And now he has to face some of the toughest sports fans in the world in New York. If the Giants don't make the playoffs in the next few years Eli's head will be on a platter.

First, Manning couldn't pull an Elway, because Manning had no positive leverage. Elway had the ability to make it big as a Yankee. Manning had only the ability to be a jerkoff, "go to law school" and fall anywhere from 15 spots to 3 rounds in next year's draft, losing himself a buttload of money that he could never make back and probably still going to a losing team.

Second, except for Tom Coughlin I don't see what the big upgrade is in going to NY. Many people would disagree with me even on that. So what else is it? Was Eli really pulling a Shaq? Was he trying to go where the big endorsement money is?

Lastly -- and only kind of related -- at the beginning of last year the world was excited about Drew Brees and what he might do with SD. After a couple of losses, and a few more by "savior" Doug Flutie, Brees is considered a major flop.

Eli Manning is supposedly a far better QB than Brees, yet he and sportswriters alike are screaming that he could never, ever, not in a gazillion years, know success behind SD's O line.

So why does Manning get an automatice pass based on this, but Brees just sucks? It's fuggin nonsense.

If you want someone's leg broken ala Theisman, I'm not sure you need to look as far away as Eli Manning to find a prick.

And you said he wore the hat and jersey; I don't remember Eli wearing the hat. He didn't want to play for the Chargers. Hey I've refused to work places because I didn't like the boss/ working conditions/ whatever. You want someone to break my leg too?

While I can defend Eli a little bit, the real villian to me is Ernie Accorsi who could've done better this draft...

Im replying to Kevin Aylward's words on Eli...you arent too bright are you...and the use of the word" prick"...i dont know you or care to...but i dont you have done any work to compare to the body of work that Eli did in colege...and now he wants what hr thinks is best for him...that makes him a prick?....the chargers didnt have to pick him at all...facts are facts...he was the best quarterback in the draft or in my opinon..thats yet to be seen...grow up kevy

you people in new york just don,t know just what ya,ll got draft day.eli is as good as payton,or even better. he took a fair football team, and made it into a top program.he will learn the system,and he will be ready when the giants need him.i just hope that when that young 22 year old man gets his chance,the giants will give him a better chcnce than the saints gave his dad archie.i know this,i am a country man who for some reason i pull for new yorks sports teams.the giants just become one of my teams,manning will fit in good.

The difference between Eli Manning saying he doesnt want to play for the chargers, and an average worker refusing to work somewhere because he doesnt like the boss, is that in this case, he was trying to screw up a process that is collectively bargained between the union and the NFL. The draft rules are there for a reason. That reason is to help struggling teams rebound by giving them access to the top talent coming out of college. If this starts a trend of top prospects refusing to play for teams, what we could end up with is the best players only wanting to go to the teams that are already good. Then we have messed up competitive balance, and the rich only get richer, ala the Yankees in MLB.

Not only that, but for manning to pull that stunt is the height of presumptuousness. Most athletes coming out of college are tickled pink just to be drafted at all, and why shouldnt they be? They are making 6,7,and 8 figure incomes to play a game that most people in the country like to play for free. Yet here you have Eli Manning basically acting like playing in the NFL is his birthright because of his family lineage, and he can go and choose where he ends up. What makes him so special compared to the hundreds of other guys who were drafted ? What has he done at the NFL level that they havent ? The answer to both questions is nothing. People can go on and on about his college stats but we all know that big time college stats dont always translate to success in the NFL. In fact statistically speaking Eli is probably more likely to end up as a bust than many of the "inferior" players drafted below him. To me its the arrogance of his maneuver that ticks me off. I said before the draft, after the Eli announcement, that if I was the chargers brass I would draft Manning anyway just to call his bluff. I was rolling on the floor laughing when they drafted him and he had this look on his face like he had just eaten a dog crap brownie. Serves the little prick right. I have a hard time wishing injury on anyone, but I certainly do hope that a linebacker or 2 this season "forcibly remind" Eli that he is not more important than the game, or the others who play it.

