North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Rivers' Initials - PR - Speak Volumes
4/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 26, 2004
By Tony Haynes
It took football fans in San Diego very little time to see why Philip Rivers will go down as one of the most popular players in the history of NC State athletics. By now, the Chargers marketing department is probably doing back flips after listening to Rivers talk about how great it is to be with a franchise that hasn't so much as gotten a sniff of postseason play since 1995. And because he doesn't have a disingenuous bone in his body, the ACC Player of the Year means it when he says he's extremely excited about beginning his professional football career in San Diego.
"I'm fired up to be a Charger," Rivers said about an hour after learning that he had been traded to San Diego by the New York Giants, who had taken him with the 4th pick in last weekend's NFL Draft. "That's one thing that the town of San Diego and the fans are going to get is a guy who wants to be there and be a part of it."
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Those shouts of unmitigated joy you hear are coming from the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, which must have felt like an ugly step child after being kicked in the teeth by the Manning clan for about a week.
Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning and his famous father and NFL alum, Archie, said no to San Diego in the days leading up to the draft. They warned that if the Chargers used the number one pick to select Eli, then the decorated Rebels QB would become a rebel with a cause and sit out the 2004 season, a move that would enable him to re-enter next year's draft.
The Chargers, however, called the bluff and took Manning, a decision that set off a wave of boos that nearly disturbed the fragile San Andreas Fault. But San Diego wasn't the only city that disapproved of the Manning tactics. Every time Eli appeared either on stage or on a TV screen at draft headquarters in New York, he received about as much love as George Bush would get at a Kerry for President rally.
When forced to hold up a Chargers jersey for photographers, Manning wore the kind of expression you see from an affluent teenager who gets upset because his parents gave him a BMW instead of a Mercedes for his birthday. The only difference is, most affluent teenagers don't get a chance to display their displeasure on national television.
In the end, the Mannings got their way when Eli went to the Giants in exchange for Rivers. Based on the comments we heard from the two players on draft day, however, there will at least be the perception that the Chargers got a team player while the Giants traded for someone who has spent a rather inordinate amount of time looking out for himself.
Selfishness, as we know, is a way of life in professional sports, which is why Rivers is already coming off as a breath of fresh air while Manning is faced with the daunting task of repairing an image that took a hit last weekend.
"I really believe that if you get guys that love the game and develop a love for each other and get after it, any given team can win," Rivers said on Saturday. "I feel confident that the Chargers can do that."
Contrast that comment with this: "They know how we feel about the situation," Manning said when asked if he was upset about being selected by the Chargers.
Perhaps it's ironic that Rivers' initials are P.R. because in the public relations department, Rivers is already three touchdowns ahead of the man for whom he was traded.
On the field, both players will likely deal with the normal growing pains that rookie quarterbacks usually encounter when making the difficult transition from college football to the NFL. Fortunately, that's the biggest obstacle Rivers faces as he now gets set to move his family to sunny southern California. In the all important public opinion polls, the ACC's all-time leading passer has already become a big hit in his new hometown.
Eli Manning, on the other hand, might have to split time between the film room and the damage control department for a few months.
