Super Peyton?

The question at our Super Bowl gathering was "Will it be more irritating if Peyton Manning or Rex Grossman wins the game?"

The answer was Peyton. He's so obsessive about the intricacies of the game that he misses out on the intricacies of being a great leader. If you were a firefighter would you choose to follow Ray Lewis or Peyton Manning into a burning building to save a child? I'll follow Ray any day. Peyton doesn't inspire that same level of visceral respect. He leads with his brain, not with his heart. Ray leads with his heart, brain be damned.

If you were walking into a streetfight, would you pick Peyton Manning to back you up or John Elway? I'd feel safer with Elway and I don't even like him much. The thing is that you need to feel like your leader has your back no matter what happens. He may dress you down later, but in the moment, he's there to help you win, no matter what happens. You have to believe, in a visceral way, that this person's goals are aligned with yours and that the goals are more important than blame or any other personal quibbles.

You never get that sense from Peyton. You can read it in the way he deflates after interceptions and looks at his receivers as if they messed it all up. Even if they did, what can you do to make it better?

I want to see more of Devin "I Fucking Dare You" Hester. He was fun as hell to watch at Miami, I'm happy his return game translated to the pros.

Congrats to the Colts. Can the Eagles win now?