On Friday, a very poor quality video of a guy in a white helmet throwing a football at Duke University showed up on YouTube and people were like, “Well Peyton Manning has a white helmet and he’s been hanging out at Duke, so it must be him!” And it makes sense that it’s Manning, because he has just a few days left before the Indianapolis Colts either owe him $28 million or have to cut him, and because of the new CBA the Colts can’t be at Duke to watch him throw the ball and prove that he’s healthy.
Instead, as the Internet’s greatest sports conspiracy theorists have noted, Manning could conveniently “leak” this video to show Colts owner Jim Irsay that all is good, as they say, in the hood, while also allowing the pack of rabid, quarterback-starved-teams drooling over a free agent Manning to witness his rehabilitation from a fourth neck surgery.
That Manning clan – full of the crafty ones, I tells ya.
Manning’s recovery is also now being tied to “That Thing with Gregg Williams*” as some people believe that Manning was a specific target of New Orleans Saints players and their bounty system. And by some people I mean Tony Dungy and all Colts fans.
Since I’ve now shifted into full speculation and rumor mode, Manning’s possible free agency is still being linked to the New York Jets, Washington Redskins (enjoy Donovan McNabb comparing himself to Manning), Kansas City Chiefs (one “expert” believes this match was made in heaven), Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks (complete with full “woe is us, nobody pays attention to us” journalism), Denver Broncos (the “John Elway hates Tim Tebow” conspiracy train thrives) and the Miami Dolphins, whose fans made Manning a billboard. A billboard, bro. That’s true love.
*I will not use the term “Bountygate.”
(Banner via Alexey Stiop/Shutterstock.com)
