The Morning According to Us

Peyton Manning and James Harrison. A mirror image.

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"People confuse me for Peyton all the time."

While the NFL MVP Award is a de facto acknowledgment of the best offensive performance of the season in a pivotal role, the Defensive MVP Award does the same for the other side of the ball. This year's winners, oddly, are both beyond the age of 30. James Harrison of Pittsburgh won the defensive honor yesterday at the age of 30, and Peyton Manning captured the MVP, his third such honor, at the age of 32.

And the roads to such awards—how mirrored could they possibly be?

Manning was plucked by the Colts at #1 overall in the draft, the well-bred son of a quarterbacking legend, ready to make his own mark after a brilliant career in the SEC. Harrison was passed over by every notable program after a BB gun locker room incident in high school, and landed at Kent State. (Hey, Antonio Gates went there! … for basketball.)

Manning started from day one in the NFL, had 26 touchdown tosses as a rookie, and has had a star pegged to him ever since. Harrison landed, undrafted, on the Steelers practice squad, and was known to ask out of plays he couldn't figure out. He left Pittsburgh and was released by the Ravens in 2004.

At 26, Manning was starting his 64th straight NFL game. At 26, Harrison finally made an active roster, thanks to an injury, back in Pittsburgh. He told a local paper that minus the injury that got him on the squad, he would've quit. Manning's Colts started 2005 13-0. Harrison got three starts that year. Manning won the 2006 Super Bowl. Harrison rode the pine all year. In 2007, Manning had a ho-hum year of 4,040 yards and 31 TD passes. Harrison was thrilled to start all season.

Need we keep pointing out all the striking similarities of the two most dominant players in the league at their respective disciplines this year?

The NFL, a league that turns over 30% of rosters each year, still rewards the fruits of age and experience from time to time, if one can just survive long enough. Harrison and Manning proved as much this year.

Two peas in a pod.

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Argentina, where the (polo) players play.

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