The Truth Hurts:
As much as I don’t like Phil Jackson – he seems like a giant phony – I have to say that I love him for taking a potshot at Shaquille O’Neal. When you’re 380 lbs. and you don’t come to training camp in any sort of shape and then publicly admit that you like to play your way down to the appropriate level of physical fitness, you’re pretty much opening yourself up to this sort of criticism.
Shaq has always skated by with a Manny Ramirez-like coating of Teflon, never getting called out for being fat and lazy or for his role in the premature collapse of the Lakers dynasty. I’ve never understood why his boastful, arrogant, hyper-sensitive nature hasn’t been picked on more by the press but it’s good to see that Big Chief Triangle isn’t afraid to take on the Big Unshapely.
And So Do Lies:
Over the past several days ESPN and the New York papers have used some form of the word “regress” next to Eli Manning’s name. Some are blaming Manning’s “regression” on Tom Coughlin or his assistant coaches. Some are saying that Manning’s “regression” will cost Coughlin his job, as it has already cost offensive coordinator John Hufnagel his. Everywhere I look this week, people refer to Manning and how he has “regressed” this season, resulting, in part, in the Giants’ mediocre 7-8 record heading into Week 17.
Let’s blow the roof off this lie right now. Here are Manning’s career stats, updated through this past Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints. Manning’s completion rate climbed six points and his QB rating increased by two points. In statistics, it would be incorrect to call that “regression” but rather “stasis”, or stagnation.
In effect, Manning is the same player in 2006 that he was a year ago. Slightly wiser, slightly more experienced, marginally improved in the face of devastating injuries to his offensive line and possession receiver. I personally don’t have faith that Manning will ever improve far beyond what we’ve seen of him thus far. He will always be prone to inaccuracy and mistakes. I think there is still talent to be mined in his body and perhaps new coaches can bring up some of the value that is trapped deep within him. But one thing is clear – ESPN continues to perpetrate negative myths about Eli Manning because ESPN knows nothing but negativity and hyperbole.
As much as I don’t like Phil Jackson – he seems like a giant phony – I have to say that I love him for taking a potshot at Shaquille O’Neal. When you’re 380 lbs. and you don’t come to training camp in any sort of shape and then publicly admit that you like to play your way down to the appropriate level of physical fitness, you’re pretty much opening yourself up to this sort of criticism.
Shaq has always skated by with a Manny Ramirez-like coating of Teflon, never getting called out for being fat and lazy or for his role in the premature collapse of the Lakers dynasty. I’ve never understood why his boastful, arrogant, hyper-sensitive nature hasn’t been picked on more by the press but it’s good to see that Big Chief Triangle isn’t afraid to take on the Big Unshapely.
And So Do Lies:
Over the past several days ESPN and the New York papers have used some form of the word “regress” next to Eli Manning’s name. Some are blaming Manning’s “regression” on Tom Coughlin or his assistant coaches. Some are saying that Manning’s “regression” will cost Coughlin his job, as it has already cost offensive coordinator John Hufnagel his. Everywhere I look this week, people refer to Manning and how he has “regressed” this season, resulting, in part, in the Giants’ mediocre 7-8 record heading into Week 17.
Let’s blow the roof off this lie right now. Here are Manning’s career stats, updated through this past Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints. Manning’s completion rate climbed six points and his QB rating increased by two points. In statistics, it would be incorrect to call that “regression” but rather “stasis”, or stagnation.
In effect, Manning is the same player in 2006 that he was a year ago. Slightly wiser, slightly more experienced, marginally improved in the face of devastating injuries to his offensive line and possession receiver. I personally don’t have faith that Manning will ever improve far beyond what we’ve seen of him thus far. He will always be prone to inaccuracy and mistakes. I think there is still talent to be mined in his body and perhaps new coaches can bring up some of the value that is trapped deep within him. But one thing is clear – ESPN continues to perpetrate negative myths about Eli Manning because ESPN knows nothing but negativity and hyperbole.
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