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JasonX

The Whiney Little Bitch Family AKA the Mannings

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft04...tory?id=1787271

 

 

Chargers insist they will follow their plan

 

ESPN.com news services

The Chargers have the top pick in the draft. Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning is projected, by most accounts, as the top player available.

 

One problem -- Manning does not want to play for San Diego. He'd rather be in New York with the Giants, who have the fourth pick.

 

 

Manning's agent, Tom Condon, informed the Chargers that Archie Manning does not want his son to be drafted by the team. Chargers general manager A.J. Smith confirmed the news Wednesday night, a day after the elder Manning visited team officials at the Chargers training complex.

 

 

"Tom Condon informed us about the wishes of Archie Manning in regards to his son, Eli," Smith told ESPN.com's John Clayton. "We had a good visit with Archie and we told him we may be selecting his son with the first pick in the draft. Tom told us Archie's wishes are that we not do that and that New York would be a good fit."

 

 

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Condon informed the Chargers about the Mannings' feelings last week prior to Archie's visit. After hearing of the news, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue contacted the elder Manning and asked him to meet with Chargers president Dean Spanos.

 

 

Spanos, according to Mortensen, met with Archie Manning and asked him to visit with Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer. But despite the visit this week, the former NFL quarterback remains convinced that San Diego is not a good fit for Eli -- although the Manning family did not want their feelings to be made public, according to Mortensen.

 

 

Archie Manning, reached Wednesday night by the New York Daily News, said he was aware that the Chargers had decided to discuss the matter publicly.

 

 

"My understanding is the Chargers have said that. I'm not going to comment on it tonight," Manning told the newspaper. "I've got to huddle with Eli and Tom and see where we are on this thing. The only thing I'll say is I never talked to the Chargers about the Giants. I was asked to come to San Diego and see them."

 

 

Condon backed up Archie Manning's claim Thursday, saying he never apprised Chargers officials that Eli Manning wanted to be traded to the Giants. Instead, Condon insisted, he only noted the desires of the Manning family that the Chargers not choose Eli.

 

 

"Not once did I mention [the Giants]," Condon told ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli. "All I told them was, 'Archie has done a lot of research on this. He's talked to a lot of people around the league. And, basically, we just don't think it's a good fit for Eli.' End of story. I didn't express a desire that Eli play for the Giants or anyone else."

 

 

Will the Mannings' stance affect the Chargers' thinking going into the draft? Smith would not guarantee Condon that the team would grant Archie Manning's request.

 

 

"We told them we will do what will be in the best interest of the San Diego Chargers," Smith told Clayton.

 

 

Earlier this month, Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi called the Chargers to express an interest in trading up from the No. 4 pick to No. 1 in order to select the younger Manning.

 

 

A third team entered the bidding Wednesday for the first pick when the Browns called. Cleveland wants to move up and pick left tackle Robert Gallery of Iowa.

 

 

The Chargers face some interesting decisions. Do they trade the pick to the Giants, allowing them to take Manning and giving the impression that the player was dictating the draft? If they take Gallery or another player -- or if they trade with a team such as the Browns that wouldn't select Manning -- they would be giving Manning to their division rival, the Oakland Raiders.

 

 

"We haven't decided what we are going to do," Smith said. "We could stay there and pick. It could be Eli. It could be someone else. We will do what we think is best. For now, we are staying where we are and then see what develops over the next couple of days."

 

 

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Archie Manning has been doing background checks on the Chargers this month. The newspaper reported that Manning's actions aren't unusual -- he looked into various colleges before both Eli and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning went to school.

 

 

The elder Manning then met with team officials this week.

 

 

"It was an opportunity to just sit down and just visit," Schottenheimer told the Union-Tribune. "He came in around the late afternoon and left first thing this morning. I don't know that there was any quizzing going on. He wanted to visit with us, and we wanted to visit with him."

 

 

Archie Manning may fear that Eli will fall into the same situation that Archie suffered while quarterback of the downtrodden Saints in the 1970s. He played in the NFL for 14 years, 11 of them with the Saints, without ever making the playoffs.

 

 

The Chargers have not had a winning season since 1995 and have only four winning seasons in the past 20 years.

 

 

While quarterback and a tackle are high on the Chargers' list, they have several other desperate needs. Trading down would allow them to stockpile picks and possibly players, as well as avoid paying a hefty signing bonus that a top pick would command.

 

 

"I know [the Chargers] have a lot of different options," Condon recently said.

 

 

Condon also represents Peyton Manning, who was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the first pick in the 1998 draft. Condon said the Colts didn't decide until the night before that draft that they would take Manning, leaving the Chargers to take Ryan Leaf.

