Why do we act as if Eli Manning has been getting away with something?

For some reason, sports media are smug when discussing the New York Giant quarterback. They want to point out that Manning’s play has declined, and was never that great in the first place.

Pricking Eli Manning’s good-not-great QB career is not profound. In fact, it is lazy journalism, or entertainment, or whatever major media is, anymore.

No one is walking around claiming that he is a “top ten” all-time player. So, the belittling of what Eli is, has become wearisome. Yet the talking heads and football fanatics think they’re breaking news. “Well, Eli Manning has two Super Bowl rings, but…”

But, what? Let’s break down a few of the oft-repeated criticisms of Eli Manning.

“Eli never gets his share of blame.” In 2017, the Giants were a poorly-performing football team. Head coach Bob McAdoo absorbed plenty of ridicule, partly because he doesn’t look or sound like a CEO (which is what an NFL coach represents).

Meanwhile, some people are looking at the QB. This is the ‘he is overrated’ argument. Many fans believe, correctly, that Eli gets too much credit. The silly part is, every quarterback with success gets too much credit and blame. Eli simply is so nonchalant that he seems to shrug it all off. This aw-shucks stuff really bothers people. They want him to react to their dart-throwing and he won’t. Did you know that when you don’t react to fools, they are enraged?

Related: Eli Manning v. Phil Simms

Playing a major professional sport in New York City comes with a high-wattage spotlight. Whatever his quarterback shortcomings, Eli Manning has handled the social aspect of his career extremely well. The shoulder shrugging acceptance of whatever happens has been the right move. He can’t please the ‘we need content’ jackals, anyhow.

“If it weren’t for the defense/receiving corps/system/luck, Eli wouldn’t have those rings.” Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., is a supreme talent with bubbling farts in his head. Apologists like to say that ODB makes the offense, but his character issues mostly neutralize his impact.

New York might do as well with a few speedy wee man wide-outs, a la’ New England Patriots. There would be fewer spectacular plays, and fewer love-fests with kicking nets and locker room walls.

What about luck? First, Lady Luck doesn’t exist, at least not as pop culture presents it. Secondly, those amazing catches which saved the Giants’ bacon in those Super Bowl runs didn’t only benefit Eli. At minimum, he did what he was supposed to do, and so did most everyone else on those rosters.

As for outstanding defenses carrying teams to titles, since when DOESN’T that happen? In 2007, when the Giants escaped an undefeated Patriot team, Eli benefited from a powerful D-line. How many Super Bowl winners got there without at least an above average defense? You won’t find many.

Asked for his reaction to an ESPN NFL Nation poll of 155 players citing him as the Most

 Overrated Quarterback in the NFL, Manning smiled and said: “It’s a great honor.”

Who are all these people thinking he is great? Where are they? Point out the people, the football experts, who think Eli Manning is an upper echelon quarterback.

The talking head and Manning’s football peers cannot show us, because those people and experts do not exist. The ones saying he’s overrated just resent Eli Manning and take shots at him. We have a clear-eyed image of him, at this point. Throwing darts at that image just proves they have very little to talk about.