There are several issues here.
For one, the document that the writer, Shaun King, cites is a 74-page Facts of Case document that was written by Naughrights lawyer in order to make the case against Manning. It is, by definition, a one-sided document; thats why shes paying a lawyer to make her case and make it stick. Maybe its true that Manning did more than simply moon a teammate in the locker room that day; maybe he did, in fact, stick his naughty bits in Naughrights face, which would be a reprehensible act that goes far beyond playfulness. But you have to remember, this is her lawyers document.
We never saw the other side of the story, Mannings side, which would be in a document written by his lawyer.
That was never revealed in this story, nor was there any noted attempt made to reach out to Manning or Mannings representatives for comment.
It may be that Manning did something truly awful when he was in college, but what we were offered in that Daily News piece was a decidedly one-sided view of the issue.
The fact also remains, Naughright never filed charges against Manning for the alleged act only she can fully explain why -- and only went the legal route when Mannings book alleged she had a vulgar mouth and painted her in an unflattering light. She sued for defamation, and it was settled out of court.
Im not going to sit here and say that it surely didnt happen. Im also not going to sit here and say that it definitely happened. Again, we were offered just one side of the story in the Daily News piece, which was written to illustrate the double standard we sometimes apply to black athletes (in this case, Cam Newton) versus white athletes (in this case, Manning).
Theres this notion that Manning has held himself up as some kind of holier-than-thou demi-god and has used that reputation to make mega millions as a corporate pitchman.
I would take issue with that.
Manning has never, at least to my knowledge, attempted to make any kind of case that he is morally and ethically superior to anybody. He has not spent his life attempting to tell people how to live their lives, has not worn his religion on his sleeve. If fans want to believe that hes some holier-than-thou athlete whos above reproach, thats their choice. But in all the years Ive known Manning, hes made it clear, at least to me, that hes made missteps in his life, just as we all do.
If Manning was selling me on a lifestyle, if he was Tim Tebow or someone like that, I would find these latest revelations quite concerning and hypocritical. But hes not selling me on a lifestyle. Hes selling me credit cards. Hes selling me pizza. Hes selling me just about everything there is to sell in todays market.
The people of Indianapolis know the truth: Hes no saint. Ive had scores of tweets and emails suggesting that he wasnt faithful to his wife during his early years here. How do we know what goes on inside that marriage? How do we know that they didnt have something of an open marriage? More to the point, how do we know for sure that any of those rampant rumors were true?
My feeling is, I dont care one way or the other.
Not a bit.
Nor should you.
The people who know Manning best know that hes not much better than the rest of us. Remember that hilarious United Way skit he did for Saturday Night Live? You know who came up with that idea? Mannings brother-in-law. Its a source of some humor within the Manning camp that hes been propped up as a cross between Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
But I will say this, too: Hes done so many good things for people, so many things youve never heard about, it would make your head spin. He may have screwed up badly in the Naughright case, but he has spent most of his public and private life doing good works. Some of them have been widely reported. Most have not. On balance, yes, I would say that Peyton Manning is a very good person. And if that makes me part of the whole Indianapolis butt-kissers club, so be it.
If he had a bad moment and its possible this occurred the way Naughrights lawyer suggested it did he has, on balance, had exponentially more good moments. Ive never felt you judge someone based on one of the worst, if not THE worst, moment of their lives.
Unless, you know, they murdered someone or did something else that could be deemed unforgivable.
Again, this happened 20 years ago, when he was still a teenager. It was settled 13 years ago. And everything you may have read in the Daily News piece came from a source who was specifically paid to make the case against Manning. Until I get a chance to read Mannings side, or hear from Manning or his representatives, I will suspend final judgment to the degree thats really necessary after all these years.
