OldMaid

Good post.
I don't see anyone hating the Mannings.
New Orleans is a big city, small town
It is easy to become a big fish in a small pond.
Archie Manning was picked and picked the Saints.
He did well then. He and his wife raised their family there.
Financially and everything, he did very well in N.O.
He would not have been able to perhaps in a big city, big town.
N.O. had The Jazz(basketball) and Saints.

I think Archie and Olivia Manning have lived with dignity. Raised their sons to be civil, non-scandalous. Archie and Olivia have been a big part of serving on boards and in fundraising activites for causes in N.O.

Just FYI, when I was in college and woprking at a store at Canal Place, this was about 1987,1988, Oliiva Manning was shopping in the store and had no attitiude, complaints, diva looks, nothing like that.
When you get to see someone in an informal, non-staged setting, you see the real person. There has never been any sort of bad thin gs said about them.

Peyton and Eli Manning have made the NFL exciting. Both are extremely talented. Elite qb's. Like them or not, they are exciting players. Both have good reputations in their off field lives. Both are charitable to causes like PM has been to Children's Hospital in TN.

Eli Manning was very unclassy at the draft when he showed he did not want to play for San Diego. There was nothing wrong with not wanting to go to San Diego, but out , on stage, not putting on the cap and everything was awful. All he needed to do was smile, holding cap, jersey, etc.
Eli, his managers, Archie should have handled all that behind the scenes. I was surprised they did all that nonsense in front .

PM should have congratulated DB after SB. All that nonsense about not wanting to steal DB's camera time, moment was BS.
SB is bigger than those who play on the teams. It is the NFL, fans , etc., photographers for SI, etc. wanted that picture. It was the thing to do and is always done.
PM looked like a sore loser.

Naturally, Archie and family favored their son and his team to win SB. One cannot fault him there. After Saints, won, he should have publically congratulated Saints orgainzation and things. I am not sure if he did, didn't. I cannot remember. Being in the Saints parade, no. That would have been a bit much for him to salute them like that when his feelings were with Colts.
Ok, two things, you can find fault with them on. Not so bad really . These things are marks on their reputations. Yeah, they seem spoilish. It is not a crime, but , just saying.

DB, like Archie, has said and I believe him, will raise his family in N.O.after his football days. Archie is like a mentor there to DB...helping the Brees' find a home...perhaps submitting his name to their clubs.... DB is wise to stay here and is like a made man. Big fish, small pond. He will have privacy for his family. Good schools, social life, head and be part of charitable causes, and yet he can work elsewhere in the NFL or color analysts.
Like Archie, DB and wife, are part of The Uptown N.O. , that world. There is nothing wrong with it. Just saying that is their world.

It was smart of PM and EM not to want to play for N.O. Saints. Both carved out their own team. The pressure of Saints, nah. Smart choices on their own. That was never their intent. Some N.O. fans always wanted that little , unrealistic fantasy.
Not choosing LSU, well, they are alumni's kids of Ole Miss. Many people go to their parents university.
PM going to univ. in TN , I think that fitted in more with his family, social life, and everything more than LSU.

All in all, I think people around here in LA like the Mannings or think they are so-so.
I think AM and DB are good ambassadors of N.O. , you know, helps put N.O. in a better light.