Kevin, hunny, if you are going to write about Eli and his brother, please spell the name right. Peyton is not spelled with an A. Also, just because Eli did not want to go to the Chargers, does not make him a prick. It makes him smart. I understand it totally went against the rules of the draft and all. Eli is young and to tell you the truth, Archie most likely had a lot to do with his decision. Eli has made many enemies with this but he will go out on the field in the fall and show everyone what he can do, not only in college, but in the NFL.

ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN BLOWN COMPLETELY OUT OF PROPORTION. Eli didn't want to go to the chargers, and there is a reason, believe me, there has to be a reason. He is a top flight QB, and he will prove it. He is tough, can take a hit, can zip the ball, and most of all is extremely intelligent about the game of football. All I can say is I would much rather play with him than against him, and you guys are lucky as hell to have him.
This ain't no regular old dude with a decent arm. This is ELI MANNING. He has the stuff. If the Giants O line will give him a chance to read a defense, and step back in the pocket, and half a chance to deliver the ball, then he will pick apart a defense.
I have seen it toooooooooo many times for it to be a fluke.
Thanks, BEST DAD GUM FOOTBALL PLAYER IN THE NFL FAN.

So, let's get this straight. Eli uses his leverage (which Tom says he didn't have) to effectively bargain his way out of a VERY bad organization with no prospects for improvement anytime soon, to raise his propects for income (endorsements in NY vs. SD), and reduce the likelihood of career ending injury. And for that he's a prick? And you hope he gets a broken leg? What a slimy little prick you are. Amazing that you can be that jealous of a young man who has more talent and character than a perfect little twit such as you could possibly imagine. Juat out of curiosity, what have ytou ever accomplished in your life that would compare to what this kid has already achieved?

Perhaps you're too young, or too stupid, to remember what happened to this young man's father. One of the best to ever play the game, laboring his entire career in a casspool of an excuse for an NFL program, injuries resulting in life-long pain, and he has the audacity to help his son avoid the same fate. Ain't that just awful. Seems to me that any father who wouldn't do the same for his son is one rotten SOB. Clearly, that includes several of the vermin jumping Eli right now. But as we say in the South, breeding will show through.

What is the BFD here?
You've got this really good kid who loves football and plays it very well, he uses whatever leverage he can to get the best deal available in a dog-eat-dog world, it works, and you call him a "prick"? Welcome to the ranks of the disenchanted, jerkweed.
Professional athletes, whose careers are -- going in, at least -- uncertain at best, are just like any other persons engaged in a business or profession: they must prepare for their future. Because they run the risk of career-ending injury every time they play a down, pro football players are particularly periled. Why is it, then, that you would criticize someone for doing what he feels is in his own best interests? And who got hurt by it? The Giants got a superior talent to hopefully lead them out of mediocrity, the Chargers got the ranch in draft picks to squander, along with a real good quarterback, and Eli was spared certain doom.
Hell, the whole NFL players union killed a season several years ago in an attempt to exert some "leverage." This is just one player using bargaining chips that were available. If this were somehow "against the rules", it wouldn't have happened; to the contrary, however, it was just one of many means at a player's disposal to deal with the draft. That you don't seem to like it diminishes it not; and, if that's all it takes to send you into a name-calling rant over something which really isn't even any of your business (although you, like anyone, are entitled to an opinion), then maybe you should consider either a career change or anger-management counseling.
By the way, while you apparently had little difficulty spelling "prick" (perhaps because it is monosyllabic, but more likely because you're just more familiar with the subject matter), you might want to consider studying both the spelling and the meaning of miserable (not your "misserable"), as it apparently is where you live.
- Philip Scott Weinberg

