Peyton Manning(notes) didn’t shake hands with New Orleans Saints players after his Indianapolis Colts lost 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV. Apparently some think this is a sign of poor sportsmanship from the NFL’s greatest player. It’s not.
Walking off the field without congratulating Drew Brees(notes) may go against our misguided notion of what sportsmanship should be, but it wasn’t at all disrespectful or bitter. It shows how much Peyton Manning wanted to win the game. And who can argue about that?
I can.
It’s tradition.
For a guy who claims to love and respect the game as much as Peyton does, and who’s following the footsteps of his father (Archie Manning) and leading by example for his younger brother (Eli Manning), not congratulating the opposing Quarterback is low, cheap, and classless.
I expected more from Peyton.