My 2012 Sportsmen of the Year- The Manning Brothers

     I'm not a huge LeBron James fan, but I have to say I have no objection to Sports Illustrated's decision to name him the Sportsman of the Year for 2012. After all, James did lead the Miami Heat to a championship, he did win not only the league MVP but NBA Finals MVP and did I mention he was a vital part of a USA Olympic team that won the gold medal in the London Olympics. Athletic accomplishments aside, James has improved his image with the fans after a disastrous year that featured the infamous decision and a missed opportunity in the 2011 NBA Finals against the Mavericks. Although James remains a villain of sorts to most NBA fans, I've yet to hear anything really bad about Lebron James. Sure, I think he is arrogant, but has he been accused of rape like Kobe Bryant? No. Has James been arrested for drunk driving for example? No. Has he done anything else like steroid use and adultery like past recipients of the SI honor such as Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods? I wouldn't be surprised, but as of now, nope. Basically, I have no issue with LeBron James claiming this award. I do however, think their are two other more deserving recipients.
   
    Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Drew Brees are three of the top quarterbacks of this generation and all three have received SI's Sportsman of the Year since 2005. Yet arguably the most outstanding, most personal and flat out best sportsman of the bunch has not received this honor; Peyton Manning. A year after missing an entire season, Manning has rebounded with another MVP caliber season for a new team, the Denver Broncos after parting ways with his team of twelve plus years, the Indianapolis Colts. Not many people in sports would've handled the parting of ways between the Colts and Manning better than Manning himself. Always dignified and always respectful, Manning understood completely how sports is a business and after all the glory you achieve with a team, professional sports remains a what have you done for me now and what will you do for me in the near future entity. In a time where Dwight Howard's and Carmelo Anthony's can dictate where they want to play, it is wonderful to see a person of Manning's stature have so much class.

     However, simply defining Peyton Manning by having a lot of class does not do him justice. Manning is defined by his quiet, relentless pursuit to maximize his potential. I don't have a figure to throw out there, but people need to understand how many hours Manning puts in to film study and mechanical work that has made him one of the most consistently outstanding players in NFL history. This year, Manning faced a new obstacle; recovering from an injury that left many doubters claiming that Manning would never be the same player he was in Indianapolis. All Manning did was quietly prove those who doubted him wrong. Manning is playing just as well as he ever has. He currently has the Broncos at 10-3 and his a sure fire MVP candidate once again as he looks to win his NFL record 5th MVP award. For those who say giving it to Peyton Manning would be a lifetime achievement award, you are dead wrong. Manning has been and still is a highly respected leader who is excelling after a year faced with many obstacles.

     Hey, isn't there another Manning guy who plays quarterback? Oh yeah, that's right. Eli Manning captured his second Super Bowl title in 2012, once again overcoming many doubters who continue to deprive him of the respect he deserves. Rather than talk, Manning let his play speak for itself. And rather than have a camera follow him around everywhere he goes, Manning quietly is a fine member of his respective communities, yet it is not stated in the media because he doesn't need to be superficial about it. Like his older brother, Manning has all the on and off field credentials to be deserving of Sportsman of the Year.

     With all due respect to LeBron James, his 2012 resume his weak compared to the resilient Peyton Manning and the overachieving Eli Manning. LeBron's gold medal means little due to the lack of difficulty for being on a Team USA basketball team and not that it is easy to win an NBA Championship, but configuring a team like the Miami Heat and winning a championship that might not have been won had the Boston Celtics been healthy last year is not as impressive as the New York Giants defeating the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots or how Peyton Manning continues to play at an MVP level even after neck surgery and changing teams. My only hope is that eventually, the affinity for LeBron James wears off and the Manning brothers get the respect they deserve.