Making the Honest Case for Eli Manning as a Hall of Famer
Column - August 10, 2024
The big debate in the week following the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction is whether 2025 candidate Eli Manning belongs in the company of football's greatest in Canton.
It’s been one week since the 2024 celebration for the latest inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and before the newest representatives of football greatness can barely walk off the stage in Canton, Ohio, a debate has resurfaced involving one of the next legends with his eyes set on the game’s distinguished ballot.
One that, for someone who grew up witnessing the rare and distinct performances put forth by the individual, is utterly distasteful and ignorant.
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However, I am not giving this take as a fan, but purely as an appreciator of what makes the greatest names in football who they are. The big stats and the rings certainly matter, as do the other tangible accolades, but it’s more so the narratives they write and the obstacles they overcome that create the script to a player’s bust revealing on a steamy summer afternoon in early August.
My August 10th column for Empire Writes Back, tryna to quell the debate on whether Eli Manning belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when his candidacy opens up in 2025.