The Book of Manning documentary, airing on ESPN's networks this week, is the perfect table-setter for the Saints-Dolphins Monday Night Football game. (Photo courtesy of ESPN Films.)
With the Dolphins visiting the Saints for Monday Night Football, I’m going to deviate from our regularly scheduled Daily Dolphin blog for a word on The Book of Manning, a documentary airing this week on the ESPN networks focusing on the Manning family, primarily patriarch Archie Manning, a legendary Saints quarterback.
Narrated by John Goodman and directed by Rory Karpf, it’s 90 minutes of insightful, emotional and essential viewing on football’s first family — emphasis on the word family.
Early in the film, Archie relates how the public has the misconception that he and Olivia set out to raise a family of quarterbacks, given how sons Peyton and Eli went on to become No. 1 draft picks and Super Bowl MVPs (not to mention son Cooper, who some say may have been the most talented of the three but whose career was cut short by a spinal condition).
What becomes immediately clear is that those who let football consume their lives do it by choice. The Mannings don’t fall into that category. Based in part on his father’s suicide that shook him at a young age, Archie was determined to be a father first and Saints quarterback second.
“I think that had an impact on how my dad raised us,” Peyton said of his grandfather’s tragedy.
Archie, never shy about telling his sons he loves them: “I never regretted spending time with my children. We’ve really been blessed there.”
Archie Manning says he never regretted spending as much time as possible with his family. (Photo courtesy of ESPN Films.)
That’s not to say, of course, that football didn’t occupy a prominent spot in their lives. Archie relates how, when the young Mannings moved into their New Orleans home, they didn’t have furniture for the living room, which allowed them to play “knee football” with the kids.
“I hated it when we got furniture because it kind of messed up our football inside,” Archie says.
The film also features old home movies of the boys as toddlers, tossing around either footballs or a tearful Peyton.
Clearly, Archie’s recipe for raising a family worked on several levels. Good luck finding a player more widely respected within the league than Peyton, who learned ethics from Pop.
“My dad really has been my best friend,” Peyton says.
Archie, on his three sons: “I hope they think I’m a good guy.”
After seeing the special, you probably will, too.
Oh, one other thing: Archie won’t be in the broadcast booth Monday night, analyzing the game for the Saints radio network.
He quit doing that in 1998 because he had something else he’d rather be doing on Sundays.
That was when Peyton entered the league.
(SEC Storied: The Book of Manning is airing several times this week on ESPNU, including: 4 p.m. Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.)
Last call for touchdowns: A hot topic in the Dolphins’ locker room this week has been how the defense has not allowed a fourth-quarter touchdown all season.
Miami has given up only three points in the fourth quarter and 16 total points in the second half through three games.
“The trick is to keep it going,” defensive tackle Jared Ordick says. “I’m not going to really get too excited about what we’ve done until we keep doing it. You get excited for a little bit, and then you move over to the next one.”
Coach Joe Philbin: “In the fourth quarter, you’ve got to step up if you want to win games.”
You name it: With the Heat and Nets considering wearing nickname jerseys at some point this season — and the enormous marketing possibilities that go along with it — the question is, how long before the NFL follows suit?
“If that were to ever happen in the NFL,” Odrick said, “it wouldn’t happen here. We’d be the team to not do that.”
OK, but if they did?
“I’d keep it simple,” Odrick said. “Just go with J.O. I don’t have any extravagant nickname.”
What about something based on his Pee-Wee Herman sack dance?
“I like the dance, but my nickname has never been that,” Odrick said. “Nor will it be.”
LB Philip Wheeler: “I’ll probably go with my Twitter name, @Philgood50.”
See? Shameless plugs already coming in.
(This blog brought to you by @Gunnerhal.)