Well, Super Bowl 50 is in the books and the improbable has happened: Peyton Manning has still not officially retired. Forget about the game (pretty lousy), or the commercials (even worse), or the halftime show (about on par with this). The Peyton story is the only one that really matters coming off the Broncos’s upset victory over Carolina last night. After losing his job midseason due to terrible play and injuries, Manning got back on the field and quarterbacked his team to a championship (with a major assist from one of the best defenses ever). The perfect ending to a great career.
But when asked after the game, first by Tracy Wolfson and then by Jim Nantz, if this was the end of his career, he took a page out of Marco Rubio’s book and repeated almost verbatim the same non-answer answer (which also appeared to be sponsored by Budweiser). Why, Peyton? Why not just retire already?
Don’t get me wrong. I love Peyton Manning. I think he’s the greatest quarterback of all time, better even than Tom Brady. But come on, Peyton! There will never be a better time to retire than right now. You can do whatever you want with the rest of your life: You could work with kids, or open an Italian deli, or at the very least, get a job delivering pizzas. You’ve made enough questionable choices this year. The football fans of America beseech you: Please don’t make another one.
