Fortunate Son
- Wade
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stepped to the microphone and announced that the San Diego Chargers had selected Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning with the first pick in the 2004 NFL draft. Manning was looking at millions of dollars of guaranteed contract money, even more in endorsements, and being the top dog for a team that has had its share of quarterback troubles.
How did he react?
By looking and sounding like the most pathetic instant millionaire since Evan Marriott. Manning held the #1 Chargers jersey the same way a SWAT team member holds a ticking bomb, then retreated to his own press conference where he said he would rather go to law school than play for San Diego.
Apparently the feeling was mutual, since within the hour Manning was traded to the New York football Giants for their first round QB pick (Philip Rivers) and additional assorted picks, including the Giants first-rounder in 2005. Eli immediately returned those future schooling plans on the back burner and expressed his excitement over playing for the Giants. He even remembered how to smile.
Now everyone's happy. Eli's happy, because he gets to play for more of a winning team, although both finished 4-12 last season. At least the spotlight is brighter. Eli's dad, Archie, is happy that his youngest son doesn't have to toil in the obscurity of a podunk city like San Diego. The NFL is happy because, well, what's good for New York is good for the league. The Chargers should be happy as well, since they get a quarterback who is said to be equally as talented, without all of the attitude.
So why am I upset? I guess it's just because this is another example of how a father of privilege can twist some arms to grease the skids for his son. Eli is far from unique-- sons ranging from Kris Humphries to George W. Bush have taken advantage of their fathers' willingness to make life a little easier for them. And as a newly-minted father, I can understand this temptation.
But let's look at this another way: maybe trying to make things less difficult for your child actually does more harm than good. Humphries got to star at the U of M and will leave after his freshman year-- but is he a better player or person than if he had stayed at Duke for four years? The other Manning (Peyton) went to a 3-13 team in 1999 and turned them into a 12-4 team five years later; isn't that worth something? And don't get me started on Dubya.
Here's to hoping Rivers turns around the Chargers' ship in the next few years and proves to be one of the best draft-day steals in history. And I'm also excited to hear Eli's reception at the Meadowlands after throwing two or three interceptions into the waiting hands of Eagles safeties next November. Let's see what Daddy can do for him then.
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