He’s attempting to join the short list of quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl victories, a list that includes John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady and Joe Montana. All Manning has to do is beat his hometown team, the one his father, Archie, played for. For Manning, though, the questions are never just about the next game. He spoke on a wide range of subjects without revealing a whole lot we didn’t already know. He certainly didn’t provide any ammunition for Sunday’s opponent, the New Orleans Saints. If the Colts weren’t trying to win a title of their own, Manning would’ve been the Saints’ biggest fan. He was certainly happy when they beat Minnesota in an overtime thriller to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl, a game that Manning won three years ago. “The Saints were my team growing up,” he said. “I was really excited for New Orleans, watching them win that game against the Vikings. It was exciting to see the French Quarter empty in the third quarter and then be packed after the game. I had a lot of friends down there tell me what it was like.”
Manning didn’t get any offbeat questions, but that didn’t stop him from trying to add a little levity to the proceedings. “No, I’m not superstitious,” he said. “I’m just a little ‘stitious. OK, that’s a bad joke. Eli [Manning, his brother] gave me that one. I take it back.” Later, when another reporter broached the same subject, Manning was more revealing. He doesn’t carry around a rabbit’s foot, but he does have a routine he goes through before every game.
