Eli Manning interview: From NY Giants QB to a massive NFL fan

Football: New York Giants QB Eli Manning (10) in action vs Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Arlington, TX 9/8/2019 CREDIT: Greg Nelson (Photo by Greg Nelson / ) (Set Number: X162863 TK1 ) | Once upon a time Eli Manning spent the first Sunday of NFL seasons actually playing NFL games. He is a two-time Super Bowl Champion and MVP so that obviously tracks. On this particular season-opening Sunday, Eli spent part of his Sunday talking to me. We joked about how his New York Giants were getting set to host my Dallas Cowboys (that did not exactly go well), and we also spoke about his new partnership with Jameson and how they are seeking to pull off America’s Biggest Round this season. You can watch our conversation below. This season, Jameson, the Official Spirits Sponsor of the NFL, is picking up fans’ first round of drinks with America’s Biggest Round – a $5 million nationwide bar tab. The program celebrates the fans who show up at local bars on game days and reinforces Jameson’s commitment to supporting the local bars that bring fans together to root on their favorite teams. NFL Legend Eli Manning is partnering with Jameson to kick off America’s Biggest Round. The two-time Super Bowl champion won’t just be cheering from the sidelines; he’ll be rallying fans, sharing his ultimate gameday rituals, and reminding everyone that nothing beats the energy of watching football surrounded by fellow fans with a smooth drink in hand. Throughout the season, fans nationwide will have the chance to claim their share of the tab through rebates, sweepstakes prizes and exclusive game day experiences by visiting JamesonWhiskey.com or scan dedicated in-bar QR codes on coasters and table tents to unlock local offers. Fans can use the interactive Jameson Sports Bar Locator to discover local spots hosting watch parties, signature menu offerings, and game-day rituals. Later in the season, Jameson will debut a new creative campaign – Sláinte to Showing Up, a toast to the regulars, the fans who may not know all the rules but know a good time when they see one, and the neighborhood bartenders who know your order before you sit down. In chopping it up with Eli for 15 minutes, I came away with an undeniable conclusion: This dude is a full-on football fan now. He is just like us. We talked briefly about his nephew Arch Manning and the wild win that the University of Texas had on Saturday night against the then-top seed Ohio State Buckeyes. Eli noted how over the course of his football fandom he has had to root for a number of teams: New Orleans Saints (his dad), Indianapolis Colts (his brother), Denver Broncos (also Peyton), Ole Miss (himself, but his family members as well), New York Giants (obviously himself and now his alma mater, so to speak), and now the University of Texas. Imagine all of the alerts in the family group text based around this. But as someone who spent most of their fandom on the other side of Eli, it was enlightening to see Eli fully transitioned into an ambassador for football, fandom, and, to be quite frank, fun. I mean, the guy is trying to pull off America’s Biggest Round. How cool is that? Eli and I didn’t really talk much about the Giants and Cowboys as we tried to keep things pleasant a few hours before I hated football entirely (part of being a fan). He did note though that the Giants are sort of his sole focus these days, and how could they not be based on what he likely knew they were about to do to Dallas? The football world experiences Eli and his brother all of the time by way of their popular Manningcast, and I think I now understand why it is so successful. Eli is just a massive football fan who happens to have lived the life that so many of us dream of. He is quite literally one of us. He just also has two Super Bowl titles and MVPs on top of it. Cheers to football season, to Jameson, and to Eli Manning.

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