Much as he tried to hide from a distant family suite, Peyton Manning couldn't conceal his anguish.
He squirmed. He fist-pumped. He grimaced. He clapped.
Peyton Manning wasn't playing in Super Bowl XLII at University of Phoenix Stadium in 2008. His brother Eli was.
What was obvious to the large TV audience, though, was how badly the ever-expressive Peyton Manning wanted his brother Eli to lead the New York Giants to victory against the New England Patriots.
"I pull for him," Peyton Manning said Friday from his locker. "We pull for each other. Always have. He's five years younger than me so my parents would drag him to all my games."
When Peyton was a freshman and sophomore playing at Tennessee, Eli would spend many of his middle school weekends traveling from New Orleans to Knoxville. In high school, Eli would usually play Friday nights and get to Peyton's college games on Saturdays.
"At Tennessee, you'd have one off week a year, I'd go back to New Orleans to watch him play a high school game," Peyton said. "In the NFL, you have one off week a year, where was I going? Ole Miss games. I didn't get as many of his games as he did mine, but I went to every one I could.
"When you think about it as brothers, you almost always play on the same team. Same high school. You almost have to get to the NFL to play against each other. So you play against each other once every four years or so. You want to win this game, but besides that you pull for each other every time."
Peyton Manning will quarterback the visiting Broncos on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Eli Manning will quarterback the home team New York Giants. It has been dubbed Manning Bowl III.
Peyton decisively outplayed his younger brother in winning the first two meetings, but he was with the Indianapolis Colts then. This series is 0-0 since Peyton joined the Broncos last year.
"It's going to be fun to watch," said Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, who, as the oldest of four brothers, appreciates the Manning brother dynamic. "I'll look to see how they interact. Like if Peyton throws a touchdown, I'll look at the other sideline to see if Eli reacts. Or if Eli throws a pass and scores, Peyton will be probably be like: Now I have to do it."
NFL's main attraction
Never in NFL history have two quarterbacks coming off 400-yard passing performances faced each other the next week. The first time will be Sunday, when Manning brothers meet. Peyton Manning threw for 462 yards last week in a win against the Baltimore Ravens. Eli Manning threw for 450 yards in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"There's a lot of brothers in the league,"
Knighton said. "But the fact they're both elite quarterbacks, they've both won Super Bowls, that's rare."
The Broncos and their fans thought the Sept. 5 game against the Ravens was the most hyped season opener in franchise history. And maybe it was. But no local stage — not even New York City — can hold the Mannings.
The highest-priced ticket on the secondary market for any NFL game this year is Manning vs. Manning. The next highest-priced secondary ticket is Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady in New England on Nov. 24. The fourth-highest-priced ticket is Peyton Manning vs. Andrew Luck and his former Colts in Indianapolis on Oct. 20.
Three of the top four NFL games in demand this season feature Peyton Manning.
Read More : http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_24097751/peyton-vs-eli-again
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