Peyton Manning is now a member of the Denver Broncos. Although it will most certainly be weird seeing him wearing an Orange jersey, what won’t be weird is seeing him in command of an offensive unit again like just about no one else in NFL history. Some would argue that despite winning one Super Bowl, his playoff resume isn’t too stellar. I would argue that half the teams in the league (if not more) should have been lining up for his services the day the Colts released him. He’s a top 5 QB of all-time. He’s a leader and winner in every sense of the word. He’s the most prepared player I’ve ever seen. And he’s a class-act (as is his brother – nice job, Archie). No matter what the Broncos offensive personnel is, he instantly makes everyone on that side of the ball better.  His decision-making, quick release and accuracy are simply light years ahead of the guy he replaced, who’s now a NY Jet. Imagine how happy John Elway must be that he doesn’t have to answer Tim Tebow questions anymore. In the realm of things, Manning really doesn’t get hit or sacked all that much. If he says he’s ready to play, I believe him and I’m not going to worry about his neck. Get him under center. Watch the wins come. I say 10 of them. Minimum.

In sports, we’ve lately seen teams get hot late in the season and run the table like baseball’s Cardinals and football’s Giants. On the flip side, we’ve also seen 1st and 2nd seeds bounced in the first round regularly in a sport like hockey. But for the most part, basketball is different. Come playoff time, you pretty much know who will be the NBA’s Final Four. Many would argue they know before the season even starts. Even today, with half a season left (albeit an abbreviated one), you can pencil in MIA vs CHI in the East and OKC vs someone in the West. Check that. You can pen them in. I believe basketball truly has the best athletes in the world. And moreso than in other sports, the cream rises to the top almost every time. Sure, last season the Spurs were dominant but exited early. There never is a sure thing (that’s the beauty of sports). This season, we’ll see if the Knicks can get it together or if the Celtics can hold it together for one last run with an aging Big 3.  But can you really see either of them getting by the Heat or the Bulls? Not in the No Fluke NBA.

-Kranny, http://www.wornbutnotforgotten.net

No one knew that Greg Oden would play only 82 games in 5 years for the Portland Trailblazers after being drafted #1 overall 2007. No one knew that Jamarcus Russell would be a lost cause so quickly for the Oakland Raiders either. By the same token, no one knew Tom Brady was destined for the Hall of Fame or that a raw talent who barely even played football named Jason Pierre-Paul would become a force for the New York Giants. In sports, the guessing game is played out often. It makes one GM the hero, another one unemployed. And there’s really no science to it. Could Kevin Durant have been the injury prone one? Sure. But that’s not the case and he’s become the NBA’s smoothest scorer on a true title-contender. I feel bad for Greg Oden and the Trailblazers in general. It’s kind of the Sam Bowie mess all over again for them. I don’t believe that the personnel men for the Sonics and the Blazers in ’07 were all that different in terms of level of intelligence. But with Oden’s career likely now over, it sure seems that way today.

-Kranny, http://www.wornbutnotforgotten.net

I can’t remember the last time the sports media went completely gaga over a story like the Jeremy Lin one of today. It was impossible to escape it this past weekend between ESPN highlights and commentary, sports talk radio and my friend’s posts on facebook. Linsanity. Lindarella Story. Lin this. Lin that. Massive OMG! It’s hard to argue that it’s not a great story on so many levels. But for it to happen on a team like the Knicks who could use some help, in the Mecca of Basketball – Madison Square Garden, and in the media capital of the world is just too much. As if Victor Cruz didn’t come out of nowhere, Jeremy Lin was the very definition of “who” until a week ago. Now he’s gone from no-name to cult status in no-time thanks to not only his terrific play but also due to the bevy of sports media surrounding him that is New York. If he played for the Portland Trailblazers, would this be 1/3 the story?

-Kranny, http://www.wornbutnotforgotten.net

As we’ve seen twice in the last 4 months in professional sports, just get in to the postseason and anything can happen. The New York Giants were 7-7 and had just lost 4 straight games. The usual late season implosion was underway and the “Fire Coughlin” talk was rampant. Then the first two of their six straight wins made them division winners followed by four more wins that made them league champions. They’re the first 9-7 team to win an NFL title. Football’s wildcard teams have won the Super Bowl 6 times. The ’07 Giants, ’05 Steelers, ’00 Rams, ’97 Broncos, ’80 Raiders (over my dear-in-the-headlights Eagles) and the ’69 Chiefs weren’t what would be considered the “best teams” entering the post-season but came away with the Lombardi Trophy. In baseball last season, The Cardinals were 9 or 10 games out of a playoff spot with a month to play, got into the playoffs as a wildcard (with help) on the last day of the season and rode the momentum and some David Freese magic to a World Series crown. The ‘o4 Red Sox, ’03 & ’97 Marlins and the ’02 Angels also won the World Series but weren’t the favorites going in. Hockey, where all kinds of whacky stuff happens come the postseason with favorites being ousted in round 1, had the Flyers beat the Rangers in a shootout on the last day of the season just to make the playoffs in ’10 and they went all the way to the Finals ultimately losing to the Blackhawks. The only sport where you don’t see this as much is in basketball, where the better team with the go-to-guy (or two of them) wins almost every time. The moral of the story? Just get in, baby!

-Kranny, http://www.wornbutnotforgotten.net

There sure is a lot of Eli Manning Hall of Fame talk going on now that he’s won his second Super Bowl for the Giants and been named MVP of the Big Dance twice. That’s what engineering two, game-winning drives on sports largest stage will do for you. There’s no denying he’s cemented himself as a clutch, top-tier QB and an all-time Giants great. But an all-time NFL great? I think the jury’s still out. Let’s say he plays 4-5 more years, has average stats, leads his team the playoffs 2 or 3 more times but never gets another ring. Chances are his lifetime stats by then will be formidable enough and the two rings shiny enough that he’d get in to the HOF at some point. I guess deservedly so. Could you say the same thing about Big Ben who has two rings as well? I’m reminded of guys like Tarkenton and Marino – no doubt two greats of the game – that are ringless who many people would argue are better QBs than Eli. They were game changers – the first one with his legs and the latter with his arm. Of course, they are in Canton. But neither a champion. Today, the younger Manning has two championships to his brother’s one. Yet his brother, Peyton, is a HOFer if he never played another down and a top 5 QB of all-time. The HOF talk for Eli is valid. But even with two rings, I don’t feel his body of work is complete for enshrinement. Not just yet.

-Kranny, http://www.wornbutnotforgotten.net

The Patriots lost to the Giants for one reason. They were up 17-9 and then never scored another point. That’s it. Plain and simple. It’s not because Welker dropped a pass. It’s not because Gronkowski was a shell of himself. It’s not because of the vaunted Giants pass rush. It’s not because Brady has regressed or that Coughlin is a genius. The Pats didn’t score for the last quarter and a half.  Eli Manning engineered a late game drive and the Giants won the title. Good for him. Great for Big Blue. They won six straight games and a championship. That’s the story. End of story. The over-analysis never ceases to amaze me.  On to baseball.            

-Kranny, http://www.wornbutnotforgotten.net