 

 

Leaf cost the Chargers an $11.25 million signing bonus and turned out to be one of the biggest busts in NFL history.

 

 

Four years ago, the Chargers traded the draft's top pick to Atlanta for the fifth pick, receiver-returner Tim Dwight and additional picks. The Falcons took Michael Vick and the Chargers got LaDainian Tomlinson. San Diego is 17-31 since that trade.

 

 

"I could care less about the Ryan Leaf decision," Smith told Clayton. "I've heard it so many times that we can't take a quarterback because of what happened in the past. Whether we decide to take a quarterback or not has nothing to do with Ryan Leaf. I didn't take this job with the idea that we can't do something that might help the team."

 

 

Despite the feelings expressed by the Manning family, the Chargers may see Eli as the only hope to resurrect the franchise. Manning's stature entering the NFL is very high.

 

 

"I think you're probably pretty safe picking Eli Manning," Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren told the Indianapolis Star.

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Guest Salacious Crumb

It's laughable that they think they can tell a team who they can and can't draft. Oh well fuck Eli. Big Ben is by far the better choice for a QB.

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Guest Smell the ratings!!!

now the're gonna draft him just out of spite and trade him to an even worse team. Dopes.

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Guest Dynamite Kido

Hopefully the Chargers draft him and trade him to Pittsburgh.....

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I don't agree with the Mannings but I can understand where they're coming from.

 

SD is a *terribly* managed team run by the Spanos Goofs who are as bad as Bidwell when it comes to trying to improve the team. Schottenheimer has been an awful coach for the team (getting rid of Seau and Harrison; taking headcase Boston) and if Manning plays for him I don't expect to see any improvement since Marty is incompetent in coaching young QB's and helping them improve (see Brees, Drew). The team is run by losers and I don't see them improving at all this season even if they do get Eli (who is going to be short changed when it comes to having a competent WR core and a solid O-line).

 

Again, Archie should keep his mouth shut but I can totally see why he wouldn't want Eli to play for the Chargers.

 

Dan Fouts doesn't even want to be associated with the team anymore which I think speaks volumes about how inept SD really is since he managed to get along with the Spanos Goofs' father well enough to where he actually would show up on Dan Fouts Day (he didn't last year or the year before).

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Guest HungryJack

SO Eli is gonna pull an Elway???

 

 

Good for him. If John Elway had played for the Colts, He may never have won shit.

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Guest Vitamin X

I was just about to mention the Elway fiasco before everyone jumped on the Mannings for the same shit A HALL OF FAMER (or future one, anyways) pulled back on draft day.

 

Except it was much worse because he had already been DRAFTED, and then demanded to be sent to Denver. I think the Mannings are making a reasonable request. I also think they want Eli to go to an NFC team so they can have the possibility of a Manning Super Bowl.

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Guest MikeSC
I don't agree with the Mannings but I can understand where they're coming from.

 

SD is a *terribly* managed team run by the Spanos Goofs who are as bad as Bidwell when it comes to trying to improve the team. Schottenheimer has been an awful coach for the team (getting rid of Seau and Harrison; taking headcase Boston) and if Manning plays for him I don't expect to see any improvement since Marty is incompetent in coaching young QB's and helping them improve (see Brees, Drew). The team is run by losers and I don't see them improving at all this season even if they do get Eli (who is going to be short changed when it comes to having a competent WR core and a solid O-line).

 

Again, Archie should keep his mouth shut but I can totally see why he wouldn't want Eli to play for the Chargers.

 

Dan Fouts doesn't even want to be associated with the team anymore which I think speaks volumes about how inept SD really is since he managed to get along with the Spanos Goofs' father well enough to where he actually would show up on Dan Fouts Day (he didn't last year or the year before).

I don't think it's so much SD being bad, but Archie remembering how badly he got beaten up in NO and he doesn't want Eli to get smacked around constantly due to a horrible OL.

-=Mike

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Guest Salacious Crumb

Is their line really that bad though. I mean LT has had some very good rushing seasons and Brees and Flutie for the most part were protected except for when LT wasn't having a good game.

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I'm a pretty cynical guy, so when people say that Eli is doing this because his old man got so beaten up playing behind a weak O-Line in NO, I smell bullshit. If it's only a matter of playing with a stronger O-Line, then why is NY the only team that they're willing to go? Why not any of the other teams that have legitimate lines and legitimate quarterback concerns? It can't just be because NY is the media capital of the world, can it? And heaven forbid both Mannings get wasted in smaller markets. More press coverage = more money.

