Manning in a Big Market?

Indianapolis Colts fans are incredibly fortunate to have Peyton Manning as their starting quarterback. Not only is he one of the the best players of all-time, but he is also an incredibly likeable guy. From a plethora of commercials to comedic skits during the ESPY’s and Saturday Night Live, Manning comes off as a guy that people just gravitate towards. However, as popular as Manning is in today’s sports and entertainment world, could he be even bigger?

Manning appears to be set on being a Colt for life, and Indianapolis fans couldn’t be happier. However, let’s imagine that Peyton were to trade places with his brother Eli Manning. Although Eli has won a Super Bowl for the Giants, he is not a “face” of the NFL. In a large market such as New York it would seem almost natural for Eli to become a big name star, especially after winning a Super Bowl. Both Peyton and Eli are good quarterbacks (Peyton obviously being better), and each of them has a ring. However, Peyton draws in fans on and off the field. In a big market like New York, Peyton would be the king of the town. Assuming he was drafted by the Giants, he could literally be bigger than Alex Rodriguez or even Derek Jeter. He would always have the Giants in contention for a Super Bowl, and even if he was in New York he would probably still have the same appeal across the nation. Similar to Joe Namath when he played for the Jets, Peyton would become one of the most prominent faces of the city and the entertainment world. 

Unlike other super stars in today’s culture, Manning puts on the field goals ahead of the off the field ones. Yes, he does receive a large amount of money from deals with Gatorade and Nike, but he doesn’t need to promote himself through his brand. Peyton’s on the field performance leads to his off the field popularity, and his great personality leads to ever growing legacy. However, if Peyton did play for a large market team, he would surely be ambushed by the likes of Nike and Adidas in attempts to create his own brand. Similar to Ladainian Tomlinson, Michael Jordan, or Tiger Woods, Peyton would be asked to create a product for the brand that his face was attached to. Although football is not a worldwide sport yet, Peyton’s popularity would grow immensely if he were in a city, such as, Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles.

Although most Colts fans could not think of the blue and white without Manning, it is a reality that is quickly approaching. Green Bay Packers fans never thought that they would see the day when Favre left the Packers, especially for another team, but reality set in harshly for that fanbase. Colts fans should be thankful for the quarterback they have, because one day he will no longer be under center.