Drew Brees has officially entered the great halls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, as he, alongside other legends of the game, were inducted earlier this month.
Brees’ career resume speaks for itself: second all-time in passing yards and passing touchdowns, Super Bowl XLIV winner and MVP, 13 Pro Bowls, and the list goes on. Brees was always going to see his golden bust on that stage in Canton one day.
Others, though, have to wait their turn – if it ever comes. And one name in particular has been debated about since he retired from the game.
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Eli Manning, a fellow quarterback, spent 16 years in the NFL leading the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories, while joining Brees, though further down, on the all-time passing leaders lists. Surely, Manning should join Brees, his older brother Peyton, and the many others in the Hall, right?
Over the last two years, though, Manning hasn’t received enough votes to be inducted. He missed being one of the 15 modern-era finalists for the second straight time this past voting period.
So, does Manning deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? Brees gave his stance.
"Yeah, he is," he told Fox News Digital, while also highlighting his work with DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS. "It's always funny to hear how people want to evaluate the quarterback position. I mean, look, there's so much that goes into it. It's body of work, it's consistency, certainly championships factor into it. I think when you look at all those things, it's hard to argue the things that he accomplished in his career with his two championships, and then, you know, his body of work and his consistency. "
ADAM VINATIERI SHAMED INTO OFFERING APOLOGY AND EXPLANATION FOR HALL OF FAME SPEECH THAT WAS EPIC
Brees called what Manning did across his 16 seasons leading one of the most iconic franchises in the sport "impressive." And it’s hard to ignore the fact it was done against a generation of fantastic quarterbacks like himself, Peyton, Tom Brady, who Eli beat in his two Super Bowl appearances, and more.
"I think overall I look at this era that we had a chance to be a part of," Brees explained. "It started with Peyton [Manning]. You go Peyton, Tom Brady, my draft in '01, and that ‘04 draft was impressive with Eli, with Philip [Rivers]. With Ben Roethlisberger and then Aaron Rodgers coming the year after that.
"I kind of look at that as kind of an era of quarterbacks that we all battled against each other, man. It was some epic battles , too, when you look at them. I think we all brought out the best in each other in a lot of ways because we knew what we were going up against week in and week out."
The argument against Eli, however, is that there was too much mediocrity in his career despite the greatness he showcased. He owned an even 117-117 record in the regular season. Eli also never made a first-team All-Pro squad, while never once receiving a vote for AP NFL MVP.
Then, there’s the turnovers. Eli was never afraid to fit the football in any window, or allow his receivers to make a play – the David Tyree helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII is a prime example of that. But he led the NFL in interceptions three separate times, while owning a completion rate of 60.3% on his passes.
But then again, Manning’s durability (210 consecutive regular-season games played for the Giants), career totals and the ability to clutch up in the playoffs against a dynasty in the New England Patriots twice in the biggest game on the gridiron, let alone other postseason moments, is too great a resume to ignore.
At least, it is for Brees, who believes Manning will eventually hear his name called to Canton one day.
FOOTBALL ALL IN ONE PLACE
Outside of football, Brees is also a businessman, being a co-owner and partner in Walk-on’s Sports Bistreaux, one of the fastest-growing sports bar franchise concepts in the country. It began in Louisiana, has grown to 80-plus units, and it continues to pave its way through the country.
As a sports bar concept, there’s nothing that matters more than having any game, any time, for customers walking into the establishment.
Football is king in the Southeast, as well as throughout the rest of the country, and DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS makes it easy for those like Brees to bring together live TV and streaming networks all in one place. More than 300,000 bars and restaurants have access to local, national, college and pro games for fans to watch through DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS.
"We pride ourselves on Louisiana-inspired cuisine. It's unbelievable food," Brees said of Walk-on’s Sports Bistreaux. "My kids crave it all the time. But like a really family-friendly atmosphere, you know, whether it's date night, bring the family, bring the little league after the game — something for everybody. Obviously, it’s sports, and high energy, and excitement on the TV all the time. Thanks to our partnership with DirecTV for Business, that's what allows us to basically have access to every college and pro game around the country. And that's not just football. We're talking basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer. So big events like March Madness and the Kentucky Derby, Masters — you name it. So, we're really appreciative of that DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS partnership. It allows us to help create that energy and excitement around our establishments.
"And for the fans themselves, sportsbarfinder.com allows them to find those sports from DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS at their local spot anywhere in the country, which Brees loved to see.
"There's a saying: fans have more friends. You know, they really do. You step into your local sports bar wearing the local jersey. Man, all of a sudden, next thing you know, you're high- fiving everybody and you just made 100 more friends. That's the kind of atmosphere and that's what sports does, it brings people together," he said.
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