The best sports stories are always about more than sports. That’s true of “The Book of Manning,” ESPN’s documentary on the Manning family and its legacy of great college and NFL quarterbacks–Archie, Peyton and Eli.
But it’s really a story about fatherhood and family. After his father committed suicide, Archie Manning, pride of Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints star, decided he would be an involved but not domineering father. Football wasn’t the most important thing.
“I was just trying to have a great father-son relationship,” Archie said about raising Cooper, Peyton and Eli. “That’s what I wanted.”
From all appearances, Archie got it right. “The Book of Manning” is worth watching.
Neil Sagebiel 