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Monday, 7 March 2016

Number 18 Ends 18 Year Career - Peyton Manning

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Peyton Manning has announced his retirement, ending a sparkling 18-year career in the NFL.

Manning struggled to hold back tears as he confirmed the news at a media conference in Denver on Monday.

He said: "I fought a good fight. I finished my football race. After 18 years it is time."

Manning, who turns 40 on 24 March, played his last game when he helped the Broncos win the Super Bowl in February.

It was his second Super Bowl win, the first coming in 2007 during a 14-year spell with the Indianapolis Colts.

One of the game's most prolific passers, he was voted the NFL's most valuable player a record five times.

Manning retires as the NFL's all-time leader in passing touchdowns (539), passing yards (71,940) and quarterback wins (186, tied with Brett Favre).

His teams made the play-offs in 15 of his 18 seasons.

"You don't have to wonder if I will miss it. Absolutely I will," Manning added.

"There are players who were more talented - but none could out prepare me. I have no regrets."

Manning's Denver Broncos defeated Tom Brady's New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game to reach this year's Super Bowl

One of his biggest rivals, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, said Manning "set the standard for how to play the quarterback position".

He told Sports Illustrated: "What just happened, winning the Super Bowl in his last game, is a perfect way to end a career. But what he's accomplished through all these years, what makes it so admirable, is the pressure he's had on him his whole life.

"Who has lived up to the expectations year after year after year as well as Peyton? He's done it so gracefully, so admirably."

Recently, Manning has also faced controversy. Before this year's Super Bowl, the NFL began an investigation into allegations that banned substance human growth hormone was sent to his house when he was recovering from neck surgery in 2011.

He has described the allegations, made by broadcaster Al Jazeera, as "complete garbage".

During his retirement news conference, he also denied allegations of sexual misconduct stemming from his college playing days at Tennessee.

"I did not do what has been alleged and I am not interested in re-litigating something that happened when I was 19," he said.

In defeating the Carolina Panthers on 7 February, Manning became the oldest quarterback to win the showpiece event - and the first starting quarterback to win it with two different teams.

Thursday, 18 February 2016

Allegations Test Manning Sponsors

A prominent women’s rights group has called on companies to end their lucrative deals with Peyton Manning after allegations of sexual assault resurfaced in the press.

The allegations relate to his time at the University of Tennessee when he is accused of placing his genitals on the face of a female trainer. The case was settled out of court, with Manning claiming he was merely “mooning” a team-mate. The claims resurfaced last week in a lawsuit against the university that claims the athletics department condoned a “hostile sexual environment” towards female students.

“When institutions like the University of Tennessee tacitly condone violence against women by ignoring cases of sexual assault by student-athletes, it perpetuates a dangerous culture of violence that ultimately hurts women everywhere,” Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet, said in a statement. “Nationwide Insurance and Papa John’s Pizza must show their customers that they will never stand for sexual violence – and suspend their relationships with Manning pending further investigation.”

Manning makes millions of dollars a year from his endorsements, many of which rely on his affable public persona. He is a lock to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he is eligible, and his legacy was boosted earlier this month when he won the second Super Bowl of his career.

“While it is outrageous that the University of Tennessee chose to turn a blind eye to sexual violence by student athletes like Manning, it would be flat out unacceptable for the NFL and major companies like Nationwide Insurance and Papa John’s Pizza to continue to stand with Manning in light of emerging evidence,” Chaudhary said. “The NFL should thoroughly investigate this incident before allowing Manning to play or work in [the] NFL again.”

The allegations have come under further scrutiny after some critics said the claims were treated more lightly by the media than if Manning had been a black player.

Manning’s career in the NFL may be coming to an end anyway. He will be 40 in March and it is likely he will choose to retire with the Super Bowl victory as his final game.

Tuesday, 9 February 2016

Manning Makes No Future Plans...Yet

Peyton Manning has the perfect opportunity to go out on a high after winning his second Super Bowl but he said on Sunday he will take his time before deciding whether to retire.

