Peyton Manning’s Legacy is Full of Big Game Failures

I tried listening to some sports talk show radio hosts and their over the top affection and fawning about Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. It is at times difficult to listen to. Their response to yesterday’s fourth home divisional round loss for Manning: win a second Super Bowl crown and then the “wolves” would disappear.

Manning, yet again, played horribly in a must win game and it is time for us “wolves” to howl not so much at Manning, who by any standard is a great quarterback and skilled in ways we can only dream, but at the perception of him by many in the media.

Much criticism has been rendered regarding the hitting failures by the likes of baseball greats, Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and even Willie Mays (never a W.S. home run) in post season or big games.

That may have some justification, but remember hitting a baseball successfully is the hardest thing to do in any sport, as being “victorious” with a hit 3 of 10 times had been considered very good and now can earn you beyond millions of dollars.

That is why Manning, with so many horrible games as a quarterback in big games and this from a guy, who frankly is quite a bit of a “pile on artist” when his team is comfortably ahead, is astounding and must bear him criticism.

Perhaps I was too moved by “The Man From Lamancha,” specifically the showstopping song “The Impossible Dream” about Don Quixote, and yes the historical facts not to “tilt” and likely “go tilt” as in pinball, one more time.

Manning is a great quarterback, but sports talk show hosts must face the facts that he has failed mightily in important games. Even a little acknowledgement of it would be a good first step. Nothing personal, but someone please tell ESPN radio’s Mike Lupica, one of the worst offenders on this topic—-Manning is a mere mortal.