Quarterback Eli Manning made a lot of people look silly Sunday night as he led the New York Giants to an improbable Super Bowl victory.
But not members of the New England Patriots.
It was, instead, us.
We looked silly. All of us.
Manning and the Giants won a Super Bowl in an era that, for better or worse, cannot resist the lure of instant analysis. We need to know - right now! - whether someone is going to be a bust or whether he is destined for Canton, Ohio. Whether he deserves to be run out of town or dipped in bronze. We ask these questions in newspapers, on the Internet, on television and on radio, and we demand answers, not just daily, but hourly. In the absence of facts, the loudest voice in the conversation often carries the day. Patience isn't just a virtue. It's threatening to become obsolete.
Nowhere is this more true than in New York, a city that - because it never sleeps - also never stops analyzing and bickering over its high-profile athletes. Some, such as Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, thrive in that atmosphere. Others can't handle the scrutiny and get run out of town by fans and media.
Before this season, Manning's fourth, he wasn't completely written off, but he had more than his share of loud and angry critics. Critics who called him "She-li" Manning and "Elisha." Critics who said that he was neither tough enough nor poised enough to lead a team and that his selection as the first pick in the 2004 draft had more to do with his family tree than his own abilities.
Even Manning's former teammate, running back Tiki Barber, couldn't resist taking a few shots at the quarterback early this season in his new job as an NBC studio analyst, saying Manning lacked leadership and his attempts to be more forceful and take charge were, at times, almost "comical."
When Manning threw four interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns, in a November loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the tabloids and the sports talk shows were ruthless. He was savaged for being too polite, for slumping his shoulders too much and for acting as if he didn't care enough. Giants coach Tom Coughlin even said after the game he contemplated yanking Manning.
And yet there he was Sunday against the Patriots, scrambling out of Adalius Thomas' grasp, finding open receivers on crucial third downs, executing one of the most clutch drives in Super Bowl history.
"A lot of people got down on him early in the year, a lot of criticism," said Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Manning. "But he stayed true to himself. He stayed Eli, kept upbeat, kept his focus, didn't let anybody get in his head and just kept playing."
Said Giants wide receiver Steve Smith, "I think he shut a lot of his doubters up today."
Manning's sleepy eyes, his messy haircut and his quiet, passive personality just might make him the poster boy for Generation-Y quarterbacks. Unlike his brother Peyton, he never seemed to absorb all of the criticism thrown at him, because he couldn't really be bothered to listen to it. Sunday was also a chance for him to carve out his own identity, one separate from Peyton and his father, Archie, who also played in the NFL. It was confirmation that he was worthy of the Giants' decision to acquire him in a trade with the San Diego Chargers - the team who drafted him - and then hand him the starting job midway through his rookie season.
For all the grief Manning endured during his maturation, it took four years to win a Super Bowl. It took his brother Peyton nine years to get a ring. It took John Elway 14 seasons. Archie played 14 seasons in the NFL and never experienced a winning season.
"I never thought about them even playing college ball, much less pro football, much less winning Super Bowls or MVPs," Archie Manning said. "It wasn't in the plan. We tried to raise kids. We raised kids just like other parents raised their kids. I can't explain it."
Despite the cynicism and snark that permeates sports today, it was - especially for anyone with a younger sibling - moving to see shots of Peyton cheering on his younger brother from a luxury box during the game's final moments. Peyton was nervous, earnest and eager throughout, trying to be supportive in his own nerdy way. He said after the game that he kept getting messages from friends who were watching on television, telling him to calm down. But he couldn't.
On the field, Eli was the exact opposite, cool and collected, at least until the trophy ceremony, when he forgot to take off his shoulder pads before pulling on his championship T-shirt. During the Most Valuable Player presentation, he looked almost like a kid wearing a Halloween costume.
"Eli is in his fourth year now," Peyton Manning said. "He's just getting started in this league. And I said this earlier in the week, I truly believe that this will not be his last opportunity to play in this game. It's an exciting time for these Giants, but as his brother, I couldn't be any happier and prouder for him. It's really a special evening. ... I am proud to be his brother and I love him very much."
Might we someday see a Super Bowl in which the Manning boys face one another?
"It'll be fun to get back to the Super Bowl," Eli Manning said. "That's the way I'm looking at it. If it happens to be against the Colts, it would be a fun game to be a part of."
Manning said he slept very little Sunday night after the game. He kept replaying things in his mind, trying to come to terms with the gravity of what had just happened. Only when he woke did the size of it all begin to truly crystallize.
"You're a Super Bowl champion," he said. "It doesn't change my attitude or my personality or my goals for next season. It's still the same. I'm happy today. I'm fired up. I'm going to enjoy this moment. But you still want to do it again."
kevin.vanvalkenburg @baltsun.com
Sun reporter Jamison Hensley contributed to this article.