“I got some good advice from Tony Dungy, who’s going into the Hall of Fame and is my old coach. He said don’t make an emotional decision,” Manning told CBS after the Denver Broncos had beaten the Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl 50.

“This has been an emotional week, an emotional night, and I’ve got a couple of priorities. I want to go kiss my wife, kiss my kids, I want to go celebrate with my family and team-mates, and I’m going to drink a lot of beer ... [Super Bowl MVP] Von Miller is buying. Those are my priorities at this point. I’ll take some time to reflect. And I’m going to say a prayer and a thank you to the man upstairs for this opportunity as well.”

Manning has been a shadow of his former self this season, and the Broncos’ championship was down to the team’s defense rather than any offensive brilliance from their veteran quarterback. He also has nothing left to prove on the field, and would end his career as the all-time leader for passing touchdowns and passing yards.

One person who is certain Manning should quit is his mother, Olivia. “I want Peyton to retire,” she said after the game.

Monday, 8 February 2016

Manning Master Class by Broncos

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Peyton Manning had the Broncos’ devastating pass rush to thank for delivering a second championship ring in potentially his swansong appearance at Super Bowl 50 in California.

Manning, 39, played a mere supporting role in Denver’s 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium as Von Miller and his defensive colleagues harassed recently-crowned MVP Cam Newton throughout in Santa Clara.

Denver forced four turnovers from the Panthers’ offence and Ron Rivera’s side produced a glut of mistakes, including a missed field goal from Scottish-born kicker Graham Gano, to suffer just their second defeat of the season.

It meant Manning won the Super Bowl for the second time in his 18-year career, even though he threw for only 141 yards and no touchdowns, and it gave him possibly a fitting note to finish on if he decides to retire.

Gano got his wish to kick the game off after the Panthers won and elected to defer, allowing Manning to lead a 64-yard, 10-play drive that culminated in a Brandon McManus field goal as the Broncos drew first blood.

Newton, crowned the league’s MVP 24 hours earlier, went three and out at the controls of the Panthers offence and Denver’s swarming defence soon increased their advantage.

Miller, who was drafted directly after number-one overall pick Newton in 2011, got to the quarterback and dislodged the ball and it trickled into the Carolina end zone where Malik Jackson jumped on it for a defensive touchdown that made it 10-0 to Denver.

Newton finally got rolling and running back Jonathan Stewart leapt over from one yard out for the NFC champions’ first points of the game early in the second quarter.

This was an error-strewn contest, though, epitomised by the Panthers’ special teams unit failing to recognise Jordan Norwood had not called for a fair-catch en route to a Super Bowl-record 61-yard punt return which resulted in another McManus field goal.

That score, which made it 13-7, was the final one of the half as both sides committed turnovers prior to the interval, Denver’s an ugly Manning interception straight at defensive lineman Kony Ealy.

Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Beyonce came and went during the half-time show, yet the Panthers could still not exit their rut when they returned as Gano missed a 44-yard field goal when the ball struck the right upright.

Another three-pointer from McManus padded Denver’s lead, though Carolina soon found themselves back in Broncos territory thanks to a sensational snatch from the unheralded Corey Brown.

However, once again the Panthers failed to capitalise as Ted Ginn let a straight-forward catch slip through his hands and into safety TJ Ward’s grasp - although even that turnover was not straight forward as Danny Trevathan had to recover his team-mate’s fumble.

Manning coughed the ball up again – to a fumble caused by the brilliant Ealy – and Gano this time split the posts from 39 yards to bring the Panthers within one score with a little over 10 minutes left.

The Broncos kept it conservative on offence and relied on their terrific defence, who once again came up the big play – MVP Miller strip-sacking Newton once more, with Ward on hand to recover in the red zone.

From there, CJ Anderson scored his team’s first offensive touchdown with a two-yard run and Manning completed a two-point conversion to Bennie Fowler to leave Carolina and Newton too much to do late on.

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Monday, 7 March 2016

Number 18 Ends 18 Year Career - Peyton Manning