‘I was considering doing it’ – It took just one conversation for Peyton Manning to pass on a job that fans wanted him to take
When Peyton Manning retired from the NFL after the 2015 season, many fans thought (and hoped) that the Tennessee Vols legend might follow in his father Archie’s footsteps. Archie Manning retired from the NFL in 1984 and immediately went to work as a color commentator for New Orleans Saints broadcasts (Archie also worked as a […]
When Peyton Manning retired from the NFL after the 2015 season, many fans thought (and hoped) that the Tennessee Vols legend might follow in his father Archie’s footsteps.
Archie Manning retired from the NFL in 1984 and immediately went to work as a color commentator for New Orleans Saints broadcasts (Archie also worked as a college football analyst for CBS Sports).
Considering how good Peyton is in front of a microphone, plenty of fans were hoping he’d step into the booth to provide unique insight on a weekly basis.
Peyton, however, decided to leave a spot open in the booth (maybe Tom Brady should thank him) after a conversation with NBC Sports’ Cris Collinsworth, one of the top color commentators in football.
“I do remember that (conversation about broadcasting),” said Manning to Collinsworth during a recent interview. “At that time, you knew how old my kids were, and kind of what my family life situation was. I think you were thinking along those lines for me, and knowing the travel that you were having to do and the hard hours you were putting in. You said, ‘Peyton, I have three words for you, Stu-Di-O’.
“And what you were saying was that to do the games, this is what it really takes. And you told me your weekly schedule. I think I had an idea of what it was, but I’m not sure I quite knew how much you were doing to prepare. And that’s the only way you know how. That’s how John Madden, you know, that’s how he did it. That’s how you did it. And so the studio, you were just saying [it’s] a little less of a time commitment. Fly into New York or LA and give your analysis and kind of get home. Whereas, look, I tell you all the time, pro football players, it’s really good on your family life. I mean, you leave eight Saturdays, but you’re home for eight Sundays, right? Baseball and basketball is way different. But broadcasters, to do it the right way, there are no home games. And you were telling me that. So if you want to go to your kid’s flag football game on Saturday, be careful what you’re signing up for.”
Manning, of course, didn’t completely give up on broadcasting. But instead of going to games, or even going in studio on game days, Manning and his brother Eli do The ManningCast on select Mondays during the season. It’s become quite a hit, and it may have never been a thing if not for the conversation with Collinsworth and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Out of the pandemic, so many things [were] being done remotely, including some broadcasting,” said Manning. “And I was considering doing it the traditional way. [But] I saw some things being done remotely — it was actually my suggestion to ESPN. I said, you know, I could do that. I could do it from Denver. I could get Eli, he’s unemployed — I could help him out. And we can maybe do this together. It’s kind of how Eli and I were watching games. I mean, we were watching on Sunday nights and we’re texting each other [about the game].”
The ManningCast is a unique experience for football fans. And the insight provided by Peyton and Eli is far more than fans get during a normal football viewing experience.
It’s funny how things work out sometimes.
Tennessee Volunteers News
Tennessee could miss out on Peyton Manning’s son Marshall because of something Vols fans don’t want to talk about
Marshall Manning, the son of Tennessee Vols legend and Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, is starting to generate some headlines due to his status as a promising football recruit. Marshall, who will be an eighth grader at The Baylor School in Chattanooga this fall, raised eyebrows earlier this summer when a clip of his middle […]
