JuneauBlue
01-25-2012, 10:32 PM
This was Rome's take after the Divisional game; I loved what he said and thought I'd share it here. It applies just as well to the Championship Game and hopefully will apply no less in 2 weeks:
"Eli Manning won’t say it…so Jim Rome will say it for him. How do you like the little brother now?? I’ve seen some ruthless Qb performances in my time…but Eli going into Lambeau and ripping hearts out…again….is right up there. I expected him to play well. But I didn’t expect him to do that and honestly, I’m sure Green Bay didn’t either. Because there wasn’t a play he couldn’t make or a pass he couldn’t lace. And he had his most success when the Packers had set him up to fail: third and long. 3rd and 8? Easy. First down. 3rd and 11? Challenge me. First down. Sneak attack, Hail Mary to twist the knife at the end of the first half. Cake. Make no mistake, after Tim Tebow, Eli Manning might be the nicest guy in America. But know this; he’s also one of the most vicious guys in the NFL. Yeah I said it.
And if you’re still clinging to the image of Eli Manning as an aww shucks, dopey little brother who lucked his way into a ring, you’re just not paying attention. Because when that down marker flips to ‘3’, E flips to kill mode. And the second he goes onto the frozen tundra, he owns it. That’s his house now. He didn’t win Sunday because the Ol Gunslinger threw the game away. He won because he was the best player on the field. I didn’t clown him when he said he was elite. And if you did, he’s clowning you now. There’s no throw he can’t make. There’s no game he can’t win. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again right now: you can’t spell elite, without E-L-I…."
"Eli Manning won’t say it…so Jim Rome will say it for him. How do you like the little brother now?? I’ve seen some ruthless Qb performances in my time…but Eli going into Lambeau and ripping hearts out…again….is right up there. I expected him to play well. But I didn’t expect him to do that and honestly, I’m sure Green Bay didn’t either. Because there wasn’t a play he couldn’t make or a pass he couldn’t lace. And he had his most success when the Packers had set him up to fail: third and long. 3rd and 8? Easy. First down. 3rd and 11? Challenge me. First down. Sneak attack, Hail Mary to twist the knife at the end of the first half. Cake. Make no mistake, after Tim Tebow, Eli Manning might be the nicest guy in America. But know this; he’s also one of the most vicious guys in the NFL. Yeah I said it.
And if you’re still clinging to the image of Eli Manning as an aww shucks, dopey little brother who lucked his way into a ring, you’re just not paying attention. Because when that down marker flips to ‘3’, E flips to kill mode. And the second he goes onto the frozen tundra, he owns it. That’s his house now. He didn’t win Sunday because the Ol Gunslinger threw the game away. He won because he was the best player on the field. I didn’t clown him when he said he was elite. And if you did, he’s clowning you now. There’s no throw he can’t make. There’s no game he can’t win. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again right now: you can’t spell elite, without E-L-I…."