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The worst ending to an iconic Giants career would be Eli Manning resembling a bloodied Y.A. Tittle on his knees following the next sack, or the one after that, or the one after that.
What awaits Manning now is the lesser of two evils:
His dream job being taken from him.
And not just for one game this time.
You could remember that the previous regime, with assistance from John Mara, gave us a reminder of the Fumble back in 1978 when Ben McAdoo presented his half-baked idea that Manning rejected and everyone signed off thinking that ending Manning's Ironman streak on Dec. 3 in Oakland to get a look at … Geno Smith … was a good idea.
Now here we are again.
Only the 36-year-old quarterback is now the 37-year-old quarterback.
The record when Manning was benched a year ago: 2-9.
The record now: 1-7.
Only this time, it is GM Dave Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur who will be making this watershed decision – the most delicate, painstaking decision in any sport has to make.
Wellington Mara cried when then-GM George Young and head coach Dan Reeves shocked Phil Simms when they made him a salary-cap victim in June 1994.
And his John might shed a tear that he was not sure that he was going to take away from Giant.
Because of his emotional attachment to his Hall of Fame quarterback, Mara should mimic his Hall of Fame and step aside and let the football men make the cold, cruel football decision.
Shurmur, who has no Giants Attachment to Manning, and Gettleman, who does, what is the best interest of the team, now and in the future.
Kyle Lauletta who they never got at Davis Webb.
Shurmur was in the process of becoming a quarterback in San Francisco following the bye.
"We'll see," he said. "Yeah, I think Eli is our quarterback; but I did say, and again, I know you're trying to tease a headline out. At this point, Eli is our quarterback, and we are looking at all areas to improve. That's where it's at. "
This is what is called a lukewarm endorsement.
Giant dilemma:
When?
Where?
How?
Do they ask a rookie to make his debut on "Monday Night Football," even against a 49ers team that could not beat the Cardinals? Unlikely. The earliest to make a switch would be Nov. 18 against the Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium as long as Lauletta shows he is a quick study. A last stand by Manning in San Francisco could possibly delay the inevitable.
This will be a change from Kurt Warner to a rookie in 2004. Manning was the apple of the organization when Tom Coughlin decided to take a step back. Warner was a caretaker. Lauletta is a fourth-round draft pick with strong instincts and a less-than-strong arm.
No matter how it plays out, Manning should get to make a final hit against the Cowboys at MetLife. One last vote, one last vote, for nostalgia. One last tribute for the greatest quarterback in Giants history.
Manning was standing at his locker, facing the music he has faced it every Monday in 15 seasons, proudly wearing his hooded gray sweatshirt with GIANTS in blue across his chest, and blue shorts.
Auld Lang Syne, "Auld Lang Syne," "We Are The Champions," "Auld Lang Syne,"
There was no need for an inquisition, only a five-minute session during which Manning said: "I expect and want to be the starting point I'm told differently."
He'll be good when he's told differently: "I've always been a team player, and do kinda what I'm told," he said.
This is not only Eli Manning's fault. There are plenty of other spirits. But it is the job of the quarterback to score points and win games.
And the Manning Giants no longer score enough, and they no longer win enough.
He will not get to go out on his own terms. Not everyone gets to ride off John Elway did. Manning deserves better treatment than he received from the previous regime. He deserves the best possible ending from the new regime. If there is one.
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