Giant Expectations

By Jordan Mamorsky

Counting on the Manning Quarter Back family dynasty to produce another hall of fame quarterback, the Giants traded everything but their stadium for the rights to Eli Manning. Putting their immediate future in the arm of an untested rookie quarterback can be tricky business even with Manning's quarterback pedigree and success at Ole Miss.

Therefore, the Giants knew they had to sign a veteran quarterback and were lucky enough to find two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner on the waiver wire. With Warner likely to be the starter for this season, he'll try to help the Giants' improve on their 4-11 record while mentoring the quarterback of the future.

What binds these two men is their competitive fire that fuels their desire to prove people wrong. This year, both quarterbacks are in a situation where they must prove themselves. A southern gentleman,

Manning must prove to fickle New Yorkers that he is the Franchise quarterback the Giants believe he is. Warner must prove that he still has the ability to dominate games despite being saddled with injuries last season and losing his starting job. In recent interviews at Giant Stadium, Manning and Warner discussed their goals for the season, their relationship with each other, and their futures with the Giants. Surprisingly, both look forward to their relationship together and hope that it can breed success for the Giants.

Unlike Warner, Manning had an illustrious college career. A three-year starter at SEC powerhouse, Ole Miss., the 6-4 218 pound Manning bedeviled opponents with his accuracy, arm-strength and intelligence. The Giants fully believe that Eli will follow in his father, Archie, and older brother, Peyton's footsteps. Eli concedes that the transition to the pros won't always be smooth. "You just got to get in there and make mistakes, make bad plays but try not to repeat them," he said. "The more reps you get the more comfortable you will be with the offense and get used to playing in the NFL".

The Manning family seems to produce franchise quarterbacks like chickens produce eggs. Father Archie had a Hall of Fame NFL career with the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts, while Peyton, the starting QB for the Indianapolis Colts, seems destined for Canton Ohio as well. Archie is confident that Eli will be able to succeed in the NFL and follow in his and his older brother's footsteps. "He's tall and he's gifted" Archie said. "I think his greatest strength is his cerebral approach to the game". Despite these characteristics, Archie is unsure how long it will take Eli to adjust to the NFL. "Not many [quarterbacks] enjoy great success in their first year," he said. "Some people are enjoying quarterback success in their second year and sometimes it takes four to five years".

Eli is confident that he can speed up the process by learning from Warner. "I can just watch him in practice, the decisions he makes, ask him questions, watch the films. [Warner] has been through that so I can ask him questions."

Warner came to the Giants to compete for the starting job but is looking forward to the relationship he will have with Eli. "We're going to compete and we're going to be competitive," Warner said. "But at the same time we're going to work together, we're going to grow together. I think it's going to be a great relationship. I think we're going to compete as hard as we would compete if we were enemies but we're going to grow and we're going to learn from each other. I didn't go into this thing saying I got to teach him this and tutor him. It's unique and separate for each individual. But if there's things that he can take from me, questions he wants to ask me situations where I can lend a hand to him, I am willing to do it."

The transition to the Giants has been nothing but smooth for Warner. "We've really fit in well. I think there's a respect factor on both sides - me coming in here knowing what they can accomplish and knowing what they have accomplished playing against them. I think there's a respect factor when I walk into the locker room, there's been great camaraderie from the get go."

Itching to get out onto the field to prove that he still has a lot left in the tank after leaving St. Louis as a fallen hero, Warner is ready to forge a new legacy with the Giants. He is set on proving his naysayers wrong. "It's not my driving force" Warner said. "But at the same time when a lot of people give up on you or an organization or team gives up on you, you know you always have something in the back of your mind that says I want to go out and show people that I can still play well in this league."

The Giants are banking on Warner's resurgence and his ability to bring the best out of Manning. It is somewhat of a dangerous game to hope that two competitors such as Manning and Warner can have a healthy relationship but the Giants believe it's possible. Perhaps it will be the drive to succeed and to win that will bind them and allow them to have a productive relationship for years.