Dear god Kevin! When you write about someone/someting do some research and at least know how to spell their names.
What is wrong with Eli saying he does not want to play for the chargers? Can someone not say that? And he never clearly stated to the public that he wanted to play for the Giants. This was actually Eli's idea and Archie did not have anything to do with it until the Chargers called him and asked him to come out to San Diego and meet with them. Archie really didnt want to go but he went anyway. Eli asked people for advice and im sure that he asked his father but Archie does not need to be brought into this. Eli will be one of the greatest players ever just you wait and all of these stupid people who are writing mean, horrible articles about Eli really need to do research before they write articles and post them on the internet. When i saw you spell Peyton's name wrong i immediately was not going to listen to anything you said because you probably dont have any idea what you are talking about. This year when you see Eli play all of you jerks will have to admit to yourself that this guy can and will be one of the best quarterbacks ever. Get ready New York! Eli's Coming!

How would you like it if someone wanted your leg broken just because you're an ignorant buffoon?

I think it is great when an individual is able to control his own destiny. All of us would love to be able to do that...so more power to Eli. Given the opportunity anyone would have done the same thing. Stop your bitching!

Kev. you are such a low life bottom feeder for your statements about Eli Manning who did nothing but exercise his legal rights; the same rights I might add that the NFL exercises everyday when it passes out the pink slips to people who don't measure up to their "standards." Do you have any idea what a creature you really are?

Eli Manning, prick or no prick aside... When did ARCHIE Manning become "One of the best to ever play the game" as somebody stated? I was pretty young when I watched him play but I was not impressed. When perusing pro-football-reference.com I see the great ARCHIE totaled 173 interceptions in comparison to 125 TD's. Even if his Saints sucked why didn't he just take a sack instead of sling the ball to the other team?

In my opinion ARCHIE became "great" when Peyton became known.

And regardless of how the author of the story spells, my opinions on Eli were made up well before reading this. They aren't nice and I'll keep them to myself. I'll just wait and hope that Eli surpasses his great father's interception total.

It should be noted as well that the same psychoanalyst who predicted that Ryan Leaf was going to be a pro bust and strongly urged the chargers not to draft him has spotted some issues with Eli's mental makeup.

I think people are prematurely annointing Eli as the greatest thing since sliced bread purely because of his brothers success. And like the previous poster said, I've seen Archie's stats and they arent that great. Even accounting for him playing on some bad Saints teams, his stats should be better if he was that super. As the cliche goes "the great players find ways to make those around them seem better".

Sure there are those that say that Eli may be more physically gifted than Peyton. I seem to remember that a few years ago noone disputed that Ryan Leaf was more physically gifted than Peyton too. The debate back then was which was worth more to a team with the #1 pick.. Leafs physical gifts or Peytons maturity and mental toughness.

There is no denying that Eli has the physical gifts. The question is does he have it upstairs? That is what will determine whether he is the next Peyton Manning, or the next Ryan Leaf.

First of all the same psych-analyst that predicted Ryan leaf was going to be a pro bust had very little issue with Eli Manning.

He said he didn't have the same make up as his brother but he would be a great quarterback.

Second of all Eli has come into this league with much hype and much media scrutiny and has handled it like a true professional. Peyton and everybody else that has worked with Eli has said time and time again that Eli is in some cases better than Peyton. Stronger arm/more mobile etc.

I've watched Eli play quite a few games and the term "cool under pressure" doesn't cover it. This guy is a walking ice cube under pressure.

Good zip on the ball and reads defenses just like Peyton does. If you don't think he hasn't sat back with Peyton and learned a thing or two your mistaken.

Comparing Ryan leaf to Eli manning is like comparing Ryan leaf to Peyton Manning. In both cases it just doesn't work. Ryan leaf was un-professional and had the mind of a 12 year old.

Eli Manning has the Manning mind and the manning gifts. He will be a premiere QB in the NFL for a long time to come.

Gezz, you guys are stupid, Eli is no Prick, and is family are damn good people. Do your history before you start name calling. This was very unusual for the Mannings, there must have had a damn good reason. I'm sure they could care less what you thinkl.