The real winner yesterday.

Archie Manning.

The Super Bowl has blown up into this gigantic marketing event for brands to take part in every year. That’s not what it’s supposed to be about though. I don’t watch 24 or other shows because the commercials rock. Yet, when it comes to the ‘Big Game,’ logic and reason get thrown out. Almost everyone out there watches the Super Bowl for the halftime show or commercials now. Even if their team isn’t playing, it’s still all about the hoopla, and hoping maybe the game won’t suck.

Not for Archie Manning.

He could care less about a Sprint plan that gives you unlimited minutes. All he cared about was the 6’ 5” 235 lb. rocket laser arm attached to it. His kid. You have to understand the history there. Archie Manning played on arguably one of the worst franchises in NFL history, the New Orleans Saints. They were American Idol first round audition bad.

Ever see fans with brown bags over their head when their team has a bad season? Saints’ fans laugh at you. How about wearing that paper bag – for a decade. They didn’t even have a choice between paper or plastic. The lone bright spot was a record-setting 63-yard field goal by Tom Dempsey. And even that was likely due to his deformed kicking foot. How’s that for suffering. Want more?

Archine Manning never had a winning season.

With average ability, he still busted his ass on a team that did nothing in terms of putting him in a position to win, including surrounding him with a few players that might even help achieve that goal. Brett Favre and Barry Sanders both know what that’s like, and both were far better players. Barry even quit because he was so frustrated in playing for a losing franchise.

Not Archie.

He soldiered on, eventually left the game and raised his kids to play ball, one day hopefully seeing them make it to the pros as well. Help them avoid the mistakes he made, the things he swore he’d never let happen to them, the shitty teams. Then, before he knew it, same thing all over again. Although he was a great player, there were all those doubts. “Peyton is a robot QB. Good stats, just can’t win when it counts.” “Like father, like son.” Seemingly owned by New England in the playoffs too. Wasn’t the talent around him. Colts put together a solid team. Gotta be the shoes, right? All he kept hearing was “Peyton’s gotta get it done” or “what’s the problem?”

And so on.

Then his other son enters the game, taking a beating both on and off the field in New York. Somewhere, Archie thinks, “What do I have to do to catch a break. Now them too?” He never mentioned it publicly, but you just knew that’s what he was thinking.

A funny thing happens on the way to the Super Bowl though. Things change. It finally clicks with Peyton. The now or never sense of urgency seems to have gotten through. New England falls by the wayside. Trophy raised.

After the biggest game of his son’s life, a proud dad dismisses talk about the stuff leading up to it and how he was “just rooting for his son as only a parent would,” not as a former NFL QB. Even with a class act like coach Tony Dungy defending the son’s accomplishments had he not won the big one, you just know deep inside, Archie was living vicariously through his son. As right or wrong as that may be, a part of what he taught Peyton made it through and had a positive effect.

Nobody should ever accuse him of needing redemption because of a single mistake the way a Bill Buckner or Scott Norwood might, but after an entire career of getting his ass kicked, fuckin’ A.

Way to go Archie.

Tags: New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning, Archie Manning, , Tony Dungy