Insider | Notebook | Mailbag
Any time there's a midseason awards column, it's bound to fire up the masses.
When Peyton Manning and MVP are part of that column, it's even worse -- particularly if it comes under my byline.
Last week, Manning was the choice for league MVP in my midseason report. That was met with disdain from many Manning bashers, of which there are plenty.
Any time I give the guy credit, it sets off the e-mail frenzy. Yes, I think he's the best player in NFL, the one player I would pick to start my team. But that doesn't mean if he plays poorly, I won't say so. It's just that he hasn't yet this season.
Did he do anything Sunday against the Texans to dispute his choice as league MVP?
What I can't understand is why he never gets the due he deserves. He's a great player, a great interview and he does plenty of good off the field. He's a role model in the truest sense.
So why is he so hated? People in the Colts organization can't figure that one out, either.
It's only a matter of time, now that Eli Manning's starting, before he gets it, too.
From: Mike Simkanin
Just read your All-Pro picks and just couldn't resist writing to you. Javon Walker is a very good receiver, but let's be real. Is there any, and I really mean any, receiver who is more feared and always double-teamed, and sometimes even triple-teamed, the way Randy Moss is? I admit that he is hurt right now, but look at the numbers he put up before the injury with almost no running game. How much more dangerous will he be when he gets back at 100 percent and there is a running game this time?
Mike: I agree Moss is the best in the game, but injuries forced me to look somewhere else. Walker is having a huge year.
From: Unknown
Your midseason awards are a joke. Peyton Manning does not deserve to be the MVP of the league. You even said it yourself when you stated that they were 5-3, but would be lucky to be .500 without him. Therefore that means his presence is worth a one- or two-game swing. Hardly MVP quality. It is clear Terrell Owens deserves the award. The Eagles offense has been awful except for him and he is the reason they are 8-1. They would be lucky to be .500 without him and that is what an MVP means.
Unknown: Manning is by far and away the MVP. Owens is the MVP of the NFC.
From: Rick Stoppe
Pete, it took me a long time to figure you out. You are brilliant, emulating the same strategy as Howard Stern. The average Prisco supporter reads your stuff 15 minutes per week. The average Prisco hater reads your stuff 2 hours per week. Since everyone hates you, they can't wait to read the next stupid thing you'll write next. Keep up the bad work.
Rick: Bingo. Stimulating my readers to action is one of the things my bosses love about me. I don't hold back, do I? Where else on the Internet can you get that, an NFL writer who rips?
From: Urine_Idiot
Nice work on those upset picks this past week. Need a loan? I'll give you $100.00 for Mookie and Maggie. At least they will get food rather than skimming to make certain to pay off the sharks. The answer I really want is how many points is Bin Laden up on you for most hated by Americans for you to be making picks like this?
Urine: I'm ahead of Bin Laden, but just behind Michael Jackson and R. Kelly.
From: Pete Bednarik
Pete, you're soiling the Pete name! Dude, you're dumb as a box of rocks! Please get off the Manning bandwagon. It's getting old. Indy ran up the score against a soft defensive team. Peyton is not the MVP. Several other worthy candidates come to mind. You know who they are. Jump off the bandwagon!
Pete: For Pete's sake, Manning is the MVP.
From: Unknown
I don't know what the Miami Dolphins have done to earn your ire, but it sure has become evident since the Dolphins began their downward spiral. In the past few years when Miami was still in playoff contention, you begrudgingly kept them in the top 10 in your Power Rankings. Your latest remarks really show your contempt: "Miami, which was off, stays firmly planted on the bottom -- a spot we think they'll have a chance to occupy for the next couple of years. ..." What gives?
Unknown: Uh, they stink.
From: Rocco858
Hey, It's OK for you to hate the Chargers, but I've been a loyal fan for many years. Say all you want about my team, but if they get home-field advantage in the AFC, everybody better watch out!
Rocco858: I get to see the Chargers in person next week at Kansas City. Can't wait.
