at Eli, it’s kind of like when you look at LeBron [James],” Harrison said. “I’m not saying they’re the same, but look at Eli’s numbers. If any other quarterback would have those numbers it would be an amazing year. But it being Eli, no one is respecting it much like we do LeBron. LeBron could average 30 [points], 15 rebounds and 12 assists and it’s like ‘he didn’t do enough.'”"
Nobody out there, not even the biggest Giants apologist walking the earth, will confuse Manning for James as it pertains to athleticism and overall talent. James, at absolute worst, is one of the 10 greatest basketball players to ever walk the earth. While Manning has notched numerous impressive accomplishments over the years, he’ll never be placed in a similar category.
Nevertheless, Harrison did spark an interesting discussion. Both Manning and James are unfairly scrutinized by fans, observers and members of the press. Both men are chasing ghosts they’ll never catch regardless of how many championships they win before they retire. The pair also get booed and jeered during games, in part because of jealousy and in part because of perceptions floated out there by people who seemingly have agendas for one reason or another.
Harrison’s point about Manning’s stats should not go ignored. For starters, Manning is one of only a handful of individuals to have multiple Super Bowl MVP awards on his resume. Every other person able to make that claim is either already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame or will eventually have his day in Canton at some point in the near future without any arguments; we’re looking at you, Tom Brady. Manning doesn’t have five rings like Brady, though, so he’s seen as an inferior player even though teams and not individuals win championships.
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Manning is undeniably the greatest quarterback in the history of a franchise that’s been around for over 90 years. He holds just about every meaningful franchise record for the position. At this point, it wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest Manning is the greatest offensive player to ever wear Big Blue and the club’s second-best ever player behind only Lawrence Taylor.
Manning’s overall numbers speak for themselves. He’s the reigning NFL ironman who hasn’t missed a start since November 2004. Per Pro-Football-Reference.com, Manning is seventh all-time in passing touchdowns tossed, seventh in passes completed, tied for seventh in fourth-quarter comebacks and eighth in passing yards. Numerous quarterbacks Manning sits above in each of the categories are champions who are either already in the Hall of Fame or will be before 2030 rolls around.
Just like with LeBron James, Manning is a lesser product, in the eyes of critics, because of somebody who came before him. James will always be compared to Michael Jordan because the 32-year old was deemed to be the successor to His Airness. Eli, meanwhile, is the younger brother of Peyton Manning, arguably the greatest regular-season quarterback in NFL history and an icon of the sport who is one of the most popular athletes of his time. In some ways, neither James nor Eli never had a chance.
Real Madrid star man Cristiano Ronaldo is similar to James in status, fame, fortune, career achievements, and reputation. Manning is more unassuming. Unlike James or Ronaldo, Manning will never be expected to feature on the cover of a video game. While teammate Odell Beckham Jr. performs entertaining touchdown celebrations after each score, Manning merely pumps his fist and offers his hand to an offensive lineman before making the jog back to the sideline.
Manning doesn’t produce headline-worthy Instagram stories as James does, nor is he known to be friends with some of entertainment’s biggest stars. Truth be told, Manning is so quiet away from the field that it’s news whenever he actually makes news. He’s been consistently consistent for so long that we’ve learned to take for granted the fact that he is chasing a third Super Bowl championship.
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Just as with James, we’ll only truly appreciate Manning when he’s done, and a lesser talent takes his place in the lineup. Only then will pockets of fans begin to understand how lucky the Giants have been over the past 13 years. For now, both Manning and James will continue to accumulate wins, stats and haters. Both have already done enough to answer any and all critics.