And Then There are the Mannings :-)

In a sporting world filled with criminals, convicts, drug users and abusers, and all around bad people, it is unusual to find someone who has an ounce of integrity left. I mean look at the headlines from the sporting world this summer, the main ones being Vick's fall and the Asterick. However, I found this article today about Archie Manning. It seems that Archie is not conducting his usual pre-season routine with the Saints, including interviews with the coaches, watching the team's practices, and providing commentary from the booth at the games. Now for anyone who knows anything about Saints football, this would almost seem like a slap in the face from the great hero of Saint football. That is until you read about Archie's reason for taking this stance. You see, preseason is all about leading up to the first game of the season. The games don't tell you much since they are played mostly by people trying to make the team instead of the team itself. However, in the practices, teams are trying out new offenses and defenses. So who is that first game for the Saints against? None other than the Colts. Archie wants to uphold the integrity of the sport so much, that he does not want to even be tempted to share Saints' secrets with his son Peyton. That is admirable. I think that even if Archie were at the practices or asking the coaches his typical preseason questions, he would not give away secret information to Peyton in order to give Peyton and his Colts an advantage over the Saints. However, this is a man that understands that you shouldn't even give the appearance of impropriety. This shows that Archie values integrity, and that is something that so many in the sports world should learn from. I think that too many people are going to look at this and think it isn't a big deal. I think it is, especially in an environment that seems to be focused on winning at all costs, even if it means you have to pay millions to criminals and drug addicts just to get fans in the stands. It is about time that people start to praise those who make a stand for integrity, like Archie Manning. What an example he is to the sons he has in the league and to his beloved Saints!