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The whole point of a draft is that you're names are thrown in a big fucking hat and the team's pick you in order. Saying "You can't pick me! But they can!" defeats the entire purpose of the draft. We might as well just do away with the draft and start having players signed the moment they graduate college.

Now that would suck.

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That is what we call the Major League Baseball draft.

 

On another note, the Giants offensive line blows nuts. There is a reason they are considering Robert Gallary. That excuse would be BS.

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Why doesn't Eli just go to SD, and sign the initial contract and leave via FA to a better team afterwards?

 

If the players get to dictate where they want to play, then what is the point of the draft?

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Guest Choken One

How come Archie never pulled this off for Peyton?

 

Personally, I say Fuck Eli Manning, pick up Gallery and find a decent QB later who can get groomed. FIRE Schottenheimer and hire the OC or DC of New England (names escape me). If the Bengals can turn it around, the chargers can...all it takes is a face lift in managment.

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On Dan Patrick's radio show, he had Marty Schottenheimer on, who said he was unaware of Archie Manning saying anything during their meeting last week.

 

I am seriously starting to think the Chargers leaked this so they can now trade out of the #1 spot.

 

Remember the Redskins were supposed to be "interested" in a swap for picks and LT Chris Samuels in order to take Robert Gallery.

 

I think the Chargers do not have interest in Eli. Why would they leak this story themselves?

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Guest Redhawk

All this for someone who's going to hold a clipboard all of next year? Seriously, though, as long as the Browns can still get Ben Roethslisberger, Manning can go to the fuckin' Arena League for all I care. Watch all this controversy go down, and then Eli blows out his shoulder/knee in two years.

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I think Eli and Archie are bitch made. I also think the supposed bad O-line excuse is bullshit too. It's not like I saw Flutie or Brees on their back the entire season or anything. The Mannings don't want Elie there because they don't want to see their son handing the ball off 25-30 times a game to Tomlinson. They want their son throwing that football as much as possible and that won't happen in SD.

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Guest Redhawk

Most team at the top of the draft are in that very position because they have a weak offensive line. Either that or they have weak receivers or no running game, all of which would hurt Eli Manning or any young QB. With some exceptions (i.e. the Pistons getting the No. 2 pick last year) every team in the Top 10 of the draft sucks. If you wanted your son to play for a good team, you should have told him to tank his senior year and get drafted late in the first round.

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All this for someone who's going to hold a clipboard all of next year?

Exactly. After next season when Schottenheimer is fired by San Diego they bring in a coach that Manning likes and everything is forgotten.

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I don't think it's so much SD being bad, but Archie remembering how badly he got beaten up in NO and he doesn't want Eli to get smacked around constantly due to a horrible OL.

Then why in the world does he want to go to the Giants?

 

Seriously, the NFL is way too topsy-turvy to choose against the Chargers just because everybody else might be better. Tom Coughlin isn't really going to present much of an upgrade over Marty Schottenheimer, especially with Kerry Collins sitting in the starting QB slot. And don't forget - when Peyton Manning was drafted by the Colts, they were 3-13 and everybody thought they were DOOMED.

 

Like Barkley said earlier on Sportscenter, just because John Elway is a Hall of Famer and the decision happened to work out well for the Broncos and Elway, doesn't mean that it was right. Eli should go with the team that picks him, end of story.

 

That being said, the Chargers have a truckload of holes to fill and probably should shop around the No. 1 pick and try to get a number of higher draft picks. Given the Chargers' situation, Philip Rivers isn't necessarily much of a downgrade from Eli Manning at all.

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Guest Choken One

didn't the colts make the AFC conf title game two seasons before Manning was drafted?

 

I thought the 1996 season was just injury plauged.

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Yeah, they squeaked into an AFC wild card spot at 9-7, back when the AFC (save for a Denver team that got upset in the playoffs by the Jaguars) was basically playing like the Eastern Conference in the NBA. They promptly got murdered by the Steelers in the first round, 42-14, who got murdered by "those New England guys" in the next round, 28-3. They weren't really that great.

 

The year after that, the Colts' offense was ranked 20th, and the defense was ranked 26th. And the defense was pegged to take an even worse downturn in the next year (which they promptly did, by ranking 29th in the league in Manning's rookie year).

 

They were doomed.

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Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20

Is it just me or does this sort of remind anybody of what Cush did in "Jerry Maguire."

 

Not the same situation, it's a little different.

 

As a die-hard Giants fan, I don't have a problem with Eli Manning being here. But i'm still loyal to Kerry Collins.

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