The timeline rewinds slightly, back to late November of last year. The regular season was in full swing, Thanksgiving had just passed, and both the league and the teams were preparing for the final stretch of December, fighting for playoff spots.
Suddenly, shocking news emerged from New York—a bombshell.
Despite the controversies that followed Eli Manning throughout his career, no one anticipated his career with the New York Giants would end in such a childish and absurd manner. In the blink of an eye, it dominated the front pages of every major sports outlet.
When discussing Eli Manning's career, the two-time Super Bowl champion and dual Super Bowl MVP, often dubbed the "Brady Killer," remained a constant figure of debate.
Was he truly an elite quarterback? Would he make it to the Hall of Fame? How should his legacy in the NFL be defined?
The arguments went back and forth.
To his supporters, Eli was one of the league's finest clutch performers, the nemesis of the New England Patriots, and a class act both on and off the field—a polite, humorous, and community-minded gentleman.
To his critics, Eli Manning was the epitome of being overrated. In his fourteen seasons with the New York Giants, he only led the team to the playoffs six times. Aside from the two Super Bowl runs, the other four appearances ended in first-round exits. Particularly in 2013, when the team was struggling, Eli still demanded a massive contract extension, which many found shameless.
Yet, no matter the argument, no one could deny that Eli Manning had become a symbol of the New York Giants and, by extension, part of NFL and American sports culture.
During an NBA game, Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies once grabbed a defensive rebound and hurled a full-court pass to his teammate for a slam dunk.
At that moment, the commentator shouted with enthusiasm, "Touchdown! Gasol just threw a pass like Eli Manning, dismantling the opponent's defense!"
The guest analyst next to him immediately objected, "No, no, no! Eli Manning would never make a throw like that. That was a Drew Brees pass."
During the subsequent timeout, the two analysts began a heated debate about Eli Manning right there on the NBA broadcast, refusing to back down. The viewers loved it—not only did they enjoy it, but they joined in on the debate.
That was Eli Manning—someone whose name stirred emotions and opinions, transcending even his own sport.
And now, his career with the Giants ended in such an unceremonious way, triggering yet another media firestorm.
The entire league stood by Eli. Even the Oakland Raiders, the Giants' next opponent, voiced their support. Former Giants players and coaches came out in unison to denounce the decision, openly expressing their disbelief and disappointment.
When the video of Eli holding back tears during his post-game interview was released, social media erupted with an outpouring of sympathy. Everyone agreed that a player who had dedicated fourteen years to a team and became an icon for a city deserved a far more respectful exit.
This time, Bart Scott got a lot of backing.
"The Giants don't owe Eli anything. They have the right to make the decision that's best for them and don't need to consider his feelings."
"I never considered him a Hall of Fame player."
Even though some argued that since 2013, the Giants' offensive line had been one of the worst in the league, making it nearly impossible for a traditional pocket quarterback like Eli to perform at his best, those voices were drowned out by critics who stubbornly clung to their perspective.
Yet, in the grand scheme of things, those dissenting voices were the minority. The overwhelming majority stood firmly behind Eli Manning.
Why?
It was both simple and complicated.
First, the personnel decision.
If you were going to bench Eli, who would replace him?
Geno Smith—a quarterback with a career total of 28 touchdowns and 36 interceptions, along with 17 fumbles. He had long been considered one of the worst quarterbacks in the league.
And Smith's contract with the Giants was set to expire at the end of the season. He was clearly not the Giants' future.
So who was?
The Giants had drafted Davis Webb in the third round of the previous draft. He had arm strength but lacked accuracy and the ability to read defenses. It was obvious he had a long way to go.
And yet, it wasn't Webb replacing Eli; it was Smith.
On the show Inside the NFL, analyst Steve Lawson shared his professional opinion: if the Giants intended to groom Webb as the future, the right time to make the switch would have been in Week 7.
At that time, the Giants were 1–6, with only a 0.5% chance of making the playoffs. If the team had already determined Eli was not the future, that would have been the moment to bring in Webb—not drag it out until the current mess unfolded. This sudden switch felt more like a tantrum than a strategy.
And that brings up the second point: timing.
Forget Lawson's suggestion for a moment. Just look at the timing:
There were only five games left in the regular season. The Giants were 2–9, with absolutely no chance of making the playoffs. At this point, the rest of the season was just a formality, and the only thing left to fight for was draft position.
And now they chose to bench Eli for Geno Smith, blatantly signaling a tank.
Tanking is one thing, but the Giants didn't even give Eli a proper farewell. They didn't allow him one last game at home for the fans to say goodbye. They effectively turned off the lights on his stage, robbing him of any chance for a proper curtain call after fourteen years of service.
From an emotional standpoint, it was undeniably disrespectful—practically humiliating.
Sure, whether Eli Manning deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame is still up for debate. But for a man who started 210 consecutive games, never missing a single regular-season contest in fourteen years, he at least deserved a proper send-off in New York.
No wonder everyone sided with Eli.
And what's more laughable? At the end of the season, the Giants fired head coach Ben McAdoo as well. After losing both their reputation and their coach, all that was left was a mess.
Because of this, when John Mara met with Lance at Madison Square Garden, Donald assumed it was part of a public relations strategy. From any angle, the Giants needed a massive effort to repair this PR disaster, and Mara stepping in personally made sense.
But now it was clear—Mara was plotting more than just PR damage control.
Yes, PR was one part of it.
But strategy? That was the real game.
It seemed Mara had been planning for the next franchise quarterback long before his meeting with Lance. Opting for Alex Smith was indeed a masterstroke.
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates