FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Eli Manning grew up in New Orleans a fan of the Saints and has many fond memories of going to games with his father, Archie, and older brothers Cooper and Peyton, but the Giants quarterback is pulling for the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
“No problem, no question about it,” Eli said yesterday morning. “I’ve been cheering for the Colts and Peyton for the last 12 years, it goes back to high school, when he first got to the Colts. I’ve been in the NFL six years myself and played against the Saints a few times, you kind of quickly lose your home-team loyalty in a sense when you start playing for another NFC team.”
Eli said the fact the Saints have finally made it to their first Super Bowl “doesn’t spark a lot of emotion” and he has his big brother to thank for that.
“For the last 10, 12 years, I’ve been rooting for Peyton and the Colts and following them more than the Saints,” Manning said. “It’s great for the city of New Orleans, I’m excited for that aspect. New Orleans has gone through a lot, Katrina and losing a year at the dome and opening up the dome a few years ago and coming back and making their first Super Bowl, in that sense, I guess I’m excited for New Orleans.
“Peyton, Cooper and I would go to every home game. My dad was announcing games, that was kind of a neat time for me to go with my big brothers to the games. They always gave me the worst seat. I had to go all the way in, they each got to rotate and bring a friend every game.
“I never got to bring a friend. I was probably 7, 8 years old, we’d get there really early. We’d stay after and get to go to the locker room,” Manning added. “My dad would drop us off and say, ‘Don’t forget about Eli. Make sure he gets a hot dog. Don’t just leave him somewhere.’ That was fun times, the Dome Patrol, the Saints had great defenses, the first time the crowd was getting a penalty for being too loud.”
If Peyton had his way, his youngest brother wouldn’t have been called Eli. In 1980, when Olivia Manning was pregnant with Eli the family attended the Sugar Bowl inside the Superdome, a game featuring Georgia.
“And so they wanted to name me Herschel Walker Manning, that’s what Peyton wanted my name to be,” Eli said.
So, what about a prediction for Sunday?
“I think the Colts will win,” Eli said.
Score?
“31-24.”
Will Peyton be the MVP?
“Sure, why not?” Eli said.